Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act of 2025
The Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act of 2025 would amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to explicitly require that training for local school food service personnel be practical, accessible, and fairly compensated. The changes set standards for when and how training should occur: ideally during regular paid working hours, in-person when appropriate, and with an emphasis on experiential learning, all at no cost to the workers. If training must occur outside regular hours, employers must inform staff, schedule the training to minimize disruption, pay workers at their regular rate (including overtime where applicable), and ensure staff aren’t penalized for not attending. The bill also clarifies that these requirements do not alter any existing federal, state, or local employment laws. The aim is to improve training access and quality for school meal programs, with potential benefits for food safety, service quality, and student nutrition outcomes.
Key Points
- 1Training should be scheduled during regular, paid working hours and offered in-person when appropriate.
- 2Training must include experiential learning and be provided at no cost to food service personnel.
- 3If training occurs outside regular hours, employers must inform staff, schedule to minimize disruption, compensate at the regular rate (including overtime), and not penalize workers for non-attendance.
- 4The provision explicitly states it does not override any existing federal, state, or local employment laws.
- 5The measure targets “local food service personnel” across school meal programs and is an amendment to the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.