HR 592119th CongressIn Committee

Protecting School Milk Choices Act of 2025

Introduced: Jan 21, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

Protecting School Milk Choices Act of 2025 amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to change the types of milk that must be offered in the National School Lunch Program. Specifically, the bill requires that schools offer both flavored and unflavored fluid milk to students and allows, rather than requires, offering lactose-free fluid milk. In effect, it broadens the milk options available to students and provides an option for lactose-intolerant students, while maintaining the broader structure of the school lunch milk program. This is a relatively narrow change focused on what kinds of milk schools must or may provide. It does not spell out other nutrition standards, funding changes, or broader dietary guidelines beyond the milk options described.

Key Points

1Title and purpose: The bill is named the Protecting School Milk Choices Act of 2025 and aims to amend how milk is offered under the school lunch program.
2Mandatory offering of flavored and unflavored milk: The bill requires that schools offer both flavored and unflavored fluid milk to students.
3Optional lactose-free milk: The bill allows schools to offer lactose-free fluid milk, but it is not required.
4Renumbering of existing provisions: The bill removes the current clause (ii), renumbers the subsequent clause (iii) to (iv), and inserts the new required/optional provisions after clause (i).
5Scope of change: The change is limited to the types of milk offered within the school lunch program and does not specify other nutrition standards, funding, or broader menu requirements.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- K-12 students participating in the National School Lunch Program: They gain access to both flavored and unflavored milk by default and have the option of lactose-free milk if offered by their school.Secondary group/area affected- School food service programs and district nutrition departments: They will need to adjust procurement and menu planning to ensure both flavored and unflavored milk are available, and to consider offering lactose-free milk if they choose.- Dairy producers and distributors: Potentially higher demand for flavored milk varieties and lactose-free milk products.Additional impacts- Health/nutrition considerations: Flavored milk typically contains added sugars; offering both flavored and unflavored options may influence students’ milk intake and total sugar consumption. The lactose-free option could help lactose-intolerant students participate more fully in the program.- Administrative and compliance considerations: Schools may need to update purchasing, stocking, and reporting practices to ensure compliance with the new offering requirements and optional lactose-free option.- Funding and cost: The bill does not include funding provisions, so any added costs from providing additional milk varieties would rely on existing funding or future appropriations and could affect school nutrition budgets.

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