Obama Signs Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act To Improve Child Nutrition

On Monday, President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, a $4.5 billion expansion of the school lunch program, the Washington Post reports (Henderson, Washington Post, 12/13).

On Dec. 2, the House voted 264-157 to pass the Senate-approved child nutrition reauthorization bill (S 3307) (California Healthline, 12/6).

Details of Measure

First lady Michelle Obama endorsed and promoted the bill as part of her anti-obesity "Let's Move" campaign (Washington Post, 12/13).

The law will generate funds to provide more than 20 million additional after-school meals annually to children from lower-income families in all 50 states.

The law also increases the federal reimbursement rate for no-cost school lunches by six cents a meal and expands access to no-cost lunch and after-school meals programs, according to the AP/Los Angeles Times.

In addition, the law aims to cut down on greasy, high-calorie foods by giving the government authority to decide what kinds of foods may be sold on school grounds, the AP/Times reports.

New Rules for USDA

Under the law, USDA is responsible for writing new nutrition standards for which foods can be sold in school cafeterias and vending machines.

USDA also has one year to decide whether the government can prohibit bake sales and other school fundraisers that could offer unhealthful foods on school grounds (Jalonick, AP/Los Angeles Times, 12/13).