U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
BUFFALO – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was in Buffalo Monday to continue her fight to protect healthier food standards and programs for schools.
The Senator’s appearance in Western New York comes as Congress prepares to debate child nutrition standards.
As part of her appearance, Gillibrand also announced bipartisan legislation to provide more children with nutritious meals throughout the summer by expanding the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Food Service Program.
The legislation would help improve nutrition and enhance learning in underserved areas by better integrating summer education and meals programs, making it easier for public-private partner organizations to participate in the summer meals program, and by providing the option of a third meal for children who attend evening enrichment programs.
Congress is currently debating child nutrition standards and school meals as the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) is set to expire in September. Gillibrand called the standards a landmark achievement for improving what cafeterias serve children.
Under the law, in order for school meals to be eligible for federal reimbursement, one of the main requirements is that they must contain at least ½ cup serving of fresh fruit and vegetables.
According to Gillibrand, 31 million students participate in the national school lunch program across the united states, with 22 million students receiving free or reduced school lunch. Only one in seven of these high need children have access to summer meals.
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