WASHINGTON — School cafeterias moved a step closer to seeing whole milk return after the U.S. House passed a measure Monday that would restore the dairy staple to school lunches.
The bill, which passed the Senate unanimously in November, now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk.
The bipartisan effort passed the House by voice vote following more than a decade during which whole milk was barred from school meal programs as part of a broader push to curb childhood obesity.
Under the bill, schools participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program would be allowed to offer “flavored and unflavored organic or nonorganic whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free fluid milk and lactose-free fluid milk,” as well as “nondairy beverages that are nutritionally equivalent to fluid milk and meet the nutritional standards established by the secretary.”
The legislation also would exempt milk fat from being counted as saturated fat for purposes of schools’ allowable average saturated fat content in meals.
In addition, the measure would allow parents and guardians — not just physicians — to submit written statements requesting a nondairy milk substitute for a student.
Republican Sens. Roger Marshall of Kansas and Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, along with Democratic Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, introduced the bill in the Senate in January. Companion legislation in the House was sponsored by Republican Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson of Pennsylvania and Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier of Washington State.
‘AN ESSENTIAL BUILDING BLOCK’
During floor debate Monday, Thompson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said the bill aims to “restore students’ access to a wide variety of milk options, ensuring students have the necessary nutrients to learn and to grow.”
Thompson said milk is “an essential building block for a well-rounded and balanced diet,” offering 13 essential nutrients and numerous health benefits. He argued that “out-of-touch and outdated federal regulations” have limited the types of milk available to students in school meals.
The legislation, he emphasized, does not require schools to serve whole milk or students to drink it, but instead gives schools flexibility to offer a broader range of milk options.
Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, ranking member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, voiced opposition to the bill. While acknowledging improvements related to nondairy alternatives, Scott said he was “disappointed that the bill overall would make school meals less healthy.”
Scott said the measure conflicts with the dairy industry’s stated commitment to align school meals with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans issued by USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
MILK INDUSTRY PRAISE
According to USDA’s Economic Research Service, the top five milk-producing states in 2023 were California, Wisconsin, Idaho, Texas and New York.
Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, praised House passage of the bill, calling it a “defining victory for children’s health and for the dairy community that has fought for more than a decade to restore whole and 2% milk for our nation’s students.”
Dykes urged Trump to sign the bill into law so USDA can begin working with states and school districts to implement the changes.
Shauneen Miranda is a reporter for States Newsroom’s Washington bureau. She previously covered breaking news for Axios and is an alumna of the University of Maryland.
Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
