ASSEMBLY CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND FOOD SECURITY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 1406

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 8, 2025

      The Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 1406.

      As amended by the committee, this bill would require public schools and nonpublic schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program to comply with the most stringent nutrition standards for the National School Lunch Program and federal School Breakfast Program that were adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and published in Volume 77, Number 17 of the Federal Register dated January 26, 2012 and in Volume 89, Number 80 of the Federal Register dated April 25, 2024, or any other more stringent federal nutrition standards adopted in the future.

      Child and adolescent obesity has reached epidemic levels in the United States and poor diet combined with the lack of physical activity negatively impacts students’ health and their ability and motivation to learn. 

      Over the past 15 years, policymakers have taken significant steps to implement new approaches through the National School Lunch Program and federal School Breakfast Program in order to address child and adolescent obesity.  Federally subsided meal programs, which include the National School Lunch and federal School Breakfast Program, are required to have nutrition standards that meet specific dietary guidelines. These guidelines can help prevent chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes.

      Under the nutrition regulations adopted in July 2012 under the federal “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010,” public schools were required to reduce the amount of calories, fat, and sodium in school cafeterias and increase offerings of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and nonfat milk to the roughly 32 million students who receive federally subsidized meals.  These more stringent nutrition standards have helped to reduce the obesity rate for children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 17. 

      However, the USDA has recently announced its plans to lower nutrition standards for grains, flavored milks, and sodium in school cafeterias that were part of the regulations adopted in 2012 under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.  This bill would require all public schools and nonpublic schools participating in the National School Lunch and federal School Breakfast Programs to comply with the most stringent nutritional standards for the programs adopted by the USDA in 2012 and 2024, and any other more stringent federal standards adopted in the future.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amendments expand the provisions of the bill to require nonpublic schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and the federal School Breakfast Program to comply with the nutritional standards adopted by the USDA as delineated in the bill.  

      The committee amendments require public schools and nonpublic schools participating in the National School Lunch and federal School Breakfast Programs and all reimbursable meals under these programs to comply with the most stringent nutrition standards for the National School Lunch Program and federal School Breakfast Program adopted by the USDA in 2012 and 2024 and any other more stringent federal standards adopted in the future.

      The committee amendments update the synopsis of the bill to reflect the changes made by the committee amendments.