Washington, D.C. – Today Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) introduced the National School Lunch Protection Act of 2010 to ensure scarce federal resources provided for the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program are spent to provide nutritious meals to our children. As a member of the Education and Labor Committee, Congresswoman Chu is currently working with Chairman George Miller (D-CA) on legislation to reauthorize the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.
"Everyday more than 30 million students receive meals through the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. In our time of economic distress, more and more families are relying on these programs to ensure their children receive at least one healthy meal every school day. At the same time, school foodservice programs are facing increased costs and demands to provide more nutritious meals. Unfortunately, some school districts overcharge school foodservice programs for the costs associated with the school lunch and school breakfast programs, shortchanging our children. This abuse of federal funds cannot continue."
"That is why I am introducing the National School Lunch Protection Act of 2010, to ensure that all charges to the foodservice fund are spent providing nutritious meals to the children in our communities. Specifically, this bill will direct the Secretary of Agriculture to study what costs are charged by school districts to the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Armed with that information, the Secretary will then implement regulations to protect these important federal programs from waste and fraud."
La Nae Potter, formerly of the Garvey School District and Director of Food Services for Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, was appreciative of the Congresswoman Chu's bill and noted the importance of such legislation.
"As the need for school meals grows in this economic climate, we need to ensure that every dollar provided is going directly to high quality food for our students. We need to prepare students for learning with fresh fruits and vegetables that help them develop healthy habits," said Potter.
