SNA Policy News: Updates from Washington D.C.

Take Action! Keep Kids Fed Act
School Nutrition Association
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) praised a new agreement to provide critical support to school meal programs prior to the expiration of federal pandemic waivers. Set to expire June 30, the waivers have ensured students can access healthy school meals despite persistent supply chain, food cost and labor burdens. SNA urges Congress to swiftly pass The Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022.

The $3 billion package will provide the following assistance through School Year 2022/23:
- Allow students eligible for reduced-price meals to receive free meals
- Increase federal reimbursements for every school lunch by 40 cents and every school breakfast by 15 cents, above the annual inflationary adjustment scheduled for July 1
- Extend no-cost waivers, including those for schools unable to meet nutrition standards due to supply chain disruptions and to reduce administrative and reporting burdens
- Extend waivers for 2022 summer meal programs
Take action now! Write your legislators.
White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition & Health
School Nutrition Association

The White House held its second stakeholder briefing to share updates ahead of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition & Health scheduled for September.

SNA is in communication with the Administration to identify opportunities to represent the role of school nutrition professionals in the national plan to eliminate food insecurity and ensure nutritious food is accessible to all.

During the briefing, the White House announced regional listening sessions and two website updates to expect in the coming weeks. These website updates will include a toolkit for external partners to help guide their meetings and an online portal for the public to submit their own stories and comment.
Update: School nutrition program waiver extensions
School Nutrition Association
School nutrition program advocates continue to pursue critical waiver extensions as Congress deliberates viable legislative vehicles and options for funding.
Biden announces Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health
School Nutrition Association
President Biden has announced that the White House will host a Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health in September. The goal is to end hunger, increase healthy eating and physical activity by 2030. The White House will be hosting listening sessions throughout the summer, leading up to the conference. For more information, please visit the White House website.
SNA affiliates urge Congress to extend waivers (help us by tweeting your legislators!)
School Nutrition Association
Forty eight School Nutrition Association state affiliates have joined together to send a letter to Congress urging strong support for the Support Kids Not Red Tape Act (S. 3979) and the Keeping School Meals Flexible Act (H.R. 6613), legislation that would extend critical pandemic-related school nutrition waivers.