Ellison Introduces School Nutrition Legislation

Press Release

Ellison Introduces School Nutrition Legislation

Congressman Keith Ellison (D--Minneapolis) will introduce two major pieces of child nutrition legislation next week when Congress reconvenes for the fall session.

The first bill allows thousands of low-income children in Minnesota and across the nation access to the federal school lunch program. Currently, children whose families make less than 130 % of the federal poverty guidelines ($28,665 for a four-person family) receive free school meals through the federal school lunch and breakfast program. Children whose families make between 130% and 185% of the poverty guidelines ($28,665 and $40,793 for a four-person family) may have access to reduced price school meals. Unfortunately, as result of the economic downturn, thousands of these low-income working families often cannot afford to pay for their children to receive the reduced price meals. This legislation makes school meals free for all children with family incomes below 185%. In Minnesota this would mean that 54,000 more low-income children would have access to free school lunches.

"Hungry minds cannot learn on empty stomachs," Ellison said. "This legislation takes the burden of the tough economic times off the backs of innocent children and hard-working parents. This is what compassionate government does during difficult times," Ellison stated.

"Child hunger is on the rise in Minnesota," said Colleen Moriarty, Executive Director of Hunger Solutions Minnesota. In the first 6 months of 2009, there were 483,831 food shelf visits serving children. That is a 20% increase over 2008. The free school meal programs allow children to be ready to learn regardless of family income." Hunger Solutions Minnesota is a comprehensive hunger relief organization that works to end hunger in Minnesota.

Additionally Congressman Ellison will introduce legislation to curtail practices by some school districts that stigmatize children when their families cannot afford to pay for school meals. The legislation prohibits school districts from implementing any policies that stigmatize children or withhold educational opportunities because the family has unpaid school meals bills. The legislation also specifically prohibits school districts from using debt collection agencies to attempt to recoup the unpaid bills from families.

"Poverty is not a character defect; it's a temporary economic set-back for parents," Ellison stated. "This program is designed to help kids focus on their education, and to stay in school -- not be singled out because of their misfortune."

"Hunger Solutions Minnesota supports this new legislation because the student's only job is to learn and thrive. Schools need to provide nourishing environments, not stressful situations where children have to worry that there is no money in their meal account or fear being called out in front of their peers over who is going to pay for lunch," concluded Moriarty.

Both bills are timely because Congress will be working on reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Act and the National School Lunch Act during this session of Congress.

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