2010 Legislative Action Conference
February 28 - March 3rd
Washington D.C.
ISNA Spring Board Meeting
March 12th, 2010
Boise, Idaho
2010 ISNA State Conferences
June 14, 15. 16
Casino
Worley, Idaho
2010 SNA National Conference
July 11th - 14th
Dallas, TX
ISNA Elections
February 2010. Ballots and Conference Registration will be mailed with your ISNA Magazine “Idaho Spud – Eye on Nutrition”
ISNA Legislative Chair: Kim Huntley
ISNA each year sends represetatives from the State of Idaho to LAC-Legislative Action Conference in Washington D.C.
Judy, Debra, Carolyn, Mary Ann and myself are all set now to travel to DC at the end of February for the Legislative Action Conference. I am looking forward to meeting with our representatives. I will continue to forward any e‑mails to all of you. If you have any information you would like us to share when we are in DC. Please e‑mail any one of us.
Contact information is on this website under RESOURCES
For additional Legislation news check out SNA website at www.schoolnutrition.org
2010 LEGISLATIVE ISSUE PAPER
President Obama proposed an additional $1 billion for Child Nutrition Reauthorization to eliminate childhood hunger and serve our children. SNA believes every penny of this increase – and more – is needed to make additional improvements in child nutrition programs. Therefore, SNA urges Congress to increase funding for child nutrition. SNA’s priorities for Reauthorization include:
TOP PRIORITIES
- Expand the “free” meal category from 130% of poverty to 185%, consistent with the WIC income eligibility guidelines (eliminating the reduced price meal category).
- Increase the per meal reimbursement for all meals in order to keep pace with rising costs and implementation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The current Federal reimbursement of $2.68 for a “free” school lunch is 35 cents less than the average cost of production.
- Require the Secretary to establish a consistent national application of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, for all reimbursable meals, in accordance with recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), which benefited from SNA’s Recommendations for National Nutrition Standards.
- Grant the Secretary the statutory authority to regulate the sale of all foods and beverages on the school campus, consistent with the most recent edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, in accordance with SNA’s Recommendations for National Nutrition Standards and the recommendations of IOM (ending the “time and place” rule).
- Require the Secretary to determine which school expenses and indirect costs can be paid for with school food service funds.
ADDITIONAL PRIORITIES
FUNDING
- Allow for community eligibility in high poverty areas.
- Provide 10 cents in USDA commodities for each school breakfast served.
- Expand after school and summer meal programs.
- Re-establish entitlement funding for equipment assistance in all schools.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
- Require the Secretary to establish an expedited food safety coordination and recall communication system.
- Address childhood obesity by establishing an effective nutrition education curriculum and increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Utilize technology to simplify program administration and enhance financial accountability.
- Establish a seamless application and reimbursement process for all school, preschool and child care food programs.
- Maximize the use of direct certification and direct verification.