BILL NUMBER: AB 1829 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 24, 2012
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bradford
FEBRUARY 22, 2012
An act to add Section 49591 to the Education Code, relating to
school lunches. meals.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1829, as amended, Bradford. Schools: National School
Lunch Program. school meals: nutritional information.
Existing law requires the State Department of Education to
provide information and limited financial assistance to school
districts and county superintendents of schools to encourage
participation in the federal School Breakfast Program and to
ensure that the nutrition levels of meals served to schoolage
children pursuant to the National School Lunch Act be
are of the highest quality and greatest
nutritional value possible.
Existing law requires each school district and county
superintendent of schools maintaining any kindergarten or any of
grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to provide for each needy pupil one
nutritionally adequate free or reduced-price meal during each
schoolday and defines a nutritionally adequate meal as a breakfast or
lunch that qualifies for reimbursement under the federal child
nutrition program regulations.
This bill would require a school district participating in the
federal School Breakfast Program or the National School
Lunch Program to disseminate specified information regarding the
nutritional content of the reimbursable breakfasts or
lunches served as part of the program these
programs in a manner that permits parents and pupils to access
the nutritional information while they access the daily school
breakfast or lunch menu, commencing with the 2013-14 school
year. The bill would specify that these requirements apply only to
school districts that, as of January 1, 2013, regularly disseminate
school menu information online or in printed form.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(1) There is an increase in the number of overweight children in
California.
(2) Medical literature documents the severe, lifelong health
consequences of diets high in fat and saturated fat as well as the
health and economic consequences of being overweight or obese.
(3) The federal School Breakfast Program and the
National School Lunch Program can play a critical role in addressing
this health crisis.
(4) Parental involvement is essential to maximizing the
obesity-prevention potential of the federal School Breakfast
Program and the National School Lunch Program.
(b) Therefore, recognizing the availability of free and readily
accessible nutritional information for entrees and other components
served as part of the federal School Breakfast Program and the
National School Lunch Program, it is the intent of the
Legislature that parents be informed if their school district has
adopted guidelines to provide parents with information about the
nutritional content of meals served through the federal School
Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program.
SEC. 2. Section 49591 is added to the Education Code, to read:
49591. (a) Commencing with the 2013-14 school year, a school
district participating in the federal School Breakfast Program
or the National School Lunch Program shall disseminate
information regarding the nutritional content of the reimbursable
breakfasts or lunches served as part of the program.
these programs. This information shall include,
but is not limited to, all of the following:
(1) The total number of calories in each meal.
(2) The total number of grams of saturated fat in each meal.
(3) The total number of grams of protein in each meal.
(4) The total number of carbohydrates in each meal.
(5) The total number of milligrams of sodium in each meal.
(b) A school district participating in the federal School
Breakfast Program or the National School Lunch Program shall
present the information described in subdivision (a) in a manner that
permits parents and pupils to access the nutritional information
while they access the daily school breakfast or lunch
menu.
(c) This section shall apply only to school districts that, as of
January 1, 2013, regularly disseminate school menu information online
or in printed form.