BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2287
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2287 (Pan)
As Amended April 22, 2014
Majority Vote
EDUCATION 7-0
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|Ayes:|Buchanan, Olsen, Ch�vez, | | |
| |Gonzalez, Nazarian, | | |
| |Weber, Williams | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Permits, but does not require, a school district or
county superintendent of schools to include, in the free or
reduced price meal application packet or notification of
eligibility for the free and reduced price meal program,
information on the availability of gluten-free meals.
FISCAL EFFECT : None. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS :
Free and reduced price meal program: The free and reduced price
meal program operated through the United States Department of
Agriculture includes the National School Lunch Program (NSLP),
the School Breakfast Program (SBP), the Snack Program, Special
Milk Program, and the Summer Food Service Program.
The NSLP is a federally assisted meal program operating in over
100,000 public and nonprofit private schools and residential
child care institutions. It provided nutritionally balanced,
lowcost or free lunches to more than 31 million children each
school day in 2012. In 1998, Congress expanded the NSLP to
include reimbursement for snacks served to children in
afterschool educational and enrichment programs for children
through 18 years of age. The Food and Nutrition Service
administers the program at the federal level. At the state
level, the NSLP is usually administered by state education
agencies, which operate the program through agreements with
school food authorities. In California, the California
Department of Education administers the program.
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Celiac disease, glucose intolerance, and wheat allergies:
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Celiac
disease is an auto-immune disorder caused by the consumption of
gluten. For those with celiac disease, exposure to gluten
causes an auto-immune condition where the body attacks normal
intestinal tissue. In response to eating gluten, the body
destroys the intestinal villi, which are the small finger-like
projections in the small intestine that absorb nutrients from
food. Repeated exposure to gluten, and resulting intestinal
inflammation and destruction of the villi, leads to
malabsorption of food, iron deficiency, anemia, osteopenia,
increased risk of developing other auto-immune disorders, and
gastrointestinal cancers. The disease is recognized as a "slow
killer," because symptoms associated with the body's inability
to absorb nutrients become more serious over time. (American
Celiac Disease Alliance, 2014.)
Gluten intolerance and wheat allergies, which are not classified
as auto-immune disorders, are even more common than celiac
disease. For individuals with food intolerances and allergies,
the body is responding to external stimuli that cause illness,
rather than attacking itself, as is the case with celiac
disease. For those with gluten intolerance and wheat allergies,
exposure to gluten and wheat may cause reactions in the skin,
mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and lungs, and cause rashes,
wheezing, and lip swelling. Immediate intestinal symptoms of
celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergy include
diarrhea, abdominal cramping, pain, and distention. (American
Celiac Disease Alliance, 2014.)
According to the author, estimates from the National Institute
of Health establish that celiac disease is widely
under-recognized, affecting as many as 1 in 22 people with
genetic risk factors, and 1 in 133 people with no genetic risk
factors. Gluten intolerance and wheat allergy are even more
common, with wheat allergy being one of the top eight food
allergies in the United States. These numbers indicate that a
large number of children in California's K-12 public schools are
likely to struggle with the chronic illness caused by celiac
disease, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergy, whether or not
they have been formally diagnosed with these disorders.
State law currently allows schools to elect to provide
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alternative foods for students with immediately life-threatening
food allergies, but does not address the needs of students with
health-threatening allergies or diseases that are
life-threatening in the long-term. In most instances, neither
celiac disease nor gluten intolerance is immediately
life-threatening, despite their potentially life-threatening
long-term impacts and immediate impacts on the health and
wellbeing of those afflicted.
Analysis Prepared by : Jill Rice / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0003204