BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �






                           SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
                                 Carol Liu, Chair
                             2013-2014 Regular Session
                                         

          BILL NO:       SB 949
          AUTHOR:        Jackson
          AMENDED:       April 8, 2014
          FISCAL COMM:   Yes            HEARING DATE:  April 30, 2014
          URGENCY:       No             CONSULTANT: Lynn Lorber

           SUBJECT  :  Distinguished After School Health Recognition  
          Program.
          
           SUMMARY
           
          This bill establishes a recognition program for after school  
          and child care programs that voluntarily exceed nutrition and  
          physical activity standards.

           BACKGROUND
           
          All snacks provided to students attending After School  
          Education and Safety (ASES) programs or federally funded 21st  
          Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) programs must  
          meet, at a minimum, the California school nutrition standards  
          described below.  If the snacks are provided through one of  
          the federally reimbursable snack programs, the snack must meet  
          both the federal requirements and the California nutrition  
          standards.  After school programs that choose to provide meals  
          (reimbursed by the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program)  
          must meet standards established by the United States  
          Department of Agriculture.   
           http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/as/afterschoolnutstan.asp  
          (Education Code � 8482-8484.6) 

           California nutrition standards  require food provided in ASES  
          and 21st Century programs to meet all of the following  
          standards:

          1)   The only food that may be provided are full meals,  
               individual dairy or whole grain food, and individual  
               portions of nuts, nut butters, seeds, eggs, cheese  
               packaged for individual sale, fruit, vegetables that have  
               not been deep fried, and legumes.  








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          2)   Each individual food item must meet all of the following:

               a)        Contain not more than 35 percent of its total  
                    calories from fat (only applies to dairy and whole  
                    grain food).

               b)        Contain not more than 10 percent of its total  
                    calories from saturated fat (does not apply to eggs  
                    or cheese packaged for individual sale).
               c)        Contain not more than 35 percent of its total  
                    weight from sugar, including naturally occurring and  
                    added sugar (does not apply to fruit or vegetables  
                    that have not been deep fried).

               d)        Contain not more than 175 calories per  
                    individual food item (for elementary students).

               e)        Contain not more than 250 calories per  
                    individual food item (for middle, junior high or  
                    high school students).

          3)   Not be deep fried, par fried, or flash fried by the  
               school or after school program.

          4)   Not be deep fried, par fried, flash fried as part of the  
               manufacturing process unless an "acceptable" oil is used  
               such as canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, olive,  
               soybean, peanut, or a blend of these oils, typically  
               liquid at room temperature and are known for their  
               positive cardiovascular benefit.

          5)   Not contain artificial trans fat.  (EC � 49430.7, �  
               49431.2, and � 49431)

           California nutrition standards  limit beverages provided in  
          ASES and 21st Century programs to the following:

          1)   Fruit-based drinks that are composed of at least 50  
               percent fruit juice and have no added sweetener.

          2)   Vegetable-based drinks that are composed of at least 50  
               percent vegetable juice and have no added sweetener.

          3)   Drinking water with no added sweetener.

          4)   One-percent-fat milk, nonfat milk, soy milk, rice milk,  







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               and other similar nondairy milk.  

          5)   For middle or high school students, an electrolyte  
               replacement beverage that contains no more than 42 grams  
               of added sweetener per 20-ounce serving.  (EC � 49431.5)

           Food reimbursed by federal food and nutrition programs   
          require:

          1)   A reimbursable snack must contain full servings of any  
               two of the following four food components:

               a)        Fluid Milk - 8 ounces.

               b)        Fruit, Vegetable, or 100 percent Juice -  cup  
                    (juice may not be served when milk is the only other  
                    component).

               c)        Grain or Bread Product - 1 slice bread, for  
                    example.

               d)        Meat or Meat Alternate - 2 ounces meat, for  
                    example.

          2)   A reimbursable meal must contain full servings of all of  
               the following four food components:

               a)        Fluid Milk - 8 ounces.



               b)        Fruits and/or Vegetables -  cup (at least two  
                    different items must be served, totaling  cup).


               c)        Grain or Bread Product - 1 slice bread, for  
                    example.


               d)        Meat or Meat Alternate - 1 ounce meat, for  
                    example.  (United States Code, Title 42, � 1766)


           ANALYSIS
           
           This bill  establishes a recognition program for after school  







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          and child care programs that voluntarily exceed nutrition and  
          physical activity standards.  Specifically, this bill:

          1)   Establishes the Distinguished After School Health  
               Recognition Program, to be administered by the Department  
               of Public Health (DPH) in consultation with the  
               California Department of Education, and requires DPH to  
               develop a process for an after school program to  
               self-certify on DPH's website that it meets all the  
               criteria established by this bill.

          2)   Defines "after school program" as the After School  
               Education and Safety Program, 21st Century High School  
               After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens program, and  
               other qualified out-of-school time and licensed child  
               care programs.

          3)   Requires the self-certification process to provide after  
               school programs with the option to create a certificate,  
               using a template designed by DPH, that includes a  
               description demonstrating how the after school program  
               meets each of the following:

                    a)             Each staff member has received  
                    training on the standards established for this  
                    recognition program and the importance of modeling  
                    healthy eating and physical activity.  This training  
                    is required to be in accordance with the YMCA,  
                    Center for Collaborative Solutions, A World Fit For  
                    Kids, National Institute of Out-of-School Time, or  
                    other similar programs.

                    b)             The after school program provides  
                    regular and ongoing nutrition education to each  
                    student.

                    c)             Ensure that each student participates  
                    in 30-60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical  
                    activity daily, consistent with specific guidelines  
                    of the California Department of Education's  
                    California After School Physical Activity  
                    Guidelines.

                    d)             Screen time is limited and only  
                    allowed in connection with homework or engaging in  
                    physical activity or educational experience.







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                    e)             Healthy food, including fruits and  
                    vegetables without added sugar, are served as snacks  
                    daily, and fried food, candy or food that are  
                    primarily sugar-based are not served to students or  
                    consumed by staff.  (Snacks or meals that meet  
                    existing nutrition standards are deemed to meet this  
                    standard.)

                    f)             Students are served water, low-fat or  
                    nonfat milk, or 100% fruit juice, with preference  
                    for water, safe and clean drinking water is  
                    available and accessible at all times, more than  
                    eight ounces of milk and juice are not served per  
                    day, sugar-sweetened beverages are not served to  
                    students nor consumed by staff.

                    g)             Items sold at a fundraiser during  
                    program hours are in compliance with the healthy  
                    food and beverages criteria above, and the United  
                    States Department of Agriculture Competitive Food  
                    Sales regulations, and are not sold during snack or  
                    meal service.

                    h)             After school programs located on  
                    schoolsites communicate with the school regarding  
                    nutrition education and physical activity, with  
                    activities adhering to the school district's  
                    wellness policy.

                    i)             Implementation of an educational  
                    program for parents that provide nutrition and  
                    physical activity information.

                    j)             Make available for review by parents  
                    information about the criteria for the recognition  
                    program.

          4)   Provides that a certificate is valid for one calendar  
               year, and requires an after school program that wishes to  
               create a new certificate for the subsequent year to  
               self-certify on the Department of Public Health's (DPH)  
               website, by January 1, that the program continues to meet  
               the criteria for recognition.  This bill requires a  
               certificate to state that all information included in the  
               certificate is provided by the after school program and  







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               is not verified by DPH.

          5)   Requires DPH to maintain and update a list of after  
               school programs that self-certify and post that list on  
               its website, including the date of self-certification for  
               each after school program.

           STAFF COMMENTS
           
           1)   Necessary  ?  The Education Code is permissive; therefore,  
               after school programs are currently authorized to exceed  
               nutrition and physical activity standards and create a  
               certificate of recognition.  This bill requires the  
               Department of Public Health (DPH) to develop a  
               certificate template, develop a process for an after  
               school program to self-certify on DPH's website, and  
               maintain and update a list of after school programs that  
               self-certify and post that list on its website.  This  
               bill does not require DPH to actually issue the  
               certificates; after school programs would "issue" their  
               own certificates, whether or not the DPH template is  
               used.  A prior version of this bill would have required  
               DPH to issue the certificates but was removed while this  
               bill was in the Senate Health Committee.

           2)   Scope of programs affected by this bill  .  This bill  
               authorizes the After School Education and Safety Program  
               (ASES), 21st Century High School After School Safety and  
               Enrichment for Teens program, and other qualified  
               out-of-school time and licensed child care programs that  
               voluntarily exceed nutrition and physical activity  
               standards to receive a certificate of recognition.  After  
               school programs and child care programs are required to  
               meet different nutrition standards.  Further, this bill  
               does not currently apply to after school programs that  
               are not administered through ASES or 21st Century.  Staff  
               recommends an amendment to strike reference to "other  
               qualified out-of-school time and licensed child care  
               programs" and instead reference "other out-of-school time  
               programs that serve school age children."  This change  
               would not preclude child care programs from seeking  
               recognition, and would allow after school programs that  
               are not administered through ASES or 21st Century to seek  
               recognition.

           3)   Voluntary  .  This bill does not require after school  







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               programs to meet the nutrition and physical activity  
               standards specified in this bill.  After school programs  
               that choose to meet the higher standards specified in  
               this bill would be authorized to self-certify and have a  
               certificate of recognition.  Examples where standards in  
               this bill exceed current requirements include:

               a)        Staff receives training on nutrition and  
                    physical activity standards contained in this bill  
                    and the importance of modeling healthy eating and  
                    physical activity.

               b)        Regular and ongoing nutrition education is  
                    provided to each program attendee.

               c)        Each program attendee participates in 30-60  
                    minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on  
                    a daily basis.

               d)        Program staff does not consume fried foods,  
                    candy, or food that is primarily sugar-based, high  
                    in sodium, or include trans fat, or sugar-sweetened  
                    beverages.  

               e)        Allow screen time only in connection with  
                    homework or an activity that engages attendees in a  
                    physical activity or educational experience.

               f)        Provides parents with nutrition and physical  
                    activity information.

           4)   Fiscal impact  .  This bill imposes costs to the Department  
               of Public Health (DPH) to develop a process for an after  
               school program to self-certify on 
               DPH's website, develop the certificate template, and  
               maintain and update a list of after school programs that  
               self-certify and post that list on its website.  
                
           5)   Related legislation  .  SB 464 (Jackson, 2013) would have  
               required early childhood education, infant care, and  
               after school programs to meet certain nutritional and  
               physical activity standards, and limits screen time.  SB  
               464 was never heard.

           6)   Prior legislation  .  AB 627 (Brownley, 2009) would have  
               required the Superintendent of Public Instruction to  







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               establish a pilot program under which licensed child care  
               centers and child day care homes selected by the  
               California Department of Education that participate in  
               the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program would  
               implement certain nutrition and physical activity  
               standards in exchange for a higher state meal  
               reimbursement. AB 627 was vetoed by the Governor, whose  
               veto message read:
                    
                    "I want California children to embrace healthy  
                    lifestyles because the individual and societal  
                    benefits of good nutrition and physical activity  
                    lead to life-long accomplishments. Reducing  
                    childhood obesity can lead to fewer adults with  
                    chronic health conditions and lower healthcare  
                    costs. Unfortunately, this bill would create  
                    pressure to add Proposition 98 General Fund  
                    resources to the Child and Adult Care Food program  
                    when funding for so many other education programs  
                    has been cut. It is simply not possible to initiate  
                    a new program in a fiscal environment such as this.

                    I would ask the sponsors to work with the state  
                    Department of Education to include information  
                    regarding healthy nutrition and physical activity  
                    guidelines in existing newsletters to child care  
                    providers to the extent this can be accomplished  
                    within existing resources."
          
           SUPPORT
           
          Association of California Healthcare Districts
          A World Fit for Kids
          California Academy of Physician Assistants
          California Primary Care Association
          California School Nutrition Association
          California State Alliance of YMCAs
          Camp Pendleton Armed Services YMCA

           OPPOSITION

           None on file.











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