California Lawmakers Agree: Kids Must Have Access to Healthy Meals at School

Legislature Sends Bill Providing School Meals with Less Added Salt and Sugar to Governor’s Desk

Sacramento, CA – California students would receive fresh, nutritious meal options at school under SB 348 (Skinner), a bill that earned overwhelming bi-partisan support on the Senate and Assembly floors this week. The measure aims to improve students’ health and success in the classroom by making sure school cafeterias serve food items with pediatrician-recommended amounts of salt and sugar. With enthusiastic support from both houses, the bill now heads to Governor Newsom’s desk.

“President Biden’s new school nutrition standards are a vital step toward ensuring that school meals meet the nutrition standards recommended by America’s pediatricians. And it’s fitting that California, the first state to provide two free school meals a day, would also be the first state to pass legislation codifying these new guidelines,” Sen. Nancy Skinner said. “SB 348 ensures that California’s school meals meet nutrition guidelines for added sugar and salt, making California a national leader in the fight against diabetes and other health issues.”

“I am honored to have carried SB 348 for Senator Skinner on the Assembly Floor, which passed unanimously,” said Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio. “As a teacher, I know first-hand the critical need for students across the state to be given nutritious, healthy meals. These school meals are the primary, and sometimes only, source of nutrition for many California children.”

“As a physician working at a community health clinic, it is thrilling to see the legislature’s overwhelming support for SB 348,” said Dr. Lena Al-Sarraf, with the American Heart Association. “Making sure our kids have access to meals with lower added sugar and added salt will protect against diet-related conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Thank you to Senator Skinner and the entire legislature for prioritizing children’s health, and we urge Governor Newsom to quickly add his signature to this critical measure.”

“We are grateful for Senator Skinner’s unwavering commitment and steadfast leadership to bolster California’s first in the nation School Meals for All program,” said Becky Silva, director of government relations for the California Association of Food Banks. “The bill not only strengthens the nutritional value of school meals but also ensures students have adequate time to eat nutritious meals — inspiring them to eat more fruits and vegetables while alleviating hunger.”

Republicans and Democrats alike have lauded the bill for its focus on ensuring all children – regardless of their family’s income – have access to nourishing meals that will help them to build strong minds and healthy bodies.

“Good food is expensive and a lot of times kids aren’t getting the proper nutrition they need to get them through life,” said Senator Scott Wilk during a Senate Education Committee meeting in March. “So this is really important because I don’t know how you learn on an empty stomach. I think [SB 348] is a great bill and I am happy to be a co-author.”

“We saw during the pandemic just how important universal meals are, and especially in the summer,” said Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil during a Senate Human Services Committee meeting in April. “[SB 348] honors the agricultural community of California — our dairy industry, our growers and producers through this legislation. I also acknowledge that the issues around obesity, childhood diabetes, and even oral health care are addressed through the foundation of healthy food. I am really excited that children in school will have that opportunity to have that relationship with wholesome food.”

“I discovered that [my son] was having a cinnamon roll in the morning [at school],” said Assemblymember Megan Dahle during an Assembly Education Committee hearing in June. “I was horrified as a parent, and then I went to [his] school and found out we were serving these giant cinnamon rolls to little boys at 5 years old and then expecting them to sit criss-cross applesauce in a circle. [SB 348] is very important because good nutrition is important from the very beginning, the good food [kids] need for their brains.”