Bill Text: MI HR0020 | 2015-2016 | 98th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to encourage the Michigan Department of Education to allow local school districts the option to hold fundraisers, such as bake sales, during school hours that involve food that may not meet the new federal school nutrition standards.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 10-4)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-24 - Referred To Committee On Education [HR0020 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2015-HR0020-Introduced.html
Rep. Potvin offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 20.
A resolution to encourage the Michigan Department of Education to allow local school districts the option to hold fundraisers, such as bake sales, during school hours that involve food that may not meet the new federal school nutrition standards.
Whereas, The federal government has imposed new Smart Snacks in School standards requiring schools to offer healthier snack foods to students. The standards apply to all foods and beverages sold to students during the school day, including food in vending machines, school stores, snack carts, and à la carte food lines; and
Whereas, Food sold through in-school fundraising is also regulated. Because only foods that meet the smart snack standards can be sold in-school, reliable bake sales and other fund raisers will be eliminated. Many food-based fundraisers are time-honored traditions used year after year to raise funds for school activities, annual class trips, and charitable causes; and
Whereas, The United States Department of Agriculture allows each state to determine if a set number of in-school, food fundraisers will be exempt from the Smart Snacks standards. Twenty-one states allow exemptions for in-school fundraising with the number allowed ranging from one to thirty. States that allow exemptions are giving local school districts greater control over their fundraising activities and ability to determine what fundraising is appropriate in any given school; and
Whereas, Unfortunately, the Michigan Department of Education has declined to allow exemptions in Michigan. The refusal to allow exemptions takes away the opportunity for our locally elected school boards and local school administrators to determine which in-school food fundraisers are appropriate for their communities to fund class activities and trips; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we encourage the Michigan Department of Education to allow local school districts the option to hold fundraisers, such as bake sales, during school hours that involve food that may not meet the new federal school nutrition standards; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the state Superintendent of Public Instruction.
