Bill Text: NJ AR254 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges President and Congress to expand access to afterschool summer meal programs and streamline application process for summer meals.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-22 - Filed with Secretary of State [AR254 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-AR254-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman PAMELA R. LAMPITT
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Urges President and Congress to expand access to afterschool summer meal programs and streamline application process for summer meals.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the President and Congress to expand access to afterschool summer meal programs and streamline the application process for summer meals.
Whereas, Increasingly, non-profit community-based and local government afterschool providers are offering summer learning programs to ensure students have access to educational enrichment opportunities during the summer months; and
Whereas, Children rely on summer learning programs to feed their minds as well as their bodies; and
Whereas, During the summer months, however, millions of children lose access to school breakfast and lunch and are at risk of going hungry; and
Whereas, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service's Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a federally-funded, state-administered program that reimburses providers who serve free healthy meals to children and teens in low-income areas during the summer months when school is not in session; and
Whereas, The Food and Nutrition Service under the USDA also administers several other programs that provide healthy food to children including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, and Special Milk Program; and
Whereas, Administered by state agencies, each of these programs helps fight hunger and obesity by reimbursing organizations such as schools, child care centers, and afterschool programs for providing healthy meals to children; and
Whereas, Non-school entities, however, are allowed to operate multiple child nutrition programs, which require separate applications; and
Whereas, Allowing SFSP to be served under the National School Lunch Program will increase the number of low-income children who have access to nutritious afterschool meals; and
Whereas, Streamlining should allow public and private organizations to complete one application so that they can provide children meals afterschool, during the summer, on weekends, and during school holidays; and
Whereas, Programs should have the option of serving two meals and a snack or three meals so that children can continue learning throughout the day; and
Whereas, It is in the best interest of the citizens of New Jersey to urge the President and Congress to expand access to afterschool summer meal programs as well as streamline the application process for summer meals; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The President and the Congress of the United States are respectfully urged to expand access to after school summer meal programs as well as streamline the application process for summer meals.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President of the United States, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Minority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, each member of Congress elected from the State of New Jersey, and the Secretary of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the President and Congress to expand access to afterschool summer meal programs and streamline application process for summer meals.
