Bill Text: NJ S680 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires school districts to provide lunch period of not less than 20 seated minutes.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-14 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S680 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-S680-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator SAMUEL D. THOMPSON
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires school districts to provide lunch period of not less than 20 seated minutes.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the lunch period for public school students and supplementing chapter 33 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Beginning with the first full school year following the effective date of this act, a school district shall provide on each day that school is in full session, a daily lunch period of at least 20 seated minutes for all students enrolled in the district, other than for students enrolled in a half-day program.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children receive a minimum of 20 minutes of seated lunchtime at school. Research suggests that children who enjoy a seated lunch period of at least 20 minutes are more likely to consume an entire meal and eat foods with higher nutritional quality.
This bill requires school districts to provide on each day that school is in full session, a daily lunch period of at least 20 seated minutes for all students enrolled in the district, other than for students enrolled in a half-day program.
