Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, spoke this week with school district and nonprofit officials, parents and representatives from nutrition firms to discuss federal school nutrition guidelines. The forum, held in Pleasant Gap, Penn., focused on current guidelines and gave participants an opportunity to share their thoughts on how Congress might change these guidelines as it moves to reauthorize childhood nutrition programs later this year.

At the forum, Thompson mentioned his concern about declining milk consumption in schools and touted the bipartisan School Milk Nutrition Act of 2015, which he and his colleague, Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT) introduced in May.

“Very few beverages have the same nutritional value as milk,” Thompson said. “That is why I have sponsored a bipartisan bill that reaffirms the requirement that milk is offered with every meal. We need to make sure children are getting the nutrition they need to grow and stay healthy.”

The bill focuses on preserving milk’s role in school feeding programs, while complying with the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It aims to improve the variety and availability of milk served in schools through a new pilot program and research. In addition, it would allow schools to again offer low-fat flavored milk, subject to a calorie cap, and offer milk in the same age-appropriate container sizes as competing beverages.

IDFA strongly supports the bill and has encouraged members of Congress to adopt it in the Child Nutrition Reauthorization process.

For more information, contact Chelsee Woodey, IDFA director of legislative affairs, at cwoodey@idfa.org.