Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to reduce school food waste and improve nutrition for children in Minnesota by providing free milk during lunch. It encourages schools to participate in state-supported milk programs for both kindergartens and other schoolchildren, and allocates funding to implement these provisions.

Main Provisions

1. School Milk Program for Kindergartners:

   • Schools are encouraged to provide one serving of milk each school day to every kindergarten student.
   • This applies to both public and nonpublic schools.
   • No student is required to accept the milk provided.

2. School Lunch Milk Program:

   • All schools are encouraged to participate in the program offering half-pints of milk to students who wish to have milk during lunch without taking a full school meal.
   • The initiative aims to reduce food waste by not obligating students to take a full meal to get milk.

3. Responsibilities of the Commissioner:

   • Encourage participation and prepare guidelines for effectively distributing money for the milk programs.
   • Seek additional funding from private and public sources.
   • Implement guidelines for providing milk as part of the national school lunch program.

4. Reimbursement:

   • Schools will receive 20 cents for each half-pint of milk provided to kindergarteners not covered by other reimbursable meal programs.
   • For other students, schools will be reimbursed at least 50 cents per half-pint or the amount set by the USDA, whichever is higher, when milk is provided instead of a school lunch.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Modifies Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 124D.118 to include explicit provisions for milk programs at both the kindergarten and school lunch levels.
• Establishes reimbursement rates and invites increased participation by schools for broader access to milk without the obligation of a full meal.

Relevant Terms

education finance, school food waste, free school milk, milk program for kindergartners, school lunch milk program, reimbursement, USDA, nutrition, food waste reduction, public and nonpublic schools, commissioner duties