PRINTER'S NO. 2854
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
185
Session of
2022
INTRODUCED BY A. DAVIS, HANBIDGE, MADDEN, D. WILLIAMS, GUENST,
T. DAVIS, STURLA, HOHENSTEIN, HILL-EVANS, PASHINSKI, BROOKS,
DELLOSO, KRAJEWSKI, BENHAM, FITZGERALD, SHUSTERMAN,
INNAMORATO AND SANCHEZ, MARCH 22, 2022
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS,
MARCH 22, 2022
A RESOLUTION
Urging the Congress of the United States to reauthorize the
United States Secretary of Agriculture to issue school food
program waivers for the purpose of providing healthy meals to
millions of students across the country through the 2022-2023
school year.
WHEREAS, The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020
authorized the United States Secretary of Agriculture to issue
Federal waivers for all states to provide meals through child
nutrition programs while maintaining appropriate safety
measures; and
WHEREAS, The United States Department of Agriculture Food and
Nutrition Service (FNS) recognized that state agencies and
school food authorities needed additional support and
flexibility to continue serving free and reduced-price meals to
children safely; and
WHEREAS, The regulatory waivers allowed schools to offer free
meals to all students without an application through the Summer
Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO)
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by reimbursing free school meals at the higher summer rate
during the regular school year; and
WHEREAS, Through the SFSP, SSO and several other waivers,
school nutrition programs distributed grab-and-go meals at
drive-through pick-up sites and delivered food directly to
students or along bus routes; and
WHEREAS, Subsequent extensions of the waiver authority
enabled school nutrition programs to continue to safely serve
students over the past two years whether they were learning
remotely or in person; and
WHEREAS, Offering free meals to all students without the need
for an application or immediate payment sped up meal
distribution; and
WHEREAS, Economic hardships triggered by the COVID-19
pandemic have caused rates of food insecurity among households
to skyrocket; and
WHEREAS, Households are more likely to be food insecure if
they are members of a minority race or ethnicity; and
WHEREAS, Food insecurity has been proven to negatively impact
the social, emotional and behavioral development of school-age
children and adolescents and can increase a student's risk for
additional mental health issues; and
WHEREAS, Healthy meals provided by school nutrition programs
play an important role in supporting obesity prevention, overall
student health and academic achievement by improving diets and
combating hunger; and
WHEREAS, A survey conducted by FNS in November 2021 found
that:
(1) 92% of school food authorities reported experiencing
challenges due to supply chain disruptions;
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(2) 97% of school food authorities reported challenges
with higher costs; and
(3) 95% of school food authorities reported staff
shortages;
and
WHEREAS, The majority of school food authorities are facing
limited product availability, missing or substituted items and
increases in the cost of packaging and equipment; and
WHEREAS, Continued supply chain disruptions have forced
school food authorities to quickly adapt their menus and meal
patterns; and
WHEREAS, The FNS waivers ensure that schools are not
penalized for failing to meet certain requirements due to supply
chain disruptions; and
WHEREAS, Unless reauthorized by the Congress of the United
States, the waivers will expire June 30, 2022; and
WHEREAS, School food authorities will likely need to raise
prices to make up for the loss of the increased reimbursement
and withhold free meals from millions of students; and
WHEREAS, The House of Representatives recognizes the critical
contribution that free and reduced-price meal programs make
toward the positive social, academic and behavioral development
of children and adolescents; and
WHEREAS, The House of Representatives recognizes that school
food authorities expect labor shortages, supply chain
disruptions and increased food costs to continue beyond June 30,
2022; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United
States to reauthorize the United States Secretary of Agriculture
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to issue school food program waivers for the purpose of
providing healthy meals to millions of students across the
country through the 2022-2023 school year; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
the presiding officers of each House of Congress and each member
of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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