Ellison Introduces School Nutrition Legislation

Press Release

Congressman Keith Ellison (D-Minneapolis) introduced the School Meals Stigma Reduction Act of 2010, H.R. 5167. The legislation would curtail practices by some school districts that stigmatize children when their families cannot afford to pay for school meals. Thousands of Minnesota children depend on federally subsidized school meals.

"Hungry minds cannot learn on empty stomachs," Ellison said. "This legislation takes the burden of the tough economic times off the backs of innocent children and hard-working parents."

Ellison's legislation would prohibit school districts from implementing any policies that stigmatize children or withhold educational opportunities because the family has unpaid school meals bills. The legislation also specifically prohibits school districts from using debt collection agencies to recoup the unpaid bills from families.

"Poverty is not a character defect; it's a temporary economic set-back for parents," Ellison stated. "This program is designed to help kids focus on their education, and to stay in school -- not be singled out because of their misfortune."

"Child hunger is on the rise in Minnesota," said Colleen Moriarty, Executive Director of Hunger Solutions Minnesota. "Hunger Solutions Minnesota supports this new legislation because the student's only job is to learn and thrive. Schools need to provide nourishing environments, not stressful situations where children have to worry that there is no money in their meal account or fear being called out in front of their peers over who is going to pay for lunch," concluded Moriarty. Hunger Solutions Minnesota is a comprehensive hunger relief organization that works to end hunger in Minnesota

The introduction of this bill is timed to coincide with Congress reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Act and the National School Lunch Act this spring.

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