Bill > S1236

This bill, known as the "Freedom in School Cafeterias and Lunches Act" (FISCAL Act), amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to expand milk options in school lunch programs. Specifically, the bill requires schools to offer a broader variety of milk, including both traditional fluid milk and plant-based milk alternatives. The legislation mandates that milk served must either comply with existing dietary guidelines or, in the case of plant-based milk not covered by current guidelines, meet nutritional standards established by the Secretary of Agriculture. By modifying several sections of the existing law, the bill removes restrictions that previously limited milk offerings primarily to fluid milk, now allowing schools more flexibility in providing milk options that may better accommodate students' dietary preferences, nutritional needs, or restrictions. The changes are technical in nature, primarily involving language modifications to existing statutes to explicitly include plant-based milk as an acceptable option in school lunch programs.