Bill > S653

Introduced Session

This bill promotes healthy food choices in school cafeterias by encouraging school districts, public schools, and nonpublic schools to adopt the strategies of The Smarter Lunchroom Movement. The Smarter Lunchroom Movement was founded by researchers at the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs and offers simple, low to no-cost evidence-based tools that improve child eating behaviors in school cafeterias. The bill requires the Commissioner of Education to make every effort to assist, guide, and support school districts, public schools, and nonpublic schools in planning, establishing, and implementing the strategies of The Smarter Lunchroom Movement. Strategies include highlighting fruit and other nutritional foods by placing them near the cash register and placing the most nutrient-filled entre first in the serving line and first on the menu board. The bill also requires that information on The Smarter Lunchroom Movement be available for public inspection on the Department of Education's Internet site in a user-friendly, plain language format. In New Jersey, nearly 24.7 percent of children aged 10 through 17 are classified overweight or obese. Because many of the over 1.37 million children enrolled in New Jersey public schools rely upon school cafeterias for their breakfast and lunch meals, schools are in an influential position to combat this growing trend. By implementing the strategies of The Smarter Lunchroom Movement, schools can have a positive and lasting impact on the overall health of students in the State.

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Jim Beach (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee (on 01/09/2018)