The Healthy, Hunger Free-Kids Act of 2010 is a federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 on December 13, 2010. The bill is part of the reathorization of funding for child nutrition (see the original Child Nutrition Act

Child Nutrition Act

The Child Nutrition Act is a United States federal law signed on October 11, 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Act was created as a result of the "years of cumulative successful experience under the National School Lunch Program to help meet the nutritional needs of children." The National...

). The bill funds child nutrition programs and free lunch programs in schools for the next 5 years. In addition, the bill sets new nutrition standards for schools, and allocates $4.5 billion dollars for their implementation. The new nutrition standards have been a major cause of First Lady Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...

 in her fight against childhood obesity.

Legislative history

The bill was introduced in the US Senate by Blanche Lincoln

Blanche Lincoln

Blanche Meyers Lambert Lincoln is a former U.S. Senator from Arkansas and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1998, she was the first woman elected to the Senate from Arkansas since Hattie Caraway in 1932 and, at age 38, was the youngest woman ever elected to the...

, Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. It was later approved by the Senate by unanimous voice vote on August 5, 2010. It was later approved by the US House by a vote of 264-157. Obama signed it into law on December 13.

Provisions

In addition to funding standard child nutrition and school lunch programs, there are several new nutritional standards in the bill. The main aspects are listed below.

In response to concerns from the National School Boards Association

National School Boards Association

The National School Boards Association, or NSBA, is a nonprofit organization operating as a federation of state associations of school boards across the United States. Founded in 1940, NSBA represents 95,000 local school board members who govern 14,890 local school districts serving more than 47...

, who were concerned the bill could be used to ban activities such as bake sales, the administration indicated that the legislation was not targeting such activities, but rather, the every day lunches and food sources in the schools.

New nutrition standards

• Gives USDA the authority to set new standards for food sold in lunches during the regular day, including vending machines.
• Authorizes additional funds for the new standards for federal-subsidized school lunches.
• Provides resources for schools and communities to utilize local farms and gardens to provide fresh produce.
• Provides resources to increase nutritional quality of food provided by USDA
• Increases access to drinking water in schools
• Sets minimal standards for school wellness policies

Increases access

• Increased the number of eligible children for school meal programs by 115,000
• Uses census data to determine student need in high-poverty areas, rather than relying on paper applications.
• Authorizes USDA to provide meals in more after-school programs in "high-risk" areas

Program monitoring

• Requires school districts to be audited every 3 years to see if they have met nutrition standards
• Requires easier access for students and parents about nutritional facts of meals
• Improves recall procedures for school food
• Provides training for school lunch providers