A00301 Summary:

BILL NOA00301
 
SAME ASSAME AS S01726
 
SPONSORGottfried
 
COSPNSREpstein, Woerner, Paulin, Thiele, Reyes, Jean-Pierre, Taylor, Barron, Solages, Glick, Seawright, Hyndman, Fernandez, Dickens, Fall, Sayegh, Williams, Griffin, Darling, Weprin, Jackson, Stern, Simon, Englebright, Kelles, McMahon, Rosenthal L, McDonald, Cymbrowitz, Dinowitz, De Los Santos
 
MLTSPNSRGalef, Miller M
 
Add 915-a, Ed L
 
Requires public schools to offer plant-based food options in food service.
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A00301 Actions:

BILL NOA00301
 
01/06/2021referred to education
01/05/2022referred to education
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A00301 Committee Votes:

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A00301 Floor Votes:

There are no votes for this bill in this legislative session.
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A00301 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A301
 
SPONSOR: Gottfried
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring public schools to offer plant-based food options in food service   PURPOSE: This bill would require public schools to offer plant-based food options to a student upon request by a student or person in parental relation to the student.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1 adds a new section 915-a to the Education Law to: 1. Require that every public school shall offer a plant-based food option as an alternative to meals or snacks upon a student or parent's request. 2. Require the school to respond in a reasonable manner and time to any request made under this section. 3. Defines "plant-based food option" as free of animal products and, as relates to the "protein" portion of a meal, as recognized by the US Department of Agriculture as a meat alternative; and defines "animal product" as meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, honey, and any deriva- tive thereof. 4. Require schools to consult with school district nutrition advisory committees established in section 918 of Education Law where applicable. Section 2 is the effective date. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to public school food service beginning with the school year, as defined in the education law, beginning one year after it shall have become a law.   JUSTIFICATION: Plant-based diets (PBD) are those free of animal products such as meat, seafood, dairy, and eggs. A 2016 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report recommended PBD as beneficial both for health and the environment. In 2017, the American Medical Association called on hospitals to provide a variety of healthful food including plant-based meals alongside recommendations to eliminate processed meats from hospi- tal menus. Doctors also prescribe PBD for patients suffering from heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and other conditions. Diet is a major component of child development. Providing a PBD option upon student or parent request ensures respect for children's dietary, religious, or ethical needs. This legislation would not mandate schools to fully change menus for all students, but rather provide PBD for any students who request or whose parental relations request PBD. In meeting such requests, schools shall work with their nutrition advisory commit- tees if the district has such committee.   LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2017-2018: A. 10600 referred to education committee 2019-2020: A.1624 referred to education committee   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to public school food service beginning with the school year, as defined in the education law, beginning one year after it shall have become a law.
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A00301 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                           301
 
                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                       (Prefiled)
 
                                     January 6, 2021
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  GOTTFRIED, EPSTEIN, WOERNER, PAULIN, THIELE,
          REYES,  DE LA ROSA,  JEAN-PIERRE,  TAYLOR,  BARRON,  SOLAGES,   GLICK,
          SEAWRIGHT,  HYNDMAN, FERNANDEZ, DICKENS, FALL, SAYEGH, WILLIAMS, GRIF-
          FIN, DARLING, WEPRIN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GALEF, M. MILL-
          ER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
 
        AN ACT to amend the education  law,  in  relation  to  requiring  public
          schools to offer plant-based food options in food service
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section  915-a
     2  to read as follows:
     3    §  915-a.  Plant-based  food  options. 1. Upon request by a student or
     4  person in parental relation to the student, every  public  school  shall
     5  offer  the  student a plant-based food option as an alternative to every
     6  meal or snack offered in food service to the  student.  All  the  public
     7  school's  written  material  describing food offerings shall include the
     8  availability of a plant-based food option.  The plant-based food  option
     9  shall  be offered at no additional cost to the student beyond what would
    10  be charged for a comparable non-plant-based food option.
    11    2. The school shall respond in a reasonable manner  and  time  to  any
    12  request  made  under  this  section,  consistent with guidance by school
    13  authorities. The request shall be effective for  every  school  meal  or
    14  snack  in  which the student is reasonably expected to participate. This
    15  section does not preclude the offering of plant-based  food  options  to
    16  students  who have not requested it, and does not preclude an individual
    17  who has requested a plant-based food option from selecting a  non-plant-
    18  based food option.
    19    3. As used in this section:
    20    (a) "Plant-based food option" means food or beverages that are free of
    21  animal  products  and,  as  relates  to the "protein" portion of a meal,
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00185-01-1

        A. 301                              2
 
     1  recognized by the United States Department  of  Agriculture  as  a  meat
     2  alternate for purposes of the national school lunch program.
     3    (b) "Animal product" means meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, honey,
     4  and any derivative thereof.
     5    4.  In  implementing  this  section, the school and school authorities
     6  shall consult with the  school  district  nutrition  advisory  committee
     7  under section nine hundred eighteen of this article, where applicable.
     8    §  2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to public
     9  school food service beginning with the school year, as  defined  in  the
    10  education law, beginning one year after it shall have become a law.
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