Whole and reduced-fat milk could soon be flowing back into school cafeterias nationwide after Congress passed the bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, according to U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer.
The legislation, which Schumer backed and championed alongside Upstate New York dairy farmers, first cleared the Senate in November. It was announced Monday that it has now passed both chambers of Congress and is headed to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
The bill reverses federal restrictions put in place in 2012 that limited the types of milk schools could serve as part of U.S. Department of Agriculture meal programs.
New York is home to nearly 3,000 dairy farms and ranks among the top dairy-producing states in the nation, making the legislation particularly significant for the region’s economy.
