A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers have introduced a bill in the Senate that would allow plant-based milk alternatives to be served in school meals.
Senate bill 2943 would require schools to offer fluid milk substitutes if requested by students, parents or guardians. It was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
The piece of legislation serves as a companion bill to the ADD SOY Act which was introduced in the House earlier this year by Representatives Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.).
Milk offerings at schools have been in the legislative spotlight as of late. Earlier this year, Representatives Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) and Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) introduced a federal bill that would allow schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to serve whole milk. In addition, two separate bills have been introduced that would require schools to serve flavored milk as part of their school meal program.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently discussing whether to remove flavored milk as an option for younger students. It is also considering introducing added sugar limits to school meals for the first time.