Lawmakers May Restore Whole Milk in Schools Soon

NMPF Backs School Milk Bill after Key Tax Laws Pass

The recent passage of a major tax and spending bill has cleared the way for Congress to turn its attention to other key issues, including a new proposal to bring whole milk back to school cafeterias.

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is now a priority for the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), which hopes Congress will pass the bill within months.

Paul Bleiberg, executive vice president of government relations for NMPF, spoke about the bill’s importance in a new Dairy Defined podcast. “One item I’ll single out first that we’re hopeful to get done really in the next couple months here is the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act,” Bleiberg stated.

“We had a great voice vote, bipartisan voice vote out of the Senate Agriculture Committee just over a month ago, so we’re hoping that we can get that through the Senate and then through the House, and begin that work of getting whole milk and 2% milk back into schools and getting kids better access to the nutrient-dense dairy options that really give them the benefits they need and that they enjoy.”

The bipartisan support the bill received from the Senate Agriculture Committee gives it a strong chance of passing in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

If approved, the act will restore access to whole and 2% milk for students in school meal programs, aiming to improve nutrition and support dairy consumption.

The Dairy Defined podcast also discussed topics such as agricultural labor reforms, updates on farm bill provisions, and NMPF’s legislative priorities for the rest of the year. Maria Brockamp, NMPF’s new government relations manager, joined Bleiberg to highlight these initiatives.

NMPF invites the public to track their legislative efforts using their new bill tracker tool. The Dairy Defined podcast can be accessed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

This legislative push marks a significant effort to support U.S. dairy farmers and improve nutrition for schoolchildren nationwide.