School Milk Nutrition Act of 2015
This bill revises the requirements for milk provided by the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and other Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.
The bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to permit schools participating in the NSLP to offer students low-fat flavored milk containing no more than 150 calories per 8-ounce serving.
For students who cannot consume fluid milk because of a medical or other dietary need, schools may offer a nondairy beverage that is nutritionally equivalent to low-fat milk and meets USDA nutritional standards, including fortification of calcium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin D, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, and vitamin B-12. (Under current law, the substitute is only required to include fortification of calcium, protein, vitamin A, and vitamin D to levels found in cow's milk.)
In establishing national school nutritional standards, USDA must provide that containers of all beverages sold in schools have the same maximum volume.
USDA must also: (1) study and report to Congress on recent trends in fluid milk consumption in schools; (2) carry out a pilot program to test and demonstrate strategies by which schools can increase the consumption of fluid milk; (3) make lactose-free milk with an extended shelf life available to schools; and (4) allow women participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to receive reduced fat milk for themselves and their children upon request.