Tuesday Morning - December 8, 2020 An Update on Federal and State Policy Issuesfrom SNA Table of Contents COVID-19 Policy Updates Marketplace Story Highlights School Meals During Pandemic Federal Policy Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of HHFKA TAKE ACTION: Proposed Rule to Restore Flexibilities State Snapshots Missouri Pre-files School Meal Service Bill Mark Your Calendars Upcoming SNA Webinar Congressional Management Foundation Webinar Mystery Chat Corner COVID-19 Policy Updates Marketplace Story Highlights School Meals During Pandemic On December 1, 2020, Marketplace Morning Report featured the story, "Schools Find New Ways to Deliver Free Lunches During Pandemic." This piece illustrates the difficulties school districts face as they continue to provide and deliver meals to students across the country. This piece also describes the increase in costs for packaging equipment and resources to deliver these meals. Read the full article. Back to the top This week, at Highline Schools in Burien, Wash., the Nutrition Services team surpassed 1,000,000 meals served in their district since March. Federal Policy Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of HHFKA December 13, 2020, marks the 10th anniversary of President Obama's signing of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) into law. Over the last decade, SNA members have done remarkable work implementing HHFKA by expanding access to healthy school meals and improving the nutrition, quality and appeal of those meals for students across the country. SNA celebrates the accomplishments of school nutrition professionals, particularly their unwavering dedication to ensuring no student goes hungry during this pandemic. Thank you for all you do today and every day! Back to the top TAKE ACTION: Proposed Rule to Restore Flexibilities The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has announced proposed regulations to restore flexibilities for milk, whole grain and sodium requirements in the school meal programs. These proposed regulations were issued directly following the recission of flexibilities previously provided in 2018. Submit your comments urging USDA to restore flexibilities. TAKE ACTION! Back to the top State Snapshots Missouri Pre-files School Meal Service Bill HB 122 requires each school to provide a reimbursable meal to any student that requests one unless a student's parent or guardian has expressly provided written permission to the school to withhold the meal. This bill also requires school administrators to reach out to a student's parent or guardian at least two times to fill out a meal application. Back to the top Mark Your Calendars Upcoming SNA Webinar Next week, join us for our Webinar Wednesday and learn about food allergy management during the pandemic. If you missed a particular webinar, catch up with SNA’s on-demand webinars. School Nutrition, Food Allergies & Food Insecurity in the Pandemic Wednesday, December 16, 2020, 3:00 pm ET In this session, speakers will review the basics of food allergy management during the pandemic based on expert guidance; the intersection of food insecurity and food allergies; and the role of the school nutrition team. Webinar contributors will include: Sherry Coleman Collins, a registered dietitian, former school nutrition professional, and expert in food allergy management, who will review the latest guidance from AAAAI on managing food allergies during the pandemic; Emily Brown, president of Food Equality Initiative and the mother of a child with food allergies who works to help advocate for families managing food allergies; and Jeremy Bergman, Food Service Director of the New Castle (Pa.) Area Schools, who will share best practices and practical considerations for managing food allergens during the pandemic. Back to the top Congressional Management Foundation Webinar Freshmen Spotlight - How to Build Relationships with New Members of Congress Tuesday, December 15, 2020, 1:00 pm ET Many advocates woke up on November 4, 2020, to discover that their long-standing champions for their cause have been sent packing, causing a scramble to cultivate new Congressional proponents on the Hill. During this webinar, participants will explore what it is like to set up and work in a freshman Congressional office, what common mistakes advocates make when meeting new members, and how advocates can adjust their tactics when building relationships with new members. This webinar will be conducted by CMF's Brad Fitch, President & CEO, and Seth Turner, Director of Citizen Engagement. Back to the top Mystery Chat Corner On December 8, 1987, which NHL goalie for the Philadelphia Flyers became the 1st goalie to score a goal? A: Ron Hextall Back to the top