Tuesday Morning - October 12, 2021 An Update on Federal and State Policy Issues from SNATable of Contents COVID-19 Policy Updates Time to Share Your Story SNA’s Supply Chain Resource Page USDA Announces New Funds for Schools Amid Supply Chain Disruptions Federal Policy USDA Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee Meeting Summer Meals REACH Act of 2021 FDA Upcoming Nutrition Initiatives State Snapshots Massachusetts Legislature Passes CEP and Unpaid Meals Bill Mark Your Calendars Celebrating Hispanic Heritage The Diversity Dilemma Congressional Management Foundation Mystery Chat Corner COVID-19 Policy Updates Time to Share Your Story Please share your personal experience with supply chain disruptions, including any issues surrounding labor, product shortages and item unavailability. Your story may be featured online and viewed by USDA and Congressional staff. Sharing your experience is the most impactful way to bring meaningful change. Read submissions and add your own on SNA’s Action Network. SNA’s Supply Chain Resource Page SNA’s new supply chain resource page aims to help operators navigate the disruption and its resulting challenges. Tools include: An explainer video that examines what’s driving the disruption and ways schools can minimize the impact on their program. An SN magazine article that deep-dives into the root cause of the issue. Talking points to communicate procurement challenges with stakeholders On-demand videos of both the Town Hall and Managing Talent Shortages sessions from ANC 2021. USDA Announces New Funds for Schools Amid Supply Chain Disruptions On September 29, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new funds to support school meal programs amid ongoing supply chain challenges. The funds are part of a broad package of USDA investments to address challenges facing America’s agricultural producers. USDA’s press release specified the move will provide up to $1.5 billion of aid help schools respond to supply chain disruptions, saying, “These funds will support procurement of agricultural commodities and enable USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to enhance the toolbox for school nutrition professionals working hard to make sure students have reliable access to healthy meals.” Read USDA’s Fact Sheet for more information. Cayce Davis, Director of Elmore County (AL) Child Nutrition Program spent $1,500 on a last-minute run to Sam’s Club following unexpected shortages in her latest delivery. "This is a quick solution for our meal tomorrow, but it is not a solution to the problem," she said. Read more. Back to the top Federal PolicyUSDA Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee Meeting The USDA Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee has scheduled a Virtual Public Meeting for November 3 and 4 to examine fruit and vegetable industry issues and provide recommendations and ideas to the Secretary of Agriculture on how the USDA can tailor programs and services to better meet the needs of the US produce industry. Registration information is available on USDA’s website. Summer Meals REACH Act of 2021 U.S. Representative Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced H.R. 5424, the Summer Meals Reaching Every Area’s Child Hunger (REACH) Act of 2021. The bill eliminates the area eligibility requirement, allowing all sites to serve free meals to all children, eliminates the congregate feeding requirement, allowing grab-and-go meal service to continue, and modifies monitoring requirements to allow sponsors to monitor sites remotely. FDA Upcoming Nutrition Initiatives According to an announcement made by top FDA officials at the Consumer Federation of America’s 44th Annual National Food Policy Conference, FDA will begin a new initiative to reverse an increase in childhood obesity in the US during the pandemic. FDA seeks to improve children’s diets and is taking steps to limit exposure to toxic elements in baby food and reduce sodium levels in the food supply. Specific details were not provided; however, FDA noted there will be an emphasis on labeling and new elements added to FDA's Nutrition Innovation Strategy. State Snapshots Massachusetts Legislature Passes CEP and Unpaid Meals Bill The Massachusetts House and Senate have passed HB 3999, an Act to Promote Student Nutrition, a bill that requires eligible schools to enroll in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). The bill also prohibits schools from taking certain measures to collect unpaid meal debt. Mark Your Calendars Upcoming SNA Webinars Learn about hot topics in school nutrition and earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) with SNA’s popular professional development webinars. If you missed a particular webinar, catch up with SNA’s on-demand webinars. Learn about hot topics in school nutrition and earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) with SNA’s popular professional development webinars. If you missed a particular webinar, catch up with SNA’s on-demand webinars. Celebrating Hispanic Heritage 3 p.m. ET Wednesday, October 13, 2021 oin SNA during Hispanic Heritage Month to explore the diversity of the Hispanic/Latino/LatinX Community and learn about their contributions to U.S. society, individual communities and students who benefit from school meals. Meet SNA members who share their Hispanic heritage and hear their perspectives on school nutrition, current trends and how they see the future of the profession. The Diversity Dilemma 3 p.m. ET Wednesday, November 10, 2021 This leadership workshop will challenge you to create true diversity and explore the myth that "difference automatically produces diversity." Attendees will analyze how their organization(s) may be unknowingly impacted by the culture they have created or inherited. You’ll leave this session with the action steps you can take to address your own diversity dilemma. Congressional Management Foundation Using Research to Connect the Dots Between You and Your Lawmaker 3 p.m. ET Wednesday, December 1, 2021 Despite the narrative presented by Hollywood screenwriters and the mainstream media, lawmakers are human, too. Before being elected, these politicians have careers, attend school, volunteer and achieve college degrees. This presentation will explore some strategies for using research to help connect the dots between the issues you're advocating for and those on your member's current agenda. Mystery Chat Corner On October 12, 1961, this American broadcast journalist interviewed President Dwight D. Eisenhower for the first-ever video memoirs of a U.S. President. A: Walter Cronkite Back to the top