By Jane Black
The debate over health care has largely eclipsed talk of school lunch reform. But there's good news for advocates of healthful school food in the House Agriculture Appropriations conference report: $135 million worth, to be precise.

The bill, which passed 263 to 162 late Wednesday, provides, among other things, $85 million for pilot projects to expand summer feeding programs, $25 million to increase access to low-income children and $25 million to help purchase kitchen equipment necessary to store, prepare and serve healthful meals.

"With unemployment and health-care costs on the rise, millions of families are relying on the federal child nutrition programs as the nutritional safety net for their children," Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), who chairs the House Education and Labor Committee, said in a statement after the vote. "Giving our most vulnerable children access to healthy, safe, nutritious and affordable meals is one of the most important things we can do to help them thrive in school and in life."

The conference report now moves on to the Senate, where it is expected to be approved. It then would go to President Obama, who campaigned to eliminate child hunger by 2015.

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By 44 Editor  |  October 7, 2009; 6:53 PM ET
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