ALBANY, NY – Following the recent passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act in the U.S. House, the Chairs and Ranking Members of the New York State Senate and Assembly Committees on Agriculture, in a bipartisan effort, sent a letter on Thursday urging Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand to bring the federal bill for a Senate vote. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act would reinstate 2% and whole milk in schools, overturning a 2010 decision to remove these options from the National School Lunch Program under the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act.

Senate Agriculture Chair Michelle Hinchey said, “The House’s approval of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids marks a major stride in our fight to bring healthy, nutritious whole milk back to school cafeterias. This first phase of approval is a positive step toward advancing a school meal change that will improve child nutrition while delivering a needed economic boost to New York dairy farmers and rural communities. We now turn to our federal representatives in the U.S. Senate to take the lead and prioritize this important bipartisan-supported legislation.”

Senator George Borrello, Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said, “For generations, milk has been known as ‘nature’s most perfect food’ because it is packed with calcium and essential nutrients that promote good health, particularly for growing children. That is why it is crucial that we encourage our kids to drink milk by returning the whole and two percent milk options to school cafeterias. The federal mandate removing them from schools was a mistake that hurt our kids and our farmers, but the chance to fix it is within our reach right now. We urge the Senate to recognize the bipartisan momentum behind this initiative and advance the Whole Milk for Health Kids Act to the Senate floor for a vote.”

Assembly Agriculture Chair Donna Lupardo said, “We originally wanted this change included in the 2023 Federal Farm Bill, which is now delayed until next September. I was very happy to see this standalone measure pass in the U.S. House and hope to see the U.S. Senate take it up as well. Our focus as a group is on the health and vitality of New York’s students and dairy farmers alike. This is why we are strongly urging Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand to advance the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act.”

Assemblyman Chris Tague, Ranking Minority Member of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, said, “A bipartisan U.S. Congress recognized the importance of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, now it's time for the U.S. Senate to follow suit. As the senior senator from New York, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has always been a friend to upstate rural agriculture, and we need his leadership now more than ever. Bringing whole and 2% milk back into schools will not only help the children grow healthy and strong, but it will also help give the rural economy and dairy industry a much-needed boost. My colleagues and I are asking that the U.S. Senate listen to the facts and bring milk back into our schools!”

A full copy of the letter is below.

December 21, 2023

Dear Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand,

We, the Chairs and Ranking Members of the New York State Senate and Assembly Committees on Agriculture, respectfully urge you to bring the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act to the Senate floor for a vote following its bipartisan passage on December 14, 2023, in the House of Representatives. This bill, when passed, would allow 2% and whole milk back into public schools, a major win both for our children and for New York’s Dairy industry at large. 

Whole milk is an excellent source of nutrition for all New Yorkers, containing no more than 3.5% fat, and one-third of those fatty acids are Omega-3, which has been linked to many health benefits, including improved heart health, brain health, and lower risk of cancer. According to a January 2020 New York Times article, children who drink whole milk are 39% less likely to become overweight than those who drink lower-fat or skim milk. Now more than ever, the Federal Government must remove its restrictions on whole milk in public schools based on outdated information that does not consider the benefits it would provide to students.

As the leaders of both the New York State Senate and Assembly Agriculture Committees, it is our responsibility to ensure that our students have access to the nutritional benefits that come from whole milk while supporting our dairy farmers, who are a critical component of our agricultural economy here in our state. In the first two years that the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 was enacted, 1.2 million fewer students drank milk with their lunch; however, they still had access to sugary, unhealthy drinks. These students lost out on the nutritional benefits milk offers and, instead, replaced it with sugary drinks that offered no nutritional value. 

The full passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act would also provide a great economic boost to New York farmers and dairy producers throughout our state, strengthening both our economy and our local food systems in the process. New York has more than 3,500 dairy farms that produce over 15 billion pounds of milk annually. Our committees urge the Federal Government to support local schools and family dairy farm businesses. It is time we correct this imbalance, and we humbly ask that you bring the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act to a vote in the Senate.

Thank you for your consideration.

Senator Michelle Hinchey, Chair

NYS Senate Agriculture Committee

Senator George Borrello, Ranking Member

NYS Senate Agriculture Committee

Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, Chair
NYS Assembly Agriculture Committee

Assemblyman Chris Tague, Ranking Member

NYS Assembly Agriculture Committee