Bill Overview
Title: Protecting School Milk Choices Act of 2022
Description: This bill revises requirements for milk provided by the National School Lunch Program of the Department of Agriculture. Currently, schools participating in the program may provide lactose-free and flavored and unflavored milk. Under the bill, these schools must provide students flavored and unflavored milk and maintain the discretion to offer lactose-free milk.
Sponsors: Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21]
Target Audience
Population: students participating in the National School Lunch Program worldwide
Estimated Size: 29600000
- The bill specifically targets schools participating in the National School Lunch Program.
- The bill affects the types of milk options provided to students in these schools.
- All students who consume meals through the National School Lunch Program will be impacted, as it could influence their milk options.
- Lactose-intolerant students could be affected if schools choose to offer lactose-free milk using the discretion allowed by the bill.
Reasoning
- The policy primarily impacts students who are part of the National School Lunch Program by potentially expanding their milk choices. Parents, teachers, and school nutrition providers may also be indirectly affected as they need to accommodate and manage these options.
- The impact of the policy will vary across different stakeholders. Students who are lactose intolerant will have improved options depending on whether schools continue to offer lactose-free milk.
- Given the budget constraints and the fact that the policy impacts school children (29.6 million as per the National School Lunch Program data), not every student will experience a significant change. Many might already have access to the types of milk being mandated.
- Considering students from varying backgrounds—urban vs. rural, different states—will provide a more generalized view of this policy's effects.
- The simulation needs to balance common scenarios against those with more significant but less common impacts, such as the availability of lactose-free options.
Simulated Interviews
student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 10 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I really like having different options for milk at lunch because sometimes I like chocolate milk.
- My friends and I talk about what kind of milk we're going to get.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
student (Dallas, TX)
Age: 15 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am lactose intolerant and prefer lactose-free options.
- I often feel left out when there are fewer lactose-free drinks available.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
student (New York, NY)
Age: 12 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I like having the choice between flavored and regular milk, though we mostly drink organic at home.
- The change won't make much difference because my school already provides different options.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
student (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 16 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I need a lot of energy for sports, so having choice in milk is great for protein.
- I usually drink a lot of milk and knowing we will always have it is reassuring.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
student (Miami, FL)
Age: 8 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I like chocolate milk a lot and am happy if we can keep having it at lunch.
- I don't really know much about the other types.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
student (Seattle, WA)
Age: 14 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think it's nice to have more milk choices, but I am also worried about waste from flavored milks.
- I wish more schools promoted sustainability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
student (Denver, CO)
Age: 17 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The milk choices don't really affect me because I'm vegan so I don't drink cow's milk.
- It would be nice if the policy also included non-dairy milk options.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
student (Cleveland, OH)
Age: 11 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope they always have lactose-free milk because regular milk upsets my stomach.
- It's nice to feel included when I have an option I can drink.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
student (Charlotte, NC)
Age: 9 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I love chocolate milk and I'm really happy we can still have it!
- It's the best part of lunch.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
student (Rural Kansas)
Age: 13 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think having milk choices is good, but I also feel it's important for schools to support local farms.
- Our club talks about dairy farming and how important it is.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $45000000, High: $55000000)
Year 2: $50500000 (Low: $45500000, High: $55500000)
Year 3: $51005000 (Low: $46005000, High: $56005000)
Year 5: $52025000 (Low: $47025000, High: $57025000)
Year 10: $55152500 (Low: $50152500, High: $60152500)
Year 100: $133093000 (Low: $128093000, High: $138093000)
Key Considerations
- The exact cost increase largely depends on the extent to which schools opt to provide lactose-free milk and flavored milk based on local demand and resource availability.
- Policy implementation could drive slight increases in dairy industry interest in diversifying and marketing milk options more aggressively to schools, indirectly impacting regional economies.