Connecticut State Department of Education

1. Note: This presentation provides general guidance regarding the requirements and implementation of Public Act 06-63, An Act Concerning Healthy Food and Beverages in Schools. For questions or additional guidance,please contact the Connecticut State Department of Education (see last slide for contact information).

2. Complying with Public Act 06-63 An Act Concerning Healthy Food and Beverages in Schools Connecticut State Department of Education Bureau of Health and Nutrition Services and Child/Family/School Partnerships

3. Prevalence of Overweight in Children and Teens Ogden CL, Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Johnson CL. Prevalence and trends in overweight among US children and adolescents, 1999-2000. JAMA 288:1728-32. 2002. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM.  Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA 295:1549-1555. 2006.

4. Schools Make a Difference • Well-planned and effectively implemented school nutrition and fitness programsenhance students’ • overall health • behavior • academic achievement • School policies and practices play a significant role in determining whether the environment • supports healthy student behaviors • encourages learning

5. Overview of Public Act 06-63Section-By-Section Walk Through

6. Public Act 06-63An Act Concerning Healthy Food and Beverages in Schools • Signed into law May 19, 2006 • Effective July 1, 2006 www.cga.ct.gov/2006/ACT/PA/2006PA-00063-R00SB-00373-PA.htm

7. Public Act 06-63 Applies Only to Student Sales • Food and beverages sold to teachers and school staff are not subject to Public Act 06-63, as long as they are notaccessibleto students, e.g., • Soda or snack vending machines in teachers’ lounges or other areas that are prohibited to students • Special adult meals or a la carte items that are not sold to students

8. Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 • Addresses beverages that can be sold to students in public schools* • Applies to all public schools*(not optional) • Allows only 5 beverage categories * Includes • Public school districts • Vocational-technical school system • Charter schools • Interdistrict magnet schools • Endowed academies

9. Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 Allowable Beverages • Milk, flavored and unflavored • No artificial sweeteners •  4 grams of sugar per ounce • Nondairy milk, e.g., soy or rice • May be flavored but no artificial sweeteners •  4 grams of sugar per ounce •  35 percent of calories from fat per portion •  10 percent of calories from saturated fat per portion

10. Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 Allowable Beverages • 100% fruit or vegetable juice or combination • No added sugars, sweeteners or artificial sweeteners • Water and juice beverages • No added sugars, sweeteners or artificial sweeteners

11. Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 Allowable Beverages • Water (plain or flavored) • No added sugars, sweeteners or artificial sweeteners • No caffeine

12. Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 Allowable Beverages • Portion size for all allowable beverages is 12 ounces • Except water (unlimited)

13. Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 Exemptions for Beverages The board of education or governing authority may permit the sale of other beverages if three exemption conditions are met: • the sale is in connection with an event occurring after the end of the regular school day or on the weekend • The sale is at the location of the event • The beverages are not sold from a vending machine or school store

14. Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 Exemptions for Beverages Regular School Day The regular school day is the period that begins with the arrival of the first child at school and ends after the last instructional period

15. Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 Exemptions for Beverages Event An occurrence that involves more than just a regularly scheduled practice, meeting or extracurricular activity

16. Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 Exemptions for Beverages Examples of Events • School dance • Family bingo night • PTA/PTO craft fair • School concert • Theatrical production • Sports games, e.g., basketball, football, soccer • School fair

17. Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 Exemptions for Beverages The board of education or governing authority must take action to permit the sale of any beverages not allowed by Section 1 • Must specify what beverages are allowed if the 3 conditions are met • Can be general or specific

18. Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 Summer School Programs • Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 applies to summer school programs (e.g., enrichment or exploratory programs) operated by the school district

19. Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 Summer School Programs • If summer school programs are not operated by the school district, the board of education may permitthe sale of beverages that do not comply with Section 1 of Public Act-06-63 if the three exemption conditions are met: • the sale is in connection with an event occurring after the end of the regular school day or on the weekend • The sale is at the location of the event • The beverages are not sold from a vending machine or school store

20. Section 1 of Public Act 06-63 Summer School Programs The board of education or governing authority must take action to permit the sale of beverages in summer school programs • Must specify what beverages are allowed if the 3 conditions are met • Can be general or specific

21. Section 2 of Public Act 06-63Nutrition Standards • Nutrition standards shall be published by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) to address all food sold to students that is purchased separately from a reimbursable breakfast or lunch under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) School Breakfast Program or National School Lunch Program Connecticut Nutrition Standards www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2626&q=320754#Standards

22. Section 2 of Public Act 06-63Nutrition Standards • Must be published by August 1, 2006 • Must be published by January 1 of each year thereafter • CSDE will evaluate and revise standards as needed to reflect changes in nutrition science and the availability of new healthy food items

23. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63Healthy Food Certification • Optional • Allows the board of education or governing authority to certify to CSDE whether all food items that are sold to students separately from a reimbursable breakfast or lunch meet the Connecticut Nutrition Standards

24. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63Healthy Food Certification • Eligible school systems include • Public school districts • Vocational-technical school system • Charter schools • Interdistrict magnet schools • Endowed academies • District must participate in USDA’s National School Lunch Program

25. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63Healthy Food Certification If a district chooses to participate • All food that is sold to students separatelyfrom the reimbursable breakfast or lunch must meet the Connecticut Nutrition Standards • Applies to all sources of food offered for sale to students at all times, including cafeterias, vending machines, school stores and fundraisers

26. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63Healthy Food Certification If a district chooses to participate • Applies to all schools under district’s jurisdiction and all grade levels (elementary, middle and high) • Applies to the use of tokens or equivalent items that students can exchange for food • Sale defined as “the exchange of property or services for a determined amount of money or its equivalent”

27. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63Healthy Food Certification If a district chooses to participate • Applies toall food offered in USDA’s Seamless Summer Food Programs and Summer Food Service Programs operated by the board of education • Applies toall food offered in USDA’s After-School Snack Program

28. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63Healthy Food Certification After-School Snack Program • Menu items must meet USDA requirements (Meal Pattern for the After-School Snack Program) • Menu items must also meet the Connecticut Nutrition Standards • Snacks listed on CSDE’s healthy snack list* may or may not meet the After-School Snack Program meal pattern requirements *www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2626&q=320754#Healthy

29. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63 Exemptions for Food The board of education or governing authority may permit the sale of food that does not meet the Connecticut Nutrition Standards if the three exemption conditions are met: • the sale is in connection with an event occurring after the end of the regular school day or on the weekend • The sale is at the location of the event • The food is not sold from a vending machine or school store

30. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63 Exemptions for Food • Description of “event” and “regular school day” is the same as previously indicated for beverages • Process for exemption of food items is the same as previously indicated for beverages

31. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63 Exemptions for Food The board of education or governing authority must take action to permit the sale of food that does not meet the Connecticut Nutrition Standards • Must specify what food is allowed if the 3 conditions are met • Can be general or specific

32. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63 Exemptions for Food • Board of education or governing authority decides how to grant exemptions

33. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63 Summer School Programs • The healthy food certification applies to summer school programs (e.g., enrichment or exploratory programs) operated by the school district • must meet Connecticut Nutrition Standards if district certifies for the healthy food option

34. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63 Summer School Programs • If summer school programs are not operated by the school district, the board of education may permit the sale of food that does not meet the Connecticut Nutrition Standards IF the three exemption conditions are met • Summer school programs not operated by the district are outside of the school day, so first condition is already met • Other two conditions must also be met • Sale must be at the location of the event • The food can not sold from a vending machine or school store

35. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63 Summer School Programs The board of education or governing authority must take action to permit the sale of food that does not meet the Connecticut Nutrition Standards • Must specify what food is allowed if the 3 conditions are met • Can be general or specific

36. Section 3 of Public Act 06-63 Contract to Feed Other Schools • The healthy food certification only concerns the food items that are made available for sale to students in schoolsunder the certifying district's jurisdiction • A district* that receives meals under contract from a certifying district is not required to follow the Connecticut Nutrition Standards * Examples: another public school district, private school, charter school

37. Section 4 of Public Act 06-63 • Funding • Application • Monitoring

38. Section 5 of Public Act 06-63 Eligibility for Funding • Nonpublic schools and nonprofit agencies can participate in the USDA meal programs but they are not eligible for the additional funding under Section 3 (healthy food certification) • Private schools • Nonprofit organizations • Residential child care institutions(RCCIs)

39. Section 6 of Public Act 06-63 New Language for 10-221p • Amends Section 10-221p of the Connecticut General Statutes and replaces with new language • Clarifies that also applies to charter schools, interdistrict magnet schools and endowed academies • Deletes previous requirements for provision of healthy drinks when other beverages are sold to students

40. Section 6 of Public Act 06-63 New Language for 10-221p • Special Milk Programs are no longer required to sell water, juice or other healthy beverages when milk is sold to students

41. Section 6 of Public Act 06-63 New Language for 10-221p • When food is available for purchase by students during the regular school day, nutritious and low-fat foods must also be available for sale • This includes, but is not limited to, low-fat dairy products and fresh or dried fruit

42. The Details Connecticut Nutrition Standards http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2626&q=320754#Standards

43. Connecticut Nutrition Standards • Address all a la carte foods (food items that are sold separately from a reimbursable breakfast or lunch), e.g., • Entrees • Cooked grains • Soups • Fruits and vegetables • Baked items • Snacks and Desserts

44. Snacks and Desserts • Baked chips, popcorn, rice cakes, puffed snacks • Crackers, hard pretzels, pita chips, snack mix • Peanut butter-filled crackers and cheese-filled crackers • Trail mix, nuts, seeds, soy nuts • Jerky • Cereals • Cookies, animal crackers, graham crackers, cereal bars, granola bars • Bakery items, e.g., pastries, toaster pastries, muffins, bagels, soft pretzels • Frozen desserts and ice cream • Pudding and parfaits • Yogurt • Smoothies made with low-fat yogurt or other low-fat dairy alternatives and/or fruit juice • Cheese • Nut butters, e.g., peanut butter, almond butter, soy butter

45. Connecticut Nutrition Standards • Incorporate Connecticut’s Healthy Snack Standards • Developed in 2003-2004 as part of Connecticut’s Healthy Snack Pilot • Address three snack categories • Beverages • Fruits and Vegetables • Snacks and Desserts • Include additional food groups not previously addressed by Healthy Snack Standards

46. Connecticut Nutrition Standards Focus on • Decreasing fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and added sugars • Increasing nutrient density, e.g., fiber and whole grains • Moderating portion sizes

47. Connecticut Nutrition StandardsDevelopment • CSDE convened Nutrition Standards Committee after bill became law • Development – late May to June 2006 • Committee included • representatives from CSDE and state health organizations and associations • committee members from the 2003-2004 Healthy Snack Standards Committee • a pediatrician, dietitians, food service directors, CSDE nutrition staff and others

48. Connecticut Nutrition StandardsDevelopment • Identified the food groups that were not already covered by the Healthy Snack Standards • Reviewed existing standards from other states and national organizations • Evaluated food products to determine impact of standards

49. Connecticut Nutrition StandardsSupporting Organizations • American Heart Association, serving Connecticut • Association of School Nurses of Connecticut • Connecticut Action for Healthy Kids • Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents • Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics • Connecticut Commission on Children

50. Connecticut Nutrition StandardsSupporting Organizations • Connecticut Dietetic Association • Connecticut Parent Teacher Association • Connecticut School Nutrition Association • Connecticut State Department of Education • Connecticut State Department of Public Health, Cardiovascular Health Program and Nutrition Program • End Hunger Connecticut! Inc. • New England Dairy & Food Council • University of Connecticut, Department of Nutritional Sciences