PRINTER'S NO. 1242 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE RESOLUTION No.169 Session of 2025 INTRODUCED BY MERSKI, KAZEEM, MADDEN, WAXMAN, HARKINS, GIRAL, FREEMAN, ISAACSON, NEILSON, KHAN, HILL-EVANS, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, KENYATTA, HOWARD, SANCHEZ, CERRATO, HOHENSTEIN, RIVERA, O'MARA, MENTZER AND CONKLIN, APRIL 3, 2025 REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 3, 2025 A RESOLUTION Designating the month of September 2025 as "Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Month" in Pennsylvania. WHEREAS, Hunger is a reality for many students, with one in six children in this Commonwealth experiencing severe hunger; and WHEREAS, Nearly 14 million children in the United States live in food-insecure homes, where there is not enough food for every family member; and WHEREAS, We are fighting not only hunger in our children, but also millions of tons of food waste; and WHEREAS, Nearly 30 million school lunches are served daily across the nation; and WHEREAS, An estimated 530,000 tons of food, about 39 pounds per student, and 45 million gallons of milk, about 29 cartons per student, are wasted per year in school cafeterias; and WHEREAS, The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act went into effect in December 2010; and 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 WHEREAS, Under the act, students must take a certain number of items, including a fruit or vegetable; and WHEREAS, Schools must serve the same size meals to kindergarteners, for whom the lunch might be too much, and older students, for whom it might not be enough; and WHEREAS, Research shows that many students are throwing the required healthier options into the trash; and WHEREAS, Share tables are a place where students can return unopened food and drinks that they choose not to consume so that other students may take additional helpings at no cost; and WHEREAS, Share tables are an excellent way for child nutrition programs to reduce food waste and provide nutrition for hungry kids; and WHEREAS, Share tables are an innovative strategy to encourage the consumption of nutritious foods and reduce food waste; therefore be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the month of September 2025 as "Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Month" in Pennsylvania. 20250HR0169PN1242 - 2 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19