Washington’s Kim Schrier and Oregon’s Suzanne Bonamici are bringing back a bill to protect school lunch and recess time

This week, Representatives Kim Schrier (D-WA-08) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01) reintroduced The Healthy Meal Time Act, a federal bill that aims to ensure public school students have adequate time to eat and play during the school day. 

Under the National School Lunch Program, federal regulations stipulate what nutritional items must be placed on a child’s tray – including fruits, vegetables, grain, meats or meat alternatives, and milk. However, no federal policies currently specify how much time students must be allowed to enjoy those meals. 

While the CDC advises that schools provide a minimum of twenty minutes of seated eating time, this is not required. Decisions about the duration of lunch and recess are thus left to state and local school administrators.

Research has found that short meal windows lead to significantly lower consumption of fruits, vegetables, and entrees, as well as a sharp increase in food waste. 

In some jurisdictions, many kids are left waiting in long cafeteria lines, with only minutes to scarf down their second meal of the day before being dismissed. 

The Healthy Meal Time Act seeks to standardize school meal durations by directing the USDA and the U.S. Department of Education to conduct a comprehensive national study and distribute evidence-based best practices to school districts nationwide. 

The legislation is not long. It consists of only a few sections:

A BILL

To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish a task force for the development of best practices for schools participating in the school lunch program relating to the time of day lunches are served, the time of day recess is offered, and the duration of lunch periods, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1.Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “Healthy Meal Time Act of 2026”.

SEC. 2.Meal time guidance.

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769) is amended by inserting after section 26 the following:

“SEC. 27.Meal time guidance.

“(a) Task force.—

“(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, shall establish a task force to develop best practices in accordance with paragraph (3).

“(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The task force shall consist of not more than 5 members appointed by the Secretary, which shall include—

“(A) 1 member from a State educational agency; and

“(B) 1 member from a school food authority.

“(3) BEST PRACTICES. —

“(A) IN GENERAL. — Not later than 1 year after the establishment of the task force, the task force shall develop, and report to the Secretary and Secretary of Education, best practices for schools with respect to the time of day lunches are served, the time of day recess is offered, and the duration of lunch periods in schools to ensure student health, including appropriate nutritional intake.

“(B) DEVELOPMENT. — In developing the best practices described in subparagraph (A), the task force shall —

“(i) review research relating to the information described in subparagraph (A);

“(ii) consider the amount of time it takes students to carry out activities during lunch periods other than eating, including traveling from class, waiting in line, getting utensils and condiments, and clearing trays; and

“(iii) ensure that any recommended duration for seated eating time during a lunch period—

“(I) is in accordance with the most recent recommendation published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with respect to seated eating time; and

“(II) includes adequate time to eat unprocessed and minimally processed foods.

“(b) Guidance. — Not later than 1 year after the task force reports to the Secretary the best practices under subsection (a)(3), the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, shall issue guidance based on such best practices to schools participating in the school lunch program under this Act.”.

“Kids need to have enough time to eat and play at school,” said Schrier. 

Kim Schrier practiced as a pediatrician for roughly seventeen years, working in both Oregon and Washington State. She has represented Washington’s 8th Congressional District since 2019, following her historic victory in the 2018 midterms. She decided to jump into electoral politics in 2017, when she became dissatisfied with Congressman Dave Reichert’s failure to defend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. 

“As a pediatrician and a mom, I know that students will often skip lunch and rush to recess without eating enough. I am proud to introduce this bill to make sure our kids have the time they need to eat a nutritious meal at school. Creating schedules that ensure kids have enough time to eat and exercise will help them focus in school; and stay healthy.”

Her co-sponsor, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, echoed the vital connection between mealtime duration and classroom performance.

“School meal times let students refuel and refresh their growing brains, and learning is limited when kids don’t have enough food or time to eat. The Healthy Meal Time Act would establish best practice for lunch timing and length, giving schools key guidance and resources to make the best decisions for their students.” 

The legislation is backed by national advocacy and education groups, including the National Education Association (NEA), the Center for Science in the Public Interests (CSPI), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the School Nutrition Association. 

“Providing nutritious school meals is essential, but children also need adequate time to eat and benefit from them,” said Tamara Randall, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES, FAND, president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“The Academy supports the Healthy Meal Time Act because it would help schools establish evidence-based practices for lunch and recess schedules, ensuring students have the time they need to eat nutritious meals and support their health and well-being. We applaud Representatives Schrier and Bonamici for their leadership on this important issue.”

Washington has previously adopted laws and rules that govern the duration of lunch and recess, which school districts in the Evergreen State are obligated to follow:

1. Mandatory daily recess (RCW 28A.230.295): Enacted via Senate Bill 5257, Washington law requires all public elementary schools to provide at least thirty minutes of daily recess for grades K-5 (and grade 6 when housed in an elementary school) for any school day exceeding 5 hours. The law forbids withholding recess as a disciplinary measure or to compel completion of unfinished classwork. Recess must be supervised, student-directed, held outdoors whenever possible, and counted toward required instructional hours. 
2. Seated lunchtime rule (WAC 392-157-125): Prompted by a state performance audit revealing that long cafeteria lines left some children with mere minutes to eat, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction updated state rules to require a full 20 minutes of seated eating time. The twenty-minute clock begins only after the final student in line has received their meal. OSPI finalized a multi-year phase-in timeline, making the requirement mandatory for all elementary schools by the 2029-30 school year to allow districts to adjust staffing and master schedules. 
3. Recess before lunch: Washington state also formally recommends that school districts schedule recess prior to lunch, a sequence demonstrated to improve student appetite, focus, and digestive health. 

The Healthy Meal Time Act would build on Washington’s efforts. Schrier and Bonamici hope to ensure that school meals fulfill their intended purpose: nourishing growing children and equipping them to succeed in the classroom.