Relating to student nutrition, including by modifying the curricula provided to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade twelve to include instruction related to nutrition, modifying provisions related to the agriculture, food, and natural resources component of the career and technical education instruction provided to students enrolled in grades nine through twelve, and modifying provisions related to school meal programs, and including effective date provisions

Topics:Agriculture K–12 education

Same legislation: HSB 173, SF 525, HF 851

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Official bill page Lobbyist declarations One-pager to print

Where it is now

Done: IntroducedFebruary 19, 2025
Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 19, 2025
Done: Senate committeeMarch 4, 2025
Skipped: Passes the SenateContinued as SF 525
Next: House committee
Next: Passes the House
Next: To the Governor
Next: Signed into law

Became SF 525 → Its progress continues under the new number. Go to SF 525 What’s a funnel?

What’s in it

AI summary Schools would be required to teach students in kindergarten through 12th grade about nutrition, food production, and sustainable farming. The state would also ask the federal government for permission to change certain rules for school breakfast and lunch programs to better match Iowa's dietary and cultural preferences. If granted, Iowa would create new guidelines for what makes a healthy school meal and track how these changes affect student health and meal participation.¹

Read the official explanation

This bill relates to student nutrition, including by modifying the curricula provided to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade to include instruction related to nutrition, modifying provisions related to the agriculture, food, and natural resources component of the career and technical education instruction provided to students enrolled in grades through 12, and modifying provisions related to school meal programs. _____ The bill requires school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to provide instruction related to nutrition to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12. The bill also requires school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to provide instruction related to food production, the benefits of local sourcing, and sustainable farming practices as part of the agriculture, food, and natural resources component of the career and technical education curriculum in grades through 12.14, which requires the department of education (DE) to, within days after the effective date of the bill, apply for a waiver under federal law to request an exemption from certain limits and requirements related to school breakfast and lunch programs and to request permission to substitute or modify federal requirements with state-specific nutritional guidelines that align with Iowa’s dietary recommendations or cultural food practices. The bill provides that if the waiver is granted, DE is required to adopt updated guidelines for what constitutes a nutritionally adequate meal for purposes of Iowa’s school meal programs. The bill establishes requirements related to these guidelines and persons with whom DE is required to consult during the process of updating the guidelines. Also, if the waiver is granted, the bill requires DE and the department of agriculture and land stewardship to establish a joint committee related to the guidelines and establishes the joint committee’s duties. _____ recommendations for further enhancement of the guidelines, if the waiver is granted.14 also requires DE to conduct an evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the guidelines for what constitutes a nutritionally adequate meal compared to the comparable federal standards within five years after the effective date of the waiver, if the waiver is granted.14 takes effect upon enactment.

Changed since by amendment H-1122; see Amendments.

Full bill text²

Senate subcommittee

Named January 27, 2026. It hasn’t reported yet.

Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part

2 written public comments to its subcommittee: February 26, 2025 (1), February 26, 2025 (1) · on the Legislature’s site

Fiscal note

AI summary This bill directs the Department of Education to apply for a waiver to use state-defined school meal guidelines instead of federal ones and requires new nutrition instruction in classrooms. The state's General Fund is expected to see a one-time cost of $146,000 and an increase of $601,000 and 3.0 FTE positions in year one, followed by $455,000 each year thereafter. Additionally, there may be a reduction in federal reimbursement to school districts for school lunch and breakfast programs.³

Read the fiscal note

Description

House File 851 directs the Department of Education (DE) to apply for a waiver and exemption from the federally required school meal pattern as established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). If the waiver is granted, the DE will adopt and implement State guidelines for school meals in consultation with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and other stakeholders. If the waiver is granted, the DE is also required to submit an annual report, with information as detailed in the Bill, to the General Assembly and conduct an evaluation within five years after the effective date of the waiver. The Bill also requires classroom instruction related to nutrition, as detailed in the Bill, for kindergarten through grade 12 and for career and technical education courses related to agriculture, food, and natural resources in grades 9 through 12 and related to food production and benefits of local sourcing.

The Bill includes an immediate effective date for new Iowa Code section 283A.14 and requires the DE to apply for the waiver within 90 days of the Bill’s enactment date. The Bill also includes an applicability date for school years beginning on or after July 1, 2026, for the sections of the Bill requiring instruction related to nutrition for kindergarten through grade 12; career and technical education courses related to agriculture, food, and natural resources in grades 9 through 12; and food production and the benefits of local sourcing.

Background

The USDA Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 authorized federal funding and established policy for USDA child nutrition programs. The Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA administers federal school food programs. State education agencies administer the programs at the state level, and local school food authorities operate the programs in schools. For the 2023-2024 school year, the DE reported that 19.6 million school breakfast meals and 57.6 million school lunch meals were served to Iowa students.

School food service programs in Iowa are primarily federally funded under the Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA. Schools charge a meal fee to offset the difference between USDA meal reimbursement rates and the cost of meals being provided. Local school food authorities received federal reimbursement of $145.0 million through the National School Lunch Program and $40.3 million through the School Breakfast Program. These reimbursements are made for meals that follow the required federal meal patterns.

The DE also receives an estimated $23.0 million in federal funds per fiscal year to purchase a portion of the food used by schools for school meals. The DE is required to spend the money on specific food items procured by the USDA. On average, USDA foods make up between 15.0% and 20.0% of the products served as part of a school lunch. State-specific meal pattern restrictions would not be considered under the federal procurement process. Schools are required to competitively bid to purchase food items in accordance with federal procurement guidelines. The bidding and selection process is completed in the spring for the following school year.

Assumptions

Adopting meal patterns that differ from the pattern established by the USDA may reduce federal reimbursement from the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program by an unknown amount.
School meal menus are specific to each school district and may meet State-required meal patterns with different meal items.
For reduced price meals, the meal fee charged by schools is typically the difference between the free reimbursement rate and the reduced price reimbursement rate. For breakfast, this rate difference is $0.30, and for lunch, the rate difference is $0.40. Meals being provided for free are subject to the USDA reimbursement received, and additional funding is not provided through an additional charge by the school.
An increase in the cost of school meals may be reflected in increased school meal fees for students not receiving free or reduced price meals, or increased costs may be absorbed by the school district.
The DE will need an additional 3.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions for education program consultants estimated to cost $455,000 annually to meet the administration and oversight requirements in the Bill.
The DE estimates an additional one-time cost of $146,000 for contract costs that will be necessary for implementation of the Bill.

Fiscal Impact

House File 851 is expected to increase costs to the State by $601,000 and 3.0 FTE positions in year one and by $455,000 each year thereafter. In addition, there may be a reduction to federal reimbursement to school districts for the school lunch and breakfast programs as following currently established federal meal patterns is required to receive federal meal reimbursement.