Courtney, Thompson Introduce Legislation to Improve Access to Milk in School Cafeterias

NORWICH, CT - This month, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) and Congressman Glenn Thompson (PA-15) introduced the bipartisan Funding Refrigeration Equipment for Student Health (FRESH) Act. The bill would create a USDA competitive grant program for K-12 schools to acquire and install milk dispensers or cold storage equipment for use in school cafeterias, making it more financially feasible for schools to provide whole milk to students.

Specifically, the FRESH Act would establish a $4 million competitive grant program, with a 75% federal cost share, to help schools invest in milk dispensers and the cold storage equipment needed to serve fresh milk to students.

"Milk is at the foundation of a nutritious school meal. I'm excited to partner again with Rep. Glenn Thompson to expand milk availability for students by introducing the FRESH Act," said Rep. Courtney. "By supporting schools' purchase of milk dispensers and cold storage equipment, we can provide more students with dairy options. This is an investment to build stronger relationships between our schools and our dairy farms, supporting students' health and their learning."

"Milk is a vital building block for a well-rounded and balanced diet, providing 13 essential nutrients that supplement growth and health, which help students thrive in the classroom," said Rep. Thompson. "The bipartisan FRESH Act will give schools the opportunity to invest in milk dispensers and the refrigeration needed to ensure they can readily supply milk to students throughout the year."

"I couldn't be more happy with the support Congressman Courtney has given for dairy farmers in Connecticut. This is just another great example of a bill to help the dairy industry and get the children the nutrients they need to thrive," said Brandon Smith, fifth generation dairy farmer of Cushman Farms in Franklin, CT.

Read the full bill text here.

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