Bill
H 4562
Requires at least 50% of lunch entrées be healthy, fiber-rich options while limiting ultra-processed items to 20% of weekly offerings, with public nutrition data.
Date introduced: October 2, 2025
Status: Reported favorably by the House Committee on Education; referred to the Committee on House Ways and Means
Purpose and intent
- Promote healthier, more equitable nutrition for students in Massachusetts public schools.
- Establish standards and a measurable path to reduce ultra-processed foods and improve the quality of reimbursable school meals, with a focus on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fiber-rich proteins.
Key provisions
1) Massachusetts Child Nutrition Day
- Section 1 adds a provision to declare March 21 as Massachusetts Child Nutrition Day via an annual gubernatorial proclamation.
2) Strengthened school meal nutrition standards (new Chapter 71, Sec. 100)
Definitions (as used in the new section)
- Food service management company: any entity contracted by a school food authority to manage aspects of school food service (commercial or nonprofit).
- Entrée: defined as the meat/meat alternate category per USDA standards.
- Fiber-rich: an entrée containing at least 14 g of fiber per 1000 kcal from whole-food sources (e.g., whole grains, beans, legumes, fruits, vegetables).
- Reimbursable meal: a meal meeting USDA National School Lunch Program requirements eligible for federal reimbursement (free, reduced-price, or paid meals).
- Ultra-processed: industrial formulations or additives used to enhance palatability/preservability (as defined in the bill).
Core requirements
- At least 50% of entrées sold and served for lunch within school hours, across weeks, must be healthy foods that include whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and other fiber-rich proteins as part of reimbursable meals.
- Limitation on ultra-processed or less healthy entrées: no more than 20% of entrées offered weekly as part of reimbursable meals may be ultra-processed or have cholesterol > 30 mg, or have more than 5% of calories from saturated fat.
- Nutritional transparency: each food service provider must maintain itemized nutrition data and make it publicly available monthly to demonstrate compliance.
Phase-in and compliance timeline
- Three-year phase-in period after the most recent contract date with a school food authority, or by the start of the 2033-2034 school year, whichever comes first.
3) Advisory Council on school meal nutrition standards
- The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education must establish a School Meal Nutrition Standards Advisory Council to advise on implementation of the prior 2023 Act (Section 77, Chapter 28 of the Acts of 2023) and related standards.
- Functions include ongoing guidance on strengthened nutrition standards, feasibility assessments, and working with school food authorities to reduce implementation barriers (procurement, facilities, workforce training).
- Composition: 11 members (6 appointed by the Governor; representatives must come from diverse districts and include school nutrition operators or registered dietitians; representatives from Project Bread, the School Nutrition Association of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Healthy School Lunch Coalition).
- Terms: 3 years; geographic balance; meetings at least four times per year; council elects a chair for a 3-year term.
- Funding: members serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for expenses, subject to appropriation.
Substantive impact
Notes
- The bill sets expectations within the federal framework (USDA National School Lunch Program) but imposes additional statewide standards and public data requirements.
- Costs and fiscal impact would likely be determined during the Ways and Means process and appropriations, given the reporting and potential procurement changes.
Next steps
- If enacted, schools and food service contractors would align menus with the 50% healthy entrée mandate, monitor ultra-processed entrée limits, and implement the three-year phase-in while engaging with the new Advisory Council.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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