HARRISBURG – State Senate and House Agriculture Committee leaders Sens. Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) and Judy Schwank (D-11), and Reps. Eddie Day Pashinski (D-121) and Dan Moul (R-91), joined by Pennsylvania agriculture leaders, applaud the signing of the federal Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act as well as Congressman Glenn Thompson’s advocacy and dedication to get this legislation to the finish line.
The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act allows schools nationwide to now offer whole and 2% milk as options for students to choose from in addition to the reduced-fat, low-fat and fat-free flavored and unflavored milk options already being provided through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National School Lunch Program.
“Our schools nationwide get to, again, offer whole milk and 2% milk as part of its balanced, healthy meals to its students — an option that should never have been taken away over a decade ago,” Vogel said. “Not only will students benefit from this nutrient dense beverage, but this change will be incredibly beneficial to our local dairy farmers who take pride in providing quality dairy products to our communities. I want to thank Congressman Glenn Thompson for his unwavering advocacy on this issue.”
“This is a positive step for the U.S. and one that Pennsylvania dairy farmers have advocated for many years,” Schwank said. “I’ve conducted my own unofficial surveys with my grandkids and my youngest constituents, and I’m sure many families throughout our commonwealth would agree that children, without a doubt, prefer whole milk. It’s critical that we serve our students healthy, nutritious meals, and milk is a part of that equation, helping kids stay ready to learn in the classroom.”
“Our youth deserve access to healthy options in school. Providing whole milk supports child nutrition and academic success while stabilizing demand for locally produced milk and ensuring a reliable market for Pennsylvania’s dairy farmers,” Pashinski said.
“The Feds should never have taken whole milk out of schools. No science or studies supported that regulation,” said Moul. “Whole milk is delicious and nutritious, but when schools replaced it with lower fat alternatives, many kids stopped drinking it. With schools now able to offer whole milk again, children will have the opportunity to rediscover its great taste and less will end up in the trash.”
The bill was in response to enactment of the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010 that put restrictive regulations on the consumption of whole milk in schools – only permitting low-fat and fat-free flavored and unflavored milk options. Within the first two years of this law being in effect, 1.2 million fewer students drank milk with their lunches.
Additional Senate action included bipartisan passage of Senate Resolution 119, sponsored by Sen. Michele Brooks (R-50), this past June which urged Congress to support and pass the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 as well as previously writing a letter of support, submitted by Vogel on behalf of himself and members of the Senate Republican Caucus, to the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service encouraging them to make whole and 2% milk a part of American students’ school meal options.
“This is a victory for our dairy farmers, our children and common sense,” said Brooks. “For too long, federal regulations have limited access to nutritious, locally produced whole milk in our schools. I’m proud that Pennsylvania helped lead the charge to make this change, and I’m grateful to see Washington, D.C. finally listening.”
PA Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, PA Farm Bureau President Chris Hoffman and the PA Dairymen’s Association Executive Director David Smith have been fierce supporters of getting whole milk back in schools which will further bolster commonwealth dairy farmers as well as the overall state dairy industry.
“Our dairy farmers put in long days and early mornings to deliver the high-quality milk and nutrition families count on,” Redding said. “Their work deserves to be valued and supported. When we stand behind our dairy producers, we’re strengthening rural communities, local economies, and the future of Pennsylvania agriculture.”
“It’s a great day for the dairy farmers of Pennsylvania to have another avenue for their products to encourage the next generation of milk drinkers. Whole milk and two-percent milk have a huge nutritional benefit to children, and it provides students with a high-quality product that tastes good and students are willing to drink,” Hoffman said. “The legislation also has a huge economic benefit for our dairy farmers, and we thank our members and legislative partners who have advocated especially hard to get that piece of legislation over the finish line.”
As of March 2024, according to the Center for Dairy Excellence Dairy Markets & Management Update, nationwide, Pennsylvania ranks second in the number of dairy farms, sixth in the number of milk cows, and eighth in total milk production.
According to U.S. Dairy, whole milk is a nutrient-rich beverage that provides 13 essential vitamins and minerals like calcium, vitamin D, and potassium which do everything from helping build healthy bones and maintain a healthy immune system to help regulate one’s metabolism and maintain healthy skin.
CONTACTS: Lily Ott (Vogel)
Spencer Thornburg (Schwank)
Donna Pinkam (Moul)
Destiny Zeider (Pashinski)
Fallon Binner (Brooks)
Shannon Powers (Redding)
Will Whisler (PA Farm Bureau)