Sen. Justice co-sponsors bill to put whole milk back in school cafeterias

by Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch
June 4, 2025

Whole milk could return as an option in school cafeterias, according to a bill supported by Sen. Jim Justice.

The Republican Senator from West Virginia signed on as co-sponsor of the “Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025.”

“I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this bill [and] glad to see it pass out of committee! Whole milk is vital to children’s growth and bone strength. It is time to bring it back in schools!” Justice posted Wednesday on X.

I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this bill & glad to see it pass out of committee!

Whole milk is vital to children’s growth and bone strength. It is time to bring it back in schools!https://t.co/iNGwhHAKby

— Senator Jim Justice (@JimJustice_WV) June 4, 2025

The bipartisan bill aims to reintroduce whole milks and 2% milk to schools participating in the National School Lunch Program. 

The measure also has the support of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who tweeted in March that his administration is “encouraging programs to switch from low-fat dairy – which the antiquated Dietary Guidelines require them to promote — to full-fat/whole milk.” 

Current guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture require schools to offer fat-free and low-fat milk, flavored and unflavored, to kindergarten through twelfth grade students.

Whole and reduced-fat (2%) milk were removed from school menus in 2012 under the Obama administration to limit saturated fat consumption and calorie consumption among children. 

Recent research suggests that kids who drink whole milk could be less likely to be overweight or develop obesity than children who drink reduced-fat milk.

“Milk is an important part of a balanced diet that delivers critical nutrients students need for growth and development. It makes sense for National School Lunch Program operators to have the authority to offer this healthful beverage to students during the school day,” said Sen. John Boozman, (R-AR). I’m proud to lead the committee in advancing this bipartisan solution to expand milk options and encourage increased dairy consumption while supporting America’s hardworking dairy producers,” 

The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, which Boozman chairs, advanced the measure on Tuesday. Justice is also a member of the committee. The bill now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

The measure also authorizes parents or legal guardians, in addition to licensed physicians, to provide a written statement for their student to receive a nondairy substitute for fluid milk at school.

Nearly every West Virginia county provides free breakfast and lunch to students regardless of income due the state’s high poverty level.

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