Gov. Newsom Signs Sen. Skinner’s SB 348, Healthy Meals for Kids

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Sen. Nancy Skinner’s SB 348, Healthy Meals for Kids, making California the first state in the nation to codify President Joe Biden’s new federal guidelines on school nutrition standards aimed at reducing sugar and salt in school meals.

“California was the first state to provide two free meals a day to all public school students, so it’s fitting that California is now the first state to ensure that school meals are healthy and don’t contribute to lifelong health problems,” said Sen. Skinner, D-Berkeley. “Gov. Newsom’s signing of SB 348 codifies President Biden’ standards so that California’s school meals will meet the nutrition guidelines for added sugar and salt recommended by America’s pediatricians, making California, once again, a national leader in the fight against diabetes and other health issues.”

SB 348 won unanimous approval in both the state Assembly and Senate last month. The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.

As a result of legislation that Sen. Skinner authored in 2021, California now provides two free school meals a day to all public school students. California’s universal school meals program has also become a national model, adopted by at least nine other states.

SB 348 was backed by a large coalition of organizations dedicated to improving children’s health and by advocates for healthy school meals for all, and was sponsored by the American Heart Association, the California Association of Food Banks, the California Academy of Nutrition and Diabetics, the Dolores Huerta Foundation, Eat Real, Gasol Foundation, Grace Institute-End Child Poverty California, No Kid Hungry, Office of Kat Taylor, and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

For more information about SB 348, please click here.

Sen. Nancy Skinner represents the 9th Senate District and is chair of the Senate Budget Committee and the California Legislative Women’s Caucus.