HARRISBURG – Sen. Michele Brooks (R-50) today announced the unanimous Senate adoption of Senate Resolution 119, a bipartisan measure she sponsored urging Congress and federal agencies to restore whole and 2% milk to school cafeterias across Pennsylvania and the nation.
The resolution calls on Congress to support the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 – H.R. 649 – and roll back outdated federal regulations stemming from the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act that eliminated whole milk and severely restricted other milk options in schools.
“For far too long, we’ve denied children access to one of the most complete and natural sources of nutrition, while sugary drinks remain widely available,” said Brooks. “Whole and 2% milk provide essential nutrients that are critical to bone health, brain development, reducing childhood obesity and overall wellness. It’s time to restore common sense to school nutrition.”
Brooks cited data showing a dramatic drop in student milk consumption after the 2010 law took effect in 2012. In just two years, 1.2 million fewer students nationwide drank milk with their lunch, while milk waste soared and student health suffered.
“Students, schools and Pennsylvania’s dairy farmers are all harmed by these misguided rules,” Brooks said. “We are the second-largest state for dairy farms, yet our own children are barred from drinking what they’re already served at home by their parents. My generation remembers as kids we drank milk with the cream still on top, and childhood obesity rates were far lower back then.”
A recent survey at Union City School District, which includes part of Brooks’ district, showed that allowing students to choose their preferred milk would increase milk consumption by 50% and reduce waste by 95%.
“This is a practical and nutritional way to improve our kids’ health, our farmers’ livelihoods and commonsense reform,” Brooks said. “I thank my colleagues for joining me in sending a clear message to Washington: It’s time to let our kids drink milk again.”
View Brooks’ floor remarks on the resolution here.
CONTACT: Adam Gingrich