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H.R. 2539

U.S. House•In House Committee

Summary

H.R. 2539, the FISCAL Act, was introduced in the House on Apr 1, 2025 by Rep. Troy Carter (D) with 11 co-sponsors. It was referred to Education and Workforce, and last saw action on Apr 1, 2025: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Record

Text

H.R. 2539 has 11 co-sponsors.

hb2539/introduced-in-house.txt
119 HR 2539 IH: Freedom in School Cafeterias and Lunches Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-04-01
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 I  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  H. R. 2539  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   April 1, 2025   Mr. Carter of Louisiana  (for himself and  Ms. Mace ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Education and Workforce    A BILL
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require schools to offer a variety of milk to students participating in the school lunch program, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Freedom in School Cafeterias and Lunches Act   or the   FISCAL Act  .
2.
Types of milk offered under the school lunch program
(a)
In general
Section 9(a)(2) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1758(a)(2) ) is amended—
(1)
in the heading, by striking
Fluid milk   and inserting
Milk  ;
(2)
in subparagraph (A)—
(A)
in clause (i)—
(i)
by striking  fluid milk. Such milk  and inserting  milk, including fluid milk and plant-based milk, which ;
(ii)
by inserting  or, in the case of a plant-based milk not included under those guidelines, consistent with nutritional standards established by the Secretary  after  ( 7 U.S.C. 5341 ) ; and
(iii)
by inserting  and  after the semicolon;
(B)
in clause (ii), by striking  ; and  and inserting a period; and
(C)
by striking clause (iii);
(3)
by striking subparagraph (B);
(4)
by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (B); and
(5)
in subparagraph (B) (as so redesignated), in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting  or plant-based milk  after  fluid milk .
(b)
Conforming amendments
(1)
Section 14(f) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1762a(f) ) is amended, in the third sentence, by inserting  or plant-based  before  milk .
(2)
Section 20(c) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1769b(c) ) is amended by striking  fluid .

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-04-01
  2. Passed House
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Introduced in House Apr 1, 2025

hb2539/introduced-in-house.md

Shown Here:
Introduced in House (04/01/2025)

Freedom in School Cafeterias and Lunches Act or the FISCAL Act

This bill revises requirements for milk provided by the National School Lunch Program of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to require that schools offer plant-based milk.

Under current law, schools must provide a substitute for fluid milk for students whose disability restricts their diet (on receipt of a written statement from a licensed physician). Schools may also substitute a nondairy beverage for fluid milk for students who have an identified medical or other special dietary need (on receipt of a written statement from a medical authority or a student's parent or legal guardian).

The bill eliminates the exceptions and documentation requirements. Instead, schools participating in the school lunch program must offer all students a plant-based milk option that is consistent with (1) the most recent U.S. Dietary Guidelines, or (2) USDA-established nutritional standards if the milk is not included under those guidelines.

Sponsors

Rep. Troy Carter (D) sponsors H.R. 2539, and 11 members have co-sponsored it, 1 of them from the day it was introduced.

Committees

H.R. 2539 went before 1 committee: Education and Workforce.

Education and Workforce
Education and Workforce
Referred To · Apr 1, 2025 · 824 Bills

Actions

H.R. 2539 has taken 2 actions since Apr 1, 2025.

ChamberAction
Apr 1, 2025
House
Introduced in House
Apr 1, 2025
House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.Education and Workforce Committee

Votes

H.R. 2539 has not gone to a roll call.

1 bill is related to H.R. 2539, as Identical bill.

Titles

H.R. 2539 goes by 4 titles, 2 of them short titles.

  • FISCAL Act — Display Title
  • FISCAL Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • Freedom in School Cafeterias and Lunches Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require schools to offer a variety of milk to students participating in the school lunch program, and for other purposes. — Official Title as Introduced

Lobbying

5 clients hired 6 firms and 22 registered lobbyists who named H.R. 2539 in 17 quarterly filings, 2025 to 2026. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.

Filed under Agriculture, Animals, Food Industry (safety, labeling, etc.), Taxation/Internal Revenue Code, Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities, Budget/Appropriations, Education.

Clients

Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.

ClientBusinessStateFirmsFilingsReported
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTIONPromoting public policy to prevent cruelty to animals.District of Columbia28$90K
PARTNERSHIP FOR JOB CREATIONAdvocating for New Markets Tax Credit permanencyDistrict of Columbia15$450K
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH—District of Columbia12—
OATLY INC.Plant based milk company.Pennsylvania11$50K
HUMANE AMERICA ANIMAL FOUNDATIONOrganization promoting programs that benefit animals and people.California11$20K

Firms

Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.

RegistrantClientsFilingsReported
AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD15$450K
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTION15—
VNF SOLUTIONS, LLC13$90K
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH12—
NVG, LLC11$50K
THEGROUP DC, LLC11$20K

Lobbyists

Named on the filings that cite the bill. The 20 named most often, of 22.

LobbyistFirmsClientsFilings
DESIREE BENDER115
DON GREEN115
JEFF MCMILLEN115
NATALIE AHWESH115
TAMARA DRAKE115
WAYNE PACELLE115
ZACHARY RUDISILL115
ZACH BENNETT115
MARY LANDRIEU113
NANCY MCNALLY113
SAM OLSWANGER113
CHLOE WATERMAN112
KAYLA MOHAMMED112
SHARAN KUMAR112
ARIEL MOGER111
DARREL THOMPSON111
FRANCINE FRIEDMAN111
JOSHUA HURVITZ111
LUCAS AGNEW111
PATRICIA GRIFFIN111

Filings

The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.

ClientRegistrantPeriodReportedDocument
FRIENDS OF THE EARTHFRIENDS OF THE EARTH2025 second_quarter$430K2nd Quarter - Report
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTIONANIMAL WELLNESS ACTION2025 fourth_quarter$150K4th Quarter - Report
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTIONANIMAL WELLNESS ACTION2025 third_quarter$150K3rd Quarter - Report
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTIONANIMAL WELLNESS ACTION2025 second_quarter$150K2nd Quarter - Report
PARTNERSHIP FOR JOB CREATIONAKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD2026 second_quarter$90K2nd Quarter - Report
PARTNERSHIP FOR JOB CREATIONAKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD2026 first_quarter$90K1st Quarter - Report
PARTNERSHIP FOR JOB CREATIONAKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD2025 fourth_quarter$90K4th Quarter - Report
PARTNERSHIP FOR JOB CREATIONAKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD2025 second_quarter$90K2nd Quarter - Report
PARTNERSHIP FOR JOB CREATIONAKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD2025 first_quarter$90K1st Quarter - Report
FRIENDS OF THE EARTHFRIENDS OF THE EARTH2025 third_quarter$60K3rd Quarter - Report
OATLY INC.NVG, LLC2025 third_quarter$50K3rd Quarter - Report
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTIONVNF SOLUTIONS, LLC2025 third_quarter$30K3rd Quarter - Report
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTIONVNF SOLUTIONS, LLC2025 second_quarter$30K2nd Quarter - Report
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTIONVNF SOLUTIONS, LLC2025 first_quarter$30K1st Quarter - Report
HUMANE AMERICA ANIMAL FOUNDATIONTHEGROUP DC, LLC2025 first_quarter$20K1st Quarter - Report
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTIONANIMAL WELLNESS ACTION2026 second_quarter—2nd Quarter - Report
ANIMAL WELLNESS ACTIONANIMAL WELLNESS ACTION2026 first_quarter—1st Quarter - Report

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 2539 under Agriculture and Food, one of its 31 policy areas.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 2539’s is Agriculture and Food.

hr2539/policy-areas.txt
Agriculture and FoodAnimalsArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressCrime and Law EnforcementEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentImmigrationInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationTransportation and Public WorksWater Resources Development

Constitutional authority

The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 2539, as entered in the Congressional Record.

[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 1, 2025)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. CARTER of Louisiana:H.R. 2539.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:This bill is introduced pursuant to the powers granted toCongress under the General Welfare Clause (Art. 1 Sec. 8Cl.1), the Commerce Clause (Art. 1 Sec. 8 Cl. 3), and theNecessary and Proper Clause (Art. 1 Sec. 8 Cl. 18).[Page H1404]

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com