Date: 01/28/2013

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB13-1006

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Adopt Amendment L.002 (Attachment F). The motion p
Refer House Bill 13-1006, as amended, to the Commi		Pass Without Objection
PASS


02:02 PM -- House Bill 13-1006

Representative Moreno and Representative Exum Sr. came to the table to present House Bill 13-1006. The bill, beginning in FY 2014-15, creates the Breakfast After the Bell Nutrition Program. The bill requires every school with 70 percent or more of students eligible for free or reduced price lunch to offer a free breakfast to each student enrolled in the school. Schools that fall below this threshold for two consecutive years may opt out of the program.

Schools may select the method and time to offer the breakfast, so long as it occurs after the first bell of the school day. Exemptions are provided for schools with fewer than 100 students, schools in districts with fewer than 300 total students, and schools that do not participate in the federal School Lunch Program.

The sponsors explained the bill in detail. Two handouts were distributed to the members of the committee (Attachments D and E).

13HseEd0128AttachD.pdf13HseEd0128AttachD.pdf 13HseEd0128AttachE.pdf13HseEd0128AttachE.pdf

The following persons testified:

02:10 PM -- Lorraine Cahill, representing Englewood Elementary Schools, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Cahill provided background on her work in healthcare. She described a situation at her school in which students would come to the nurse's office complaining of stomach and head aches and the inability to concentrate. She stated that the nurse's office would feed these children cereal and that after about twenty minutes, the kids felt much better. She stated that kids in her school were not eating breakfast and that this was impairing their ability to take in information and was contributing to behavioral problems from students. She discussed a pilot program to provide breakfast in the classroom at her school and said that it was hugely successful. She added that serving breakfast in the classroom increased feelings of community between the students and the teacher, and that the incidence of students coming to the nurse's office for food-related issues dropped dramatically. She stated that behavioral issues have dropped dramatically, and that the difference in her school since starting the program has been significant.

02:19 PM -- Trevor Sanders, a student representing the Moreno High School Health and Wellness Committee, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Sanders discussed his experience with breakfast in the classroom. He stated that when students participate in the program, it encourages their classmates to also participate.

02:24 PM -- Julie Fayhe, principal of Queen Palmer Elementary School, testified in support of the bill. She discussed her experience with the breakfast before the bell program, stating that the program has contributed to academic growth. She stated that about 58 percent of students in her school already met their end-of-year benchmarks for growth. She stated that fewer students come to the office complaining of stomach and head aches. She added that the program builds a sense of community which allows teachers to learn more about their students and interact on a whole different level. She emphasized the importance of support and engagement.

02:29 PM -- Robin Southerland, second grade teacher at Queen Palmer Elementary School, testified in support of the bill. She described her experience dealing with students who did not eat breakfast, saying that they were often lethargic and struggling academically. In her classroom, she stated that she would provide a small breakfast for those children in need and that the results were immediate; the students brightened, were able to concentrate, and were ready to learn. She said that serving breakfast in the classroom takes about ten minutes and that students learned to eat while completing simple tasks such as worksheets or oral exercises. She stated that breakfast created a positive beginning to the day and that incidence of tardiness decreased. She added that the best ways to break the cycle of poverty are to ensure that students are getting the education they need, and the fuel from food in order to help them absorb the information being taught.


02:34 PM

Representative Priola asked about the types of foods being served for breakfast. Ms. Southerland responded that foods include cereal, hot pancakes, breakfast burritos, and sandwiches, and that all breakfast is served with a piece of fruit.

02:36 PM -- Cindy Veney, representing Adams 14 Schools in Commerce City, testified in support of the bill. She described her experience with breakfast in the classroom, stating that in 2009 when the program was implemented in her school they served breakfast to about 29 percent of students, and that today they serve breakfast to about 80 percent of their students. She stated that the teachers and principals at her school love this program. She added that financially, this program works for her district, noting that federal funds cover the expenses of the food.

02:41 PM -- Jill Kidd, representing the Colorado School Nutrition Association, testified in support of the bill. She stated the the association has been an active supporter of breakfast expansion in schools for several years. She stated that hungry children can not learn and that breakfast plays an integral role in academics. She expressed concern about federal funding under the new USDA regulations set to take place in 2015.

02:43 PM -- Juan Ameca Porras, a student representing Denver Public Schools, testified in support of the bill. He stated that, as a student, breakfast is very important and it allows students to wake up, concentrate, and have a better attitude. He stated that before breakfast was provided in the classroom, many students did not eat breakfast. He stated that students' days are long and that they depend on breakfast to get them through the day, and that eating breakfast and lunch at school will decrease obesity among kids. He described the types of foods that are served for breakfast in his school, and said that breakfast takes about ten minutes.


02:47 PM

Representative Peniston commented on Juan's testimony and thanked him for being brave enough to speak to the committee.

02:49 PM -- Alysh Lynch, a student representing Denver Public Schools, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Lynch described her own experience with poverty and the need for breakfast at school. She stated that going without food and trying to concentrate is hard, and that food fuels learning. She stated that a large amount of her community is food insecure and that several of her friends have their own food insecurities. She stated that when students are food insecure, their grades suffer and this negatively impacts their future.

02:53 PM -- Dr. Paula Noonan, representing herself, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Noonan stated that she supports the bill because it is a funded program and supports academic achievement, and is a best practice. She discussed the need for food from a biological standpoint, stating that brains need calories in order to function. She stated that some districts feel the breakfast program takes up too much time and is not tidy; however, she stated, learning is more important than the tidiness involved and that this program can be delivered in a tidy manner. She stated that this bill will have a powerful and positive impact in Colorado and on education. She added that all children should have free breakfast served in the classroom.

02:56 PM -- Mona Martinez-Brosh, Director of Nutrition Services, Aurora Public Schools, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Martinez-Brosh discussed the cost to school districts to provide breakfast in the classroom.

02:59 PM -- Kay Bensston, representing Interfaith Voices for Justice, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Bensston stated that over the past five to ten years, there has been greater evidence linking learning and eating breakfast. She stated that skipping breakfast impairs children's ability to learn, and that school breakfast improves student behavior, improves nutrition, and decreases obesity. She stated that breakfast in the classroom works best when breakfast is free for all children. She stated that schools that offer breakfast in the classroom increase student attentiveness and attendance, and improve the learning environment. She added that breakfast is important for health and well-being, and that this is not a partisan issue, but rather a human issue.

03:02 PM -- Dr. Sarah VanScoy, a pediatrician representing Kaiser Permanente, testified in support of the bill. She stated that when students eat breakfast they miss fewer school days, have lower rates of anxiety and depression, receive more nutrition, and reduce other risky behaviors. She stated that children need regular meals because they have smaller livers, which process the foods that are consumed. She stated that eating breakfast regularly is associated with a greater intake of vitamins and minerals and a lower intake of sodium and fat. She added that in her suburban medical practice, she sees one in seven kids who are food insecure.

03:07 PM -- Kathy Underhill, representing Huger Free Colorado, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Underhill stated that the bill leverages Colorado's educational outcomes. She stated that in the presence of hunger, not much else matters, and that the state is not getting its return on the investment it makes in education because students are not ready to learn due to hunger. She discussed the upcoming changes to the USDA guidelines.
BILL:HB13-1006
TIME: 03:10:25 PM
MOVED:Court
MOTION:Adopt Amendment L.002 (Attachment F). The motion passed without objection.

13HseEd0128AttachF.pdf13HseEd0128AttachF.pdf
SECONDED:Fields
VOTE
Buckner
Court
Everett
Fields
Holbert
Landgraf
Murray
Pettersen
Priola
Wilson
Young
Peniston
Hamner
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:HB13-1006
TIME: 03:12:02 PM
MOVED:Court
MOTION:Refer House Bill 13-1006, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 11-2.
SECONDED:Buckner
VOTE
Buckner
Yes
Court
Yes
Everett
No
Fields
Yes
Holbert
No
Landgraf
Yes
Murray
Yes
Pettersen
Yes
Priola
Yes
Wilson
Yes
Young
Yes
Peniston
Yes
Hamner
Yes
Final YES: 11 NO: 2 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS