OVERNIGHT REGULATION: GOP targets first lady’s school lunch regs

Welcome to OVERNIGHT REGULATION, your daily rundown of rules from Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s Monday evening here in Washington and we’re officially over winter. According to the National Weather Service forecast, more sleet and freezing rain is likely in D.C. tomorrow, but warmer days are ahead. We hope.

So without further adieu, here’s the latest news from Capitol Hill and the federal agencies.

 

THE BIG STORY

Republicans are gearing up for the reauthorization of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 with a new attack on the school lunch standards, the main component of the first lady’s prized Let’s Move! campaign.

{mosads}Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) announced plans Monday to introduce the Healthy School Meals Flexibility Act to relax the rules for how many whole grain rich products schools are expected to offer and what sodium target they are expected to meet.

What the bill would do:

– Allow schools to revert back to 2012 standards, which require at least half of all grains served in school breakfast and school lunch to be whole grain rich. The standard now is for 100 percent of all grains offered to be whole grain rich. 

– Prevent the USDA from requiring further sodium reductions in school meals below the current level, which took effect July 2014. The next target levels of reductions take effect in 2017.

Hoeven, who is currently looking for co-sponsors, plans to introduce the bill later this month. It would then go to the Senate Committee on Agriculture Nutrition & Forestry for review. 

At the School Nutrition Association’s 2015 Legislative Action Conference at the JW Marriott on Monday, some attendees expressed a desire to eliminate the requirement that each kid take a half-cup of fruit or vegetables with every meal.

SNA members say the fruit and veggies wind end up in the trash.

Kristen Hennessey, director of food and nutrition services at Plymouth-Canton Community Schools in Michigan, said the new rule has increased her costs 174 percent this year.

But not everyone is on board with Hoeven’s plan to relax the rules.

Kristy Anderson, government relations manager at the American Heart Association, said both the food industry and schools are working hard to meet the 2017 sodium levels.

“These efforts should be rewarded rather than wasting time and resources on legislation that rolls back these strong, evidence-based standards,” she said in a prepared statement. “Instead we should focus on providing technical assistance to help schools meet the next tier of sodium reductions, which lowers the levels by only 300 mg.”

 

ON TAP FOR TUESDAY

The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee will have a full committee hearing to discuss accountability and reforming the Federal Reserve. http://1.usa.gov/182FtTj

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on the challenges facing the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in ensuring transparency and effective rulemaking. http://1.usa.gov/1wENUQG

The House Rules Committee will have a full committee meeting to discuss the Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Reform Act of 2015 and the Secret Science Reform Act of 2015, which would prohibit the EPA from proposing, finalizing or disseminating regulations or assessments based upon science that is not transparent or reproducible. http://1.usa.gov/1GcAzC0

The Treasury Department will meet to discuss how to improve customer service at the Internal Revenue Service. http://1.usa.gov/17LoZPu

 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

The Obama administration will publish 146 new regulations, proposed rules, notices and other administrative actions in Tuesday’s edition of the Federal Register.

Here’s what to watch:

–The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will look at new protections for some sharks.

The NMFS is considering a petition to list the common thresher shark as an endangered or threatened species.

The public has 60 days to comment. http://bit.ly/1FOIPEu

–The Federal Reserve will delay new risk-based capital requirements for systemically important banks.

The Fed proposed new risk-based capital surcharges for certain U.S.-based banks last December, but will now extend the comment period through April 3 to give the public more time to respond. http://bit.ly/17LiKuZ

–The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will delay new rules for the manufacturers of 13 chemical substances.

The EPA proposed earlier this year to require the manufacturers of these chemicals to submit pre-manufacture notices, but will now extend the comment period through April 23.

Under the EPA’s significant new use rules, manufacturers are required to notify the agency at least 90 days in advance of using one of these chemicals. This gives the agency a chance to stop the project from proceeding. http://bit.ly/1GcvEAU

–The Coast Guard will consider lengthening the registrations for some ships.

Certain ships are required to renew their registrations each year, but the Coast Guard may allow multi-year renewals of their certificates of documentation. This could also include updating the fee, which is currently $26 per year. http://bit.ly/1zSVVx1

–The Department of Labor will extend a review of its regulations.

The Labor Department began conducting a regulatory review last month to weed out unnecessary rules, but is now reopening the comment period.

The public now has until March 18 to respond. http://bit.ly/1GcvxW8

 

NEWS RIGHT NOW

Pot politics: Most young Republican voters support legalizing marijuana. http://bit.ly/1wEMN3i

Guns: The National Rifle Association (NRA) is urging lawmakers to adopt controversial concealed carry legislation. http://bit.ly/1DLnNqL

Ammo: Republican legislation would block controversial AR-15 ammunition regulations from the Obama administration. http://bit.ly/1BPFQ1l

Football: Embattled Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) flew to a Chicago Bears game last season on the taxpayers’ dime, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. http://bit.ly/1BPXORm

American flag: The Pentagon will prohibit the military from buying foreign-made American flags for official use. http://bit.ly/1M3Qz9J

School lunches: Republicans are looking to take a bite out of first lady Michelle Obama’s healthy school lunch program. http://bit.ly/1zAy2ZT

Refrigerators: The Environmental Protection Agency is looking to curb refrigerator emissions. http://bit.ly/1K9oIrb

Silicon Valley: Technology workers are suing Apple and Google over accusations that the companies conspired with each other to hold down employees’ salaries, Reuters reports. http://reut.rs/1K91Hor

Supreme Court: Advocacy groups are calling for the Supreme Court to broadcast a major hearing on ObamaCare, which would go against the high court’s longstanding policy prohibiting cameras in the court room. http://bit.ly/1wERPgj

 

BY THE NUMBERS

63: The percentage of Republican millennials who believe pot should be legalized.

47: The percentage of Republicans from Generation X who believe pot should be legalized.

38: The percentage of Republican Baby Boomers who believe pot should be legalized.

17: The percentage of Republicans from the Silent Generation who believe pot should be legalized.

(Source: Pew Research Center)

 

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“We introduced a honey corn biscuit this year. Our students were very upset,” said Teresa Brown, a child nutrition director at St. Charles Parish Public Schools in Louisiana about her quest to find a healthier biscuit that the kids will eat.

 

We’ll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s Regulation page (http://digital-staging.thehill.com/regulation) early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or regulatory news tips our way, tdevaney@digital-staging.thehill.com or lwheeler@digital-staging.thehill.com. And follow us at @timdevaney and@wheelerlydia.

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