On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania state House nearly unanimously passed a bill that would return whole milk to schools in the state.

If enacted into law, the Whole Milk in Pennsylvania Schools Act would permit schools to serve whole milk and reduced-fat milk, aka 2% milk, to students. Currently, schools are only allowed to serve 1% milk and fat-free milk.

State Rep. Clint Owlett, R-Tioga, introduced the bill with state Rep. John Lawrence, R-Lancaster. Owlett said school milk consumption has been decreasing since the U.S. Department of Agriculture limited what kind of milk could be served starting in 2012. Those rules were loosened slightly in 2018, but whole milk was still prohibited.

The USDA’s National School Lunch Program reimburses schools for meals that meet nutrition guidelines it has set up. While the program is voluntary, the majority of public schools take part.

“Studies have shown a 35% reduction in student milk consumption since the Obama administration forced schools to drop whole and flavored milks from their student breakfast and lunch offerings more than a decade ago,” Owlett said in a press release. “At the same time, the state has lost 2,140 of our dairy farms, including 230 last year alone. Clearly these trends are connected, and it’s time we act to turn them around.”

Owlet was raised on a dairy farm, and he hopes the bill can provide a boost to Pennsylvania’s dairy industry. The bill would allow schools to utilize funds from state or local sources to obtain Pennsylvania-produced milk.

The Whole Milk in Pennsylvania Schools Act passed in the House by a vote of 196-2, with only state Reps. Ryan Bizarro, D-Erie, and Dan Miller, D-Mt. Lebanon, voting against it.

The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau applauded the bill’s passage in the House.

“We are very pleased to see a strong bipartisan effort to approve this important legislation,” said PFB President Rick Ebert in a statement. “Whole milk contains a number of key nutrients essential for good health. We support this legislation because it will not only provide a much-needed boost for Pennsylvania dairy farmers, but it will help foster a new generation of healthy kids who drink milk.”

The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration.

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