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HR 5431 111th Congress House

Start Healthy Habits Early Act

Official title: To amend section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to promote health and wellness in child care, and for other purposes.

Introduced: May 28, 2010 See on congress.gov
Families Administrative law and regulatory proceduresAdult day careChild care and developmentChild health
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Child safety and welfareDepartment of AgricultureFood assistance and reliefNutrition and dietPhysical fitness and lifestylePoverty and welfare assistanceWater use and supply
This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 29, 2010
Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.
May 27, 2010
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
May 27, 2010
Introduced in House
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 Latest action June 29, 2010

Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Start Healthy Habits Early Act - Amends the child and adult care food program (CACFP) under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.

Requires the Secretary of Agriculture, at least once every ten years, to review and, as appropriate, update nutritional requirements for meals and snacks served under the CACFP to ensure that they meet the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans and promote the health of those served.

Prohibits CACFP providers from using reimbursable meal service as a punishment or reward.

Requires fluid milk served as part of a reimbursable meal or snack to meet the most recent Dietary Guidelines and appropriate authoritative scientific recommendations for young children. Allows nondairy substitutes to be served to children who cannot consume fluid milk, provided the substitutes are nutritionally equivalent to fluid milk and meet certain nutritional standards.

Requires CACFP providers to make potable water available to children throughout the day, including at meal times.

Directs the Secretary to provide technical assistance and guidance to CACFP providers and states regarding: (1) nutritional requirements; (2) age-appropriate physical activity and electronic media use by children; (3) parental involvement in nutrition and wellness initiatives; and (4) food choking hazards.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) award competitive grants to states and, through them, subgrants to institutions participating in the CACFP to promote health and nutrition in child care settings; and (2) provide states and such institutions with best practices for implementing effective nutrition and wellness initiatives.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5431: Start Healthy Habits Early Act. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-5431/
MLA
"H.R. 5431: Start Healthy Habits Early Act." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-5431/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5431, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-5431/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5431: Start Healthy Habits Early Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-5431/)
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