N.Y. EDN Law § 918

§ 918. School district nutrition advisory committees. 1. a. Every\nschool district is hereby authorized and encouraged to establish a child\nnutrition advisory committee.\n b. The district advisory committee is encouraged to meet at least\nquarterly.\n c. The committee is encouraged to include, but not be limited to, a\nrepresentative of the school board, the food preparation staff, the\nphysical education departments, the school nurse or health staff, a\nregistered dietitian, if available, the faculty of the district, the\nparent teacher associations in the district, the students enrolled in\nthe district, and the parents or guardians of students enrolled in the\ndistrict.\n d. If, due to special circumstances of a district, it is impossible or\nimpracticable for all groups recommended to have members on the\ncommittee to be represented, the district may approve a committee that,\nto the greatest extent possible, represents the interests of the\naforementioned groups.\n 2. The district is encouraged to give, in such newsletter, if any,\nthat precedes the commencement of school in the fall, written notice to\nall parents or guardians of enrolled students of the existence of a\nschool district nutrition advisory committee and supply information as\nto how such interested parents or guardians may participate on such\ncommittee.\n 3. The district is encouraged, to the extent practicable, to give\nnotice to all parents or guardians and students through its regular\nnewsletters or other regular forms of written communication as to the\nscheduled dates of all meetings of the advisory committee.\n 4. The committee is encouraged to study and make recommendations on\nall facets of the current nutritional policies of the district\nincluding, but not limited to, the goals of the district to promote\nwellness and proper nutrition, vending machine sales; menu criteria;\neducational curriculum teaching healthy nutrition; promote the\nachievement and maintenance of healthy weight; educational information\nprovided to parents or guardians regarding healthy nutrition and the\nhealth risks associated with obesity, asthma, chronic bronchitis and\nother chronic respiratory disease; opportunities offered to parents or\nguardians on how to encourage healthier eating habits to students; and\nthe education provided to teachers and other staff as to the importance\nof healthy nutrition and the health risks associated with a student's\nweight. In addition the committee shall consider recommendations and\npractices of other districts and nutrition studies.\n 5. The committee is encouraged to report periodically to the district\nregarding practices that will educate teachers, parents or guardians and\nchildren about healthy nutrition and raise awareness of the dangers of\nobesity, asthma, chronic bronchitis and other chronic respiratory\ndiseases. The committee is encouraged also to provide any parent teacher\nassociations in the district with such findings and recommendations.\n 6. Each June, the committee shall report to the board of the local\nschool district regarding the status of the implementation of the\ndistrict's programs to improve students' nutritional awareness and\nhealthy diet.\n