A bill, HF3556, proposed in 2024 could mandate a minimum of 15 minutes for students in Minnesota to eat their lunch. This bill is sponsored by Rep. Sydney Jordan (DFL-Minneapolis). The 15-minute period would start once the student gets their lunch, excluding the time spent walking to the cafeteria or waiting in line. The bill would apply to schools participating in the national school lunch program, including both public and nonpublic schools.
The bill’s goal is to improve the school meals program, which has led to more students eating breakfast and lunch at school. However, this has also resulted in longer wait times for meals, reducing eating time. The bill would only affect lunchtime, as most schools follow the ‘breakfast after the bell’ model, where students eat breakfast at their own pace.
Rep. Jordan suggests that schools should allow more than the minimum 15 minutes for lunch. She points out that students have had insufficient eating time even before the school meals program. She believes that more eating time could promote healthier food choices.