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Bill C-322

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First Session, Forty-fourth Parliament,

70-71 Elizabeth II – 1 Charles III, 2021-2022-2023

HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA

BILL C-322
An Act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program
FIRST READING, March 9, 2023

Mr. Cormier
441250


SUMMARY

This enactment provides for the development of a national framework to establish a school food program to ensure that all children in Canada have access to healthy food.

Available on the House of Commons website at the following address:
www.ourcommons.ca


1st Session, 44th Parliament,

70-71 Elizabeth II – 1 Charles III, 2021-2022-2023

HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA

BILL C-322

An Act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program

Preamble

Whereas too many families in Canada cannot reliably obtain enough nutritious food;

Whereas the 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study found that almost one in five children reported going to school or to bed hungry sometimes, often or always because there was not enough food at home;

Whereas a healthy diet in childhood is important to maintaining good health and well-being and fostering socio-economic success;

Whereas school meal programs of some kind are offered in every province and territory and in many Indigenous communities, but those programs reach only about 21% of school-aged children;

Whereas domestic and international evidence shows that school meal programs act as social equalizers;

Whereas Canada is one of the few member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development without a national school food program in place;

And whereas the Parliament of Canada recognizes that education and health are under provincial jurisdiction and that developing a national school food program for children will require the collaboration of all provinces and territories;

Now, therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Short Title

Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the National Framework for a School Food Program Act.

Interpretation

Definitions

2 The following definitions apply in this Act.

Indigenous governing body means a council, government or other entity that is authorized to act on behalf of an Indigenous group, community or people that holds rights recognized and affirmed by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.‍ (corps dirigeant autochtone)

Minister means the Minister of Employment and Social Development.‍ (ministre)

National Framework to Establish a School Food Program

National framework development

3 (1) The Minister must, in consultation with the Minister of Health, representatives of the provincial governments responsible for health and education, other relevant stakeholders in those fields and representatives of Indigenous governing bodies, develop a national framework to establish a school food program to ensure that all children in Canada have access to healthy food.

Contents

(2) The framework must, among other things,

  • (a) set out the criteria for determining whether a food is healthy, taking into account Canada’s Food Guide;

  • (b) indicate which meals and snacks, at a minimum, must be offered in schools under the program;

  • (c) take into account the different circumstances in which children live, including cultural diversity, and the resulting dietary requirements;

  • (d) take into account the rights and priorities of First Nations, Inuit and Métis;

  • (e) provide for measures to avoid stigmatizing pupils who use the program;

  • (f) provide for measures to foster the use of local and sustainable food systems;

  • (g) take into account existing local initiatives and infrastructure, build on existing school food programs across Canada and use best practices from other jurisdictions; and

  • (h) promote evidence-based healthy food education in schools across Canada.

Report and Publication

Report to Parliament

4 (1) Within one year after the day on which this Act comes into force, the Minister must prepare a report setting out the national framework and cause the report to be tabled before each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.

Publication of report

(2) The Minister must post the report on the website of the Department of Employment and Social Development within 10 days after the report has been tabled in both Houses of Parliament.

Review and Report

Review and report

5 (1) Within five years after the tabling of the report referred to in section 4, the Minister must undertake a review of the effectiveness of the national framework and prepare a report setting out his or her conclusions and recommendations regarding the national framework, and cause the report to be tabled before each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.

Publication of report

(2) The Minister must post the report on the website of the Department of Employment and Social Development within 10 days after the report has been tabled in both Houses of Parliament.

Coming into Force

Six months after royal assent

6 This Act comes into force six months after the day on which it receives royal assent.

Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons

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