H.R. 5431: Start Healthy Habits Early Act

111th Congress · introduced 2010-05-27 · Families · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-05-27 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. McCarthy, Carolyn [D-NY-4] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Start Healthy Habits Early Act

Plain summary

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.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Start Healthy Habits Early Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. McCarthy, Carolyn [D-NY-4] · 8 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Paul Tonko (D-NY)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Ballot initiative: A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111hr5431.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/hr>

Record fed-us-cong111-hr5431 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111