WASHINGTON — The Senate Agriculture Committee is planning to mark up a Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill Jan. 20 that would maintain the fruit and vegetable serving suggestions for school meals, but allow schools to opt out of sourcing only fresh produce for the popular snack program.

The compromise bill, Improving Child Nutrition Integrity and Access Act of 2016, was unveiled by Sens. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), the two leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

The School Nutrition Association said the bill was a brokered agreement among different parties.

“SNA was pleased to work alongside USDA in crafting practical solutions to help school nutrition professionals in their ongoing efforts to improve school meal programs for students,” SNA President Jean Ronnei said. “In the absence of increased funding, this agreement eases operational challenges and provides school meal programs critical flexibility to help them plan healthy school meals that appeal to students.”

Among the compromise provisions, the bill would delay the sodium target limits by two years and allow flexibility in meeting the whole grain benchmark for school meals.

The United Fresh Produce Association congratulated Senate committee leaders for arriving at a strong bill that protects healthy school meals, including more access to fruits and vegetables for 31 million children.

“We also support the committee's goal to promote school salad bars as an effective strategy to increase children's access and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Tom Stenzel, president and chief executive officer of United Fresh. “This bill reaffirms the importance of doubling the amount and variety of fruits and vegetables in school meals and ensuring that all school meals include fruits and vegetables.”

But Stenzel commented on suggested changes to a much-favored USDA program. 

“While we are disappointed that the bill changes the highly effective and very popular Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program, we appreciate the committee's commitment to maintain the goal of the FFVP to provide students with fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks.”