The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson’s (R-15) Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act provides schools with the flexibility to offer flavored and unflavored whole and 2% milk options, helping ensure children receive the nutrition they need to grow, thrive, and succeed in the classroom.

“I have worked for a decade to restore whole milk to our school cafeterias, which have been limiting healthy choices for students, but that changes today,” said Thompson, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture. “Whole milk is an essential building block for a well-rounded and balanced diet, and students should have the option to choose the milk they love. I am proud that my bill, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, passed the House today and now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature.”

“As a pediatrician, I know how important a balanced and nutritious diet is for children’s health and development, and I’m thrilled that my bipartisan bill has passed the House and is heading to the president’s desk,” said Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act co-lead U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-Wash.). “Ensuring that our children have access to a healthy diet is fundamental to their physical growth, academic performance, and overall well-being, and can set the foundation for lifelong healthy eating habits.”

The National School Lunch Program serves nearly 30 million students daily and accounts for about 7.5% of U.S. fluid milk sales, making its standards influential. In 2012, USDA rules under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act restricted school milk to fat-free or 1%, banning whole and 2% options. Later updates allowed 1% flavored milk, but higher-fat varieties remain prohibited.

Both Pennsylvania senators – John Fetterman and Dave McCormick – were cosponsors of the bill which passed the Senate by unanimous consent on Nov. 20.

“Allowing schools to serve whole milk and reduced-fat milk, in addition to low-fat and fat-free milk, in the lunchroom is just commonsense,” tweeted McCormick in a social media post from January. “I’m proud to support our dairy farmers and our students by supplying them with the essential nutrients found in milk to learn and grow.”

The Trump administration was able to take a victory lap with the passage of the bill in the House.

“The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act marks a significant step forward in strengthening school nutrition and supporting America’s dairy farmers,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. “This commonsense legislation restores the ability of schools to serve wholesome, flavorful options that children actually enjoy. For the past decade, limited choices and reduced flavor have discouraged kids from drinking milk at school. The passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is more than a policy change; it’s a practical tool for promoting health nationwide and ensuring that America’s next generation thrives.”

“Pennsylvania Farm Bureau members have waited over a decade to see progress made on getting whole and two percent milk back in schools. Today, the House had a historic vote for the dairy industry by passing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025,” said Chris Hoffman, president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. “We look forward to restoring nutritious beverage options in schools and growing the current pool of fluid milk consumers. We urge President Trump to swiftly sign this bill into law.”

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) disagreed with the sentiment expressed by the victors.

“The science is clear: dietary saturated fat increases heart disease risk, the leading cause of death in the U.S. Despite this, S.222/H.R.649 allows full fat (whole) and reduced fat (2 percent) milk to be served in schools and exempts milk’s saturated fat content from counting towards the weekly, science-based saturated fat limits school meals follow,” said the CSPI in a statement. “Seventy-five to 85 percent of children consume too much saturated fat. This bill thus leaves even more room for excess saturated fat, making this bill the exact opposite of what is needed to improve health outcomes and a clear handout to the dairy industry at the expense of our kids’ health.”

Even if President Donald Trump signs the whole milk bill, the beverage won’t automatically or immediately show up on cafeteria trays nationwide. Schools will have to evaluate whole milk’s cost and availability, and get the regulatory green light from USDA.

Widespread adoption of whole milk would probably start next school year at the earliest, according to the International Dairy Foods Association.