US Schools Are One Step Closer to Offering Plant-Based Milk

Children in school lunch lines across the US may soon have more access to plant-based milk than ever before, thanks to new legislation.

The House of Representatives has followed the Senate in passing the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which expands schools’ ability to offer dairy-based whole milk alongside existing fat-free and low-fat options. However, the Freedom in School Cafeterias and Lunches (FISCAL) Act—first introduced in April 2025 and now merged into the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act—brings plant-based milk into the conversation.

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The FISCAL Act sought to amend key language in the National School Lunch Program by replacing the term “fluid milk” with “milk, including fluid milk and plant-based milk.” This seemingly small change would have a major impact. It would mean that millions of children across the US could gain easier access to dairy-free milk options for the first time in the National School Lunch Act’s 80-year history.

Now, that change is close to becoming reality. The historic bipartisan bill now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

Dotsie Bausch, former Olympic athlete and founder of dairy-free advocacy organization Switch4Good, praised the bill’s passage as a “watershed moment” and “a tremendous win for our kids, our planet, and the future of school nutrition.”

Why is it important to offer dairy-free milk in schools?

Many people, including children, choose not to consume cow’s milk for a variety of reasons, including ethical, health, and environmental concerns. Others are allergic to dairy or are lactose intolerant, and the new bill would make it easier than ever for them to choose a plant-based option.

Currently, children with dairy allergies or intolerances can only receive a milk alternative if their parents submit a physician’s note. If signed into law, the bill would allow schools to offer dairy-free options without that requirement.

“As an Olympic athlete, I’ve spent my life fighting for what fuels health and human potential, and giving children access to healthier options is a victory that will ripple for generations. This is more than policy; this is a powerful step toward a healthier world,” — Bausch told VegNews. 

The change could be particularly impactful for children of color, said Lakshman Mulpuri, MD, a resident physician in ophthalmology at Cook County Health. “Lactose intolerance can be debilitating and lead to upset stomachs, headaches, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, negatively impacting a child’s ability to engage in class or with their peers,” he told VegNews.

“This is particularly troubling given school lunches can be one of the only meals millions of children will have access to in a day,” he added. “We are putting our children between a rock and a hard place, forcing them to choose between feeling sick all day or missing out on vital nutrients for their growth.”

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Advocates have been campaigning for this change for years. Bausch and Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, were key champions of the FISCAL Act. Before that, they supported the Addressing Digestive Distress in Stomachs of Our Youth (ADD SOY) Act, which also aimed to modernize the National School Lunch Program to make non-dairy alternatives more accessible.

In fact, Bausch and Pacelle worked together for nearly four years to push legislation around dairy-free milk in schools forward.

“I called Wayne Pacelle almost four years ago and said, ‘We have to do this,’” Bausch said. “We have to get plant milk into schools and make it readily available in the lunch line.”

Dotsie Bausch

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She noted that the effort wasn’t just about animal welfare or children’s health, but also about reducing waste caused by the emphasis on cow’s milk in the National School Lunch Program. “They are tossing cow’s milk in the trash by the millions of half pints,” she said.

That persistence ultimately led to the passage of the FISCAL Act’s provisions, even though they were folded into the broader Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act.

“In the end, we were faced with the question: ‘Do you want to get somewhere or nowhere?’ And I absolutely wanted to get somewhere,” Bausch said. “The road to victory is often filled with tacks—that’s cycling lingo—but if you remain steadfast, confident, cause-focused, and honest about what’s imminently possible, you just might cross the finish line with your hands in the air.”