HOST Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Roundup, August 5, 2019

The latest in our regular roundups of healthy eating and physical activity news from HOST members and others.

• Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced the bipartisan Summer Meals Act S. 1908, reports Afterschool Alliance. The act would enhance the U.S. Department of Agriculture Summer Food Service Program that provides nutritious food during the summer to children who would normally receive free or reduced price school lunch.
• The National Recreation and Park Association shares that the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) -- a consortium of states working together to provide high-quality summer programming materials for public libraries -- has published a new toolkit to support the participation of public libraries in summer meal programs. The toolkit encourages libraries to either become summer meal sites themselves or to partner with existing sites such as park and recreation agencies.
• Alliance for a Healthier Generation offers tips on "Healthy Hydration for a Hot Summer Day."
• The Voices for Healthy Kids Action Center of the American Heart Association brings us some healthy updates from a few cities and states:
  • Illinois has for the first time committed $50 million a year toward statewide walking and bicycling projects.
  • Delaware has passed a bill requiring that restaurant kids’ meals offer healthier drinks as their first option.
  • The Boston City Council has unanimously approved the fiscal year 2020 operating budget and the fiscal years 2020-2024 capital budget with over $16.15 million in appropriations to make streets safer for walking, biking, and rolling.