South Dakota's HB 1082: A Step Towards Affordable School Meals for All Students

After three years of advocacy, HB 1082 successfully made it to the governor's desk. What this means is that nearly 7,500 kids in South Dakota who qualify for reduced lunch meals will be ensured a paid meal every day.

SDAND's own Megan Eisenvos has been a vocal advocate on behalf of this bill for years, providing testimony, writing letters of support and organizing other dietitians to testify for this piece of legislation. She says, "This legislation is a strategy that will improve nutrition security in South Dakota for vulnerable populations."

Megan is passionate about dietitians' role in shaping policy for our state. "Dietitians have their work, but they also have an important responsibility as citizens to help our legislators make the best decisions." One example was having a dietitian testify at the hearing on behalf of the school lunch bill. She spoke on her lived experience with the school system and reduced priced meals. The dietitians legislator was a committee member who listened, and was a key part of moving the bill farther than it had gone the year prior.

Lets continue to be active voices advocating for nutrition measures in South Dakota.