This study will examine the legal environment facing schools as they seek to limit access to unhealthy foods and the marketing of unhealthy foods. The Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) will analyze the legal determinants that affect schools and will communicate effective policy guidance to stakeholders. This policy guidance will outline schools’ legal obligations to students as well as their legal compliance obligations. PHAI will rely on traditional legal analysis and open records laws to obtain necessary data.
Start Date: June 2006
ID #: 57921
Principal Investigator: Jason Smith, MTS, JD
Organization: Public Health Advocacy Institute
Funding Round: Round 1
Age Groups: Adolescents (grades 9 to 12), Elementary-age children (grades K to 5), Young adolescents (grades 6 to 8)
Keywords: Beverage contracts, Competitive foods, Legal, Snacks, Vending machines
Resource Type: Grant Summary
Focus Area: School & After School
Related Research
November 2007
Mapping School Food: A Policy Guide
School food environments are complex, particularly because they must function within a plethora of state, federal and local regulations. Individuals who work in this system-food service directors, superintendents, or others involved school food policy-are often left to their own devices to navigate the complex interplay of laws. In this study, legal researchers guide advocates in MoreAugust 2025
Universal Free School Meal Policies and Participation in the US National School Meal Programs
This study aimed to examine the impact of federal- and state-level Universal Free School Meal (UFSM) policies and related policies on National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) participation rates during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This comparative effectiveness research study used a natural experiment created by the COVID-19 pandemic to analyze MoreNovember 2024