SAN FERNANDO VALLEY - Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian (D-Van Nuys) on Feb. 13 announced proposed legislation that would provide incentives for public schools across California to offer students a plant-based entree and plant-based milk at meals.

Under AB 479, the Healthy Climate-Friendly School Lunch Act, schools would receive additional state funding for serving the vegan options, which Nazarian said would be healthier and more climate-friendly. The bill would also provide state support for staff training, engagement, recipe development, and other technical assistance needed to help boost participation rates, according to Nazarian's office.

"AB 479 will increase access to healthy food options for low-income communities and reduce our carbon footprint at the same time," Nazarian said in a prepared statement.

Nazarian announced the bill at a news conference outside Los Angeles City Hall, alongside Van Nuys City Councilman Paul Koretz and members of organizations backing the idea.

"The Healthy Climate-Friendly School Lunch Act makes the best use of our institutional purchasing power to provide both healthy food and a gateway to a safe climate for the very children whose future and whose palates it will be serving," Koretz said. The bill is backed by Animal Hope in Legislation, Friends of the Earth, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Social Compassion in Legislation, according to Nazarian's office.

The Physicians Committee, which works to promote healthful vegan diets for disease prevention and works to end the use of animals in education and experiments, posted a video on YouTube in support of the legislation; it can be seen above.

"This bill," said Judie Mancuso, Founder and CEO of Social Compassion in Legislation, is about providing a choice to young people who have decided that eating animals is the wrong choice for them – and for our planet."