This bill changes a section of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to create a program for the procurement of domestically grown, unprocessed fruits and vegetables for school meals. It converts an existing pilot into a permanent program and increases the number of participating States from 8 to 14. The bill adds selection criteria that look for State commitments to support small, local, and socially disadvantaged farmers and Tribal agricultural producers, and for serving a high share of children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
The bill requires more recordkeeping and reporting and adds a formal program evaluation. The Secretary must evaluate the program within 2 years and report findings to congressional agriculture committees within 4 years. The evaluation must cover quantities and costs of fruits and vegetables procured; benefits to school food service and meeting meal requirements; economic impacts on producers; barriers to participation; and vendor eligibility barriers.
The bill provides mandatory funding of $25,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Of that yearly amount, $10,000,000 is reserved for States selected under the program for administrative costs, coordination, technical assistance, and outreach. Each participating State must receive at least $500,000 per year from the reserved funds. If fewer than 14 States participate in a year, $1,000,000 may be reserved to provide technical assistance to States that are not participating.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.