Sponsors (4)
The bill directs stable federal funding to increase local food in school meals and support local producers and capacity, but it increases federal spending and creates administrative, supply-cost, and equity challenges for some schools and small producers.
K-12 students in participating schools will receive more local, minimally processed foods in school meals, improving access to fresher meals and potential nutrition benefits.
Provides stable, dedicated federal funding ($200 million annually) to support local food procurement and school food distribution nationwide, enabling program continuity and planning.
Local farmers and producers can increase sales to school meal programs within the same State or a 400-mile radius, expanding local market opportunities.
School food authorities and school districts will face added administrative burden to comply with reporting, procurement, and local-sourcing requirements, increasing staff time and complexity.
Limiting purchases to 'local foods' (same State or within a 400-mile radius) can increase costs or complicate supply chains for some schools, potentially raising per-meal costs or reducing menu variety.
Taxpayers fund the $200 million annual authorization, increasing federal spending which could require trade-offs with other priorities or higher deficits absent offsets.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a USDA cooperative‑agreement program funding eligible units to buy and distribute local foods to schools, with limited administrative set‑asides and a State‑based allocation formula.
Official title: To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Local Foods for Healthy Schools Program.
Introduced June 25, 2026 by Kristen McDonald Rivet · Last progress June 25, 2026
Creates a USDA program that gives noncompetitive cooperative agreements to eligible units of government so they can buy locally produced food and get it to schools in their area. Funds may only be used to purchase or distribute local foods (with up to 5% reserved for training, food‑safety certification, oversight, and administration), and applicants must supply a plan showing partners, a lead agency, and how purchases will reach a variety of local foods and school food authorities. The Secretary of Agriculture must set an allocation formula that gives each State an equal base share (capped at 30% of total funds) and distributes remaining funds by additional criteria, and the program requires intra‑State coordination and assurances that federal funds will supplement—not supplant—existing State support for local food to school meal programs.