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Converts an existing pilot that purchases domestically grown, unprocessed fruits and vegetables for school meal programs into a permanent program, sets selection priorities to favor small, local, socially disadvantaged, and Tribal producers, and requires USDA to evaluate and report on the program. It provides mandatory funding for fiscal years 2026–2030, creates a set‑aside for State administration and technical assistance, and updates selection and reporting requirements to improve transparency and program support.
Amends Section 6(f) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1755(f)) to replace references to a "pilot project" with a formal "program" for procurement of domestically grown unprocessed fruits and vegetables and to make related textual changes.
Changes the program configuration requirement so that instead of requiring 1 project be located in a State, the text requires 2 projects are located in 1 or more States.
Adds selection criteria for States to be chosen for the program, including: demonstrated commitment to support small, local, and socially disadvantaged farmers; demonstrated commitment to support Tribal agricultural producers and communities utilizing traditional foods; and whether the State will serve a high proportion of children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Requires the Secretary to evaluate the program not later than 2 years after enactment, assessing: quantity and cost of each type of unprocessed fruit and vegetable procured by each State; benefit to school food service including meeting school meal requirements; economic impact on agricultural producers in the State; economic, geographic, social, and administrative barriers to participation (including the reimbursement process) experienced by agricultural producers and school food authorities; and eligibility requirements for agricultural producers, including barriers to becoming approved vendors.
Requires the Secretary to submit a report to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate not later than 4 years after enactment describing the evaluation results and analysis.
Who is affected and how:
Producers/farmers: Small, local, socially disadvantaged, and Tribal producers stand to gain increased and prioritized market access as the program shifts from a temporary pilot to a permanent purchasing program. The program's purchasing demand can provide steady buyers for qualifying producers, but some producers may need assistance to meet volume, packaging, or scheduling requirements.
Schools and school meal programs: Public schools and other participating institutions will have a more stable, predictable source of domestic fruits and vegetables; administrative procedures could change slightly to accommodate program rules. The program may improve the freshness and domestic sourcing of produce served to students.
Students and families: Children receiving school meals may benefit from increased availability of fresh fruits and vegetables, which can improve nutrition and meal quality.
State agencies and technical assistance providers: States receive a set-aside for administration and technical assistance, increasing responsibilities for outreach, certification, and helping producers meet procurement standards. This will require program implementation capacity at the State level but provides funds to support those activities.
Federal agencies (USDA): USDA assumes permanent program administration duties, must perform a statutory evaluation within two years, and must report results to Congress within four years — adding monitoring, evaluation, and reporting workload. Funding is mandatory for FY2026–2030, creating a multi-year budget commitment.
Markets and supply chains: Increased institutional demand for domestically grown produce could shift supply chain logistics, benefiting local aggregators, distributors, and processing/packing operations. Smaller producers may need support to aggregate product or meet delivery schedules; the program's technical assistance set-aside is intended to address those needs.
Overall effects: The legislation strengthens domestic procurement for school meals and intentionally targets economic benefits toward smaller, disadvantaged, and Tribal producers while requiring federal evaluation and providing state-level implementation support. Implementation will require USDA and State administrative work and may spur adjustments in local supply chains and producer capacity.
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced September 11, 2025 by Ronald Lee Wyden · Last progress September 11, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced in Senate