Sponsors (2)
The bill expands student access to fruits and vegetables through targeted salad-bar grants and training—especially for low-income schools—but relies on competitive, short-term funding drawn from existing accounts, creating fiscal trade-offs, implementation uncertainty, and risks of uneven access and local costs.
K–12 students will gain increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables through new school salad bars and nutrition education, improving diet quality for participating children.
Students from low-income schools (high FRPL) are prioritized, so low-income children are more likely to receive salad bars and related supports, improving equity in school meal quality.
Local school food authorities and schools will be better able to meet federal school meal nutrition standards and normalize healthier choices via salad bars and complementary education.
Schools and local food authorities may face increased implementation and ongoing maintenance costs (equipment, staffing, procurement), which could strain local budgets if grants or support are insufficient.
Low-resource, rural, or small districts may be left without support because grants are competitive and some districts lack grant-writing capacity, worsening inequities in access to salad bars.
Because the Act uses existing accounts rather than new appropriations, agencies may need to reallocate funds or identify offsets, potentially forcing cuts to other programs or underfunding required services.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Directs USDA to promote school salad bars with marketing, training, and a five-year competitive grant program providing one-time installation payments using existing funds.
Introduced January 24, 2025 by Frederica Wilson · Last progress January 24, 2025
Directs USDA to promote and support installation and use of salad bars in National School Lunch Program schools through marketing, training/technical assistance, and a competitive one-time grant program to cover anticipated installation costs (including durable equipment over $500). Grants may prioritize high-poverty schools, schools in food deserts, and nutrition-education providers; the grant program ends five years after enactment. Implementation must use existing funds (no new appropriations), grantees must evaluate outcomes, and USDA must report on results and update guidance within set deadlines.