Local Foods for Healthy Schools Act of 2026

This bill would require the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to create the Local Foods for Healthy Schools Program. Under the program, the Secretary would sign agreements with state agencies, which would either buy local foods and distribute them to school meal programs or give the money to school food authorities to buy local foods themselves. Local foods are minimally processed farm products produced and distributed within the same state, within 400 miles of the school food authority, or under other rules the Secretary approves. The bill would provide $200 million each year from the Commodity Credit Corporation starting in fiscal year 2026, authorize another $200 million per year, and split funds among states partly equally and partly by the number of students receiving school meals. States would have to report what they bought and from whom, and post those reports publicly.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Kristen McDonald Rivet Democrat sponsor
• 13 cosponsors