Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act of 2026

This bill would require the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to set up a pilot program, within 180 days of the law taking effect, that gives competitive two-year grants to school food authorities to prepare meals from unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients. Highest priority would go to applicants that serve the largest share of students eligible for free or reduced price lunch, that run their own food services, and whose workers have or will have a collective bargaining agreement. Grants could pay for staff training, kitchen equipment, extra employee pay, student taste tests and education, and procurement software. The Secretary would fund a nonprofit technical assistance center, and grant recipients would report on changes in their use of raw ingredients and scratch-cooked menu items. The bill authorizes $20 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Adam B. Schiff Democrat sponsor
• 0 cosponsors