Food for Thought Act of 2026

This bill would create a federal grant program, run by the Secretary of Agriculture through the Food and Nutrition Service, to give competitive grants of up to 2 years to colleges where at least 20 percent of undergraduates are eligible for Pell Grants, so they can provide free meals and snacks to low-income students. Grant recipients would provide between 1 and 10 free meals per week per student, give priority to students who receive Pell Grants, report food or housing insecurity, or are in work-study, and tell students about other benefit programs such as SNAP. Meals would have to meet nutrition standards set by the Secretary, and the free meals would not count when deciding SNAP eligibility or as financial aid under federal student aid rules. The bill authorizes funding as needed for fiscal years 2027 through 2032 and requires reports to Congress on the program.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Adam B. Schiff Democrat sponsor
• 1 cosponsors