Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2025
The Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2025 would replace the existing pilot project under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act with a formal, nationwide program to procure domestically grown unprocessed fruits and vegetables for healthier school meals. Introduced in the Senate (Sept. 11, 2025) by Senators Wyden, Welch, and Bennet, and referred to the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, the bill expands the scope and scale of the program, increasing the number of project locations and tying eligibility and participation to commitments to support small/local and socially disadvantaged farmers, including Tribal producers and communities using traditional foods. It also adds robust requirements for recordkeeping, evaluation, and reporting. In addition to expanding procurement, the bill establishes mandatory funding (and administrative support) to run the program from FY 2026 through FY 2030, with targeted allotments for participating states and the option to provide technical assistance to nonparticipating states if participation is low. The aim is to boost the availability of fresh, locally grown produce in school meals while supporting local agricultural producers and reducing barriers to participation.
Key Points
- 1Program expansion: Replaces the pilot with a formal program for procuring domestically grown unprocessed fruits and vegetables, increasing the number of project locations from 8 to 14 and allowing multiple projects per state.
- 2State participation criteria: Requires states to show commitment to supporting small/local and socially disadvantaged farmers, Tribal agricultural producers and communities using traditional foods, and serving a high share of children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
- 3Evaluation and reporting: Adds an explicit requirement for program evaluation within 2 years (covering procurement quantity/cost, benefits to school meal programs, economic impact on producers, barriers to participation, and eligibility issues) and a Congress-directed evaluation report due within 4 years.
- 4Funding and administration: Provides mandatory funding of $25 million per year for FY 2026–2030 to run the program, with $10 million reserved for admin costs and technical assistance, including outreach to vendors, school food authorities, regional hubs, tribes, and producers. Each participating State must receive at least $500,000 per year.
- 5Technical assistance and participation support: Includes provisions to assist nonparticipating states if fewer than 14 states participate, by reserving $1 million annually to help with eligibility and participation barriers.