Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2025
Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2025 would replace a pilot project with a formal, nationwide program to procure domestically grown unprocessed fruits and vegetables for healthier school meals under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The program would expand the number of participating projects from 8 to 14, require that produce be domestically grown and unprocessed, and place emphasis on states that support small, local, socially disadvantaged farmers and Tribal producers, including those supplying traditional foods. It includes a formal evaluation framework, mandatory funding to operate the program, and specific allocations for administrative costs, vendor certification outreach, and minimum funding guarantees to participating states. The act also requires an ongoing reporting and evaluation plan, with a congressionally mandated evaluation and a final report to Congress. Introduced September 9, 2025, by Representatives Jayapal, Norton, and Smith (WA), the bill would set aside substantial annual funding ($25 million per year from 2026 through 2030) to implement the program and support participating states, with protections and outreach to ensure broad participation and technical assistance for nonparticipating states when participation is limited.
Key Points
- 1Converts the prior pilot project into a formal program for procuring domestically grown, unprocessed fruits and vegetables (increase from 8 to 14 projects; expands scope beyond a pilot).
- 2Strengthens state and vendor criteria, prioritizing participation that supports small, local, socially disadvantaged farmers and Tribal agricultural producers, and considers serving higher shares of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- 3Establishes a robust evaluation framework including: program impact, quantities and costs of procurements, benefits to school meal programs, economic effects on producers, and barriers to participation; requires a formal report to Congress within four years.
- 4Provides mandatory funding: $25 million per year for 2026–2030, with $10 million annually reserved for administrative costs, coordination, and technical assistance to participating states and eligible vendors/suppliers; minimum annual allotment of $500,000 per participating state.
- 5Creates a dedicated mechanism for technical assistance and eligibility support, including up to $1 million annually for nonparticipating states if fewer than 14 states participate, to help with eligibility and program entry.