Bill > S2026

This bill seeks to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to reauthorize and expand the farm to school program. The key provisions include: 1) Defining "agricultural producer" and "farm to school program"; 2) Expanding eligibility for farm to school grants beyond schools to include other eligible institutions like land-grant colleges and universities; 3) Allowing grant funds to be used for aggregation, processing, transportation, and distribution of local foods in addition to training, technical assistance, and educational activities; 4) Increasing the maximum grant award to $250,000 and the grant term to 3 years; 5) Prioritizing projects that utilize traditional foods and serve socially disadvantaged communities; and 6) Requiring regular reviews to identify and address regulatory and other barriers to farm to school programs.