Plant-Powered School Meals Pilot Act

Bill Number

H.R. 5867

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Agriculture and Food

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-10-28: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Last Updated

2026-06-25T08:08:18Z

AI-Generated Summary

Summary of H.R. 5867: Plant-Powered School Meals Pilot Act

Purpose

This bill aims to promote healthier and more inclusive school meals by establishing pilot grant programs under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. It focuses on providing 100 percent plant-based food and milk options in schools, particularly to support students with dietary needs, low-income families, and underserved agricultural producers. The goal is to test these options through grants, evaluate their effectiveness, and encourage broader adoption of plant-based alternatives in school nutrition programs.

Key Provisions

• Pilot Grant Program for 100 Percent Plant-Based Foods (Section 2):
• Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to award 3-year grants to eligible school food authorities (SFAs)—defined as those where at least 50% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
• Applications must include a plan for evaluating the program and providing culturally appropriate meals.
• Priority for grants goes to SFAs serving high numbers of low-income students, collaborating with community organizations or producers, incorporating plant-based education in classrooms, using organic options, or meeting other criteria set by the Secretary.
• Grant funds can be used for:
• Training school food service staff on preparing, procuring, and serving plant-based meals.
• Compensating staff for training and extra work related to plant-based options.
• Providing technical assistance, student education (e.g., taste tests, recipe development), and outreach to plant-based food producers, including underserved groups like beginning farmers, veterans, socially disadvantaged farmers, organic farms, and local producers.
• SFAs must keep records and submit annual reports on meals served, schools and students reached, and fund usage; the Secretary submits summaries to Congress.
• The Secretary provides technical assistance on best practices and resource sharing.
• Authorizes $10 million for fiscal year 2026, available through 2030.
• Defines "100 percent plant-based food option" as a meal or component that meets federal nutrition standards for meat alternatives but contains no animal products (e.g., no meat, dairy, eggs, honey, or fish).

• Accommodating Dietary Requirements, Including Nondairy Milk Substitutes (Section 3):
• Updates rules for substituting foods in school lunches to better accommodate medical, religious, or special dietary needs, ensuring substitutions are nutritionally equivalent and comply with federal meal patterns.
• Requires schools to provide nondairy beverage substitutes for fluid milk for students with disabilities (under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act—a federal law prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities).
• Allows nondairy substitutes for other medical or special dietary needs, or upon written request from a student or guardian; schools may also offer them discretionarily.
• Excess costs for substitutions are generally paid by the SFA, but a new pilot grant program reimburses full costs for nondairy beverages.
• Grants awarded within 90 days of enactment to eligible SFAs (50%+ free/reduced-price students).
• Priority for SFAs with high lactose intolerance rates or demonstrated dietary needs.
• SFAs submit annual and final reports on schools/students served and nondairy usage compared to prior years; the Secretary reports to Congress.
• Program sunsets (ends) 3 years after enactment.
• Authorizes $2 million for fiscal year 2026.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Adds a new subsection (d) to Section 18 of the National School Lunch Act, introducing the first federal pilot specifically for 100 percent plant-based school meals, including support for underserved producers and education.
• Amends Section 9(a) to expand nondairy milk substitution rules: clarifies requirements for disabilities and special needs, adds written request options, allows discretionary offerings, and introduces a cost-reimbursement pilot—previously, schools bore all extra costs without federal grant support.
• Shifts emphasis from "lower-fat" options to broader compliance with nutrition standards and explicitly includes plant-based and nondairy alternatives as standard accommodations.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will administer grants, provide technical assistance, collect reports, and report to Congress, potentially increasing administrative workload but building data on plant-based nutrition programs. Funding is limited to pilots, so long-term costs depend on future appropriations.
• Citizens: Students, especially low-income or those with dietary restrictions (e.g., lactose intolerance, vegan/vegetarian preferences, allergies), gain access to more inclusive meal options, promoting health, cultural relevance, and education on plant-based eating. Parents benefit from easier accommodation requests.
• International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though it may indirectly support U.S. agricultural exports of plant-based products and align with global trends in sustainable food systems.
• Overall, the pilots could lead to reduced reliance on animal-based foods in schools, potentially lowering environmental footprints from meat/dairy production and supporting underserved farmers.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• School Food Authorities and Staff: Eligible public schools or districts receive grants for training, procurement, and implementation, easing the shift to plant-based options.
• Students and Families: Particularly low-income, minority, or dietary-restricted groups, who may see more equitable access to meals (e.g., culturally appropriate or allergy-friendly options).
• Agricultural Producers: Benefits plant-based, organic, local, and underserved farmers (e.g., beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged), including tribal members, through procurement outreach and funding.
• Community Organizations: Involved in collaboration for education and implementation.
• Federal Government: USDA oversees programs; Congress receives evaluations that could inform future nutrition policy.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Strengthens compliance with existing laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ensuring accommodations for disabilities) and Rehabilitation Act, while expanding "special dietary needs" to include non-disability cases without mandating them. The pilots include evaluation plans to assess nutritional equivalence, avoiding conflicts with federal meal standards.
• Constitutional: No apparent issues; the bill promotes equal access to meals under the Equal Protection Clause by prioritizing low-income and underserved groups, and respects religious dietary freedoms.
• Political: Encourages equity in school nutrition and supports sustainable agriculture, potentially appealing to health, environmental, and social justice advocates. However, it may spark debate over dairy industry impacts (e.g., reduced milk consumption) or resource allocation in federal budgets. As pilots, outcomes could influence permanent changes in child nutrition laws.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]

Cosponsors (19)

Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12], Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36], Rep. McBath, Lucy [D-GA-6], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28], Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10], Rep. Friedman, Laura [D-CA-30], Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12], Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10], Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24], Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7], Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]

Recent Actions

• 2025-10-28: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
• 2025-10-28: Introduced in House
• 2025-10-28: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Plant-Powered School Meals Pilot Act — issued 2025-10-28 — PDF (16 pages)