Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8928
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Agriculture and Food
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-20: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-07T08:05:37Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The legislation establishes a pilot program to award competitive grants that promote "scratch cooking" in school meal programs under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. Scratch cooking refers to preparing food with unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients.
Key Provisions
- Grant Establishment and Scope: The Secretary of Agriculture must create the program within 180 days of enactment, offering grants to school food authorities for a 2-school-year period.
- Eligible Uses: Funds may support professional development and training for meal preparation and menu creation; purchase of equipment or infrastructure upgrades; additional employee pay for preparation; technical assistance, student engagement activities like taste tests, and culinary education; procurement software; and other activities to meet or exceed existing nutrition standards for school lunches and breakfasts.
- Priority Criteria: Highest priority goes to authorities serving the largest share of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals; those that are self-operated or commit to becoming so; and those with union-represented employees or commitments to negotiate collective bargaining agreements.
- Technical Assistance: The Secretary must contract with nonprofit organizations to run a resource center providing needs assessments and strategic planning support.
- Reporting: Grantees must report changes in the share of whole or raw ingredients used and the percentage of menu items made via scratch cooking.
- Funding: Authorizes $20 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, with up to 15% reserved for technical assistance and 5% for other administrative costs.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill adds a new subsection (a) to Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769), introducing the first dedicated federal pilot for scratch cooking grants. It does not alter core nutrition standards or other existing meal program rules but creates a targeted funding mechanism with specific eligibility and reporting requirements.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases administrative responsibilities for the Department of Agriculture in grant management, technical assistance oversight, and evaluation.
- Citizens and Schools: May encourage more from-scratch meal preparation in participating districts, potentially affecting local food procurement and workforce practices; students could see changes in menu options.
- International Relations: No direct effects identified.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- School food authorities and their employees.
- Students and families in participating schools.
- Nonprofit organizations providing technical support.
- The Department of Agriculture.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
The bill raises no significant constitutional issues, as it operates within existing congressional authority over school nutrition programs. It includes requirements tied to self-operation and collective bargaining but does not mandate unionization. Politically, it focuses on supporting local meal preparation through competitive grants with targeted priorities.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (10)
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26], Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7], Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6], Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large], Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1], Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12], Rep. Schrier, Kim [D-WA-8]
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-20: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 2026-05-20: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-20: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act — issued 2026-05-20 — PDF (6 pages)