FRESH Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9164
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Agriculture and Food
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-04: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-15T19:06:57Z
AI-Generated Summary
H.R. 9164: Funding Refrigeration Equipment for Student Health Act of 2026 (FRESH Act)
Purpose This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to create a new grant program. The goal is to help schools obtain and set up equipment for storing milk or dispensing milk, supporting school meal programs in elementary and secondary schools.
Key Provisions
- The Secretary of Agriculture must run a competitive grant program to fund cold storage equipment for milk or milk dispensers.
- Eligible applicants include local educational agencies, school food authorities, tribal organizations, or groups that combine these entities.
- The federal government can cover up to 75 percent of project costs; applicants must provide the rest.
- The program authorizes $4,000,000 in funding each year from fiscal year 2027 through 2031.
- The bill adds definitions for key terms such as "milk dispenser," "school food authority," and "tribal organization."
- A conforming change updates an existing reference in the law to include the new grant section.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill adds a new Section 30 to the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, establishing the milk storage grant program. It also updates Section 3 of the Act to reference the new section alongside existing ones.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: The Department of Agriculture would manage the competitive grant process and oversee distribution of funds.
- Citizens and schools: Elementary and secondary schools could gain better equipment to keep milk cold, which may improve meal service quality and support student nutrition.
- No direct effects on international relations are addressed in the bill.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Local educational agencies and school food authorities that run school meal programs.
- Tribal organizations.
- Elementary and secondary schools and the students they serve.
- The Secretary of Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill creates a standard federal grant program with no apparent constitutional conflicts or major legal changes beyond adding funding authority. It focuses on school nutrition support without altering broader regulatory frameworks.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-04: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 2026-06-04: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-04: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Funding Refrigeration Equipment for Student Health Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-04 — PDF (4 pages)