Bill · H.R. 9474· House(119-HR-9474)
Local Foods for Healthy Schools Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 6/25/2026
- Last activity
- 6/25/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- Sponsored by
- Kristen McDonald Rivet
- Cosponsors
- - 6 - 4
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Local Foods for Healthy Schools Act of 2026 directs the Secretary of Agriculture to create a program that helps schools get local foods. The Secretary will make noncompetitive agreements with eligible government units to buy local foods from covered producers and get them to schools. Funds can be used to buy the food directly or given to school food authorities to make the purchases. A small portion of funds can be used for training and food safety certifications. The program is funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation and additional appropriations.
Yes· 3 of 17
Would farmers be better off under this?+9
Provides a direct mechanism for farmers to sell their products to schools.
Would children be better off under this?+8
Improves the quality and variety of food available to students in school meal programs.
Would students be better off under this?+8
Increases access to fresh, local foods in their daily school meals.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-5
The bill establishes a new spending program for purchasing local foods.
Does this reduce what the federal government owes?-2
The bill authorizes additional spending of $400 million annually through the CCC and appropriations.
Does this make the government pay for what it commits to?-2
Increases government expenditure without specific offsets.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Local Food Access for Students: The program facilitates the distribution of local foods to schools, which may improve the variety and quality of food students receive (Section 2(a)(2)).
-
Support for Local Producers: Farmers, ranchers, and processors designated as covered producers can sell their goods to schools through this program (Section 2(a)(1)).
-
Financial Help for Food Safety: The program allows up to 5 percent of funds to be used to pay for the costs a producer incurs to get required food safety certifications (Section 2(b)(2)(B)).
-
Training and Assistance: Funds are available to provide technical assistance and training to people helping run the program (Section 2(b)(2)(A)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Funding Limitations: The Secretary is limited to allotting no more than 30 percent of total funds for the State-based allocation that is equal for each State (Section 2(e)(2)).
-
Reporting Burdens: Eligible units of government must submit reports with data on fund expenditures, producer names, and foods purchased, which creates an administrative task (Section 2(f)(1)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Farmers+9Good For Children+8Good For Students+8Good For Rural Residents+7Good For Business Owners+6Good For Low Income Households+5
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+8Reduces Carbon Emissions+3
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+4Increase States Rights+3Increases Federal Power+2
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+7Improves Economic Growth+4Increases Job Creation+3Reduces Government Spending-5Improves Fiscal Responsibility-2Reduces National Debt-2
- Education And Technology
- Increases Public School Funding+5
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+3
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+2
- 10/1/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/10/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 8/31/2026
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- 7/13/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 6/25/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Vern BuchananRepublican · Florida
Nikki BudzinskiDemocrat · Illinois
Jim CostaDemocrat · California
Salud CarbajalDemocrat · California
Sharice DavidsDemocrat · Kansas
Gabe EvansRepublican · Colorado
Marcy KapturDemocrat · Ohio
Michael LawlerRepublican · New York
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Glenn ThompsonRepublican · Pennsylvania