Bill · H.R. 9980· House(119-HR-9980)
American Food for American Schools Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 7/30/2026
- Last activity
- 7/30/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Sponsored by
- John Garamendi
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The American Food for American Schools Act of 2026 amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to prioritize domestic food products. It changes the requirement from purchasing domestic goods to the maximum extent practicable to a mandate to purchase domestic goods. School food authorities must now request a waiver from the Secretary before purchasing foreign commodities or products. These waivers are limited to 5 percent of total annual commercial food costs within a food component. The bill also requires school food authorities to notify parents or guardians of any foreign products purchased. Additionally, it introduces contract requirements for suppliers and increases funding for a Buy American procurement training program.
Yes· 3 of 14
Would farmers be better off under this?+5
The mandate to purchase domestic goods provides a significant benefit to American farmers.
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+4
The emphasis on domestic agriculture strongly supports rural economies.
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+4
The bill mandates public availability of waiver lists and noncompliance reports.
The opposite
Does this make trade with other countries easier?-3
By limiting the purchase of foreign commodities, the bill may negatively impact international trade relations.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Transparency for Parents: School food authorities must notify parents or guardians of students at least once each school year regarding foreign commodities or products purchased (Section 2(b)(iii)(iv)).
-
Public Accountability of Food Waivers: The Secretary of Agriculture is required to maintain a publicly available list on the Department of Agriculture website detailing which school food authorities received waivers and the specific food products involved (Section 2(b)(iii)(v)).
-
Public Accountability of Contract Noncompliance: The Secretary is required to make a list of each instance of contract noncompliance publicly available on the Department of Agriculture website (Section 3(B)(E)).
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Increased Training Resources: The funding for the Buy American procurement training program is increased from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 (Section 4).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Limitations on Food Sourcing: School food authorities are limited to receiving waivers for up to 5 percent of their total annual commercial food costs within a specific food component (Section 2(b)(iii)(iii)).
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Financial Penalties for Suppliers: Suppliers that enter into contracts without including the required "covered provision" must pay the Secretary an amount equal to the Federal funds used to purchase the noncompliant foreign commodities or products (Section 3(B)(i)).
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+5Good For Rural Residents+4Good For Business Owners+3Good For Children+2Good For Students+2Good For Low Income Households+1
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+3Increases Job Creation+3Improves Economic Growth+2Improves Small Business Support+2
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+4Increases Federal Power+2
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+3
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves International Trade-3
- Education And Technology
- Increases Public School Funding+2
- 8/10/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/30/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
James GallagherRepublican · California
Mike ThompsonDemocrat · California