Bill · S. 3669· Senate(119-S-3669)
Plant-Powered School Meals Pilot Act
- Introduced
- 1/15/2026
- Last activity
- 1/15/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Sponsored by
- Adam Schiff
- Cosponsors
- - 3 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Plant-Powered School Meals Pilot Act," aims to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. It establishes a pilot program to provide grants to eligible school food authorities for offering 100 percent plant-based food and milk options. The bill also creates a second pilot program to reimburse the full cost of providing nondairy beverages as substitutes for fluid milk. Priority for these grants includes serving high proportions of children eligible for free or reduced price meals and addressing specific dietary needs. The legislation includes various definitions for producers and food options to guide the implementation of these programs.
Yes· 3 of 13
Would children be better off under this?+5
The bill increases dietary variety and accommodates specific dietary needs for students in school meals.
Does this put more money into public schools?+5
The bill authorizes $12 million in total for pilot programs to provide plant-based food and milk substitutes in schools.
Would farmers be better off under this?+3
The bill promotes procurement from local, organic, and underserved producers.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Support for School Food Authorities: Grants can be used for professional development training for food service personnel, including compensation for employees participating in said training (Section 2, paragraph 5, subparagraphs A and B).
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Student Engagement and Education: Funds may be used to provide technical assistance, student engagement, and education, such as taste tests and culinary education (Section s 2, paragraph 5, subparagraph C).
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Support for Diverse Producers: The program can cover costs for procuring foods from local farmers, certified organic farms, and underserved producers, including veterans and socially disadvantaged farmers (Section 2, paragraph 5, subparagraph E).
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Dietary Accommodation: The bill expands the definition of "special dietary need" to include needs related to religious or moral conviction, allowing for more flexible dietary accommodations (Section 3, paragraph E).
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Milk Substitutes: A pilot program is established to reimburse the full cost of providing nondairy beverages as substitutes for milk, which can prioritize schools serving students with lactose intolerance or specific dietary needs (Section 3, paragraph D, subparagraph ii).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Increased Documentation Burdens: Eligible school food authorities receiving grants must maintain specific records regarding plant-based options served and submit annual reports to the Secretary (Section 2, paragraph 6 and 7, subparagraph A).
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Application Requirements: To be eligible for a grant, school food authorities must submit an application that includes a participatory evaluation plan and a plan for providing culturally appropriate meals (Section 2, paragraph 4, subparagraph A).
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 Children+5Good For Farmers+3Good For Business Owners+2Good For Low Income Households+2Good For Native Americans+2Good For Veterans+2
- Education And Technology
- Increases Public School Funding+5
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Economic Growth+1Increases Job Creation+1
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections+1
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+1
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+1
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+1
- 1/15/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Angela AlsobrooksDemocrat · Maryland
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California