Bill · S. 4599· Senate(119-S-4599)
Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 5/20/2026
- Last activity
- 5/20/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Sponsored by
- Adam Schiff
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act of 2026 seeks to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. It establishes a pilot program designed to award competitive grants to school food authorities to encourage scratch cooking. This type of cooking involves using ingredients that are unprocessed or minimally processed. The program includes various eligible uses such as equipment purchases and employee training. Priority for these grants is given to specific types of school food authorities. The act also authorizes $20,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2031.
Yes· 3 of 6
Would children be better off under this?+5
The bill promotes higher quality nutrition through scratch cooking and pupil engagement in school meals.
Would union members be better off under this?+5
The bill gives priority to authorities that have employees represented by collective bargaining agreements or memoranda of understanding.
Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise?+5
The bill gives priority to school food authorities that have employees represented by a collective bargaining agreement or memorandum of understanding.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-1
The bill authorizes $20,000,000 in new annual spending for the pilot program from 2027 through 2031.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Support for School Food Authorities: The bill provides competitive grants that can be used for professional development, purchasing cafeteria equipment, and making infrastructure modifications (Section 2, paragraph 5, subparagraphs A and B).
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Employee Benefits: Funds can be used to compensate employees for the additional food preparation that is required when moving to scratch cooking (Section 2, paragraph 5, subparagraph C).
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Student Engagement: The program allows for funds to be used for pupil engagement and education, including activities like taste tests and culinary education (Section 2, paragraph 5, subparagraph D).
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Priority for High-Need Schools: The Secretary is directed to give highest priority to school food authorities serving the greatest proportion of students eligible for free or reduced price lunch (Section 2, paragraph 4, subparagraph B, clause i).
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Labor Protections: Priority is given to authorities that have employees represented by a collective bargaining agreement or memorandum of understanding (Section 2, paragraph 4, subparagraph B, clause iii).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Administrative Burdens for Schools: To receive a grant, school food authorities must submit an application to the Secretary and, after the grant period, submit a report comparing specific factors regarding their expenditures and menu items (Section 2, paragraph 4 and paragraph 7).
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Required Collaboration and Planning: Schools receiving a grant must collaborate with a technical assistance and resource center to conduct a needs assessment and establish a strategic plan (Section 2, paragraph 6).
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 Union Workers+5Good For Low Income Households+3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Union Protections+5Reduces Government Spending-1
- Education And Technology
- Increases Public School Funding+4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- 5/20/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Introduced in Senate