Bill · S. 5184· Senate(119-S-5184)
FORK Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 7/30/2026
- Last activity
- 7/30/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Sponsored by
- Jeff Merkley
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Feeding Our Rural Kids Act of 2026" or "FORK Act of 2026" amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. It creates a pilot program to provide grants to service institutions. These grants help entities buy, retrofit, or repair vehicles to distribute noncongregate meals during the summer. The program prioritizes areas with poor economic conditions, rural areas, and those serving socially disadvantaged students.
Yes· 3 of 14
Would children be better off under this?+8
Directly increases access to meals for children during the summer.
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+8
Specifically targets non-core based statistical areas for meal delivery vehicle grants.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+7
Prioritizes areas with poor economic conditions and socially disadvantaged students.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Meal Access: Service institutions can receive grants up to $100,000 to get vehicles for distributing meals, which helps get food to children (Section 2(B) and 2(E)(ii)).
-
Support for Vulnerable Areas: The program gives priority to people in areas with poor economic conditions, areas outside core-based statistical areas, and students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds (Section 2(C)).
-
Geographic Fairness: The Secretary must try to ensure that grants are given to entities located in different States (Section 2(D)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Limited Funding: Only $1,000,000 is authorized for the pilot program for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2029, which may limit how many people can actually be helped (Section 2(H)).
-
Administrative Caps: Entities cannot use more than 10 percent of their grant funds for administrative expenses, which might burden the organization managing the meals (Section 2(E)(iii)).
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+8Good For Rural Residents+8Good For Low Income Households+7Good For Students+7Good For African Americans+3Good For Hispanic Americans+3Good For Native Americans+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+4Improves Racial Equity+3
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+5
- Education And Technology
- Increases Public School Funding+2
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+1Increases Federal Power+1
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+2
- 7/30/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont