[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4108 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4108
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish
a pilot grant program to make grants to school food authorities to
provide 100 percent plant-based food and milk options, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 23, 2021
Ms. Velazquez (for herself, Mr. Bowman, Ms. Norton, Mr. Takano, Ms.
Clarke of New York, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Barragan, and Ms. Pressley)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish
a pilot grant program to make grants to school food authorities to
provide 100 percent plant-based food and milk options, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Healthy Future Students and Earth
Pilot Program Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. PILOT GRANT PROGRAM FOR 100 PERCENT PLANT-BASED FOOD AND MILK
OPTIONS.
Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42
U.S.C. 1769) is amended by inserting before subsection (b) the
following:
``(a) Pilot Grant Program for 100 Percent Plant-Based Food and Milk
Options.--
``(1) Program authorized.--Not later than 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall
establish and carry out a pilot grant program to make grants to
eligible school food authorities to carry out the activities
described in paragraph (4).
``(2) Grant terms.--
``(A) Number of grants awarded.--The Secretary
shall award at least 50 grants under the pilot grant
program established under paragraph (1).
``(B) Term.--The term of a grant awarded under this
subsection shall be 3 years.
``(C) Purpose and scope.--The Secretary shall, to
the maximum extent practicable, award grants under this
subsection in diverse amounts in order to best match--
``(i) the need of the school food authority
awarded the grant; and
``(ii) the award to the purpose and scope
of the project to be funded.
``(3) Application.--
``(A) In general.--To be eligible to receive a
grant under this subsection, an eligible school food
authority shall submit to the Secretary an application
at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require.
``(B) Priority.--To the maximum extent practicable,
the Secretary shall give priority to awarding grants to
an eligible school food authority that--
``(i) will use the grant funds to--
``(I) serve a high proportion of
children who are eligible for free or
reduced price lunches;
``(II) demonstrate collaboration
with nongovernmental and community-
based organizations, agricultural
producer groups, and other community
partners;
``(III) serve a high proportion of
children from socially disadvantaged
backgrounds; and
``(IV) incorporate experiential and
traditional and culturally appropriate
food, nutrition, or agricultural
education activities in curriculum
planning;
``(ii) in the application of such eligible
school food authority under subparagraph (A)--
``(I) includes an adequate and
participatory evaluation plan; and
``(II) includes a plan for
providing culturally appropriate meals;
and
``(iii) meets any other criteria that the
Secretary determines appropriate.
``(4) Use of funds.--A grant under this subsection may be
used for any of the following:
``(A) To contract with third parties for
professional development training for food service
personnel on serving (including preparing, procuring,
marketing, and creating menus) 100 percent plant-based
food options or 100 percent plant-based milk options,
except that any employee who participates in such a
training shall be compensated for such training at the
regular rate of pay of such employee.
``(B) To provide technical assistance and pupil
engagement and education on 100 percent plant-based
food and 100 percent plant-based milk options,
including providing taste tests, recipe development,
and culinary education.
``(C) To provide additional compensation for
additional work relating to serving meals that include
a 100 percent plant-based food option or a 100 percent
plant-based milk option.
``(D) To conduct outreach to and cover costs of
procurement of foods from agricultural producers of
meat alternates including--
``(i) beginning farmers (as defined in
section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture,
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.
2279(a)));
``(ii) veteran farmers (as defined in
section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture,
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.
2279(a)));
``(iii) socially disadvantaged farmers (as
defined in section 355(e) of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.
2003(e))); and
``(iv) local farmers.
``(5) Reports.--
``(A) Recordkeeping required.--Each eligible school
food authority awarded a grant under this subsection
shall keep such records of meat alternative and fluid
milk alternative items served pursuant to this
subsection as the Secretary determines appropriate.
``(B) Report required by school food authorities.--
Not later than 1 year after receiving a grant under
this subsection, and annually for the duration of the
pilot grant program thereafter, a school food authority
shall submit to the Secretary a report on the success
of the pilot grant program, including information on--
``(i) the number of 100 percent plant-based
food options and 100 percent plant-based milk
options that the school food authority served
during the grant period compared with the
preceding school year;
``(ii) the number of schools served by the
school food authority pursuant to the grant;
``(iii) the number of students served by
the school food authority pursuant to the
grant; and
``(iv) how the school food authority used
the grant funds.
``(C) Report by secretary.--Not later than 60 days
after the date described in paragraph (7), the
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that
includes a summary of the reports received under
subparagraph (B) and such information with respect to
the pilot program the Secretary determines relevant.
``(6) Technical assistance.--The Secretary shall provide
technical assistance and information to assist school food
authorities--
``(A) to facilitate the coordination and sharing of
information and resources in the Department that may be
applicable to the activities described in paragraph
(4);
``(B) to collect and share information on best
practices; and
``(C) to disseminate research and data on existing
farm to school programs and the potential for programs
in underserved areas.
``(7) Sunset.--The authority to carry out this subsection
shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of
the enactment of this subsection.
``(8) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $10,000,000 for
fiscal year 2022, to remain available until the date described
in paragraph (7).
``(9) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) 100 percent plant-based food option.--The
term `100 percent plant-based food option' means a
breakfast or lunch meal option or component that--
``(i) includes a meat alternate as
described in--
``(I) section 210.10 of title 7,
Code of Federal Regulations (or
successor regulations); or
``(II) appendix A to part 210 of 7,
Code of Federal Regulations (or
successor regulations); and
``(ii) does not contain any animal products
or byproducts, such as meat, poultry, fish,
dairy, or eggs.
``(B) 100 percent plant-based milk option.--The
term `100 percent plant-based milk option' means a
beverage, including a 100 percent plant-based dairy
alternative, that--
``(i) does not contain any animal products
or byproducts; and
``(ii) meets the standards for a
substitution for fluid milk in accordance with
section 9(a)(2)(B)(i).
``(C) Eligible school food authority.--The term
`eligible school food authority' means a school food
authority for which 50 percent or more of the students
served by such school food authority are eligible for
free or reduced price lunch under this Act or free or
reduced price breakfast under section 4 of the Child
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773).
``(D) Socially disadvantaged.--The term `socially
disadvantaged' has the meaning given the term in
section 124.103 of title 13, Code of Federal
Regulations (or successor regulations).''.
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