[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5867 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5867
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
October 28, 2025
Ms. Velazquez (for herself, Mr. Doggett, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms.
Norton, Ms. Brownley, Ms. Simon, Ms. Adams, Mr. Lieu, Mrs. McBath, and
Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
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 ``Plant-Powered School Meals Pilot
Act''.
SEC. 2. PLANT-BASED FOODS IN SCHOOLS.
Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42
U.S.C. 1769) is amended by adding after subsection (c) the following:
``(d) Pilot Grant Program for 100 Percent Plant-Based Food
Options.--
``(1) Program authorized.--The Secretary shall establish
and carry out a pilot grant program to award grants to eligible
school food authorities to carry out the activities described
in paragraph (4).
``(2) In general.--
``(A) Term.--The term of a grant awarded under this
subsection shall be 3 years.
``(B) Grant amount.--In awarding grants under this
subsection, the Secretary shall, to the extent
practicable, award grants of diverse amounts.
``(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, including--
``(i) a participatory evaluation plan; and
``(ii) a plan for providing culturally
appropriate meals.
``(B) Priority.--To the maximum extent practicable,
in awarding grants under this subsection, the Secretary
shall give priority to an eligible school food
authority that will use the grant funds to--
``(i) serve a high proportion of children
who are eligible for free or reduced price
meals;
``(ii) demonstrate collaboration with
nongovernmental and community-based
organizations, agricultural producers, and
other community partners with respect to the
activities described in paragraph (4);
``(iii) incorporate experiential and
culturally appropriate plant-based food,
nutrition, or agricultural education activities
related to 100 percent plant-based food options
in the classroom;
``(iv) incorporate organically produced 100
percent plant-based food options; and
``(v) meet any other criteria that the
Secretary determines appropriate.
``(4) Use of funds.--A grant awarded under this subsection
may be used for any of the following activities:
``(A) To contract with qualified 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.
``(B) To provide compensation, for each employee
who participates in the professional development
training described in subparagraph (A), at the regular
rate of pay of such employee.
``(C) To provide technical assistance and student
engagement and education on 100 percent plant-based
food options, including providing taste tests, recipe
development, and culinary education.
``(D) To provide compensation for additional work
relating to serving meals that include a 100 percent
plant-based food option.
``(E) To conduct outreach to, and cover costs of
procurement of foods from, agricultural producers of
100 percent plant-based food options, including--
``(i) underserved producers;
``(ii) limited resource farmers or
ranchers, as defined by the Secretary;
``(iii) producers on a certified organic
farm; and
``(iv) local farmers.
``(5) Reports.--
``(A) Recordkeeping required.--Each eligible school
food authority awarded a grant under this subsection
shall keep records of the 100 percent plant-based food
options 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
grant term described in paragraph (2)(A), a school food
authority shall submit to the Secretary a report on the
pilot grant program, including information on--
``(i) the number of 100 percent plant-based
food 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.--With respect to each
school year during which the Secretary receives the
report required under subparagraph (B), the Secretary
shall, not later than 1 year after the date that is the
last day of such school year, submit to Congress a
report that includes--
``(i) a summary of the reports received
during such school year; and
``(ii) such information with respect to the
pilot program as the Secretary determines to be
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 that may be applicable to the
activities described in paragraph (4); and
``(B) to collect and share information on best
practices.
``(7) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $10,000,000 for
fiscal year 2026, to remain available through fiscal year 2030.
``(8) 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, honey,
fish, dairy, or eggs.
``(B) Beginning farmer or rancher.--The term
`beginning farmer or rancher' has the meaning given
such term in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)).
``(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) Food, agriculture, conservation, and trade
act terms.--The terms `certified organic farm',
`organically produced', and `producer' have the
meanings given such terms in section 2103 of the Food,
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7
U.S.C. 6502).
``(E) Underserved producer.--The term `underserved
producer' means an individual (including a member of an
Indian Tribe) that is--
``(i) a beginning farmer or rancher;
``(ii) a veteran farmer or rancher; or
``(iii) a socially disadvantaged farmer or
rancher.
``(F) Veteran farmer or rancher.--The term `veteran
farmer or rancher' has the meaning given such term in
section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation,
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a)).''.
SEC. 3. ACCOMMODATING DIETARY REQUIREMENTS.
Section 9(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act
(42 U.S.C. 1758(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by amending clause (i) to
read as follows:
``(i) shall not--
``(I) be construed to prohibit the
substitution of foods to accommodate
the medical needs of individual
students; or
``(II) be construed to prohibit the
nutritionally equivalent substitution
of foods to accommodate religiously
based or other special dietary needs of
individual students; and''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``lower-fat
versions of foods commonly used in the school lunch
program under this Act'' and inserting ``foods that
comply with the meal patterns prescribed by the
Secretary''; and
(2) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by amending subparagraph (A)(iii) to read as
follows:
``(iii) shall provide, as a reasonable
accommodation under the Americans with
Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) and
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
(29 U.S.C. 794), a substitute for fluid milk
for a student whose disability restricts their
diet.''; and
(B) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as
follows:
``(B) Other substitutions.--
``(i) Standards for required
substitution.--
``(I) Medical or other special
dietary need.--With respect to a
student for whom fluid milk is not
nutritionally appropriate due to a
medical or other special dietary need
other than a disability described in
subparagraph (A)(iii), a school shall
substitute, for the fluid milk provided
under subparagraph (A), a nondairy
beverage that meets the nutritional
needs of such student.
``(II) Written request for
substitution.--A school shall
substitute, for the fluid milk provided
under subparagraph (A), a nondairy
beverage that is nutritionally
equivalent to fluid milk and meets
nutritional standards established by
the Secretary if the student, or parent
or legal guardian of such student,
submits a written request for such
substitution.
``(ii) Standards for discretionary
substitution.--A school may offer each student
a nondairy beverage as a substitute for fluid
milk that is nutritionally equivalent to fluid
milk and meets nutritional standards
established by the Secretary.
``(iii) Excess expenses.--Except as
provided under clause (iv), expenses incurred
by providing substitutions under clauses (i)
and (ii) that are in excess of expenses covered
by reimbursements under this Act shall be paid
by the school food authority.
``(iv) Pilot program.--
``(I) Program authorized.--Not
later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this subparagraph, the
Secretary shall establish and carry out
a pilot grant program to award grants
to eligible school food authorities to
carry out subclause (III).
``(II) Priority.--In awarding
grants under this clause, the Secretary
may give priority to--
``(aa) an eligible school
food authority that serves high
proportions of students with
high rates of lactose
intolerance; and
``(bb) an eligible school
food authority that
demonstrates, as part of the
application for a grant under
this clause, a need for
nondairy beverages for students
served by such school food
authority due to dietary
reasons.
``(III) Use of funds.--A school
food authority shall use grant funds
awarded under this clause to reimburse
the full cost of providing nondairy
beverages as substitutes for fluid milk
under clause (i)(I) incurred by such
school food authority.
``(IV) Reports.--
``(aa) Annual report by
school food authority.--Not
later than 1 year after
receiving a grant under this
clause, and on an annual basis
for the duration of the pilot
program thereafter, a school
food authority shall submit to
the Secretary a report on the
pilot grant program, including
information with respect to--
``(AA) the number
of schools served by
the school food
authority pursuant to
the grant; and
``(BB) the number
of students served by
the school food
authority pursuant to
the grant.
``(bb) Final report by
school food authority.--The
report that is the final report
submitted under item (aa) shall
include, in addition to the
information required under
subitems (AA) and (BB) of such
item--
``(AA) the number
of nondairy beverages
as substitutes for
fluid milk that the
school food authority
served during the grant
period; compared with
``(BB) the number
of nondairy beverages
as substitutes for
fluid milk that the
school food authority
served during the
school year immediately
preceding the start of
the grant period.
``(cc) Report by the
secretary.--Not later than 6
months after the date described
in subclause (V), the Secretary
shall submit to Congress a
report that includes a summary
of the information included in
the reports received under this
subclause and any such
information with respect to the
pilot program the Secretary
determines to be relevant.
``(V) Sunset.--The authority to
carry out this clause shall terminate
on the date that is 3 years after the
date of the enactment of this
subparagraph.
``(VI) Eligible school food
authority defined.--In this clause, the
term `eligible school food authority'
means a school food authority for which
at least 50 percent 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).
``(VII) Authorization of
appropriations.--There is authorized to
be appropriated to carry out this
clause $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2026,
to remain available until the date
described in subclause (V).''.
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