No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes a pilot program to award competitive grants to school food authorities to promote scratch cooking, defined as preparing meals with unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients. Grants last two school years and may fund training, equipment, employee compensation, software, and related activities, with priority for authorities serving the highest proportion of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch that are or will become self-operated and have or will negotiate collective bargaining agreements. It authorizes $20 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, reserves up to 15 percent for technical assistance, and requires reports on changes in whole-ingredient spending and scratch-cooked menu items.