H.R. 8928: Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act

This bill, titled the Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act, aims to establish a pilot program that promotes scratch cooking in school meal programs. Scratch cooking means preparing food using unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients. Here is a summary of the key components of the bill:

Establishment of Pilot Program

The Secretary of the relevant department must set up a pilot program to award competitive grants to school food authorities within 180 days of the bill's enactment. The grants will support efforts to implement scratch cooking practices in schools.

Grant Details

• Duration: Grants will be awarded for a period of two school years.
• Eligible Uses: The funds from these grants can be used for several purposes including:
  • Professional training for staff on preparing menus and serving scratch-cooked meals.
  • Purchasing necessary equipment or making infrastructure changes to support scratch cooking.
  • Compensating employees for additional food preparation tasks.
  • Engaging students in related education activities, such as taste tests and recipe development.
  • Investing in technology for better procurement processes.
  • Any additional activities that help meet nutrition standards for school meals.

Evaluation and Priority

When choosing grant recipients, the Secretary must prioritize applications from school food authorities that:

• Serve a high proportion of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
• Are self-operated or will commit to being self-operated within one year of the grant period ending.
• Have employees who are collectively represented or will arrange for collective bargaining agreements within the same timeframe.

Technical Assistance

The Secretary will collaborate with nonprofit organizations to establish a technical assistance center. This center will help participating school food authorities assess their needs and develop plans related to the grant, particularly in terms of equipment and workforce capabilities.

Reporting Requirements

After the grant period, each participating school food authority must submit a report detailing changes in:

• The proportion of whole or raw ingredients used in school meals compared to the previous school year.
• The percentage of menu items prepared with scratch cooking methods.

Funding Provisions

The bill authorizes the appropriation of $20 million per year from fiscal year 2027 through fiscal year 2031 to fund the program. Additionally, up to 15% of this amount is earmarked for administrative expenses related to the technical assistance and resources provided, while up to 5% is for other administrative expenses of the Secretary.

Relevant Companies

None found