S.Amdt. 4445

This amendment, submitted by Mr. Wyden, aims to change the "Pilot Project for Procurement of" into a "Program for Procurement of Domestically Grown" unprocessed fruits and vegetables within the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.

The amendment seeks to add or change the following:

• Program Expansion: It changes the "pilot project" to a "program" and increases the number from 8 to 14.

• State Selection Criteria: It adds requirements for States to demonstrate commitment to supporting Tribal agricultural producers, communities using traditional foods, and small, local, and socially disadvantaged farmers. It also considers if a State serves a high proportion of children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

• Evaluation and Reporting: It adds a requirement for the Secretary to evaluate the program's impact—including costs, benefits to school food service, economic impact on producers, and barriers to participation—and submit a report to the House and Senate agriculture committees.

• Funding: It establishes mandatory funding of $25,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030. This includes:

  • $10,000,000 for administrative costs and technical assistance for participating States, with a minimum allotment of $500,000 per selected State.
  • $1,000,000 for technical assistance for nonparticipating States if there are fewer than 14 States in the program.