John Garamendi (D-CA)
American Food for American Schools Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The American Food for American Schools Act of 2026 amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to prioritize domestic food products. It changes the requirement from purchasing domestic goods to the maximum extent practicable to a mandate to purchase domestic goods. School food authorities must now request a waiver from the Secretary before purchasing foreign commodities or products. These waivers are limited to 5 percent of total annual commercial food costs within a food component. The bill also requires school food authorities to notify parents or guardians of any foreign products purchased. Additionally, it introduces contract requirements for suppliers and increases funding for a Buy American procurement training program.
Yes· 3 of 14
- Scored +5
Would farmers be better off under this?
The mandate to purchase domestic goods provides a significant benefit to American farmers.
- Scored +4
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
The emphasis on domestic agriculture strongly supports rural economies.
- Scored +4
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill mandates public availability of waiver lists and noncompliance reports.
The opposite
- Scored -3
Does this make trade with other countries easier?
By limiting the purchase of foreign commodities, the bill may negatively impact international trade relations.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Transparency for Parents: School food authorities must notify parents or guardians of students at least once each school year regarding foreign commodities or products purchased (Section 2(b)(iii)(iv)).
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Public Accountability of Food Waivers: The Secretary of Agriculture is required to maintain a publicly available list on the Department of Agriculture website detailing which school food authorities received waivers and the specific food products involved (Section 2(b)(iii)(v)).
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Public Accountability of Contract Noncompliance: The Secretary is required to make a list of each instance of contract noncompliance publicly available on the Department of Agriculture website (Section 3(B)(E)).
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Increased Training Resources: The funding for the Buy American procurement training program is increased from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 (Section 4).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limitations on Food Sourcing: School food authorities are limited to receiving waivers for up to 5 percent of their total annual commercial food costs within a specific food component (Section 2(b)(iii)(iii)).
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Financial Penalties for Suppliers: Suppliers that enter into contracts without including the required "covered provision" must pay the Secretary an amount equal to the Federal funds used to purchase the noncompliant foreign commodities or products (Section 3(B)(i)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would farmers be better off under this? — The mandate to purchase domestic goods provides a significant benefit to American farmers. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The emphasis on domestic agriculture strongly supports rural economies. Would business owners be better off under this? — American agricultural business owners stand to benefit from the increased mandate for domestic products. Would children be better off under this? — The bill directly impacts children through the school breakfast and lunch programs. Would students be better off under this? — Students benefit from increased transparency regarding the origin of their school meals. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill supports the food systems utilized by low-income children, though it may impact food variety.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill enhances transparency by requiring notification of foreign food products to parents. Is this likely to create jobs? — By mandating domestic food purchases, the bill likely supports jobs in the American agricultural sector. Is this likely to grow the economy? — The bill stimulates domestic agricultural demand which can contribute to localized economic growth. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Increased demand for domestic products may benefit small-scale American farmers and producers.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates public availability of waiver lists and noncompliance reports. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill increases the Secretary of Agriculture's oversight and authority regarding food procurement waivers.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — The push for domestic food purchasing provides direct support to rural agricultural communities.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this make trade with other countries easier? — By limiting the purchase of foreign commodities, the bill may negatively impact international trade relations.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into public schools? — The bill increases funding for Buy American procurement training for school food authorities.
- 8/10/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/30/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
James GallagherRepublican · California
Mike ThompsonDemocrat · California