Latest action: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Referred to one or more standing committees for review, hearings, and possible markup.
Specific committees not parsed from action data.
The committee may hold hearings, amend the bill, or let it die without action.
Next: Reported
Full chamber floor — Speaker / Majority Leader controls scheduling
Requires schools to serve meals cooked from raw ingredients instead of pre-made food.
The problem
Many school cafeterias rely on pre-packaged meals. Some argue fresh-cooked meals improve nutrition and support local farming communities.
The proposal
The bill would mandate schools prepare meals from scratch using whole ingredients rather than frozen or processed foods.
The impact
School cafeterias, food service workers, students, and food suppliers would face operational and cost changes in meal preparation.
Scratch-cooked meals typically contain fewer preservatives and additives than pre-packaged foods. Schools could control ingredients and portion sizes better. Students may receive healthier meals with more fresh vegetables and whole grains.
Schools buying fresh ingredients could purchase more from local farms. This boosts local agriculture and community economies. It reduces reliance on distant industrial food suppliers.
Food service workers would develop professional cooking skills. Students might learn nutrition and cooking through school programs. This creates educational opportunities in culinary arts.
Scratch cooking allows schools to prepare exact quantities needed. Less pre-packaged food means less packaging waste overall. More flexibility to adjust portions reduces spoilage.
Scratch cooking requires more labor and time than heating pre-made meals. Schools may need larger budgets for food service. Many schools already face tight budget constraints.
Many school kitchens lack equipment for full scratch cooking. Renovations would be expensive for districts with limited funds. Older schools may struggle to meet requirements.
Schools struggle to hire food service staff already. Scratch cooking needs more trained workers and longer shifts. Staffing challenges could delay or prevent implementation.
Inexperienced cooks may produce inconsistent meal quality. Some students dislike new foods prepared from scratch. Compliance could be difficult to monitor across districts.
Generated by AI from the bill text. Not a prediction and not legal or policy advice. The percentage is the model's own rating of each item — self-reported, and not a measure of how accurate it is.
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Other bills in this policy area
HR 10157
Freedom to Home Distill Act
S 5301
Voice for Farm Workers Act
S 5303
Supporting Our Farm and Food System Workforce Act
HR 10058
Summer Meals and Learning Act of 2026
Individual contributions, grouped by employer · FEC
Where their individual donors work · 2026 cycle
Money from people who work there, not from the company. Not tied to this bill.
Itemized individual contributions via FEC, grouped by the employer each contributor self-reported. Companies and unions cannot contribute to federal candidates from their treasuries, so these totals are money from people who work at an employer — never from the organization itself. They are campaign contributions covering a full election cycle and are not connected to this bill.
Senate LDA lobbying disclosures
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