Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2025

The "Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2025" amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, transforming a previous pilot project into a permanent program. This initiative focuses on the procurement of domestically grown unprocessed fruits and vegetables for school meals, significantly expanding the number of participating states from 8 to 14. States are selected based on criteria that include their demonstrated commitment to supporting small, local, socially disadvantaged, and Tribal agricultural producers , as well as their capacity to serve a high proportion of children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. The bill appropriates $25,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to fund this program. A portion of these funds, $10,000,000, is specifically reserved for participating states to cover administrative costs and provide technical assistance to vendors, school food authorities, and various agricultural entities, with each state receiving a minimum of $500,000. Furthermore, the Secretary is mandated to evaluate the program's impact, including its effect on food quantity, cost, benefits to school meals, economic impact on producers, and barriers to participation, with a comprehensive report due within four years.