Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act

This bill, titled the "Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act," amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish a pilot program promoting scratch cooking in school meal programs. The Secretary of Agriculture will award competitive grants to school food authorities to prepare food using unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients . These grants, lasting for two school years, can fund professional development, equipment purchases, infrastructure modifications, and employee compensation related to scratch cooking, as well as technical assistance and culinary education for students. The program prioritizes grant applications from school food authorities that serve the greatest proportion of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Additional priority is given to schools that are self-operated or commit to becoming so, and those with employees represented by a collective bargaining agreement or memorandum of understanding. The Secretary is also mandated to establish a technical assistance and resource center through a nonprofit organization to support grant recipients in conducting needs assessments and developing strategic plans. The bill authorizes an appropriation of $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out this program, with reservations for administrative and technical assistance expenses.