H.R. 6065

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6065 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6065

To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to 
reauthorize the farm to school program, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 17, 2025

Ms. Plaskett (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Riley of New York, and 
Mr. Bresnahan) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to 
reauthorize the farm to school program, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Farm to School Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. ACCESS TO LOCAL FOODS: PATRICK LEAHY FARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAM.

Section 18(g) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1769(g)) is amended--
(1) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Program'' and 
inserting ``Program.'';
(2) in paragraph (1)--
(A) by striking the paragraph designation and 
heading and all that follows through ``means'' and 
inserting the following:
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Agricultural producer.--The term 
`agricultural producer' means a farmer, rancher, or 
fisher (including of farm-raised fish).
``(B) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible 
institution' means''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) Farm to school program.--The term `farm to 
school program' means a program that--
``(i) benefits an eligible institution, as 
determined by the Secretary; and
``(ii) carries out--
``(I) planting and maintenance of 
farms or gardens;
``(II) procurement from local 
agricultural producers; or
``(III) educational activities 
relating to agriculture, nutrition, or 
food.'';
(3) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by striking ``schools'' each place it appears 
and inserting ``institutions'';
(B) by inserting ``land-grant colleges and 
universities,'' before ``and nonprofit''; and
(C) by striking ``grants and technical assistance'' 
and inserting ``grants, technical assistance, research, 
and evaluation'';
(4) in paragraph (3)--
(A) in subparagraph (A)--
(i) in clause (i), by inserting ``and 
technical assistance'' after ``training'';
(ii) by redesignating clauses (vi) and 
(vii) as clauses (vii) and (viii), 
respectively; and
(iii) by inserting after clause (v) the 
following:
``(vi) implementing educational activities 
relating to agriculture, nutrition, or food;''; 
and
(B) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the 
following:
``(C) Improved procurement and distribution.--
``(i) In general.--In awarding grants under 
this subsection, the Secretary shall seek to 
improve local food procurement and distribution 
options for agricultural producers and eligible 
institutions.
``(ii) Aggregation, processing, 
transportation, and distribution.--In advancing 
local food procurement options and other farm 
to school program objectives, the Secretary may 
provide funding for projects that include 
innovative approaches to aggregation, 
processing, transportation, and distribution.
``(D) Awards.--
``(i) Maximum amount.--The total amount 
provided to a grant recipient under this 
subsection shall not exceed $500,000.
``(ii) Term.--The term of an award shall 
not exceed 3 years.
``(iii) Purpose and scope.--In making 
awards under this subsection, the Secretary 
shall seek to make awards of diverse amounts 
and durations in order to best match the award 
to the purpose and scope of the project to be 
funded.
``(E) Limitation.--The Secretary may not award a 
grant under this subsection if the grant funds would be 
used solely for the purpose of carrying out a 
conference.'';
(5) in paragraph (4)--
(A) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``, Tribal,'' 
after ``State''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) Waiver or modification.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary may waive 
or modify the matching requirement under this 
paragraph if the Secretary determines that a 
waiver or modification is necessary to reduce 
barriers to applications for projects that meet 
1 or more of the criteria for receiving highest 
priority under paragraph (5).
``(ii) Process.--The Secretary shall 
establish and make publicly available the 
process by which an applicant may request a 
waiver or modification under clause (i).
``(D) Tribal agencies.--The Secretary may allow a 
Tribal agency to use funds provided to the Indian Tribe 
of the Tribal agency through a Federal agency 
(including the Indian Health Service) or any other 
Federal benefit to satisfy all or part of the non-
Federal share described in subparagraph (A) if that use 
is consistent with the purpose of the funds or other 
Federal benefit provided.'';
(6) in paragraph (5)--
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (F) 
and (G) as clauses (i) through (vi) and (ix), 
respectively, and indenting the clauses appropriately;
(B) in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so 
redesignated), by striking ``To the maximum extent 
practicable'' and inserting the following:
``(A) In general.--To the maximum extent 
practicable'';
(C) in clause (i) (as so redesignated), by striking 
``school'' and inserting ``institution'';
(D) in clause (ii) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ``lunches'' and inserting ``meals'';
(E) by striking clause (iii) (as so redesignated) 
and inserting the following:
``(iii)(I) incorporate experiential and 
traditional and culturally appropriate food, 
nutrition, or agricultural education activities 
in curriculum planning; and
``(II) serve a high proportion of children 
from socially disadvantaged backgrounds;'';
(F) in clause (iv) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ``eligible schools'' and all that follows 
through ``partners'' and inserting ``eligible 
institutions, State and local agencies, Tribal 
organizations and agencies, agricultural producers or 
groups of agricultural producers, land-grant colleges 
and universities, and nonprofit entities'';
(G) in clause (vi) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ``and'' at the end;
(H) by inserting after clause (vi) (as so 
redesignated) the following:
``(vii) expand the selection of local 
commodities for eligible institutions;
``(viii) identify and address chronic diet-
related health issues of the children served by 
eligible institutions; and''; and
(I) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Tribal community projects.--To the maximum 
extent practicable, in providing assistance under this 
subsection for projects that serve Tribal communities, 
the Secretary shall give the highest priority to 
projects that incorporate products, including 
traditional foods, from Tribal agricultural producers, 
as determined by the Secretary.'';
(7) in paragraph (7)--
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (C) 
as clauses (i) through (iii), respectively, and 
indenting appropriately;
(B) by striking the paragraph designation and 
heading and all that follows through ``nonprofit 
entities--'' and inserting the following:
``(7) Technical assistance and research.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall provide 
technical assistance, research, and information to 
assist eligible institutions, State and local agencies, 
Indian Tribal organizations, agricultural producers or 
agricultural producer groups, and nonprofit entities--
'';
(C) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated)--
(i) in clause (ii) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ``and'' at the end;
(ii) in clause (iii) (as so redesignated), 
by striking the period at the end and inserting 
``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(iv) to increase awareness of, and 
participation in, farm to school programs among 
agricultural and aquaculture producers or 
agricultural producer groups, including 
beginning farmers and ranchers, veteran farmers 
and ranchers, and socially disadvantaged 
farmers and ranchers (as those terms are 
defined in section 2501(a) of the Food, 
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 
1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a))).''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Review.--
``(i) In general.--Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of the Farm to 
School Act of 2025 and every 3 years 
thereafter, the Secretary shall review and 
submit to the Committees on Agriculture and 
Education and the Workforce of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the 
Senate a report that describes the progress 
that has been made in identifying and 
eliminating regulatory and other barriers 
related to developing farm to school programs.
``(ii) Requirements.--In preparing the 
report, the Secretary shall examine--
``(I) the direct and indirect 
regulatory compliance costs affecting 
the production and marketing of locally 
or regionally produced agricultural 
food products to school and early 
childhood food programs;
``(II) barriers to local and 
regional market access for small-scale 
production;
``(III) barriers to funding 
projects that meet the criteria 
described in paragraph (5)(A);
``(IV) barriers to local and 
regional market access for Tribal 
farmers and ranchers; and
``(V) barriers to funding Tribal 
projects under farm to school 
programs.'';
(8) in paragraph (8)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``$5,000,000'' 
and inserting ``$10,000,000''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) Administration.--Of the funds provided to the 
Secretary under subparagraph (A), not more than 5 
percent may be used to pay administrative costs 
incurred by the Secretary in carrying out this 
subsection.''; and
(9) in paragraph (9), by striking ``2011 through 2015'' and 
inserting ``2025 through 2030''.
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