HR 9474: Local Foods for Healthy Schools Act of 2026

HR 9474 in plain English: This bill would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to provide $200,000,000 per year to support the purchase of local foods for school meal programs, using funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation, with an additional $200,000,000 per year authorized to be appropriated for the same purpose.

Stated purpose

This bill directs the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to create a program that helps state and local governments purchase food from local producers and deliver it to school cafeterias.

Key points

• Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to use $200,000,000 annually from the Commodity Credit Corporation for local foods in schools
• Authorizes an additional $200,000,000 per year in appropriations to carry out the program
• Funds would remain available beyond the fiscal year in which they are appropriated

Arguments supporters make

• Connecting schools with nearby farmers means fresher, healthier food for children while also supporting local agricultural economies.
• Routing federal dollars through local food systems keeps money in communities and helps small and mid-sized farms find reliable buyers.
• The supplement-not-supplant requirement protects existing state school food funding so this program adds resources rather than replacing them.

Arguments opponents make

• Creating a new federal program with its own allocation formula, cooperative agreements, and reporting requirements adds bureaucratic layers that may slow food delivery or divert resources to administration.
• The funding formula guarantees an equal base amount to every state regardless of need or capacity, which could send money to areas with fewer eligible local producers or less demand.
• Restricting purchases to 'local' producers may limit food variety and drive up costs compared to allowing schools to buy from the broadest possible supplier market.

Tradeoffs

The program prioritizes keeping food dollars close to home and supporting local farms, but this geographic restriction may reduce purchasing flexibility and could mean higher prices or less variety than a broader open-market approach would allow. Funding is split between a flat equal-per-state share and a student-population-based share, balancing small-state equity against serving the largest numbers of children, which means neither goal is fully maximized.

Current status in Congress: In committee.