I 
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 Representa-
tives 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— 
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(1) in the subsection heading, by striking ‘‘PRO-
GRAM’’ 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 pro-
gram 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 ag-
ricultural producers; or 
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‘‘(III) educational activities relat-
ing to agriculture, nutrition, or food.’’; 
(3) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘schools’’ each place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘institutions’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘land-grant colleges and 
universities,’’ before ‘‘and nonprofit’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘grants and technical as-
sistance’’ and inserting ‘‘grants, technical as-
sistance, 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 activi-
ties relating to agriculture, nutrition, or 
food;’’; and 
(B) by striking subparagraph (C) and in-
serting the following: 
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‘‘(C) IMPROVED PROCUREMENT AND DIS-
TRIBUTION.— 
‘‘(i) 
IN
GENERAL.—In 
awarding 
grants under this subsection, the Secretary 
shall seek to improve local food procure-
ment and distribution options for agricul-
tural producers and eligible institutions. 
‘‘(ii) 
AGGREGATION, 
PROCESSING, 
TRANSPORTATION, AND
DISTRIBUTION.— 
In advancing local food procurement op-
tions and other farm to school program ob-
jectives, the Secretary may provide funding 
for projects that include innovative ap-
proaches to aggregation, processing, trans-
portation, 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 mak-
ing awards under this subsection, the Sec-
retary shall seek to make awards of diverse 
amounts and durations in order to best 
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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 pur-
pose 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 require-
ment 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 cri-
teria 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 pro-
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vided 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 de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) if that use is con-
sistent 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 ex-
tent 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 redesig-
nated) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(iii)(I) incorporate experiential and 
traditional and culturally appropriate food, 
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nutrition, or agricultural education activi-
ties in curriculum planning; and 
‘‘(II) serve a high proportion of chil-
dren from socially disadvantaged back-
grounds;’’; 
(F) in clause (iv) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ‘‘eligible schools’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘partners’’ and inserting ‘‘eligible insti-
tutions, State and local agencies, Tribal organi-
zations and agencies, agricultural producers or 
groups of agricultural producers, land-grant col-
leges 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 re-
designated) 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 
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