I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6308 
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 8, 2023 
Ms. PLASKETT (for herself and Mr. MOLINARO) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 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 2023’’. 
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 duration in order to best 
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