S. 3669 — Plant-Powered School Meals Pilot Act

This section establishes a pilot program under the National School Lunch Act to award competitive three-year grants in diverse amounts to eligible school food authorities (i.e., those serving students 50% or more of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch or breakfast) for activities supporting 100 percent plant-based food options (i.e., breakfast or lunch meals or components using meat alternates per USDA regulations but containing no animal products or byproducts such as meat, poultry, honey, fish, dairy, or eggs). The Secretary of Agriculture must establish the program within 90 days of enactment. Grant applications must include a participatory evaluation plan and a plan for culturally appropriate meals, with priority for applicants serving high proportions of free or reduced-price eligible children; collaborating with community partners and producers; incorporating plant-based education activities; using organically produced options; and meeting other Secretary criteria. Grant funds may be used for (1) contracting for professional development training for food service personnel on preparing, procuring, marketing, and menu-planning plant-based options; (2) compensating participating employees at their regular pay rate; (3) providing technical assistance, student engagement, taste tests, recipe development, and culinary education; (4) compensating staff for additional work on plant-based meals; and (5) outreach and procurement costs from underserved producers (i.e., beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers), limited-resource farmers or ranchers, certified organic farms, and local producers. Grantees must maintain records on plant-based options served and submit annual reports to the Secretary on quantities served (compared to the prior year), schools, and students reached; the Secretary must report to Congress on program outcomes.

This section revises fluid milk requirements in the National School Lunch Program by (1) expanding the mandate to provide substitutes for students whose disability or other medical or special dietary need (defined as a non-disability dietary need, including religious or moral conviction) restricts their diet, upon receipt of a written statement from a licensed physician, legal guardian, or student (previously, physician or legal guardian and disability only); (2) striking provisions allowing schools to offer nutritionally equivalent nondairy beverages for students with medical or special dietary needs other than disabilities (previously optional, upon state agency notice); and (3) establishing a pilot grant program, to be initiated within 90 days of enactment, to reimburse eligible school food authorities for the full cost of providing nondairy beverages as substitutes, with priority for those serving high proportions of lactose-intolerant students or demonstrating dietary need, annual grantee reports to USDA, a USDA report to Congress within 180 days of sunset, program termination three years after enactment, and $2 million authorized for FY2026.