A new federal bill calls on the US government to create a $10M pilot grant programme to expand voluntary access to plant-based meals in schools.
Two US House Representatives are asking the administration to walk the talk when it comes to children’s nutrition, proposing an act that would help school districts serve healthy plant-based meals and make non-dairy milks more accessible.
The Plant Powered School Meals Pilot Act, introduced by Democratic Congresswomen Nydia Velázquez and Alma Adams, would create a $10M voluntary grant programme to provide better-for-you, climate-friendly and culturally appropriate vegan entrées to school students.
It is a reintroduction of Velázquez’s Healthy Future Students and Earth Pilot Program Act from 2023, with the funds enabling training for foodservice staff, additional labour costs, and providing nutrition education to children.
The move has garnered support from physicians, dietitians, parents, and school students, as well as food security, climate and nutrition campaigners. A Senate introduction of the bill is expected too.
“Students need and deserve adequate food choices at school, given the amount of time they spend there each day. Driven by health, environmental, philosophical, religious, and other considerations, a growing number of students and their families are requesting more plant-based meal options at school,” Frances Chrzan, senior federal policy manager at Mercy For Animals, told Green Queen.
How the funds will promote access to plant-based food
According to the bill’s text, the grants would run for a three-year period. Among the eligibility criteria are districts’ plans to use the funds to serve more children entitled to free or discounted meals, collaborate with community-based organisations and farmers, and incorporate experiential, culturally appropriate meals (including vegan meat alternatives) or education activities related to 100% plant-based food.
Importantly, the programme is entirely voluntary and does not restrict or eliminate animal proteins – instead, it seeks to expand choice and help schools overcome barriers like limited funding, training, and technical support.
The funds made available by the act would provide for culinary training and technical assistance for school foodservice operators and staff, as well as any extra labour costs incurred from preparing and serving plant-based options.
They would also cover the procurement costs of plant-based proteins and milk from socially disadvantaged and local producers, and enable partnerships with small businesses and producers for professional development and training.
Moreover, the grants would allow schools to conduct taste tests and provide nutrition education to students, and ensure that school districts that serve a high population of food-insecure students are prioritised.
“Improving the quality of school meals is a vital way to reduce racial health disparities, since students of colour are more likely to depend on these meals as their primary nutrition source,” said Chrzan. “Including more plant-based options would better align school meals with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which advise increasing fibre intake and diversifying protein sources.”
Non-dairy milk in the federal spotlight
The Plant Powered School Meals Pilot Act doesn’t just stop at entrées – it’s fighting for the tens of millions of Americans who suffer from lactose intolerance, or choose not to drink dairy.
Current federal law only guarantees students a substitute for cow’s milk if a parent submits a physician’s note documenting a disability, and prohibits schools from proactively offering soy milk on the lunch line. And the National School Lunch Act requires kids to have cow’s milk on their trays for schools to be reimbursed by the government.
However, this new bill would require schools to offer non-dairy milk to any student upon a written request from a parent or guardian, even if they don’t have a disability. It also authorises school districts to provide milk alternatives to any student as part of a reimbursable meal without the need for a physician’s note.
“This requirement places a financial and administrative burden on families, which disproportionately affects students of colour,” explained Chrzan. “The cost of a doctor’s visit and the time a parent must take off work are unnecessary barriers that can prevent students from getting the nourishment they need at school.”
The move is reminiscent of the Freedom in School Cafeterias and Lunches (FISCAL) Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Democratic Senators John Fetterman and Cory Booker and Republican Senator John Kennedy earlier this year. It is awaiting discussion in the full Senate and House of Representatives, once the ongoing government shutdown ends, before heading to the desk of President Donald Trump.
“Both bills address the inequitable barriers that students face regarding dairy-free milk at school. Besides addressing foods served at school, the Plant Powered School Meals Pilot Act addresses concerns from many schools that, due to the subsidisation of dairy, plant-based milk can be more expensive to procure,” said Chrzan.
Indeed, this latest bill would assist schools by covering cost differences between dairy and nondairy milk, especially in districts with high rates of lactose intolerance. “The act authorises a pilot programme for providing resources to schools to address these funding concerns. However it’s done, Congress must make it easier for all students to access healthy dairy-free milk,” she said.
Healthy school meals are not a partisan issue
On a public level, there’s broad support for the reforms proposed by Representatives Velázquez and Adams. A recent survey showed that two-thirds of American adults agree that school students should have access to plant-based meals and dairy-free milk.
Many students have spoken out in support of this, too. Emily Lin, a high school student at El Monte Union High School District in California, believes vegan options would transform school nutrition and improve student health. “As a low-income high school student, I depend on school meals for my daily nutrition, yet accommodating a plant-forward diet has been a constant challenge,” she said.
“This struggle isn’t mine alone – every day, I watch friends skip lunch because of food allergies, see students unable to eat meals that conflict with their religious practices, and hear about families struggling to get a doctor’s note just to get non-dairy milk for their children.”
But will this effort succeed? Unlike the proposed FISCAL Act, this bill isn’t bipartisan – all its sponsors are Democrats, who are in the minority across the current administration.
Chrzan argued that offering healthy school meals for children shouldn’t be a partisan issue. “This administration has often stressed the importance of a healthy diet and the need to tackle chronic diet-related diseases. The Plant Powered School Meals Pilot Act gives Congress a direct way to invest in healthier kids and a stronger future,” she said.
That said, will the Trump administration be willing to fund an initiative that could hurt the livestock lobby, especially at a time when government funding is being gutted (even for causes as crucial as food stamps) and politicians are at loggerheads over how best to use federal resources?
Chrzan reiterates that children’s health is a fundamental priority: “Even when budgets are tight, this bill represents one of the most effective ways Congress can make a strategic, long-term investment in healthier kids and a healthier national future.”
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