H.R.3220: Kids Eat Local Act

The Kids Eat Local Act (H.R. 3220) would support local and regional food systems by providing commonsense regulatory flexibility around the use of geographic preference for the procurement of school foods. The legislation would allow schools to use “locally grown, locally raised, and locally caught” in procurement requests. Farmers, businesses, and educators have repeatedly made requests for location-based product specifications in procurement. The bill has no cost for the federal government or school meals programs; instead, it helps to create new markets for farmers and creates more healthy options for school children.

Current law does not allow schools to ask for “local” as a product specification in food procurement requests. And while schools are permitted to use a geographic preference option, that system has proven to be confusing and burdensome to school foodservice providers and hence is underutilized.

S. 1817 is the Senate companion legislation.