PRIA Logo™
119-hr-10415119th CongressWALLET

Food for Thought Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44]

Introduced

Summary

Free college meals for low‑income students. This bill would create a competitive grant program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to fund free meals and snacks at eligible colleges and campus partnerships.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Free college meals for low-income students

If enacted, the bill would create competitive grants so eligible colleges and partners can give free meals and snacks to low-income undergraduates. Grants would go to institutions where at least 20% of undergraduates are Pell-eligible. Each student served would get between 1 and 10 free meals per week, and grantees could spend up to 20% of a grant on equipment. The bill would require outreach to low-income students, nutrition rules within 120 days, and it would stop these meals from being counted as "other financial assistance" when schools calculate student aid. Receipt of meals would not affect a student’s SNAP eligibility.

Funding, data sharing, and reports for program

If enacted, USDA and the Education Department would make a data-sharing agreement within 120 days to help find eligible schools and low-income students and to improve SNAP outreach. The MOU must include an annual technical assistance plan to help schools build meal infrastructure and run outreach. Grants would be authorized by Congress for fiscal years 2027 through 2032 (amounts to be appropriated). Each grantee must report within one year after its grant ends, and the Secretary must report program evaluations to Congress at 2 years and retention/completion effects at 4 years.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16]

    TX • D

    Sponsored 10/1/2026

  • Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 10/1/2026

  • Rep. Menefee, Christian D. [D-TX-18]

    TX • D

    Sponsored 10/1/2026

  • Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 10/1/2026

  • Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 10/1/2026

  • Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3]

    PA • D

    Sponsored 10/1/2026

  • Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 10/15/2026

  • Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3]

    OH • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2]

    LA • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9]

    NY • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30]

    TX • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4]

    PA • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29]

    TX • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Horsford, Steven [D-NV-4]

    NV • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]

    WI • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]

    DC • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]

    NC • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9]

    WA • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1]

    NM • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24]

    FL • D

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

  • Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]

    HI • D

    Sponsored 9/21/2026

  • Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5]

    CT • D

    Sponsored 9/21/2026

  • Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]

    WA • D

    Sponsored 9/21/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation