FORK Act of 2026

The Feeding Our Rural Kids Act of 2026 (FORK Act) creates a temporary "Summer Meal Delivery Vehicle Pilot Program" under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to issue grants to local service organizations so they can buy, update, or repair vehicles used to deliver summer meals to children who are unable to eat at centralized dining sites.

* **Service Institutions:** Organizations defined under federal school lunch law that provide summer meal services. * **Children and Families:** Children in low-income, rural, or socially disadvantaged communities who receive summer meals delivered outside traditional group dining locations. * **U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):** The Secretary of Agriculture is required to set up and administer the program, assist grant recipients, and report outcomes to Congress.

* **Program Launch:** The pilot program must begin operating the first summer that occurs at least 180 days after the bill is enacted. * **Vehicle Support:** Eligible organizations can obtain grants to purchase, modify, or fix delivery vehicles to bring meals directly to children outside of central facilities. * **Prioritization:** The USDA is required to prioritize grant applications from organizations in areas with poor economic conditions, rural locations (defined as outside a core-based statistical area), and places serving high percentages of socially disadvantaged students. * **Geographic Spread:** The USDA must ensure grant recipients are spread across different states as much as practically possible. * **Support and Oversight:** The USDA must offer technical support and share best practices with grant recipients. * **Reporting:** Grant recipients are required to submit periodic reports showing how many sites and children were served. The Secretary of Agriculture must submit a comprehensive report evaluating the program to Congress no later than four years after the program begins.

* **Authorized Funding:** The bill authorizes Congress to appropriate $1,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2029 (a total authorization of $3,000,000 over three years). * **Grant Cap:** Each grant is capped at a maximum of $100,000. * **Grant Duration:** Grants are awarded for a 1-year period. * **Administrative Expenses:** Grant recipients are prohibited from spending more than 10 percent of their grant funds on administrative expenses.

* Grants are limited strictly to vehicle purchases, retrofits, and repairs for non-group (noncongregate) meal delivery; funds cannot be used for broader operational costs beyond the vehicle expenses and the 10 percent administrative cap. * The bill authorizes spending, but actual funding depends on future congressional appropriations. * Specific definitions for eligible "service institutions" rely on existing school lunch law rather than new definitions created by this bill.

The FORK Act creates a three-year pilot program allowing the USDA to award grants of up to $100,000 to local organizations to buy or fix vehicles for delivering summer meals to children in rural and low-income communities.