As stipulated in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (PL 115–334, the 2018 Farm Bill), USDA must reevaluate the Thrifty Food Plan every 5 years. Since the first reevaluation under this new requirement was published in 2021, the next reevaluation is anticipated in 2026.
The Thrifty Food Plan 2026 Initial Study Plan outlines the overall scope of the analysis, including the population, type of analysis, and data sources identified to conduct the reevaluation. It also includes a description of ongoing research, quality assurance commitments, plans for project management, and the definitions of key terms.