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April 29, 2026
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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 7567.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Lucas). Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 7567 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 7567.
The Chair appoints the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson) to preside over the Committee of the Whole.
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In the Committee of the Whole
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 7567) to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2031, and for other purposes, with Mr. Simpson in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read for first time.
and shall not exceed 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Agriculture or their respective designees.
The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) and the gentlewoman from Minneapolis (Ms. Craig) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. It is more evident than ever that rural America needs a new farm bill now, not next year or next Congress.
extension, and the simple truth is the policies of 2018 are no match for the challenges of 2026. It is time to get this critical legislation done. I have said it before and I will say it again, because it is important: This bill was not written in Congress. It was written out in the fields and pastures of our great Nation while the Agriculture Committee held over 150 listening sessions. We went to farmers and ranchers in rural communities, and we asked them what they needed from Congress. Every provision in this bill is directly informed by what we learned in these listening sessions.
I would like to remind everyone of the facts. This bill is filled with good policy that is also overwhelmingly bipartisan. Upon introduction, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act included or drew upon 150 bipartisan marker bills.
offered and debated with 46 adopted, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. It passed the committee with strong bipartisan support. It also enjoys the endorsement of over 500 agriculture stakeholder groups.
fuel, and clothe our country in supporting this farm bill. Now is not the time to turn our backs on rural America.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in opposition to this bill. Mr. Chair, at kitchen tables across this country, millions of Americans—seniors, working parents, and farmers—are wondering how they are going to pay the bills or not lose money this planting season.
increased the cost of fertilizer and diesel,
stop these losses or to help offset the $54 billion in losses farmers have had to absorb. Worse yet, it doesn't fix any of the underlying policy choices by Republicans and this administration that caused the problems in the first place.
assistance so they can afford to keep planting. It locks in the $187 billion cut to food assistance that Republicans made in the big, ugly bill—putting more pressure on struggling Americans at a time when the cost of groceries and healthcare continues to grow.
That is what the farm bill doesn't do. It doesn't lower costs. It doesn't help save one family farm from bankruptcy, which is up nearly 50 percent since this administration took office.
So what does this so-called bill attempt to do? It protects the world's largest pesticide companies from lawsuits, cuts farm conservation programs by $1 billion, and overturns the will of voters in States nationwide that set specific animal welfare and food standards for themselves.
want to protect pesticide companies and lock in cuts to food assistance at a time when grocery prices are spiking?
of bankruptcy and families going hungry, or do we want to sit on our hands and make excuses?
force Republicans back to the table to negotiate a true bipartisan bill that prioritizes the cost of living crisis in this country.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I just want to note that most of what the gentlewoman, a good friend of mine, says is not in this bill is not in our jurisdiction. It is not a part of the farm bill because it doesn't fit.
Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas), the chairman of the Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology Subcommittee and chair emeritus of the Committee on Agriculture.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to stand here today to offer my enthusiastic support for the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.
before, and while passing a comprehensive farm bill is never easy, the rewards can be seen in tangible ways in every facet of our communities.
universities, the fire stations, the community facilities, and rural hospitals across this great Nation.
represent a top agricultural district, small town, or a booming metropolis, the policies in this bill will affect you.
food and fiber that ultimately finds its way into your home, and it will ensure that the next generation can continue that legacy.
I urge my colleagues to vote “yes” with me on final passage, and I thank Chairman Thompson for bringing forth this bill today.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Hayes), my distinguished colleague.
Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Chair, today we are considering a farm bill that fails to meet the needs of families and farmers across the country.
meets the needs of rural America, but a farm bill should meet the needs of all Americans. I only wish that we were debating this at an hour where the American public could pay attention and listen.
Last year, the House of Representatives considered H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, by $187 billion to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans in our country.
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Since H.R. 1 was enacted, more than 3 million Americans have been kicked off SNAP, with losses reported in every single State. In Connecticut, over 33,000 people have already lost their benefits, and we expect that number to rise.
and paying for healthcare as food becomes yet another impossible trade- off. It is not because their needs have changed, but because this Congress has changed the rules.
the moment. It does not repair the damage. It does not restore the benefits, and it does not respond to the warnings from States and counties that the Federal Government is shifting massive administrative costs onto, forcing local governments to consider raising taxes, tightening eligibility, or scaling back services just to keep these programs afloat.
pesticide corporations. It rolls back critical environmental conservation programs. It offers no plans to address the tariffs and trade instability that are already squeezing producers around the country.
Once again, this farm bill does nothing to address the $187 billion in SNAP cuts already enacted. In fact, it cements those cuts. At a time when grocery prices are rising and tariffs are increasing costs for families and farmers, we should be restoring SNAP and expanding access; not cutting it.
millions of food-insecure Americans already at risk. We need a farm bill that supports farmers and families, rural and urban communities.
I urge a “no” vote on this version of the bill so that we can get back to the negotiating table and produce something that is beneficial for our entire country.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Finstad), chairman of the Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture Subcommittee.
Mr. FINSTAD. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Thompson for yielding.
Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.
firsthand that farm country has faced compounding challenges over the past several years.
bipartisan farm bill that is written by farmers and for farmers, by rural communities and for rural communities.
investment in farm safety net spending since the 2002 farm bill. The 2026 farm bill builds upon those successes, and it reflects the bipartisan priorities of farmers in southern Minnesota and all across this country, delivering the strong farm policy that farmers, producers, and rural communities need and deserve.
Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), my distinguished colleague.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Chair, it is now nearly 11 o'clock at night. This is nuts. What the hell is wrong with you people? You guys are bringing this farm bill to the floor 3 years late in the middle of the night. It is prime time in Guam, for God's sake.
Republicans spent the whole day fighting with each other. You know what most Americans spent doing today? Working, going to school, taking care of their kids, living their lives, wondering, praying, if this institution might give a damn about their hopes and dreams, their concerns and fears.
care. If they did, they would not be bringing this farm bill to the floor, because this bill makes hunger worse. It means more kids go to bed without food, more seniors end up in the ER after taking pills on an empty stomach, and more parents put groceries back on the shelf.
Hunger is a political condition. It is the result of decisions made in this Chamber. Republicans decided in their big, ugly bill to make hunger worse. With this farm bill, they are deciding to keep it worse by locking in massive cuts to food assistance.
Forty-eight million people in this country cannot afford food. As a Congressman and as an American, I am ashamed of that. I am ashamed that in a nation as rich and powerful as ours, the people in charge of this town don't seem to give a damn.
SNAP is food for seniors. It is food for families, food for veterans, and Americans with disabilities. That is the majority of who is on SNAP.
When it comes to the rest, most have a job. They work 40, 50, 60 hours a week, and they still can't keep food in the fridge.
People don't want to be on SNAP. We are talking about 6 bucks a day, for God's sake, and they need help because we have a broken economic system. They need help because the average price of a pound of ground beef is now higher than the hourly Federal minimum wage. They need help because our tax system rewards wealth instead of workers. They need help because grocery prices are too damn high, and Trump's war and his tariffs are making them worse.
and use it to give billionaires another tax break. It is outrageous. It is immoral, and it is wrong.
This farm bill should address hunger. It does not. It should strengthen our food system from the farm field to the kitchen table. It fails that test miserably.
embarrassment, a disgrace to the institution and the people we represent.
is making and breaking on the floor today. Quite frankly, I wouldn't trust this Republican leadership to tell me the correct time. But based on what I have heard, we will be coming back to Rules Committee on this bill after the district work period.
I want to put you all on notice: I intend to offer, among other amendments, Representative Luna's proposal to protect proposition 12, which was, unfortunately, left out of the rule that we are debating today.
The American people are watching. They are sick and tired of what this Republican majority is doing. How dare you bring a bill to the floor that makes hunger worse in this country. How dare you bring a bill to the floor that doesn't help regular farmers. How dare you bring a bill to the floor that is filled with all these giveaways to special interests. Vote “no.”
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Ellzey). The gentleman will suspend.
Members are reminded to direct their remarks to the Chair.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, facts matter. There was no reduction in the amount of the monetary value of SNAP benefits. In fact, there is some really good enhancements to the SNAP program within this bill.
Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Van Orden), the vice chair of the Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Subcommittee,
Mr. VAN ORDEN. Mr. Chair, I remind my Democrat colleagues that I was raised in abject, rural poverty by a single mother on food stamps when you had a stamp that you stuck on a card. I had subsidized government lunches and government cheese.
takes place in SNAP, and we want to make sure that every single dollar that is allocated to go to a hungry child or a veteran or one of our senior citizens goes to them.
I would like to say this to my colleagues. It is a quote. “It will not be doubted that with reference either to individual or national welfare, agriculture is of primary importance. In proportion as nations advance in population and other circumstances of maturity this truth becomes more apparent, and renders the cultivation of the soil more and more an object of public patronage.”
was George Washington, and that quote comes from 1796. So when my colleagues say that we don't have enough money to spend to feed our people and grow our lands, they are simply wrong.
American in the one industry that should touch every American at least two times a day.
I strongly support this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to do so.
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Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Maine (Ms. Pingree).
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member for yielding me the time.
Mr. Chair, I am sorry to say that this is a terrible farm bill. As a result of this bill, more people will go hungry, more farmers will lose assistance to the conservation programs that are already oversubscribed, and more farmers who are struggling to make ends meet will find it more and more difficult to hang on to their farms.
limited time I have to show some strong support of Representative Luna's pesticide amendment. I am proud to say that her amendment, which was made in order, mirrors the language of the bipartisan amendment I sponsored with Representative Massie. I thank Representative Luna for also working on this important issue.
the farm bill has drawn broad bipartisan support, both within this Chamber and across America.
Committee included in the farm bill is a handout to Big Agriculture and Big Chemical. It preempts States' rights to regulate pesticide usage or labeling. It provides a liability shield for pesticide manufacturers. Put simply, this language puts chemical company profits over the health of Americans.
against Bayer. Behind the numbers are real people—husbands, wives, farmers, even pets—with heartbreaking stories. People suffering from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and other devastating cancers are racking up outrageous medical bills.
additional uses for these same chemicals, beyond killing weeds. We see glyphosate now used to kill weeds to dry crops before harvest, and it means it makes its way into more and more of our food system. That means the bread, the hummus, and the pasta we are eating are more likely to contain this toxic and dangerous chemical. More and more people are ingesting it without even realizing it.
Bayer exactly what they have spent millions of dollars and lobbying power on: legal immunity.
language from the FY 2026 Appropriations Interior funding bill. Unfortunately, the work we did in that committee did not deter Bayer, which, armed with 53 lobbyists and millions of dollars, immediately got to work to get their get-out-of-jail-free card elsewhere: on this farm bill and at the Supreme Court.
Mr. Chair, Democrats and Republicans and citizens across this country agree: Keep this language out of the farm bill. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, I am so proud of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act. It actually doesn't cut conservation. We add 24 percent to the baseline, a significant amount of money for conservation, more than we have ever had.
Nation's sovereignty. Unfortunately, Ms. Luna's amendment that was made reference to will do harm to all three of those.
Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Rose), the vice chair of the Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee.
Mr. ROSE. Mr. Chair, as an eighth-generation Tennessee farmer, I rise in strong support of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.
lows, Congress must provide the legislative certainty of a long-overdue farm bill.
men and women who feed and fuel this country. With support from over 500 stakeholder organizations, this bill builds upon the major victories secured in H.R. 1 by strengthening the farm safety net, conservation programs, and regulatory certainty; enhancing rural hospitals, businesses, water, and broadband; and improving agricultural research, trade programs, and access to capital. Additionally, it combats fraud, safeguards SNAP integrity, and remains budget-neutral, all while lowering costs for families.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to stand with America's farmers and rural communities and vote “yes” on the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Tokuda).
Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Chair, earlier today, we sat in the Armed Services Committee and heard a $1.5 trillion defense budget request. That is not including the $1 billion a day going to the Iran war. Just imagine what even a fraction of that could do if we invested it in our farmers and in feeding American families.
This is not a moment for a skinny farm bill. It is a moment for a serious, bipartisan one. Yet, once again, specialty crop farm producers, the backbone of agriculture in States like Hawaii, are being shortchanged. They got 7 percent of the USDA Farmer Bridge Assistance funding, even though we have specialty crop growers in every single State, every territory, and 95 percent of all counties with farms.
Democrats fought to fix that. We pushed for an additional $10 billion in support so these farmers could survive and compete. We were blocked.
At the same time, this administration ripped away $660 million that helped get fresh, local food into our schools—literally, taking food out of the mouths of hungry kids and income out of the hands of farmers who grew it. We fought to cancel those cuts, but we were blocked.
Let's be clear about the broader context. Tariffs, taxes on our own farmers, have cost them billions and made food more expensive for everyone. That is not support. That is harm.
Yes, this bill does harm for what it does and what it does not do.
severe natural disasters. This bill strips over a billion dollars from conservation programs and guts in-kind assistance for RCPP partnerships, the very projects that help farmers invest in their land and build long-term resilience.
Americans with fewer protections. It is an outright poison pill that denies Americans their day in court.
That is not a compromise. That is a step backward. A farm bill that ignores these realities doesn't just fall short. It deepens the crisis. It tells farmers we are not listening. It tells families they are on their own. We can and must do better.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to reject this bill. Come back to the table. Come back at a decent hour, not in the dark of night where we are trying to push through this bill and this amendment. Do the hard, bipartisan work to deliver a farm bill that actually meets this moment. Vote “no.”
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, just a reminder, farm bill 1.0, which was signed into law last July, is the single largest investment in our farm families in a generation.
There were $66 billion in benefits in so many ways, and quite frankly, specialty crop growers love this farm bill we are working on right now. This farm bill does restore the farm-to-school and farm-to- food bank provisions.
Mr. MESSMER. Mr. Chair, I stand today in strong support of the bipartisan Farm, Food, and National Security Act.
and preserves value-added labeling for bioproducts that use American- grown farm products. In other words, this program serves as a demand driver for farmers in Indiana and across the country.
Nationally, the bio-based products industry contributes $489 billion to the U.S. economy and drives nearly 40 percent of the demand for U.S.-grown ag products.
addresses concerns surrounding market access, input costs, farm succession, and economic viability in rural America.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting American farmers by voting in favor of this American farm bill.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, I remind my Republican colleagues that we didn't do a farm bill 1.0. What we did was a very partisan budget reconciliation process. Farm bills are intended to be 12-title, 5-year bills. Reconciliation does not qualify as that.
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chair, the farm bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation that Congress works on. It touches every corner of this country every day.
Let me be direct about what this bill does and does not do. It does not address the crisis actually happening in farm country right now.
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in the Midwest. Input costs keep rising, driven by reckless tariffs and the reckless war in Iran.
them next to nothing: no farm aid; no solution to rein in fertilizer or diesel prices; no protections against USDA reorganizations or funding freezes; no attempt to end the tariffs destroying export markets or restore the trade relationships farmers depend on; and false promises again and again on year-round E15.
Where is the relief?
Where is the urgency?
Working families aren't doing any better. Gas, goods, and grocery costs are rising, and this bill does nothing to bring them down. Instead, this farm bill ratifies the largest cuts to food assistance in American history.
Republicans used the big, ugly law to slash $187 billion from SNAP and handed that money straight to the wealthiest Americans. In doing so, they torched the bipartisan coalition that has kept the farm bill together for generations, and now they want Democrats to come in and lock in those very same cuts with a bipartisan farm bill, while they continue to threaten the SNAP program with more partisan cuts. Give me a break.
Mr. Chair, let me tell you what those SNAP cuts look like on the ground. In my district, 11,000 people have lost food assistance, and that is before the next round of cuts kick in. Nationally, 4 million Americans have already been kicked off SNAP entirely, 4 million people gone, and this farm bill will cement those cuts and that cruelty into law.
pick up the new cost share coming down the pike. That means more cuts, more hunger, and more harm.
actually pass the Senate, and one that confronts the real factors driving the crisis in farm country and the affordability crisis at the kitchen table.
Mr. Chair, this partisan bill is not it, and I urge my colleagues to oppose it.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann), who is the chairman of the Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Subcommittee.
Mr. MANN. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.
Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026, and I urge my colleagues to pass this critical legislation when it comes to the floor.
The last full farm bill was passed in 2018. Since then, input costs have risen, borrowing has become more expensive, and markets have grown more volatile. Our policies must reflect that reality.
farm safety net and delivering meaningful support for producers through the working families tax cuts. However, that was never the finish line. That was the foundation.
This bill builds on that foundation. It delivers a modern, fiscally responsible, 5-year farm bill that meets the needs of today's producers and prepares American agriculture for the future.
This bill is grounded in fiscal responsibility. It provides certainty without growing government for the sake of growing government. It cuts through unnecessary red tape and focuses on what actually works for producers on the ground.
Mr. Chair, farmers and ranchers do not operate on Washington timelines. They plan in seasons and generations.
American producers have been asking us for for years. This is about more than policy. It is about supporting the people who keep this country running, strengthening rural America, and ensuring that the United States remains the global leader in agriculture.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to my distinguished colleague from the State of Illinois (Mr. Jackson).
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Chair, I rise today not merely to speak about a piece of legislation, but to speak about a moral covenant, one that binds this Nation to those who till its soil; who rise before dawn and labor until dusk; and who ask not for charity but for fairness; not for sympathy, but for justice.
commodities. It is about the people. It is about the dignity of work, and it is about whether America will honor the hands that feed her.
and 206, but also to lift a greater truth: that public policy, if it is to be righteous, must be rooted in both economic wisdom and moral clarity.
the Congress on the increased costs that American farmers are facing due to rising costs of diesel and fertilizer prices. These costs are a direct result of President Trump's unilateral action to embroil the United States in a protracted war with Iran.
We cannot, Mr. Chair, turn a blind eye to the burdens facing our farmers. When diesel prices rise, it is not an abstraction. If there is a tractor that sits still when fertilizer costs soar, it is not theory. It is a field left barren.
and demand between our trade and our partners, it is not distance. It is deeply personal to the farmer whose livelihood hangs in the balance.
A nation that depends upon its farmers must not ignore its cries. We must not pass legislation in the darkness of night when the lights are turned off and when we can use the truth of the light to let the American people see what is being proposed. To demand a full accounting of these rising costs is not a partisan act. It is an act of responsibility. We must hear the cries of the farmers for their food, for their fuel, and for their fertilizer. It is the least that we can do for those who give us our daily bread.
There is a deeper issue before us. It is one that touches the very soul of this legislation. My second amendment increases civil rights accountability for employees and officials of the United States Department of Agriculture.
conscience and steadfast courage, my friend and our friend and colleague, Chairman David Scott. Congressman Scott stood as a bridge between policy and principle. He understood that agriculture is not merely an economic enterprise, but that it is a human enterprise. He worked tirelessly in these Halls to ensure that the laws governing our land will reflect the highest ideals of justice and equality.
farm bill because we know that the history of the United States Department of Agriculture has not always been a story of fairness.
The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Illinois.
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Chair, I thank Ranking Member Craig for the additional time.
women farmers—who knocked on the doors of opportunity and were turned away not because of the content of their character but because of the color of their skin.
We say today with clarity and conviction: No more. No more shall discrimination hide behind bureaucracy. No more shall injustice wear the mask of procedure. No more shall farmers be made to feel like a stranger on their own land.
Accountability is not about punishment. It is progress. It is the foundation upon which trust is built. If this government is to ask its citizens to believe it, then it must prove itself worthy of that belief.
My amendment is not radical. It is a righteous piece of legislation. It affirms that those entrusted with public service must also be held to public standards, Mr. Chair, and that justice delayed shall not become justice denied.
The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has again expired.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Illinois.
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Chair, the farm bill is not just a legislative document. It is a moral document. It speaks to who we are as a nation. It declares what we value, and it reveals whether we are willing to match our words with our deeds.
We will stand with the farmers struggling under rising costs. We will stand with the farmers seeking justice at the hands of this government.
Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for gracing me with more time.
of work. We will not remain silent in the face of inequity and inequality.
I submit to you today, Mr. Chair, that the time for silence has passed. Let us build a farm bill that feeds not only the body, but feeds the soul of America.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I thank my good friend from Illinois for mentioning our former colleague whom we all miss dearly, David Scott. I am proud this bill actually memorializes him by naming the 1890 program permanently in his honor. I am sure glad that we did that in the bill markup in committee when he was there versus waiting to do it here on the House floor.
Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nunn), who is a member of the Agriculture Committee.
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Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Chair, this has truly not only been a bipartisan effort, but this is an effort that leads for America. Mr. Chair, I would like to speak today on behalf of Iowa's farmers and the millions of Americans who depend on a strong farm economy.
as national security, something we have all participated in here, the hardworking men and women who drive Iowa forward, who feed and fuel our country and the world are the driving force behind this year's farm bill, a bill which I believe Congress has worked hard to deliver for them. Whether it be corn or soybeans, pork or cattle, poultry, as a sixth-generation sheep farm kid, all of our livestock, we are making a positive impact here.
talking to all 21 counties, and I am proud to say in this farm bill with our leadership team, we have been able to pass 21 of my provisions. That includes everything from helping a beginning farmer, improving water quality, investing in rural broadband, and cracking down on illegal puppy mills.
passing this bill, but D.C. sometimes does what D.C. does, and Washington deals threatened to undo the hard work we have done across the aisle to deliver for our farmers. However, Mr. Chair, we stood up, and I apologize to our Speaker because I shout out on the floor that this farm bill has to move forward. After working through this, a long night indeed, we were able to move forward.
staying in the room and committing to both sides to have a vote on the farm bill and making sure also that we move forward on nationwide, year-round E15 when we come back from recess.
This is a bipartisan win for farmers. It is a win for rural Iowa. Most importantly, Mr. Chair, it is a win for all of America. I am proud to be part of this farm bill.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. McClain Delaney).
Mrs. McCLAIN DELANEY. Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member for yielding. As the only Marylander on the House Ag Committee, I rise to speak about what is at stake in this farm bill for our farmers and also for rural America.
Idaho, a potato farmer's daughter, and right now farms are being squeezed in every direction: higher costs due to tariffs, immigration- related labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions. There is a 46 percent increase in farm bankruptcies this year over last. It is a crisis.
congressional approval. I strongly believe this reorganization will cost more in the long run than it saves and will undercut vital services farmers need. A real concern is the loss of decades of institutional knowledge and agency expertise, as USDA civil servants are not uprooting their lives to relocate across the country, which then translates into less technical assistance and ongoing support for our farmers.
speak, is pivotal national research is being undermined. Maryland is home to Beltsville's Agricultural Research Center, BARC. BARC is one of the crown jewels of American ag science, and for nearly a century—yes, for nearly 100 years—it has helped farmers fight pests and disease, improve nutrition, housed our Nation's bee lab, and protected natural resources. Our Maryland dairy farmers applaud BARC for its work on the screw worm, a horrible parasite devouring livestock across our country.
of expertise that simply cannot be quickly replaced and transferred. It is a travesty.
more support. We must meet the moment. Sadly, for me, this farm bill does not. It does cut USDA services. It cuts real funding by 20 percent compared to 2018, and it does rescind over $1 billion from conservation programs, which provide less support for soil health and water quality.
to restore SNAP, the bipartisan cornerstone of many years of farm bills. USDA revealed that 3 million Americans have already lost benefits since the passage of H.R. 1.
children. Many of these recipients do work. They just can't make ends meet on their current take-home wages. To me, this is a moral failure that none of us wants, and these cost allocations for the great State of Maryland are truly unsustainable.
farm bill, given the above reasons, I urge a “no” on this legislation. It is my deep hope that there will be future bipartisan work on increasing food assistance for those who need it, for helping USDA, and ensuring vital ag research, particularly that BARC is preserved.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from Maryland. In the first part of her presentation, she clearly made the case of why we need the Farm, Food, and National Security Act when she very accurately talked about all the challenges and difficulties our farm families are facing. Just a reminder, SNAP benefits have not been cut.
Mr. Chair, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack), a member of the Agriculture Committee.
Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Chair, I rise today after years of fighting for this to say, yes, we are finally getting the farm bill done.
bill. It is a lifeline. For the farmers and ranchers in Florida, the men and women who wake up before the Sun, who work through the hurricanes, the freezes, and the disease outbreaks, who have been delivering for this country while Washington didn't deliver for them, this moment is long overdue.
Now, let me be direct about something. Our farmers did not create the chaos of rising input costs. They did not ask for the hurricanes that wiped out their groves and flooded their fields. They did not cause the freezes that killed their crops or the citrus greening that has devastated an entire industry. They absorbed it all, quietly and stubbornly, because that is what our producers do. For too long, Washington's response has been paperwork delays and disaster programs that did not meet the moment, did not reflect reality.
Mr. Chair, we all know that food security is national security. Every acre that is abandoned, every grove that is not replanted, every farmer who walks away, that is a strategic loss. Our adversaries understand this, even when people in this very Chamber choose to forget it. A nation that cannot feed itself is a nation that is not secure and a nation that can be controlled from abroad. Americans should never have to rely on foreign food.
is not a hospital, but a farm. You cannot feed a healthy Nation on substances manufactured in a lab. You need farmers. You need growers. You need ranchers. You need the men and women of this country who are producing real food for real families. That is MAHA. That is MAHA. You cannot fix the health of this Nation if you don't pass the farm bill.
nearly 2 million family farms across this country, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this farm bill. They are all counting on you.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. De La Cruz), vice chair of the Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee.
Ms. De La Cruz. Mr. Chair, I thank our chairman. When I say thank you, I mean thank you, thank you, thank you.
bipartisan farm bill that this Chamber has seen, and what the other side of the aisle is saying is completely nonsense.
Democratic to Republican counties and States to see what our farmers truly need. Guess what? This farm bill shows it.
{time} 2330
This is a bipartisan farm bill. This is a farm bill that meets the needs of the farmers. And guess what. It meets the needs of our American people.
This nonsense needs to stop. This bipartisan showcase that is happening tonight must stop. It is time to pass the farm bill and not wait a moment longer.
the farm bill—not the activists, but the actual people who believe that farmers and American national security and farm security come first.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, I don't really know what I just listened to. There are 700 organizations that are opposing this farm bill. Maybe Texas, maybe lots of States around this country, have a lot of money just to spend. My Republican colleagues talk about unfunded mandates all the time. Shifting costs to the States for SNAP was an unfunded mandate.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Chair, my Republican colleagues here tonight want you to think that this is a farm bill, but it is a collection of Republican excuses.
In reconciliation, they cut $187 billion from title IV of the farm bill. That isn't a bipartisan process.
President Trump said he would lower costs on day one. Republicans would have us believe that their top priority here tonight is supporting family farmers.
What about the tariffs? What about China taking all of its business to Brazil and Argentina? Where are my colleagues in actually standing up for family farmers?
farm bill does nothing to lower fertilizer costs or diesel costs for farmers or restore food assistance for millions of Americans, children or seniors.
Mr. Chair, I have created a vision of Lucy with the football so many times on this topic of E15 that I don't even know how to describe it anymore. The fact that, tonight, my friends on the other side of the aisle somehow negotiated to have E15 taken off the table to me is just unbelievable.
to move forward in pushing for those new domestic markets. I know there is probably some deal cut on the side or a gentleman's agreement or whatever, but we are going to be back here in 2 weeks. There is going to be a lot of procedural movement on this thing, and I am telling you, tonight, I do not believe that we will see a vote on E15 come to this House floor, that standing down on E15 was walking away from our family farmers.
We offered an amendment that would add another $17 billion in assistance to family farmers, as well as make sure that working families across our country are taken care of by delaying this unfunded mandate to the States.
is still today; maybe it is tomorrow—and declare that this is a bipartisan product, our colleagues took about 10 percent of what we offered. Then, they came back and tried to pick off one of us at a time with some little sweetener.
side of the aisle. Democrats stand ready to support a truly bipartisan farm bill. My hope is that throughout this process, just like in 2014 and just like in 2018, we can come to a bipartisan farm bill, ensuring that the Senate is part of this process.
Mr. Chair, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. I would have offered the motion with an amendment to the bill.
I include in the Record the text of my amendment.
Ms. Craig moves to recommit the bill H.R. 7567 to the
Committee on Agriculture with instructions to report the same
back to the House forthwith, with the following amendment:
Add at the end of title XII the following:
SEC. 124__. FARM AND FAMILY RELIEF.
(a) Economic Assistance for Families.—
(1) Benefit cost-shift delay.—Section 4(a)(2)(B) of the
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2013(a)(2)(B)) is
amended—
(A) in clause (i) by striking “2028” and inserting
“2032”; and
(B) in clause (ii)—
(i) in subclause (I) —
(I) by striking “2028” each place it appears and
inserting “2032”; and
(II) by striking “2025 or 2026” and inserting “2029 or
2030”; and
(ii) in subclause (II) by striking “2029” each place it
appears and inserting “2033”; and
(C) by striking clause (iii).
(2) Administrative cost-shift delay.—Section 16(a) of the
Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2025(a)) is amended
by striking “through fiscal year 2026, 50 percent, and for
fiscal year 2027” and inserting “through fiscal year 2028,
50 percent, and for fiscal year 2029”.
(b) Economic Assistance for Producers of Eligible
Commodities.—
(1) In general.—
(A) Economic assistance payments.—With respect to the 2025
crop year, if the Secretary determines that the expected
gross return per acre for an eligible commodity determined
under subparagraph (B) is less than the expected cost of
production per acre for that eligible commodity determined
under subparagraph (C), the Secretary shall, not later than
90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, make a 1-
time economic assistance payment to each producer of that
eligible commodity during that crop year.
(B) Expected gross return per acre.—The expected gross
return per acre for an eligible commodity referred to in
subparagraph (A) shall be equal to—
(i) in the case of wheat, corn, grain sorghum, barley,
oats, cotton, rice, and soybeans, the product obtained by
multiplying—
(I) the projected average farm price for the applicable
eligible commodity for the 2025-2026 marketing year contained
in the December 2025 World Agricultural Supply and Demand
Estimates published by the World Agricultural Outlook Board
on December 9, 2025; and
(II) the national average harvested yield per acre for the
applicable eligible commodity for the most recent 10 crop
years, as determined by the Secretary; and
(ii) in the case of each eligible commodity not specified
in clause (i), a comparable estimate of gross returns, as
determined by the Secretary.
(C) Expected cost of production.—The expected cost of
production per acre for an eligible commodity referred to in
subparagraph (A) shall be equal to—
(i) in the case of wheat, corn, grain sorghum, barley,
oats, cotton, rice, and soybeans, the total costs listed for
the 2025 crop year with respect to the applicable eligible
commodity contained in the data product relating to such
commodity and crop year entitled “U.S. Commodity Costs and
Returns by Region and by Commodity” published by the
Economic Research Service; and
(ii) in the case of each eligible commodity not specified
in clause (i), a comparable total estimated cost-of-
production, as determined by the Secretary.
(D) Payment amounts.—
(i) In general.—The amount of an economic assistance
payment to a producer for an eligible commodity under
subparagraph (A) shall be equal to the difference between—
(I) the amount equal to 65 percent of the product obtained
by multiplying—
(aa) the economic loss for that eligible commodity
determined under clause (ii); and
(bb) the eligible acres of that eligible commodity on the
farm determined under clause (iii); and
(II) the amount of any payment issued by the Secretary to
such producer with respect to crop year 2025 for such
eligible commodity or such eligible acres on the farm under
the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program of the Department of
Agriculture as described in the press release of the
Department of Agriculture on December 8, 2025 (Release No.
0239.25).
(ii) Economic loss.—For purposes of clause (i)(I), the
economic loss for an eligible commodity shall be equal to the
difference between—
(I) the expected cost of production per acre for that
eligible commodity, as determined under subparagraph (C); and
(II) the expected gross return per acre for that eligible
commodity, as determined under subparagraph (B).
(iii) Eligible acres.—For purposes of clause (i)(I)(bb),
the eligible acres of an eligible commodity on a farm shall
be equal to the sum obtained by adding—
(I) the acreage planted on the farm to that eligible
commodity for harvest, grazing, haying, silage, or other
similar purposes for the 2025 crop year; and
(II) an amount equal to 100 percent of the acreage on the
farm that was prevented from being planted during the 2025
crop year to
that eligible commodity because of drought, flood, or other
natural disaster, or other condition beyond the control of
the producers on the farm, as determined by the Secretary.
(iv) Acreage planted.—For purposes of clause (iii)(I), the
Secretary shall consider acreage planted to include any land
devoted to planted acres for accepted skip-row planting
patterns, as determined by the Secretary.
(v) Data.—If the Secretary determines there is
insufficient data to determine the comparable estimate of
gross returns with respect to an eligible commodity under
subparagraph (B)(ii) or a comparable total estimated cost-of-
production with respect to an eligible commodity under
subparagraph (C)(ii), the Secretary shall use data related to
a similarly situated commodity for purposes of determining
the payment amount under this paragraph.
(2) Payment limitations.—
(A) In general.—Except as provided in subparagraph (B),
sections 1001, 1001A, 1001B, and 1001C of the Food Security
Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308, 1308-1, 1308-2, 1308-3) shall
apply with respect to assistance provided under this
subsection.
(B) Exception.—The total amount of payments received,
directly or indirectly, by a person or legal entity (except a
joint venture or general partnership) under this subsection
may not exceed—
(i) $125,000, if less than 75 percent of the average gross
income of the person or legal entity for the 2021, 2022, and
2023 tax years is derived from farming, ranching, or
silviculture activities; and
(ii) $250,000, if not less than 75 percent of the average
gross income of the person or legal entity for the 2021,
2022, and 2023 tax years is derived from farming, ranching,
or silviculture activities.
(C) Separate limitation.—The payment limitations under
this paragraph shall be separate from annual payment
limitations under any other program.
(3) Definitions.—In this subsection:
(A) Extra-long staple cotton; producer.—The terms “extra-
long staple cotton” and “producer” have the meanings given
those terms in section 1111 of the Agricultural Act of 2014
(7 U.S.C. 9011).
(B) Cotton.—The term “cotton” means extra-long staple
cotton and upland cotton.
(C) Eligible commodity.—
(i) In general.—The term “eligible commodity” means a
loan commodity (as defined in section 1201(a) of the
Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9031(a)).
(ii) Exclusion.—The term “eligible commodity” does not
include graded wool, nongraded wool, mohair, or honey.
(D) Legal entity; person.—The terms “legal entity” and
“person” have the meanings given those terms in section
1001(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(a)).
(E) Rice.—The term “rice” means long grain rice and
medium grain rice.
(c) Economic Assistance for Sugar Beet Producers.—
(1) In general.—
(A) Block grants.—From the amounts appropriated under
paragraph (3), the Secretary shall make block grants to sugar
beet cooperatives to carry out economic assistance payments
in accordance with subparagraph (B).
(B) Use of funds.—A sugar beet cooperative that receives a
block grant under subparagraph (A) may only use the grant
funds to make payments to members of such cooperative that
are sugar beet producers for the economic losses incurred by
such producers during the 2025 crop year for sugar beets.
(2) Payments.—In carrying out the block grants under
paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall—
(A) establish, in consultation with sugar beet
cooperatives, a per-acre payment rate for purposes of
determining the amount and allocation of such block grants;
and
(B) reduce from the amount of a block grant to a sugar beet
cooperative, as determined under subparagraph (A), the total
amount of assistance each member of such cooperative that is
a sugar beet producer received for the 2025 crop year under
the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program of the Department of
Agriculture as described in the press release of the
Department of Agriculture on December 8, 2025 (Release No.
0239.25).
(3) Appropriation.—There is appropriated to the Secretary
to carry out this subsection $330,000,000.
(d) Economic Assistance for Specialty Crops.—
[For the full text of the Amendment, please see H.R. 7206,
the Farm and Family Relief Act.]
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Chair, what can I say? I am not sure my good friend, the ranking member, would recognize a bipartisan bill because this one truly is. This was not written in Washington. This was written while traveling the country, Republicans and Democrats, 43 different States, 1 territory, over close to 160 different listening sessions. We did it in a tripartisan way, Republicans and Democrats. We invited Republicans and Democrats in those given States we were visiting who were not on the committee. Certainly, the tripartisanship was the farmers, the ranchers, the folks in rural America, the people from nutrition organizations, and the people involved in conservation and wildlife who all came out to help write this bill.
that were led by Democrats. I didn't put them in there to gain votes, obviously. They were there because they were good provisions. It contributed to a great product—140 provisions that were completely bipartisan, at least one Republican and one Democrat, probably more of both on those provisions.
amendments that were debated. Quite frankly, what was accepted was really 50/50. It was equal. There must be a definition of bipartisanship I am just not aware of.
Mr. Chair, I hear a lot of discussions here about things that are not in the bill, but they are not in our jurisdiction, things like financial assistance. I helped lead the first financial assistance over a year ago for our farmers, and we need more, but it is not within the scope of the farm bill.
I hear about E15. I don't think that is such a bad idea, year-round E15, but that is the Energy and Commerce committee. That is not the Agriculture Committee.
I hear about trade. Trade is the Ways and Means Committee. I will say we did double foreign market development and market access program, which are tools to help our farmers get access to trade, but we don't have trade itself in our jurisdiction.
There are no SNAP cuts. The amount of money that families get is the same as what they got under the Biden administration. Now, we increased accountability. If you are here illegally, you are not eligible because this is something that is really meant for citizens.
We have done enhancements to the SNAP program. We are going after criminals within this farm bill, looking to increase the technology with the EBT cards to prevent misuse of it, enhancements, dairy incentives, adding protein incentives with SNAP.
This is a great bill. This is a bill for today. This is a bill also for tomorrow, and I am proud of the bipartisan work that went into it.
into this by folks who are running for higher office or are looking to November. I don't look to November. I look every day to how we can help our farm families, ranch families, forestry families, and everyday Americans who pick up the tools of agriculture, be it a knife, fork, or spoon.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired.
the Committee on Agriculture, printed in the bill, an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 119-22, modified by the amendment printed in part A of House Report 119-628, shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as the original bill for purpose of further amendment under the 5-minute rule and shall be considered as read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:
H.R. 7567
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.—This Act may be cited as the “Farm,
Food, and National Security Act of 2026”.
(b) Table of Contents.—The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
TITLE I—COMMODITIES
Sec. 1001. Suspension of permanent price support authority.
Sec. 1002. Tree assistance program. Sec. 1003. Specialty crop emergency assistance framework. Sec. 1004. Assistance in the form of block grants. Sec. 1005. Dairy-related extensions. Sec. 1006. Mandatory reporting of dairy product processing costs. Sec. 1007. Dairy reports. Sec. 1008. Processing of certain loans. Sec. 1009. Storage facility loans. Sec. 1010. Strengthening domestic food production supply chains. Sec. 1011. Regulations. Sec. 1012. Restoration of tobacco as agricultural commodity in
Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act.
TITLE II—CONSERVATION
Subtitle A—Definitions
Subtitle B—Conservation Reserve Program
Subtitle C—Environmental Quality Incentives Program
Subtitle D—Conservation Stewardship Program
Subtitle E—Other Conservation Programs
Sec. 2401. Conservation of private grazing land. Sec. 2402. Feral swine eradication and control program. Sec. 2403. Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act. Sec. 2404. Emergency conservation program. Sec. 2405. Emergency watershed program. Sec. 2406. National agriculture flood vulnerability study. Sec. 2407. Study on environmental benefits of winter wheat as a cover
crop.
Subtitle F—Funding and Administration
Subtitle G—Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
Subtitle H—Forest Conservation Easement Program
Subtitle I—Regional Conservation Partnership Program
TITLE III—TRADE
Subtitle A—Food for Peace Act
Sec. 3101. Transfer of authorities to the Secretary of Agriculture. Sec. 3102. Food aid quality assurance. Sec. 3103. Repeal of minimum levels of assistance. Sec. 3104. Food aid consultative group. Sec. 3105. Issuance of regulations; oversight, monitoring, and
evaluation. Sec. 3106. International food relief partnership. Sec. 3107. Use of commodity credit corporation. Sec. 3108. Pre-positioning of agricultural commodities and annual
report regarding food aid programs and activities. Sec. 3109. Deadline for agreements to finance sales or to provide other
Subtitle B—Agricultural Trade Act of 1978
Sec. 3201. Agricultural trade promotion and facilitation. Sec. 3202. Preserving foreign markets for goods using common names. Sec. 3203. Interagency seasonal and perishable fruits and vegetable
working group.
Subtitle C—Other Agricultural Trade Laws
Sec. 3301. Growing American food exports. Sec. 3302. Food for Progress Act of 1985. Sec. 3303. Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust Act. Sec. 3304. Promotion of agricultural exports to emerging markets. Sec. 3305. International agricultural education fellowship program. Sec. 3306. International agriculture cultural immersion and exchange
program. Sec. 3307. International food security technical assistance. Sec. 3308. McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child
Subtitle D—Other Trade Matters
TITLE IV—NUTRITION
Subtitle A—Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Sec. 4101. Declaration of policy. Sec. 4102. Prohibited fees. Sec. 4103. SNAP staffing flexibility. Sec. 4104. Updates to administrative processes for SNAP retailers. Sec. 4105. Report on all identified payment errors. Sec. 4106. Authorization of appropriations. Sec. 4107. Retail food store and recipient trafficking. Sec. 4108. EBT card security regulations. Sec. 4109. Report on SNAP administrative expenses. Sec. 4110. Animal protein an eligible incentive food. Sec. 4111. Permanent authority for supplemental nutrition assistance
Subtitle B—Commodity Distribution Programs
Sec. 4201. Commodity distribution program. Sec. 4202. Commodity supplemental food program. Sec. 4203. Distribution of surplus commodities to special nutrition
projects. Sec. 4204. Commodity supplemental food program demonstration project
for Tribal organizations.
Subtitle C—Miscellaneous
Sec. 4301. Purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution to
schools and service institutions. Sec. 4302. Buy American requirements for certain school meals. Sec. 4303. Reauthorization of the Gus Schumacher nutrition incentive
TITLE V—CREDIT
Subtitle A—Farm Ownership Loans
Sec. 5101. Persons eligible for real estate loans. Sec. 5102. Experience requirements. Sec. 5103. Refinancing of indebtedness into direct loans. Sec. 5104. Conservation loan and loan guarantee program. Sec. 5105. Limitations on amount of farm ownership loans. Sec. 5106. Inflation percentage. Sec. 5107. Authority of Farm Credit System institutions to provide
financial support for essential rural community
Subtitle B—Operating Loans
Subtitle C—Emergency Loans
Sec. 5301. Persons eligible for emergency loans.
Subtitle D—Administrative Provisions
Sec. 5401. Beginning farmer and rancher individual development accounts
pilot program. Sec. 5402. Loan authorization levels. Sec. 5403. Loan fund set-asides. Sec. 5404. Use of additional funds for direct operating microloans
under certain conditions.
Subtitle E—Miscellaneous
Sec. 5501. Extension of credit to businesses providing services to
producers or harvesters of aquatic products. Sec. 5502. Export finance authority. Sec. 5503. Support for rural water and waste systems. Sec. 5504. Farm credit system regulation. Sec. 5505. Loan guarantees. Sec. 5506. Standards for qualified loans. Sec. 5507. State agricultural mediation programs. Sec. 5508. Technical corrections. Sec. 5509. Report on improving creditworthiness of direct and
guaranteed loan borrowers. Sec. 5510. Farm Credit Administration option to examine low-risk Farm
Credit System institutions on a 24-month cycle.
TITLE VI—RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Subtitle A—Improving Health Outcomes in Rural America
Sec. 6101. Prioritizations for distance learning and telemedicine and
Subtitle B—Connecting Rural Americans to High Speed Broadband
Sec. 6204. Community connect grants. Sec. 6205. Rate regulation. Sec. 6206. Public notice, assessments, technical assistance, and
Subtitle C—Miscellaneous
Sec. 6301. Rural energy savings program. Sec. 6302. Promoting precision agriculture. Sec. 6303. Food supply chain guaranteed loans. Sec. 6304. New, mobile, and expanded meat processing and rendering
grants. Sec. 6305. Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative. Sec. 6306. Technical assistance for geographically underserved and
Subtitle D—Additional Amendments to the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act
Sec. 6401. Water, waste disposal, and wastewater facility grants. Sec. 6402. Rural water and wastewater circuit rider program. Sec. 6403. Zero and low interest loans for distressed water systems. Sec. 6404. Tribal college and university essential community
facilities. Sec. 6405. Emergency and imminent community water assistance grant
program. Sec. 6406. Water systems for rural and native villages in Alaska. Sec. 6407. Rural decentralized water systems. Sec. 6408. Assistance to rural entities. Sec. 6409. Solid waste management grants. Sec. 6410. Rural business development grants. Sec. 6411. Rural cooperative development grants. Sec. 6412. Lender fees in guaranteed loan programs. Sec. 6413. Locally or regionally produced agricultural food products. Sec. 6414. Appropriate technology transfer for rural areas program. Sec. 6415. Rural economic area partnership zones. Sec. 6416. Intermediary relending program. Sec. 6417. Rural health care facility assistance. Sec. 6418. Prohibition on use of loan or grant for certain purposes. Sec. 6419. Rural Business-Cooperative Service programs technical
assistance and training. Sec. 6420. National Rural Development Partnership. Sec. 6421. Grants for NOAA weather radio transmitters. Sec. 6422. Rural microentrepreneur assistance program. Sec. 6423. Health care services. Sec. 6424. Strategic economic and community development. Sec. 6425. Rural innovation stronger economy grant program. Sec. 6426. Limitation on rural business investment companies controlled
by Farm Credit System institutions. Sec. 6427. Rural business investment program. Sec. 6428. Technical corrections. Sec. 6429. Rural water and wastewater technical assistance and training
programs.
Subtitle E—Additional Amendments to the Rural Electrification Act of
1936
Sec. 6501. Guarantees for bonds and notes issued for utility
infrastructure purposes. Sec. 6502. Extension of the rural economic development loan and grant
TITLE VII—RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND RELATED MATTERS
Subtitle A—National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
Policy Act of 1977
Sec. 7101. National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and
Economics Advisory Board. Sec. 7102. Specialty crop committee. Sec. 7103. Veterinary medicine loan repayment. Sec. 7104. Veterinary services grant program. Sec. 7105. Grants and fellowships for food and agriculture sciences
education. Sec. 7106. Agricultural and food policy research centers. Sec. 7107. Education grants to Alaska Native serving institutions and
Native Hawaiian serving institutions. Sec. 7108. Nutrition education program. Sec. 7109. Continuing animal health and disease research programs. Sec. 7110. Extension and agricultural research at 1890 land-grant
colleges, including Tuskegee University. Sec. 7111. Scholarships for students at 1890 Institutions. Sec. 7112. Grants to upgrade agricultural and food sciences facilities
at 1890 land-grant colleges, including Tuskegee
University. Sec. 7113. Grants to upgrade agriculture and food sciences facilities
and equipment and support tropical and subtropical
agricultural research at insular area land-grant colleges
and universities. Sec. 7114. Matching funds requirement for research and extension
activities at eligible institutions. Sec. 7115. New beginning for Tribal students. Sec. 7116. Education grants programs for Hispanic-serving institutions. Sec. 7117. Binational agricultural research and development. Sec. 7118. Grants and partnerships for international agricultural
research, extension, and education. Sec. 7119. Research equipment grants. Sec. 7120. University research. Sec. 7121. Extension service. Sec. 7122. Supplemental and alternative crops. Sec. 7123. Grants for community college agriculture and natural
Subtitle B—Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990
Sec. 7201. Sustainable agriculture research and education. Sec. 7202. National Genetics Resources Program. Sec. 7203. Agricultural genome to phenome initiative. Sec. 7204. High-priority research and extension initiatives. Sec. 7205. Organic agriculture research and extension initiative. Sec. 7206. Farm business management. Sec. 7207. Urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural production
Subtitle C—Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act
of 1998
Sec. 7301. National food safety training, education, extension,
outreach, and technical assistance program. Sec. 7302. Integrated research, education, and extension competitive
grants program. Sec. 7303. Support for research regarding diseases of wheat, triticale,
and barley caused by fusarium graminearum or by tilletia
indica. Sec. 7304. Grants for youth organizations. Sec. 7305. Specialty crop research initiative. Sec. 7306. Agriculture grants for veteran education and training
Subtitle D—Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
Subtitle E—Amendments to Other Laws
Sec. 7501. Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994. Sec. 7502. Research Facilities Act. Sec. 7503. Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. Sec. 7504. Extension design and demonstration initiative. Sec. 7505. Biomass research and development. Sec. 7506. Renewable Resources Extension Act of 1978. Sec. 7507. National Aquaculture Act of 1980. Sec. 7508. Reports on disbursement of funds for agricultural research
and extension at 1862 and 1890 land-grant colleges,
Subtitle F—Other Matters
Sec. 7601. Foundation for food and agriculture research. Sec. 7602. Agriculture innovation center demonstration program. Sec. 7603. Livestock insects laboratory. Sec. 7604. U.S. Abit Massey National Poultry Research Center. Sec. 7605. Hatch Act of 1887. Sec. 7606. Commission on national agricultural statistics service
modernization. Sec. 7607. Restoration of 4-H name and emblem authority. Sec. 7608. Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and
Economics. Sec. 7609. Agricultural Innovation Corps. Sec. 7610. Study on technical assistance with respect to transfer of
agricultural land and assets.
TITLE VIII—FORESTRY
Subtitle A—Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978
Sec. 8101. Support for State assessments and strategies for forest
resources. Sec. 8102. Forest legacy program technical correction. Sec. 8103. State and private forest landscape-scale restoration
Subtitle B—Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
Sec. 8201. Promoting cross-boundary wildfire mitigation. Sec. 8202. Authorization of appropriations for hazardous fuel reduction
on Federal land. Sec. 8203. Water source protection program. Sec. 8204. Watershed condition framework technical corrections. Sec. 8205. Authorization of appropriations to combat insect
Subtitle C—Other Forestry Programs
Sec. 8301. National and regional agroforestry centers. Sec. 8302. National Forest Foundation Act. Sec. 8303. Conveyances and leases of forest service administrative
Subtitle D—Forest Management
Part I—National Forest System Management
Sec. 8401. Categorical exclusion for high priority hazard trees. Sec. 8402. Collaborative restoration projects. Sec. 8403. Wildfire resilience project size. Sec. 8404. Fuel breaks in forests and other wildland vegetation. Sec. 8405. Greater sage-grouse and mule deer habitat. Sec. 8406. Categorical exclusion for electric utility lines rights-of-
way. Sec. 8407. Forest management activities on National Forest System
Part II—Forest Management Activities
Sec. 8411. No additional consultation required. Sec. 8412. Good neighbor authority. Sec. 8413. Collaborative forest landscape restoration program. Sec. 8414. Public-private wildfire technology deployment and testbed
partnership. Sec. 8415. Forest service participation in experienced services
Part III—Timber Innovation
Subtitle E—Other Matters
Sec. 8501. Rural revitalization technologies. Sec. 8502. Resource advisory committees. Sec. 8503. Accurate hazardous fuels reduction reports. Sec. 8504. Special use authorization rental fee waiver. Sec. 8505. Charges and fees for harvest of forest botanical products. Sec. 8506. Forest service legacy road and trail remediation program
transparency. Sec. 8507. Direct hire authority. Sec. 8508. Improving the emergency forest restoration program. Sec. 8509. Exemption for previously analyzed areas of National Forest
System Lands. Sec. 8510. Release of reversionary interest in Black River State
Forest. Sec. 8511. Doug LaMalfa Secure Rural Schools Act. Sec. 8512. Minor range improvements under Forest Service grazing
permits.
Subtitle F—White Oak Resilience
TITLE IX—ENERGY
Sec. 9001. Definition of advanced biofuel. Sec. 9002. Biobased markets program. Sec. 9003. Biorefinery assistance. Sec. 9004. Bioproduct labeling terminology. Sec. 9005. Bioenergy program for advanced biofuels. Sec. 9006. Biodiesel Fuel Education Program. Sec. 9007. Rural Energy for America Program. Sec. 9008. Feedstock flexibility. Sec. 9009. Biomass Crop Assistance Program. Sec. 9010. Carbon utilization and biogas education program. Sec. 9011. Study on effects of solar panel installations on covered
farmland. Sec. 9012. Limitation on USDA funding for ground-mounted solar energy
systems. Sec. 9013. Sustainable aviation fuels strategy. Sec. 9014. Leveraging efficiency awareness for pumping systems. Sec. 9015. Adding waste energy recovery to the Rural Energy for America
Program.
TITLE X—HORTICULTURE, MARKETING, AND REGULATORY REFORM
Subtitle A—Horticulture
Sec. 10001. Specialty crop block grants. Sec. 10002. Specialty crops market news allocation. Sec. 10003. Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. Sec. 10004. National Plant Diagnostics Network. Sec. 10005. Hemp production. Sec. 10006. Pilot program for the intra-organizational movement of
genetically engineered microorganisms by certain
authorized parties.
Subtitle B—Marketing
Sec. 10101. Marketing orders. Sec. 10102. Local agriculture market program. Sec. 10103. Acer access and development program. Sec. 10104. Organic production and market data initiative. Sec. 10105. Organic certification. Sec. 10106. Report on procurement. Sec. 10107. Definitions of risk to organic integrity and oversight
protocols. Sec. 10108. Modernization of inspection requirements. Sec. 10109. Study and reform of National Organic Program oversight
protocols.
Subtitle C—Regulatory Reform
Part I—Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
Part II—Other Regulatory Reform Provisions
Sec. 10211. Multiple crop and pesticide use survey. Sec. 10212. Safe harbor for certain discharges of wildland fire
TITLE XI—CROP INSURANCE
Sec. 11001. Specialty Crop Advisory Committee. Sec. 11002. Identification of holders of substantial interests. Sec. 11003. Actuarial soundness of certain new products. Sec. 11004. Coverage of revenue losses. Sec. 11005. Limitation on farm program participation. Sec. 11006. Limitation on interest accrual. Sec. 11007. Crop insurance support for beginning and veteran farmers
and ranchers. Sec. 11008. Marketability. Sec. 11009. Reimbursement rates for administrative and operating costs. Sec. 11010. Quality loss adjustment coverage. Sec. 11011. Pilot program to review effectiveness of coverage penalty. Sec. 11012. Whole farm improvements. Sec. 11013. Program compliance and integrity. Sec. 11014. Research and development priorities. Sec. 11015. Report on Standard Reinsurance Agreement. Sec. 11016. Hurricane insurance protection-wind index report. Sec. 11017. Risk management study for lamb. Sec. 11018. Study on livestock risk protection policy with respect to
producers of feeder cattle affected by adverse weather
events.
TITLE XII—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Subtitle A—Livestock and Other Animals
Part I—Animal Health and Production
Sec. 12001. Animal disease prevention and management. Sec. 12002. Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program review and report. Sec. 12003. Additional training facilities for National Detector Dog
Training Center. Sec. 12004. Regionalization, zoning, and compartmentalization
agreements. Sec. 12005. Importation of live dogs. Sec. 12006. Ensuring the free movement of livestock-derived products in
interstate commerce. Sec. 12007. Report on support for livestock and poultry producers
Part II—Meat and Poultry Processing and Inspection
Sec. 12111. Amplifying Processing of Livestock in the United States (A-
PLUS). Sec. 12112. Hazard analysis and critical control point guidance and
resources for small and very small poultry and meat
Subtitle B—Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994
Subtitle C—National Security
Sec. 12301. Agricultural foreign investment disclosure improvements. Sec. 12302. Report on agricultural land purchasing activities in the
United States by countries designated as state sponsors
of terrorism and certain other countries. Sec. 12303. Investigative actions. Sec. 12304. Digitization and consolidation of foreign land ownership
data collection and publication.
Sec. 12305. CFIUS consideration of certain agricultural land
transactions.
Subtitle D—Other Miscellaneous Provisions
Sec. 12401. Commission on Farm Transitions—Needs for 2050. Sec. 12402. Report on personnel. Sec. 12403. Improvements to United States Drought Monitor. Sec. 12404. Reports on land access and farmland ownership data
collection. Sec. 12405. Increasing transparency regarding detention of imported
plants. Sec. 12406. Enhancement of pet protections. Sec. 12407. Protecting animals with shelter. Sec. 12408. Report on available assistance to agricultural producers in
the State of Texas that have suffered economic losses due
to the failure of Mexico to deliver water. Sec. 12409. Qualified renewable biomass. Sec. 12410. Whole milk under the school breakfast program. Sec. 12411. Spotted lanternfly awareness campaign. Sec. 12412. Rio Grande Valley agricultural water interagency working
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Department.—The term “Department” means the
Department of Agriculture.
(2) Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
TITLE I—COMMODITIES
SEC. 1001. SUSPENSION OF PERMANENT PRICE SUPPORT AUTHORITY.
Section 1602 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C.
9092) is amended by striking “2023” each place it appears
and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 1002. TREE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.—Section 1501(e)(1) of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(e)(1)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting “or biennial” after
“annual”; and
(2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting “or pest” after
“insect”.
(b) Economic Viability.—Section 1501(e)(2)(A) of the
Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(e)(2)(A)) is
amended—
(1) by striking clauses (i) and (ii); and
(2) by striking “to provide assistance—” and inserting
“to provide assistance under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of
paragraph (3) to eligible orchardists and nursery tree
growers that planted trees for commercial purposes but lost
the trees or the trees no longer produce an economically
viable crop as a result of a natural disaster, as determined
by the Secretary.”.
(c) Assistance.—Section 1501(e)(3) of the Agricultural Act
of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(e)(3)) is amended in the matter before
subparagraph (A) by striking “and (5)” and inserting “,
(5), (6), and (7)”.
(d) Requirements With Respect to Assistance.—Section
1501(e) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(e)) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
“(6) Timing requirements.—An eligible orchardist or
nursery tree grower shall agree, as a condition on receipt of
assistance under this subsection, to carry out any
replacement and rehabilitation activities for which such
assistance is provided not later than—
“(A) 2 years after the application for such assistance is
approved; or
“(B) if the period specified in subparagraph (A) is not
adequate for tree survival, at such time as is necessary to
ensure tree survival.
“(7) Alternatives used in replanting.—
“(A) In general.—An eligible orchardist or nursery tree
grower receiving assistance under this subsection with
respect to tree loss may use such assistance to replant
using—
“(i) an alternative variety from the variety used prior to
the loss;
“(ii) an alternative stand density from the stand density
used prior to the loss; and
“(iii) an alternative location than was used prior to the
loss.
“(B) Cost share limitations with respect to
alternatives.—The assistance provided by the Secretary to
eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers—
“(i) for losses described in subparagraph (A)(i), shall be
an amount that is not greater than the amount the eligible
orchardist or nursery tree grower would receive if the
eligible orchardist or nursery tree grower planted the
variety lost;
“(ii) for losses described in subparagraph (A)(ii) shall
be an amount that is not greater than the amount the eligible
orchardist or nursery tree grower would receive if the
eligible orchardist or nursery tree grower planted the stand
density lost; and
“(iii) for losses described in subparagraph (A)(iii),
shall be an amount that is not greater than the amount the
eligible orchardist or nursery tree grower would receive if
the eligible orchardist or nursery tree grower planted the
location in which the loss occurred.”.
(e) Deadline for Notice Regarding Application Status.—
Section 1501(e) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C.
9801(e)) is further amended by adding at the end the
following:
“(8) Deadline for notice regarding application status.—
Not later than 120 days after receiving an application for
assistance under this subsection, the Secretary shall—
“(A) approve or deny such application; and
“(B) notify the applicant of such approval or denial.”.
(f) Initial Payments Under Tree Assistance Program.—
Section 1501(e) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C.
9081(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(9) Initial payments.—
“(A) In general.—An eligible orchardist or nursery tree
grower may opt to receive an initial assistance payment with
respect to losses described in paragraph (2) before incurring
the costs described in paragraph (3) relating to such losses.
“(B) Amount.—An initial assistance payment under
subparagraph (A) shall be in an amount that is equal to the
fair market value of the estimated costs described in
paragraph (3) that the eligible orchardist or nursery tree
grower is likely to incur with respect to losses described in
paragraph (2), as determined by the Secretary.
“(C) Subsequent payment.—
“(i) In general.—In the case of an eligible orchardist or
nursery tree grower that opts to receive an initial payment
under subparagraph (A) with respect to losses described in
paragraph (2), the Secretary shall, as soon as practicable
after providing such initial payment, provide a subsequent
payment to the eligible orchardist or nursery tree grower in
an amount equal to—
“(I) the payment amount the eligible orchardist or nursery
tree grower would have received with respect to such losses
under paragraph (3) or pursuant to paragraph (5); minus
“(II) the initial payment amount provided to such eligible
orchardist or nursery tree grower under subparagraph (B) with
respect to such losses.
“(ii) Overpayment.—If an initial payment under
subparagraph (B) with respect to losses described in
paragraph (2) is greater than the amount an eligible
orchardist or nursery tree grower would have received under
paragraph (3) or pursuant to paragraph (5) for such losses,
such eligible orchardist or nursery tree grower shall repay
the Secretary the excess amount.
“(D) Sunset.—The authority to make payments under this
paragraph shall terminate on September 30, 2035.”.
SEC. 1003. SPECIALTY CROP EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FRAMEWORK.
(a) In General.—The Federal Agriculture Improvement and
Reform Act of 1996 is amended by inserting after section 196
(7 U.S.C. 7333) the following:
“SEC. 196A. SPECIALTY CROP EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FRAMEWORK.
“(a) In General.—The Secretary shall establish a
framework to provide direct assistance to producers of
specialty crops the production of which was impacted by an
adverse event (including an economic crisis or market
disruption), as determined by the Secretary, in accordance
with this section.
“(b) Payment Calculation.—In determining a payment
calculation for purposes of direct assistance to a producer
of specialty crops under subsection (a), the Secretary shall
calculate payments based on—
“(1) the producer's sales of specialty crops for a
calendar year that precedes the year in which the adverse
event described in such subsection occurred or the average of
such sales over a set of consecutive calendar years that
precedes the year in which such adverse event occurred, as
determined by the Secretary; multiplied by
“(2) a payment factor the Secretary determines, subject to
the availability of funds, to address losses of such
specialty crops from such adverse event.
“(c) Special Rules.—Subject to subsection (d), in
providing direct assistance pursuant to this section, the
Secretary shall consider—
“(1) the higher value of specialty crops;
“(2) the greater input costs required to grow specialty
crops; and
“(3) diverse types of legal entities and structures used
by specialty crop producers.
“(d) Limitations.—
“(1) Total amount.—
“(A) In general.—Except as provided in subparagraph (B),
the total amount of payments received, directly or
indirectly, by a person or legal entity (except a qualified
pass-through entity) (as such terms are defined in section
1001(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(a)))
for any crop year under this section may not exceed the
amount specified in subsection (b) of section 1001 of the
Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308), as adjusted
pursuant to subsection (i) of such section 1001.
“(B) Exception.—In the case of a person or legal entity
with an average gross income (as calculated under section
1001D(b)(4)(B) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C.
1308-3a(b)(4)(B))) for which greater than or equal to 75
percent of the average derives from farming, ranching, or
silviculture activities—
“(i) subparagraph (A) shall not apply; and
“(ii) the total maximum amount of payments received,
directly or indirectly, by such person or legal entity for
any crop year under this section shall be set by the
Secretary, except such amount may not be less than $900,000.
“(2) Notification of interests; eligibility; denials.—
Sections 1001A(a), 1001B, and 1001C of the Food Security Act
of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308-1(a); 1308-2; 1308-3) shall apply to a
producer of a specialty crop under this section in the same
manner as such sections apply to a person or legal entity
with respect to a covered commodity, except to the extent
such sections relate to the application of subsections (b)
through (d) of section 1001A.”.
(b) Payment Limitation Conforming Amendment.—Section
1001D(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308-
3a(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)(E), by inserting “or 196A” after
“section 196”; and
(2) in paragraph (4)(A)(i)(II), by inserting “or 196A”
after “section 196”.
SEC. 1004. ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF BLOCK GRANTS.
(a) In General.—Subtitle E of title I of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081 et seq.) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
“SEC. 1502. ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF BLOCK GRANTS.
“(a) In General.—In the case additional funds made
available after the date of the enactment of this section for
covered losses, the Secretary may make assistance for such
losses available in the form of block grants.
“(b) Covered Losses.—In this section, the term `covered
losses' means losses—
“(1) of revenue, quality, or production of crops, trees,
bushes, vines, poultry or livestock as a consequence of a
natural disaster (as determined by the Secretary); and
“(2) for which assistance is not available pursuant to any
other Federal law.”.
(b) Clerical Amendment.—The table of contents for the
Agricultural Act of 2014 is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 1501 the following:
“1502. Assistance in the form of block grants.”.
SEC. 1005. DAIRY-RELATED EXTENSIONS.
(a) Forward Pricing.—Section 1502 of the Food,
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8772) is
amended by striking subsection (e).
(b) Indemnity Program.—Section 3 of Public Law 90-484 (7
U.S.C. 4553) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
(c) Promotion and Research.—Section 113(e)(2) of the Dairy
Production Stabilization Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 4504(e)(2)) is
amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 1006. MANDATORY REPORTING OF DAIRY PRODUCT PROCESSING
COSTS.
Section 273 of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7
U.S.C. 1637b) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking “and” at the
end;
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end
and inserting “; and”; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
“(C) for each manufacturer required to report under
subparagraph (A) for any product, require that manufacturer
to report production cost and product yield information, as
determined by the Secretary, for all products processed in
the same facility or facilities.”;
(B) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting “products and”
after “those”;
(2) in subsection (c)(3)(B), by inserting “, subject to
subsection (b)(1),” after “of information”;
(3) in subsection (d)—
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking “Electronic
Reporting” and inserting “Reporting”;
(B) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in the heading, by striking “Electronic reporting”
and inserting “Reporting”; and
(ii) by striking “this section” and inserting
“subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (b)(1)”;
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking “this section” and
inserting “subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (b)(1)”;
and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Dairy product processing costs.—Not later than 2
years after the date of enactment of this paragraph, and
every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall publish a
report containing the information obtained under subparagraph
(C) of subsection (b)(1), subject to the conditions described
in subsection (b)(2).”;
(4) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
(5) by adding after subsection (d) the following:
“(e) Regulation.—Any actions taken by the Secretary under
this section shall not be subject to review under Executive
Order 12866 (58 Fed. Reg. 51735) or any successor order.”.
SEC. 1007. DAIRY REPORTS.
Paragraph (4) of section 301 of the Dairy Production
Stabilization Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 4514) is amended by
striking “Not later” and all that follows through “an
annual report” and inserting “With respect to each calendar
year beginning after the date of the enactment of the Farm,
Food, and National Security Act of 2026, a report (which
shall be submitted not later than 18 months after the last
day of such calendar year)”.
SEC. 1008. PROCESSING OF CERTAIN LOANS.
(a) Marketing Assistance Loans.—Section 1204 of the
Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9034) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
“(j) Effect of Lapse in Appropriations.—The servicing of
a marketing assistance loan under section 1201 by an officer
or employee of the Department shall be deemed, for purposes
of section 1342 of title 31, services for emergencies
involving the safety of human life or the protection of
property.”.
(b) Loans Under Sugar Program.—Section 156(d) of the
Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7
U.S.C. 7272(d)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
“(4) Effect of lapse in appropriations.—The servicing of
a loan under this section by an officer or employee of the
Department shall be deemed, for purposes of section 1342 of
title 31, services for emergencies involving the safety of
human life or the protection of property.”.
SEC. 1009. STORAGE FACILITY LOANS.
Section 1614(a) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8789(a)) is amended—
(1) by striking “funds for producers” and inserting the
following: “funds for—
“(1) producers”; and
(2) by striking the period at the end and inserting “;
and”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(2) producers to construct or upgrade storage facilities
for propane that is primarily used for agricultural
production (as such term is defined in section 4279.2 of
title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the
date of the enactment of this paragraph)).”.
SEC. 1010. STRENGTHENING DOMESTIC FOOD PRODUCTION SUPPLY
CHAINS.
(a) In General.—Subtitle C of title I of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-79) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
“SEC. 1302. STRENGTHENING DOMESTIC FOOD PRODUCTION SUPPLY
CHAINS.
“(a) In General.—With respect to any Federal policy that
would impact the administration of the programs described in
this subtitle or any rule, policy, or guidance issued
pursuant to such programs, the preservation and strengthening
of the domestic production described in subsection (b) shall
be a priority objective of the President.
“(b) Domestic Production Described.—The domestic
production described in this subsection is the production of
an agricultural commodity—
“(1) described in this subtitle; and
“(2) from which a food ingredient that serves an important
function throughout the domestic food production supply chain
is derived.”.
(b) Clerical Amendment.—The table of contents for the
Agricultural Act of 2014 is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 1301 the following:
“1302. Strengthening domestic food production supply chains.”.
SEC. 1011. REGULATIONS.
(a) Administration.—Section 1601(c) of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9091(c)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking “this title, sections
11003 and 11017, title I of the Agriculture Improvement Act
of 2018 and the amendments made by that title, and section
10109 of that Act” and inserting “a covered provision of
law”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Covered provision of law defined.—In this
subsection, the term `covered provision of law' means—
“(A) this title and sections 11003 and 11017;
“(B) title I of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
and the amendments made by that title, and section 10109 of
that Act; and
“(C) title I of the Farm Food and National Security Act of
2026 and the amendments made by that title.”.
(b) Loan Implementation.—Section 1614(d) of the
Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9097(d)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “subtitle B” the first
place it appears and all that follows through the period at
the end and inserting “a covered provision of law.”;
(2) in paragraph (2)—
(A) by striking “of subtitles B or C”; and
(B) by striking “under subtitles B or C” and inserting
“under the repayment provisions”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Definitions.—In this subsection:
“(A) Covered provision of law.—The term `covered
provision of law' means—
“(i) subtitle B or C or the amendments made by subtitle B
or C;
“(ii) the amendments made by subtitle B or C of the
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, except with respect to
the assistance provided under sections 1207(c) and 1208; and
“(iii) section 156 of the Federal Agricultural Improvement
and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7272).
“(B) Repayment provisions.—The term `repayment
provisions' means the repayment requirements under—
“(i) subtitle B or C; or
“(ii) section 156 of the Federal Agricultural Improvement
and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7272).”.
SEC. 1012. RESTORATION OF TOBACCO AS AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY
IN COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION CHARTER ACT.
Section 5 of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act
(15 U.S.C. 714c) is amended by striking “(other than
tobacco)” each place such term appears.
TITLE II—CONSERVATION
Subtitle A—Definitions
SEC. 2001. DEFINITIONS.
Section 1201(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3801(a)) is amended—
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
“subtitles A through I:” and inserting “subtitles A
through J:”;
(2) in paragraph (14), by striking “term `Indian tribe'
has the meaning given the term” and inserting “terms
`Indian tribe' and `Indian Tribe' have the meaning given
those terms”;
(3) by redesignating paragraphs (20) through (27) as
paragraphs (22) through (29), respectively;
(4) by inserting after paragraph (19) the following:
“(20) Precision agriculture.—The term `precision
agriculture' means managing, tracking, or reducing crop or
livestock production inputs, including seed, feed,
fertilizer, chemicals, water, and time, at a heightened level
of spatial and temporal granularity and biological targeting
to improve efficiencies, reduce waste, and maintain
environmental quality.
“(21) Precision agriculture technology.—The term
`precision agriculture technology' means any technology
(including targeted inputs and the equipment that is
necessary for the deployment of such technology) that
directly contributes to a reduction in, or improved
efficiency of, inputs used in crop or livestock production,
including—
“(A) Global Positioning System-based or geospatial mapping
technology;
“(B) satellite or aerial imagery technology;
“(C) yield monitors;
“(D) soil mapping technology;
“(E) sensors for gathering data on crop, soil, or
livestock conditions;
“(F) Internet of Things and telematics technologies;
“(G) data management software and advanced analytics;
“(H) network connectivity products and solutions;
“(I) Global Positioning System guidance or auto-steer
systems;
“(J) variable rate technology for applying inputs, such as
section control; and
“(K) any other technology, as determined by the Secretary,
that directly contributes to a reduction in, or improved
efficiency of, the use of crop or livestock production
inputs, which may include seed, feed, fertilizer, soil
amendments, chemicals, water, and time.”; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
“(30) Wildlife habitat connectivity.—The term `wildlife
habitat connectivity' means the degree to which landscape or
habitat elements facilitate native species movement among
seasonal habitats.”.
SEC. 2002. MITIGATION BANKING.
Section 1222(k)(1)(B) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3822(k)(1)(B)) is amended to read as follows:
“(B) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this
paragraph $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through
2031.”.
Subtitle B—Conservation Reserve Program
SEC. 2101. CONSERVATION RESERVE.
(a) In General.—Section 1231(a) of the Food Security Act
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(a)) is amended by striking “2023”
and inserting “2031”.
(b) Eligible Land.—Section 1231(b) of the Food Security
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking “the date of
enactment of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018” and
inserting “the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and
National Security Act of 2026”; and
(2) in paragraph (7)(A), by striking “September 30, 2017,
or September 30, 2018” and inserting “September 30, 2025,
or September 30, 2026”.
(c) Enrollment.—
(1) Maximum acreage enrolled.—Section 1231(d)(1)(E) of the
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(d)(1)(E)) is
amended by striking “fiscal year 2023” and inserting “each
of fiscal years 2023 through 2031”.
(2) Grasslands.—Section 1231(d)(2)(A)(ii)(III) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(d)(2)(A)(ii)(III)) is
amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
(3) State enrollment rates.—Section 1231(d)(4) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(d)(4)) is amended by
striking “2019 through 2023” and inserting “2026 through
2031” each place it appears.
(4) Continuous enrollment procedure.—Section 1231(d)(6)(B)
of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(d)(6)(B)) is
amended to read as follows:
“(B) Limitation.—For purposes of applying the limitations
in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent
practicable, enroll and maintain not fewer than 8,600,000
acres of land under subparagraph (A) by September 30,
2031.”.
SEC. 2102. FARMABLE WETLAND PROGRAM.
Section 1231B(a)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3831b(a)(1)) is amended by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
Subtitle C—Environmental Quality Incentives Program
SEC. 2201. DEFINITIONS.
Section 1240A(6)(B)(v) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3839aa-1(6)(B)(v)) is amended by inserting
“(including the adoption of precision agriculture practices
and the acquisition of precision agriculture technology)”
after “planning”.
SEC. 2202. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION.
(a) Payments.—
(1) Special rule involving payments for foregone income.—
Section 1240B(d)(3)(F) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3839aa-2(d)(3)(F)) is amended by inserting “and
wildlife habitat connectivity” before “; or”.
(2) Other payments.—Section 1240B(d)(6) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-2(d)(6)) is amended—
(A) by striking “A producer shall” and inserting the
following:
“(A) Payments under this subtitle.—Except as provided in
paragraph (9), a producer shall”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(B) Conservation loan and loan guarantee program
payments.—
“(i) In general.—A producer receiving payments for
practices on eligible land under the program may also receive
a loan or loan guarantee under section 304 of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to cover costs
for the same practices on the same land.
“(ii) Notice to producer.—The Secretary shall inform a
producer participating in the program in writing that they
may apply to receive a loan or loan guarantee under section
304 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act as it
relates to costs of implementing practices under this
program.”.
(3) Increased payments for high-priority practices.—
Section 1240B(d)(7) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3839aa-2(d)(7)) is amended—
(A) in the paragraph heading, by inserting “state-
determined” before “high-priority”; and
(B) in subparagraph (A)—
(i) in clause (iii), by striking “or” at the end;
(ii) in clause (iv), by striking the period at the end and
inserting a semicolon; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
“(v) addresses the conservation and restoration of
wildlife habitat, including wildlife habitat connectivity and
wildlife migration corridors; or
“(vi) increases carbon sequestration or reduces greenhouse
gas emissions, including emissions of methane and nitrous
oxide.”.
(4) Increased payments for precision agriculture.—Section
1240B(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-
2(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(8) Increased payments for precision agriculture
practices.—Notwithstanding paragraph (2), the Secretary may
increase the amount that would otherwise be provided for a
practice under this subsection to not more than 90 percent of
the costs associated with adopting precision agriculture
practices and acquiring precision agriculture technology for
the purpose of implementing conservation practices.”.
(5) Cost-share payments for grassland.—Section 1240B(d) of
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-2(d)) is
further amended by adding at the end the following:
“(9) Cost-share payments for grassland enrolled in the
conservation reserve program.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary may provide payments under
the program for costs associated with planning, design,
materials, equipment, installation, labor, management,
maintenance, or training, for the purpose of a wildlife
corridor, with respect to eligible land that is—
“(i) enrolled in the conservation reserve program under
section 1231(d)(2)(A); and
“(ii) of ecological significance, as described in section
1231(d)(2)(B)(iii).
“(B) Limitation.—A producer shall not be eligible for
payments under subparagraph (A) for a practice if the
producer receives payments or other benefits for the same
practice on the same land under this title.”.
(b) Allocation of Funding.—Section 1240B(f)(1) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-2(f)(1)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
(c) Water Conservation or Irrigation Efficiency Practice.—
Section 1240B(h)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3839aa-2(h)(1)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (B), by striking “; or” and inserting
a semicolon;
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period and
inserting “; or”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(D) the adoption of precision agriculture practices or
the acquisition of precision agriculture technology to
achieve water conservation and energy efficiency.”.
(d) Payments for Conservation Practice Related to Organic
Production.—Section 1240B(i)(3)(A)(ii) of the Food Security
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-2(i)(3)(A)(ii)) is amended by
striking “2019 through 2023, $140,000” and inserting “2027
through 2031, $200,000”.
(e) Conservation Incentive Contracts.—Section
1240B(j)(2)(A)(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3839aa-2(j)(2)(A)(i)) is amended by inserting “(which may
include the adoption of precision agriculture practices and
the acquisition of precision agriculture technology)” after
“incentive practices”.
(f) Southern Border Initiative.—Section 1240B of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-2) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
“(k) Southern Border Initiative.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall provide payments
under the program to producers to implement conservation
practices on covered lands of such producers that address and
repair covered damage that may contribute to a natural
resource concern or problem.
“(2) Contract term.—In the case of a contract under the
program entered into for the implementation of practices
described in paragraph (1), such contract shall have a term
of 1 year.
“(3) Definitions.—In this subsection:
“(A) Covered damage.—The term `covered damage' means
damage to agricultural land or farming infrastructure.
“(B) Covered land.—The term `covered land' means eligible
land in a county at or near the southern border of the United
States, as determined by the Secretary.”.
SEC. 2203. LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS.
Section 1240G of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3839aa-7) is amended by striking “2019 through 2023” and
inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 2204. CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANTS AND PAYMENTS.
(a) Competitive Grants for Innovative Conservation
Approaches.—Section 1240H(a) of the Food Security Act of
1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-8(a)) is amended—
(1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
“(1) Grants.—Out of the funds made available to carry out
this subchapter, the Secretary may award competitive grants
that are intended to stimulate development and evaluation of
new and innovative approaches to leveraging the Federal
investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in
conjunction with agricultural production or forest resource
management, through the program, including grants for the
development and evaluation of new and innovative technologies
that may be incorporated into conservation practice
standards.”; and
(2) in paragraph (2)(H), by inserting before the period
“(including precision agriculture practices and precision
agriculture technologies)”.
(b) On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials.—Section
1240H(c)(1)(B)(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3839aa-8(c)(1)(B)(i)) is amended—
(1) in subclause (VI), by striking “and” at the end; and
(2) by inserting after subclause (VII) the following:
“(VIII) perennial production systems, including
agroforestry and perennial forages and grain crops; and”.
(c) Reporting and Database.—Section 1240H(d)(2)(A) of the
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-8(d)(2)(A)) is
amended—
(1) in clause (i)—
(A) by inserting “, including both management and
structural conservation practices,” after “conservation
practices”; and
(B) by striking “and” at the end;
(2) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii);
(3) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
“(ii) data that may be used to evaluate new and emerging
technologies and recommendations for State and regional
applications of such new and emerging technologies; and”;
and
(4) in clause (iii), as so redesignated, by inserting “for
consideration under the streamlined process developed under
section 1242(h)(3)” before the period at the end.
Subtitle D—Conservation Stewardship Program
SEC. 2301. CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.
Section 1240J(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3839aa-22(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by inserting “and except as provided in paragraph
(3),” after “paragraph (2),”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Cost-share payments for grassland enrolled in the
conservation reserve program.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary may provide payments under
the program for costs associated with planning, design,
materials, equipment, installation, labor, management,
maintenance, or training, for the purpose of a wildlife
corridor, with respect to eligible land that is—
“(i) enrolled in the conservation reserve program under
section 1231(d)(2)(A); and
“(ii) of ecological significance, as described in section
1231(d)(2)(B)(iii).
“(B) Limitation.—A producer shall not be eligible for
payments under subparagraph (A) for a conservation activity
if the producer receives payments or other benefits for the
same conservation activity on the same land under this title.
“(C) Emergency grazing and haying access preserved.—No
priority resource concern, practice, or incentive pertaining
to restoration and enhancement of wildlife habitat
connectivity and wildlife migration corridors on the acres
described above will prevent or alter emergency grazing and
haying access for grassland acres enrolled in the
conservation reserve program.”.
SEC. 2302. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.
(a) Conservation Stewardship Payments.—Section 1240L(c) of
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-24(c)) is
amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting before the period
“(including increased costs associated with planning and
adopting precision agriculture conservation activities and
acquiring precision agriculture technology)”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(6) Minimum payment.—The amount of an annual payment
under the program shall be not less than $4,000.”.
(b) Supplemental Payments for Resource-Conserving Crop
Rotations and Advanced Grazing Management.—Section 1240L(d)
of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-24(d)) is
amended—
(1) in the subsection heading, by striking “and Advanced
Grazing Management” and inserting “, Advanced Grazing
Management, and Precision Agriculture”;
(2) in paragraph (2)—
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “; or” and inserting
a semicolon;
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end
and inserting “; or”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(C) precision agriculture conservation activities.”; and
(3) in paragraph (3), by striking “or advanced grazing
management” and inserting “, advanced grazing management,
or precision agriculture conservation activities”.
(c) Payment Limitations.—Section 1240L(f) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-24(f)) is amended by
striking “2019 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through
2031”.
SEC. 2303. STATE ASSISTANCE FOR SOIL HEALTH.
Subchapter B of chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-21 et seq.) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 1240L-2. STATE ASSISTANCE FOR SOIL HEALTH.
“(a) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Eligible indian tribe.—The term `eligible Indian
Tribe' means an Indian Tribe that is—
“(A) implementing a soil health program for the area over
which the Indian Tribe has jurisdiction; and
“(B) meeting or exceeding performance measures established
by the Indian Tribe for the soil health program.
“(2) Eligible state.—The term `eligible State' means a
State that is—
“(A) implementing a soil health program for the State; and
“(B) meeting or exceeding performance measures established
by the State for the soil health program.
“(3) Soil health program.—The term `soil health program'
means a program to improve soil health on agricultural land
that—
“(A) is broadly consistent with the soil health principles
of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, as determined
by the Secretary; and
“(B) may include—
“(i) technical assistance;
“(ii) financial assistance;
“(iii) on-farm research and demonstration;
“(iv) education, outreach, and training;
“(v) monitoring and evaluation; or
“(vi) such other components as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
“(b) Availability and Purpose of Grants.—For fiscal years
2027 through 2031, the Secretary shall make grants to
eligible States and eligible Indian Tribes for the purpose of
improving soil health on agricultural lands through the
implementation of State and Tribal soil health programs.
“(c) Applications.—
“(1) In general.—To receive a grant under this section,
an eligible State or eligible Indian Tribe shall submit to
the Secretary an application at such time, in such a manner,
and containing such information as the Secretary shall
require, which shall include—
“(A) a description of performance measures to be used to
evaluate the State or Tribal soil health program and the
results of any activities carried out using grant funds
received under this section; and
“(B) an assurance that grant funds received under this
section will supplement the expenditure of State or Tribal
funds in support of soil health, rather than replace such
funds.
“(2) Tribal option.—An Indian Tribe shall have the
option, at the sole discretion of the Indian Tribe, to be
incorporated into the application of an eligible State.
“(d) Grants.—
“(1) Amount.—The amount of a grant to an eligible State
or eligible Indian Tribe under this section for a fiscal year
may not exceed the lower of—
“(A) $5,000,000; or
“(B) as applicable—
“(i) 50 percent of the cost of implementing the State soil
health program in the fiscal year; or
“(ii) 75 percent of the cost of implementing the Tribal
soil health program in the fiscal year.
“(2) Term.—A grant under this section shall be for 1
year, and may be renewed annually.
“(e) Audits and Reviews.—An eligible State or eligible
Indian Tribe receiving a grant under this section shall
submit to the Secretary—
“(1) for each year for which the State or Indian Tribe
receives such a grant, the results of an audit of the
expenditures of the grant funds; and
“(2) at such intervals as the Secretary shall establish, a
review and evaluation of the State or Tribal soil health
program.
“(f) Effect of Noncompliance.—If the Secretary, after
reasonable notice to an eligible State or eligible Indian
Tribe receiving a grant under this section, finds that the
State or Indian Tribe has failed to comply with the terms of
the grant, the Secretary may disqualify, for 1 or more years,
the State or Indian Tribe from receipt of future grants under
this section.
“(g) Funding.—Of the funds made available to carry out
this subchapter, $100,000,000 shall be available in each of
fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out this section.
“(h) Administration.—
“(1) Department.—The Secretary may not use more than 3
percent of the funds made available to carry out this section
for a fiscal year for administrative expenses.
“(2) States or indian tribes.—An eligible State or
eligible Indian Tribe receiving a grant under this section
may not use more than 7 percent of the granted funds for a
fiscal year for administrative expenses.”.
Subtitle E—Other Conservation Programs
SEC. 2401. CONSERVATION OF PRIVATE GRAZING LAND.
Section 1240M(e) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3839bb) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 2402. FERAL SWINE ERADICATION AND CONTROL PROGRAM.
(a) Feral Swine Eradication and Control Program.—Chapter 5
of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985
(16 U.S.C. 3839bb et seq.) is amended by inserting after
section 1240M the following:
“SEC. 1240N. FERAL SWINE ERADICATION AND CONTROL PROGRAM.
“(a) In General.—The Secretary shall establish a feral
swine eradication and control program (in this section
referred to as the `program') to respond to the threat feral
swine pose to agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and
animal health.
“(b) Duties of the Secretary.—In carrying out the
program, the Secretary shall—
“(1) study and assess the nature and extent of damage to
the threatened areas caused by feral swine;
“(2) develop methods to eradicate or control feral swine
in the threatened areas;
“(3) develop methods to restore damage caused by feral
swine; and
“(4) provide financial assistance to agricultural
producers in threatened areas.
“(c) Assistance.—The Secretary may provide financial
assistance to agricultural producers under the program to
implement methods to—
“(1) eradicate or control feral swine in the threatened
areas; and
“(2) restore damage caused by feral swine.
“(d) Coordination.—The Secretary shall ensure that the
Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service coordinate for purposes of
this section through State technical committees established
under section 1261(a).
“(e) Cost Sharing.—
“(1) Federal share.—The Federal share of the costs of
activities under the program may not exceed 75 percent of the
total costs of such activities.
“(2) In-kind contributions.—The non-Federal share of the
costs of activities under the program may be provided in the
form of in-kind contributions of materials or services.
“(f) Threatened Area Defined.—In this section, the term
`threatened area' means an area of a State in which feral
swine have been identified as a threat to agriculture, native
ecosystems, or human and animal health, as determined by the
Secretary.
“(g) Funding.—
“(1) Mandatory funding.—Of the funds of the Commodity
Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this
section $75,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019
through 2023, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2024, and
$150,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through
“(2) Distribution of funds.—Of the funds made available
under paragraph (1)—
“(A) 40 percent shall be allocated to the Natural
Resources Conservation Service to carry out the program,
including the provision of financial assistance to producers
for on-farm trapping and technology related to capturing and
confining feral swine; and
“(B) 60 percent shall be allocated to the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service to carry out the program, including
the use of established, and testing of innovative, population
reduction methods.
“(3) Limitation on administrative expenses.—Not more than
10 percent of funds made available under this section may be
used for administrative expenses of the program.
“(h) Coordination and Cooperation With a Land-grant
College or University.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall direct the Natural
Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service to enter into a contract with 1 or
more land-grant colleges or universities to assist with the
program in achieving its goals.
“(2) Eligible land-grant colleges and universities.—A
land-grant college or university is eligible to enter into a
contract under paragraph (1) if such college or university—
“(A) has developed and implemented a system of evaluating
damages from feral swine and effectiveness of control efforts
in response to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
(Public Law 115-334);
“(B) shows evidence of a strong working relationship with
Wildlife Services in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service; and
“(C) has maintained a State-funded, non-Federal Wildlife
Services program that has an active cooperative agreement
with Wildlife Services in the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service within the structure of the Land Grant
University System.
“(3) Role of the land-grant college or university.—A
land-grant college or university that enters into a contract
under paragraph (1) shall, as a condition on entering into
such a contract, assist the program by acting as a strategic,
neutral entity that is able to advance the program beyond the
expertise of the Department to achieve the stated goals of
the program by—
“(A) identifying and carrying out research on novel
methods of feral swine control and land remediation;
“(B) assisting in establishing strategic areas for feral
swine control based on data collected in response to the
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018;
“(C) coordinating and collaborating between field staff,
programmatic staff, and research staff within the Natural
Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service; and
“(D) establishing and consulting with the Department on
research goals and priorities in the program.
“(4) Funding.—Funding made available under (g)(2) shall
be available to fund activities under this subsection, as
determined by the Secretary.
“(5) Land-grant college or university defined.—In this
subsection, the term `land-grant college or university' has
the meaning given the term `land-grant colleges and
universities' in section 1404 of the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7
U.S.C. 3103).”.
(b) Repeal.—Section 2408 of the Agriculture Improvement
Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 8351 note) is repealed.
(c) Clerical Amendment.—The table of contents in section
1(b) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 is amended by
striking the item relating to section 2408.
SEC. 2403. WATERSHED PROTECTION AND FLOOD PREVENTION ACT.
(a) Assistance to Local Organizations.—
(1) In general.—Section 3(a) of the Watershed Protection
and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1003(a)) is amended by
redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (7) and inserting
after paragraph (5) the following:
“(6) to provide technical and financial assistance for
remedial actions in accordance with subsection (c); and”.
(2) Assistance for remedial actions; streamlining.—Section
3 of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16
U.S.C. 1003) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(c) Assistance for Remedial Actions.—
“(1) In general.—In carrying out subsection (a)(6), the
Secretary may provide technical and financial assistance to
local organizations for remedial actions for a completed work
of improvement installed under this Act with respect to
which—
“(A) deterioration of a structural component of the work
of improvement is occurring at an abnormal rate, including
situations in which such deterioration is due to a design
deficiency or to site conditions that were unknown at the
time of installation of the work of improvement;
“(B) the planned service life of the work of improvement
exceeds the service life of a structural component of such
work of improvement; or
“(C) structural damage to such work of improvement, or to
a structural component of such work of improvement, was
caused by a storm event that exceeded the maximum storm event
for which the work of improvement was designed.
“(2) Cost share.—Financial assistance provided under this
subsection shall be provided in accordance with the cost-
share rate established in the agreement with the local
organization for the work of improvement.
“(d) Streamlining.—The Secretary shall, on an ongoing
basis—
“(1) engage with relevant Federal agencies to reduce or
eliminate regulatory, policy, or procedural barriers to
timely provision of assistance under this Act;
“(2) provide for streamlined procedures relating to
coordination with other Federal or State agencies for
required reviews and permitting of projects pursuant to this
Act, and ensure such procedures are commensurate with the
size and scale of the projects;
“(3) conduct an assessment of internal Department of
Agriculture planning, technical support, and approvals to
determine best practices to be used for the purpose of
maximizing the decisionmaking authority of State
conservationists with respect to approvals required for
projects under this Act; and
“(4) prioritize the use of agreements and contracting
authorities under this Act to provide funding to local
organizations for the planning, design, and construction of
works of improvement.”.
(b) Data.—Section 13 of the Watershed Protection and Flood
Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1010) is amended to read as
follows:
“SEC. 13. DATA.
“(a) In General.—The Secretary shall collect and
maintain, and make publicly available—
“(1) data, on a national and State-by-State basis,
concerning—
“(A) expenditures for the individual flood control and
conservation measures for which assistance is provided under
this Act; and
“(B) the expected flood control or environmental
(including soil erosion) benefits that will result from the
implementation of such measures; and
“(2) data, with respect to each project for which
assistance is provided under this Act, concerning—
“(A) total allocated and expended funds for planning,
design, construction, remedial actions, and rehabilitation;
and
“(B) contracts and agreements entered into by the
Secretary with a local organization to provide services,
including—
“(i) the services provided through such contracts and
agreements;
“(ii) the total funds allocated to such contracts and
agreements; and
“(iii) any modifications or adjustments made to such
contracts and agreements.
“(b) Prohibition.—The Secretary may not make publicly
available under this section an agreement entered into with
an individual landowner, operator, or occupier under this
Act, or any disaggregated information that identifies such
individual landowner, operator, or occupier.”.
(c) Rehabilitation of Structural Measures Near, at, or Past
Their Evaluated Life Expectancy.—
(1) Cost share assistance for rehabilitation.—Section
14(b) of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act
(16 U.S.C. 1012(b)) is amended—
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking “65 percent” and
inserting “90 percent”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Relation to requirements of authorized projects.—A
rehabilitation project for which assistance is provided under
this section shall not be subject to—
“(A) the requirement under section 2 that a project
contain benefits directly related to agriculture, including
rural communities, that account for at least 20 percent of
the total benefits of the project; or
“(B) section 4(5).”.
(2) Funding.—Section 14(h)(2)(E) of the Watershed
Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1012(h)(2)(E))
is amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 2404. EMERGENCY CONSERVATION PROGRAM.
Section 401 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16
U.S.C. 2201) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)—
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting “and Other
Emergency Conservation Measures” after “Fencing”;
(B) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
“(1) In general.—With respect to a payment to an
agricultural producer under subsection (a) for the repair or
replacement of fencing, or for other emergency measures to
rehabilitate farmland or to repair or replace a farmland or
conservation structure, the Secretary shall give the
agricultural producer the option of receiving—
“(A) before carrying out such replacement or
rehabilitation, not more than 75 percent of the payment for
such replacement or rehabilitation, which shall be based on
the fair market value of the replacement or rehabilitation,
as determined by the Secretary; and
“(B) before carrying out such repair, not more than 50
percent of the payment for such repair, which shall be based
on the fair market value of the repair, as determined by the
Secretary.”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) New or emerging technologies.—Repair or replacement
of fencing under this section may include updating of fencing
to new or emerging technology if such updating does not
increase the cost of the repair or replacement.”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(c) Wildfires.—A wildfire that causes damage with
respect to which a payment may be made under subsection (a)
includes any wildfire that is not caused naturally, including
a wildfire that is caused by the Federal Government, if the
damage is caused by the spread of the fire due to natural
causes.”.
SEC. 2405. EMERGENCY WATERSHED PROGRAM.
(a) Floodplain Easements.—Section 403(b) of the
Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2203(b)) is
amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as paragraphs
(5) and (6), respectively;
(2) by inserting before paragraph (5), as so redesignated,
the following:
“(1) Easement restoration.—The Secretary is authorized to
restore appropriate vegetative cover, hydrological functions,
and other functions and values of the land subject to a
floodplain easement acquired under subsection (a).
“(2) Easement maintenance.—The Secretary is authorized to
monitor, maintain, and enhance appropriate vegetative cover,
hydrological restoration measures, and other restoration
measures on land subject to a floodplain easement acquired
under subsection (a).
“(3) Contracts and agreements.—In carrying out paragraphs
(1) and (2), the Secretary may—
“(A) enter into contracts with landowners; and
“(B) enter into agreements with States, nongovernmental
organizations, and Indian Tribes.
“(4) Compatible use authority.—The Secretary may
authorize a landowner to carry out activities on land subject
to a floodplain easement acquired under subsection (a) that
are—
“(A) compatible uses necessary to carry out paragraph (1)
or (2); or
“(B) compatible economic uses (including such activities
as hunting and fishing, managed timber harvest, water
management, or periodic haying or grazing) if such uses are
consistent with the long-term protection of the floodplain
functions and values for which the easement was acquired.”;
and
(3) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by striking
“paragraph (1)” and inserting “paragraph (5)” each place
it appears.
(b) Level of Restoration.—Section 403 of the Agricultural
Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2203) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
“(c) Level of Restoration.—In carrying out this section,
the Secretary may undertake measures that increase the level
of protection above that which would be necessary to address
the immediate impairment of the watershed if the Secretary
determines that such restoration is in the best interest of
the long-term health of the watershed and the long-term
protection of the watershed from repetitive impairments.”.
SEC. 2406. NATIONAL AGRICULTURE FLOOD VULNERABILITY STUDY.
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a
national agriculture flood vulnerability report containing
the results of a Conservation Effects Assessment Project
assessment of flood risk on agricultural lands, including—
(1) an analysis of economic losses of crops and livestock
resulting from flooding under different recurrence scenarios;
(2) an analysis of the downstream effects of mitigation
activities carried out as part of a watershed management
approach;
(3) an analysis of available Federal and State data
relating to flood risk, as applicable to agricultural land,
including data relating to riverine flooding, coastal
flooding, storm surge, extreme precipitation, and flash
flooding; and
(4) a description of ongoing producer-level conservation
practices and broader government initiatives to manage the
effects of flooding and flood risk within and across
watersheds, and recommendations for additional practices and
initiatives to further address such effects and risk.
SEC. 2407. STUDY ON ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF WINTER WHEAT AS
A COVER CROP.
The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, shall submit to the Committee
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives the results of
a study on the environmental benefits of using winter wheat
as a cover crop, including use as a cover crop that is
removed during harvest.
Subtitle F—Funding and Administration
SEC. 2501. COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION.
(a) Annual Funding.—Section 1241(a) of the Food Security
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)—
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “2019 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking “2019 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”;
(2) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking clauses (i) through
(vi) and inserting the following:
“(i) $2,530,000,000 for fiscal year 2027;
“(ii) $2,730,000,000 for fiscal year 2028;
“(iii) $3,130,000,000 for fiscal year 2029;
“(iv) $3,175,000,000 for fiscal year 2030; and
“(v) $3,255,000,000 for fiscal year 2031; and”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(5) The forest conservation easement program under
subtitle I, using, to the maximum extent practicable—
“(A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2027;
“(B) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2028;
“(C) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2029;
“(D) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2030; and
“(E) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2031.
“(6) The regional conservation partnership program under
subtitle J, to the maximum extent practicable—
“(A) $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2027;
“(B) $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2028;
“(C) $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2029;
“(D) $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2030; and
“(E) $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2031.”.
(b) Regional Equity.—Section 1241(e)(1) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(e)(1)) is amended by
striking “subtitle I” and inserting “subtitle J”.
(c) Acceptance and Use of Contributions for Public-Private
Partnerships.—Section 1241(f) of the Food Security Act of
1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(f)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (6)(A)(ii), by inserting “of” before
“any terms”; and
(2) in paragraph (9)—
(A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
“(A) subtitle D (except for subchapter B of chapter 1 of
such subtitle), subtitle H, subtitle I, or subtitle J;”;
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the semicolon and
inserting “; or”;
(C) by striking subparagraph (C); and
(D) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (C).
(d) Report on Program Enrollments and Assistance.—Section
1241(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(i))
is amended—
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
“2019 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through 2031”;
and
(2) in paragraph (2)(E), by striking “section
1265B(b)(2)(B)(ii)” and inserting “section
1265B(b)(2)(A)(iii)”.
SEC. 2502. DELIVERY OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
(a) Definitions.—Section 1242(a) of the Food Security Act
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842(a)) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
“(2) Non-federal certifying entity.—The term `non-Federal
certifying entity' means a non-Federal entity, an Indian
Tribe, or a State agency described in subparagraph (B), (C),
or (D) of subsection (e)(4) that has entered into an
agreement under subsection (e)(5)(D).”.
(b) Purpose of Technical Assistance.—Section 1242(b) of
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842(b)) is amended
by inserting “timely,” after “consistent,”.
(c) Non-Federal Assistance.—Section 1242(d) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842(d)) is amended by
inserting “(including private sector entities)” after
“Department or non-Federal entities”.
(d) Certification of Third-Party Providers.—Section
1242(e) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842(e))
is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking “Food, Conservation, and
Energy Act of 2008” and inserting “Farm, Food, and National
Security Act of 2026”;
(2) by amending paragraph (3)(A) to read as follows:
“(A) ensure that persons (including commercial entities,
nonprofit entities, State or local governments or agencies,
and other Federal agencies) with expertise in the technical
aspects of conservation planning, watershed planning,
environmental engineering, conservation practice design,
implementation, and evaluation, and any other technical
skills determined appropriate by the Secretary, are eligible
to become approved providers of the technical assistance;”;
and
(3) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5) and inserting the
following:
“(4) Certification.—A third-party provider may be
certified to provide technical assistance under this section
only—
“(A) through a certification process administered by the
Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Natural Resources
Conservation Service;
“(B) by a non-Federal entity (other than a State agency or
an Indian Tribe) approved by the Secretary under paragraph
(5) to certify a third-party provider;
“(C) by an Indian Tribe approved by the Secretary under
paragraph (5) to certify a third-party provider; or
“(D) by a State agency that—
“(i) has statutory authority to certify, administer, or
license professionals in one or more fields of natural
resources, agriculture, or engineering; and
“(ii) is approved by the Secretary under paragraph (5) to
certify a third-party provider.
“(5) Non-federal certifying entity.—
“(A) Establishment of approval process.—Not later than
180 days after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and
National Security Act of 2026, the Secretary shall establish
a process to approve a non-Federal entity (including a State
agency and an Indian Tribe), to become a non-Federal
certifying entity.
“(B) Approval.—Not later than 60 days after the date on
which the Secretary receives an application by a non-Federal
entity to certify third-party providers under this section,
the Secretary shall make a decision on whether to approve
such application.
“(C) Eligibility.—In carrying out subparagraph (B), the
Secretary shall take into consideration—
“(i) the ability of the applicable non-Federal entity to
assess the qualifications of a third-party provider and to
certify third-party providers at scale;
“(ii) the experience of the applicable non-Federal entity
in working with third-party providers and eligible
participants;
“(iii) the expertise of the applicable non-Federal entity
in the technical skills described in paragraph (3)(A); and
“(iv) such other qualifications as the Secretary
determines to be appropriate.
“(D) Agreement.—Upon approving an application under this
paragraph, the Secretary shall enter into an agreement with
the non-Federal entity to become a non-Federal certifying
entity.
“(E) Duties of non-federal certifying entities.—In
certifying third-party providers under this section, a non-
Federal certifying entity shall—
“(i) assess the ability of a third-party provider to
appropriately provide technical assistance to
eligible participants for specified practices and
conservation activities;
“(ii) provide training to ensure that a third-party
provider is qualified to provide technical assistance upon
certification by the non-Federal certifying entity; and
“(iii) submit to the Secretary, in a timely manner,
information on—
“(I) each third-party provider certified by the non-
Federal certifying entity, for inclusion on the registry of
certified third-party providers maintained by the Secretary;
and
“(II) each third-party provider the certification of which
is withdrawn by the non-Federal certifying entity.
“(6) Timely decisions.—
“(A) Certification by secretary.—Not later than 30 days
after the date on which the Secretary receives an application
from a third-party provider to be certified under the process
described in paragraph (4)(A) for particular practices and
conservation activities, the Secretary shall—
“(i) make a final decision with respect to such
application; and
“(ii) if the final decision is to certify the third-party
provider, include the name of the certified third-party
provider on the registry of certified third-party providers
maintained by the Secretary.
“(B) Certification by non-federal certifying entity.—Not
later than 10 days after the date on which the Secretary
receives a notification from a non-Federal certifying entity
that a third-party provider was certified, pursuant to
subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) of paragraph (4), for
particular practices and conservation activities, the
Secretary shall include the name of the certified third-party
provider on the registry of certified third-party providers
maintained by the Secretary.
“(7) Streamlined certification.—Not later than 180 days
after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National
Security Act of 2026, the Secretary shall establish a
streamlined process for the Secretary and non-Federal
certifying entities to use to certify under this section a
third-party provider that has a relevant professional
certification for particular practices and conservation
activities, as determined by the Secretary.”.
(e) Administration.—Section 1242(f) of the Food Security
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842(f)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “each of the programs
specified in section 1241” and inserting “conservation
programs administered by the Secretary”;
(2) in paragraph (2), in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by inserting “or a non-Federal certifying entity”
before “under this section”;
(3) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
“(3) Update of certification process by the secretary.—
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the
Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, and
periodically thereafter, the Secretary shall—
“(A) review the certification processes under paragraphs
(4)(A) and (7) of subsection (e);
“(B) make any adjustments considered necessary by the
Secretary to—
“(i) increase the number of third-party providers
delivering technical assistance; and
“(ii) improve the quality of technical assistance
delivered by third-party providers;
“(C) conduct outreach to, and receive input on the
barriers for third-party providers to become certified under
this section from—
“(i) third-party providers that are, or have been,
certified under this section; and
“(ii) other interested parties associated with eligible
participants; and
“(D) set a target rate of utilization of third-party
providers to deliver technical assistance across all
conservation programs administered by the Secretary.”;
(4) in paragraph (4)(A)(i), by inserting “(including
maintenance)” after “implementation”;
(5) by striking paragraph (5) and inserting the following:
“(5) Payment amount.—
“(A) In general.—For payments provided by the Secretary
under paragraph (2) or (3) of subsection (c), the Secretary
shall determine payment amounts for technical assistance
provided by third-party providers, which shall be at rates
equivalent to, but that do not exceed, the cost to the
Secretary of providing technical assistance directly to an
eligible participant.
“(B) Considerations.—In determining payment amounts under
subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall consider specialized
equipment, frequency of site visits, training, travel and
transportation, and such other factors as the Secretary
determines to be appropriate.
“(C) Exclusion.—A payment provided under subsection
(c)(3) shall be excluded from calculations relating to any
cost-sharing requirements of the applicable conservation
program under which the payment was provided.
“(6) Transparency.—Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of
2026, and periodically thereafter, the Secretary shall make
publicly available information on—
“(A) funds obligated to third-party providers through—
“(i) contracts entered into between eligible participants
and individual third-party providers; and
“(ii) agreements with public and private sector entities
to secure third-party technical assistance;
“(B) the certification process under this section,
including—
“(i) the number of third-party providers certified by the
Secretary;
“(ii) the number of non-Federal certifying entities
approved by the Secretary;
“(iii) the number of third-party providers certified by
non-Federal certifying entities (other than State agencies
and Indian Tribes);
“(iv) the number of third-party providers certified by
Indian Tribes;
“(v) the number of third-party providers certified by
State agencies; and
“(vi) the number of third-party providers certified
through the streamlined certification process described in
subsection (e)(7);
“(C) how third-party providers contribute to the quality
and effectiveness of conservation practices implemented and
adopted through conservation programs administered by the
Secretary, and what improvements are needed; and
“(D) the target rate of utilization of third-party
providers set under paragraph (3)(D) and how actual rate of
utilization compares to the target rate.”; and
(6) by adding at the end the following:
“(7) Soil health planning.—The Secretary shall emphasize
the use of third-party providers in providing technical
assistance for soil health planning, including planning
related to the use of cover crops, precision agriculture
practices, comprehensive nutrient management planning, and
other innovative plans.”.
(f) Review of Conservation Practice Standards.—Section
1242(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842(h))
is amended—
(1) in the subsection heading, by striking “Review” and
inserting “Establishment and Review”;
(2) in paragraph (1)—
(A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
“(A) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, and at
least every 5 years thereafter, complete a review of each
conservation practice standard, including engineering design
specifications;”;
(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking “and” at the end;
(C) by amending subparagraph (D) to read as follows:
“(D) evaluate opportunities to increase flexibility in
conservation practice standards in a manner that integrates
new and innovative technologies that provide equivalent or
improved natural resource benefits compared to the standards
in effect at the time of the review;”; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
“(E) provide a process for public input on each
conservation practice standard under such review, including a
process for consideration of State and local input;
“(F) publicly post a summary of any input received under
subparagraph (E) and any decisions made relating to such
input; and
“(G) revise any conservation practice standard based on
the results of such review, as determined appropriate by the
Secretary, and publish any such revised standard.”;
(3) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
“(3) Process for establishment of interim and new
conservation practice standards.—
“(A) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of
2026, the Secretary shall develop a streamlined process under
which the Secretary shall establish interim conservation
practice standards and new conservation practice standards.
“(B) Development.—In developing the streamlined process
under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall—
“(i) ensure that the public can engage with the Department
of Agriculture, including by recommending interim
conservation practice standards; and
“(ii) establish—
“(I) the types of data, metrics, and other relevant
information that are necessary for the establishment of
interim conservation practice standards and new conservation
practice standards;
“(II) the process by which an interim conservation
practice standard may become a new conservation practice
standard; and
“(III) specific requirements for an expedited review of a
new conservation practice for the purpose of establishing a
new conservation practice standard for such practice.
“(C) Considerations.—In establishing an interim
conservation practice standard or a new conservation practice
standard under this subsection, the Secretary shall
consider—
“(i) input from State technical committees on
recommendations that identify innovations or advancements in
conservation practices;
“(ii) technological advancements, including advancements
from projects developed under section 1240H;
“(iii) State and local input in the form of—
“(I) recommendations for interim conservation practice
standards; and
“(II) partnership-led proposals for new and innovative
techniques to facilitate implementing agreements and grants
under this title; and
“(iv) input from native entities in the form of
information relating to native traditional ecological
knowledge that can inform conservation practice standards.
“(D) Innovative technology priority.—In reviewing
conservation practice standards under this subsection, the
Secretary shall prioritize the review of interim conservation
practice standards and new conservation practice standards
that integrate innovative technologies, including—
“(i) precision agriculture technologies;
“(ii) biological fertilizers, biostimulants, enhanced
efficiency fertilizers, and other tools determined by the
Secretary to reduce nutrient loss;
“(iii) animal feed additives;
“(iv) perennial production systems, including agroforestry
and perennial forages and grain crops; and
“(v) any other innovative technology, as determined by the
Secretary.
“(E) Transparency.—The Secretary shall make available on
a public website a detailed
description of the process for recommending, reviewing, and
establishing interim conservation practice standards and new
conservation practice standards under this paragraph.”;
(4) in paragraph (4)—
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)—
(i) by striking “Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018” and
inserting “Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026”;
and
(ii) by striking “a report on” and inserting “a report
detailing”;
(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking “administrative” and
inserting “streamlined”;
(C) in subparagraph (B), by striking “and” at the end;
(D) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end
and inserting “; and”; and
(E) by adding at the end the following:
“(D) any other information the Secretary determines useful
to improve such streamlined process for reviewing and
establishing conservation practice standards.”; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
“(5) Office of conservation innovation.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary shall establish within the
Office of the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation
Service an Office of Conservation Innovation (referred to in
this paragraph as the `Office') which shall be under the
direct supervision of the Chief.
“(B) Duties.—The Office shall—
“(i) provide support to the Chief in meeting the
requirements of this subsection; and
“(ii) encourage innovation in conservation practices
through—
“(I) revisions of existing conservation practice
standards;
“(II) recommendations of interim conservation practice
standards; and
“(III) recommendations of new conservation practice
standards.
“(C) Staff.—The Chief shall detail to the Office not more
than 6 employees of the Department of Agriculture who are
technical specialists that possess an understanding of
conventional, organic, and other production techniques,
representing—
“(i) agronomy and agroecology (including soil health,
biological nutrient sources, and compatible cover cropping
systems);
“(ii) grazing lands ecology (including rangeland,
pastureland, and grazed forest land);
“(iii) animal husbandry (including animal nutrition and
feed management);
“(iv) water conservation, drainage water management, and
irrigation engineering technology;
“(v) agricultural engineering (including animal waste
management, energy, and structural measures); and
“(vi) forest ecology and agroforestry.
“(6) Funding.—The Secretary shall use funding from the
annual appropriations for conservation operations of the
Natural Resources Conservation Service to carry out this
subsection.”.
(g) Direct Hire Authority.—Section 1242 of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
“(j) NRCS Direct Hire Authority.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary may appoint, without
regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 of
title 5, United States Code (other than sections 3303 and
3328 of such title), qualified candidates, as described in
paragraph (2), directly to positions within the Natural
Resources Conservation Service that provide technical
assistance under conservation programs administered by the
Natural Resources Conservation Service.
“(2) Qualifications.—Paragraph (1) applies to a candidate
who—
“(A) is qualified to provide the technical assistance
described in paragraph (1), as determined by the Secretary;
and
“(B) meets qualification standards established by the
Office of Personnel Management.”.
(h) Addressing Barriers to Wildlife Habitat Connectivity.—
Section 1242 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3842) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
“(k) Addressing Barriers to Wildlife Habitat
Connectivity.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall—
“(A) to the maximum extent practicable, fully incorporate
nonstructural methods to control livestock distribution, such
as virtual fencing, into the conservation practice standards;
and
“(B) provide for the appropriate range of conservation
practices and resource mitigation measures available to
landowners using nonstructural methods described in
subparagraph (A).
“(2) Availability of adequate technical assistance.—The
Secretary shall ensure that adequate technical assistance is
available for the implementation of—
“(A) nonstructural methods described in paragraph (1)(A);
and
“(B) other practices that support wildlife habitat
connectivity through Federal conservation programs.”.
SEC. 2503. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSERVATION
PROGRAMS.
(a) Tenant Protections.—Section 1244(d) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(d)) is amended by
striking “I.” and inserting “J.”.
(b) Acreage Limitations.—Section 1244(f) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(f)) is amended—
(1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
“(1) Limitation.—The Secretary shall not enroll more than
25 percent of the cropland in any county in the conservation
reserve program established under subchapter B of chapter 1
of subtitle D and wetland reserve easements under section
1265C.”;
(2) in paragraph (2)—
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
“paragraph (1)(A)” and inserting “paragraph (1)”; and
(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking “and” at the end and
inserting “or”;
(3) in paragraph (3), by striking “paragraph (1)(A)” and
inserting “paragraph (1)”; and
(4) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking “classes IV” and
inserting “classes III”.
(c) Review and Guidance for Practice Costs and Payment
Rates.—
(1) In general.—Section 1244(j)(1) of the Food Security
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(j)(1)) is amended—
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
“Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, and not later than
October 1 of each year thereafter, the Secretary shall” and
inserting “The Secretary shall establish a process under
which the Secretary shall annually”;
(B) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
“(A) review, with respect to each State, the actual
practice costs and rates of payments (or, where actual
practice costs and rates of payments are not available,
estimates of such practice costs and rates) made to producers
pursuant to programs under this title for practices on
eligible land; and”; and
(C) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) in clause (ii), by striking “and” at the end;
(ii) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (iv);
(iii) by inserting after clause (ii) the following:
“(iii) accounts for the variability in costs of
implementing practices on eligible land under this title;
and”; and
(iv) in clause (iv), as so redesignated, by striking
“regional, State, and” and inserting “State and”.
(2) Guidance; review.—Section 1244(j)(2) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(j)(2)) is amended—
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “estimates for”; and
(B) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) in clause (i), by striking “and” at the end;
(ii) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii);
(iii) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
“(ii) monitoring for and identifying significant
variability in practice costs in each year; and”; and
(iv) in clause (iii), as so redesignated, by inserting
“and, when appropriate, adopting any recommendations made by
such State technical committee” after “that State”.
(3) Effect on existing contracts.—Section 1244(j) of the
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(j)) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
“(3) Effect on existing contracts.—In order to provide
rates of payments that are commensurate with the costs of
implementing practices pursuant to programs under this title,
the Secretary shall establish processes and procedures for
updating rates of payments under a contract or agreement in
effect under this title to reflect the appropriate practice
costs and rates of payments determined under paragraph (2)(B)
for the year in which the practice is implemented.”.
(d) Source Water Protection Through Targeting of
Agricultural Practices.—Section 1244(n) of the Food Security
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(n)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)—
(A) in subparagraph (A)—
(i) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii);
(ii) in clause (i), by striking the “and” at the end; and
(iii) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
“(ii) identify in each State a source water protection
coordinator who shall be responsible for coordinating such
collaboration with community water systems under this
subsection; and”; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking “under subparagraph
(A)(ii)” and inserting “under subparagraph (A)(iii)”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Publicly available information.—Beginning on the
date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security
Act of 2026, the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the
Natural Resources Conservation Service, shall make publicly
available—
“(A) an annual report that details—
“(i) for each local priority area identified under
paragraph (2)(A)(i)—
“(I) the conservation programs under which assistance is
provided pursuant to paragraph (1);
“(II) the practices implemented pursuant to paragraph (1);
and
“(III) the number of contracts and acres devoted to such
practices;
“(ii) for each conservation program administered by the
Secretary—
“(I) the amount of funds obligated and expended for
practices implemented pursuant to paragraph (1); and
“(II) information regarding the status of compliance with
paragraph (3); and
“(iii) the practices, by State, that are receiving
increased incentives and higher payment rates under paragraph
(2)(A)(iii); and
“(B) through an interactive map, aggregated data detailed
under subparagraph (A).”.
(e) Encouragement of Habitat Connectivity and Wildlife
Corridors.—Section 1244 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3844) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(q) Encouragement of Habitat Connectivity and Wildlife
Corridors.—In carrying out any conservation program
administered by the Secretary, the Secretary may, as
appropriate, encourage the use of conservation practices that
support the development, restoration, and maintenance of
habitat connectivity and wildlife corridors.”.
Subtitle G—Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
SEC. 2601. DEFINITIONS.
Section 1265A of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3865a) is amended—
(1) by striking paragraph (2);
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (7) as
paragraphs (2) through (6), respectively; and
(3) in paragraph (3)(A), as so redesignated, by amending
clause (i) to read as follows:
“(i) that is subject to a pending offer for purchase of an
agricultural land easement from an eligible entity;”.
SEC. 2602. AGRICULTURAL LAND EASEMENTS.
(a) Availability of Assistance.—Section 1265B(a) of the
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865b) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “in eligible land;” and
inserting “on eligible land; and”;
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking “(iv); and” and
inserting “(iii).”; and
(3) by striking paragraph (3).
(b) Cost-Share Assistance.—
(1) Scope of assistance available.—Section 1265B(b)(2) of
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865b(b)(2)) is
amended—
(A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
“(A) Federal share.—
“(i) In general.—An agreement described in paragraph (4)
shall provide for a Federal share determined by the Secretary
of an amount not to exceed 65 percent of the fair market
value of the agricultural land easement, as determined by the
Secretary using—
“(I) the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal
Practice;
“(II) an areawide market analysis or survey; or
“(III) another industry-approved method.
“(ii) Socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers
exception.—In the case of eligible land with respect to
which a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher holds an
ownership interest of not less than 50 percent, the Secretary
may provide an amount not to exceed 90 percent of the fair
market value of the agricultural land easement.
“(iii) Grasslands exception.—In the case of grassland of
special environmental significance, as determined by the
Secretary, the Secretary may provide an amount not to exceed
75 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land
easement.”;
(B) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) by amending clause (i) to read as follows:
“(i) In general.—Under the agreement, the eligible entity
shall provide a non-Federal share that is equivalent to the
remainder of the fair market value of the agricultural land
easement not provided by the Secretary under subparagraph
(A).”;
(ii) by striking clause (ii);
(iii) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (ii); and
(iv) in clause (ii), as so redesignated, in the matter
preceding subclause (I), by striking “subparagraph” and
inserting “paragraph”; and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
“(C) Lower cost-share option.—
“(i) In general.—Notwithstanding paragraph (4)(C)(v), an
eligible entity may elect to enter into an agreement under
paragraph (4) in which the terms and conditions of an
agricultural land easement funded under the agreement do not
include a right of enforcement for the Secretary if the
eligible entity agrees to a Federal share that does not
exceed 25 percent of the fair market value of the
agricultural land easement, as determined by the Secretary
under subparagraph (A).
“(ii) Minimum terms and conditions.—Under an agreement
described in clause (i), an eligible entity shall be
authorized to use its own terms and conditions for
agricultural land easements so long as the Secretary
determines such terms and conditions—
“(I) are consistent with the purposes of the program; and
“(II) permit effective enforcement of the conservation
purposes of such easements.
“(iii) Entity enforcement.—Under an agreement described
in clause (i), the Secretary shall require the terms and
conditions for the agricultural land easement to include a
right of enforcement for the eligible entity.
“(iv) Cash contribution.—Under an agreement described in
clause (i), the eligible entity shall provide cash resources
in an amount that is not less than 50 percent of the fair
market value of the agricultural land easement, as determined
by the Secretary under subparagraph (A).”.
(2) Evaluation and ranking of applications.—Section
1265B(b)(3) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3865b(b)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(F) Pooling of applications.—The Secretary may evaluate
and rank applications submitted by eligible entities for the
purchase of agricultural land easements from landowners who
are socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers separately
from applications submitted for the purchase of agricultural
land easements from other landowners.”.
(3) Agreements with eligible entities.—Section 1265B(b)(4)
of the Food Security Act of 1985 (42 U.S.C. 3865b(b)(4)) is
amended—
(A) in subparagraph (C)—
(i) by striking clause (iii);
(ii) by redesignating clauses (iv) and (v) as clauses (iii)
and (iv), respectively;
(iii) in clause (iii), as so redesignated, by striking the
“and” at the end;
(iv) in clause (iv), as so redesignated, by striking the
period at the end and inserting “;”; and
(v) by adding at the end the following:
“(v) include a right of enforcement for the Secretary
that—
“(I) may be used only if the terms and conditions of the
easement are not enforced by the eligible entity; and
“(II) does not extend to a right of inspection unless—
“(aa)(AA) the holder of the easement fails to provide
monitoring reports in a timely manner; or
“(BB) the Secretary has a reasonable and articulable
belief that the terms and conditions of the easement have
been violated; and
“(bb) prior to the inspection, the Secretary notifies the
eligible entity and the landowner of the inspection and
provides a reasonable opportunity for the eligible entity and
the landowner to participate in the inspection; and
“(vi) include a right of the Secretary to require the
transfer of the easement to a different eligible entity if
the eligible entity that holds the easement ceases to exist
or is no longer eligible to participate in the program, as
determined by the Secretary.”; and
(B) in subparagraph (D)—
(i) in clause (ii)—
(I) in subclause (I)(ff), by striking “(v)” and inserting
“(iv)”; and
(II) in subclause (II), by striking the “and” at the end;
(ii) in subclause (iii), by striking the period at the end
and inserting “; and”; and
(iii) by inserting at the end the following:
“(iv) do not conflict with any minimum terms or conditions
under subparagraph (C) that may be required.”.
(4) Certification of eligible entities.—Section
1265B(b)(5) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3865b(b)(5)) is amended—
(A) in subparagraph (A)—
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking “under
which the Secretary may” and inserting “, to minimize
administrative burdens on the Secretary and recognize the
ability of experienced eligible entities to administer
easements with minimal oversight by the Secretary, under
which the Secretary shall”; and
(ii) in clause (iv), by inserting “, and modify,” after
“entity to use”;
(B) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) in clause (ii)—
(I) in subclause (II), by striking “10” and inserting
“5”; and
(II) in subclause (III), by striking the “or” at the end;
(ii) in clause (iii)—
(I) in subclause (I), by striking “10” and inserting
“5”; and
(II) in subclause (II), by striking the period at the end
and inserting “; or”;
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
“(iv) is an eligible entity not described in clause (ii)
or (iii) that has—
“(I) acquired not fewer than 10 agricultural land
easements under the program or any predecessor program; and
“(II) successfully met the responsibilities of the
eligible entity under the applicable agreements with the
Secretary, as determined by the Secretary, relating to
agricultural land easements that the eligible entity has
acquired under the program or any predecessor program.”; and
(C) in subparagraph (C)—
(i) in the header, by striking “Review and revision” and
inserting “Review and revocation”;
(ii) in the header of clause (i) by striking “Review” and
inserting “Certified entity review”; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
“(iii) Easement review.—The Secretary shall establish and
conduct an annual quality review process to—
“(I) review a sample set of easements acquired by
certified eligible entities;
“(II) ensure the integrity of the easement acquisition
process under this section;
“(III) establish and enforce a process for corrective
actions; and
“(IV) provide for a waiver of successive easement reviews
based on demonstrated compliance.”.
SEC. 2603. WETLAND RESERVE EASEMENTS.
(a) Easements.—Section 1265C(b) of the Food Security Act
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)(D), by striking “tribes” and
inserting “Tribes and landowners who are socially
disadvantaged farmers or ranchers”; and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3)(C) the following:
“(D) Pooling of applications.—The Secretary may evaluate
and rank offers from landowners who are socially
disadvantaged farmers or ranchers separately from offers from
other landowners.”.
(b) Easement Restoration.—Section 1265C(c)(1) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c(c)(1)) is amended by
striking “subsection (f)” and inserting “subsection (g)”.
(c) Easement Stewardship.—Section 1265C of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (g) as
subsections (e) through (h), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subsection (c), the following:
“(d) Easement Stewardship.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall provide financial
assistance to owners of eligible land enrolled under this
section for the repair, necessary maintenance, and
enhancement activities described in the wetland reserve
easement plan developed for the eligible land under
subsection (g)(1).
“(2) Evaluation of stewardship need.—The Secretary
shall—
“(A) regularly assess land enrolled under this section to
identify maintenance and management needs, including any
needed repair or enhancement of existing structural
practices, in accordance with the applicable wetland reserve
easement plan;
“(B) consistent with the purposes of the program, create,
execute, and update as necessary based on the assessments
carried out under subparagraph (A), a stewardship strategy
for—
“(i) prioritizing and addressing the needs identified
under subparagraph (A); and
“(ii) projecting the amount of annual funding needed for
financial and technical assistance to address such needs; and
“(C) establish a 5-year schedule to address such needs.
“(3) Payments.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall make payments in an amount that is not more
than 100 percent of the eligible costs, as determined by the
Secretary.
“(4) Report.—Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of
2026, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a
report that includes—
“(A) an inventory of the existing stewardship needs of all
wetland reserve easements, based on the assessments carried
out under paragraph (2);
“(B) the stewardship strategy created under paragraph
(2)(B);
“(C) the amounts the Secretary plans to allocate to
address such stewardship needs, based on projections made
pursuant to paragraph (2)(B)(ii); and
“(D) the planned use of compatible uses under subsection
(b)(5)(C), contracts or agreements under subsection (e)(2),
or wetland reserve easement plans under subsection (g)(1) to
ensure that each such stewardship need is addressed.”.
(d) Assistance.—Subsection (e) of section 1265C of the
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c), as so
redesignated, is amended—
(1) in the header, by striking “Technical Assistance” and
inserting “Assistance”; and
(2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
“(2) Contracts or agreements.—The Secretary may enter
into 1 or more contracts or agreements with a Federal, State,
or local agency, a nongovernmental organization, an Indian
Tribe, or a private entity to carry out necessary
restoration, enhancement, maintenance, repair, assessment, or
monitoring of a wetland reserve easement if the Secretary
determines that the contract or agreement will advance the
purposes of the program.”.
(e) Wetland Reserve Enhancement Option.—Subsection (f) of
section 1265C of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3865c), as so redesignated, is amended—
(1) by striking “The Secretary” and inserting the
following:
“(1) In general.—The Secretary”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(2) Funding.—Of the funds made available to carry out
this section, the Secretary shall reserve not less than 15
percent to carry out this subsection.”.
SEC. 2604. ADMINISTRATION.
(a) Subordination, Exchange, Modification, and
Termination.—Section 1265D(c) of the Food Security Act of
1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865d(c)) is amended—
(1) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
“(2) Modification and exchange of interest in land.—
“(A) Modification.—
“(i) Authority.—The Secretary may approve a modification
of any interest in land, or portion of such interest,
administered by the Secretary, either directly or on behalf
of the Commodity Credit Corporation, under the program if the
Secretary determines that the modification—
“(I) will support the long-term agricultural viability of
the applicable farm or ranch operation and the conservation
values of the applicable easement;
“(II) will result in equal or increased conservation
values;
“(III) is consistent with the original intent of the
easement;
“(IV) is consistent with the purposes of the program; and
“(V) is in the public interest or furthers the practical
administration of the program, including correcting errors,
exercising reserved rights, and increasing flexibility to
recognize changes in water availability or administration.
“(ii) Limitation.—In modifying an interest in land, or
portion of such interest, under this subparagraph, the
Secretary may not, except in the case of a modification that
includes a change to an easement to add acreage, increase any
payment to an eligible entity.
“(iii) NEPA compliance.—An action taken pursuant to this
subparagraph may not be considered a major Federal action
under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)).
“(B) Exchange.—
“(i) Authority.—The Secretary may approve an exchange of
any interest in land, or portion of such interest,
administered by the Secretary, either directly or on behalf
of the Commodity Credit Corporation, under the program if the
Secretary determines that—
“(I) no reasonable alternative exists and the effect on
the interest in land is avoided or minimized to the extent
practicable; and
“(II) the exchange—
“(aa) results in equal or increased conservation values;
“(bb) results in equal or greater economic value to the
United States;
“(cc) is consistent with the original intent of the
easement;
“(dd) is consistent with the purposes of the program; and
“(ee) is in the public interest or furthers the practical
administration of the program.
“(ii) Limitation.—In exchanging an interest in land, or
portion of such interest, under this subparagraph, the
Secretary may not increase any payment to an eligible
entity.”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(6) De minimis adjustments.—
“(A) In general.—An eligible entity may make de minimis
adjustments to any interest in land, or a portion of such
interest, administered by the Secretary, directly or on
behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation, under the program
if the adjustment—
“(i) furthers the practical administration of the program;
and
“(ii) is not a subordination, modification, exchange, or
termination, as determined by the Secretary.
“(B) Types of de minimis adjustments.—De minimis
adjustments made under this paragraph may include title
corrections and other minor adjustments, including—
“(i) typographical error corrections;
“(ii) minor changes in legal descriptions as a result of
survey or mapping errors;
“(iii) the transfer of an interest of an eligible entity
to another eligible entity;
“(iv) changes to a building envelope boundary;
“(v) relocation of easement access;
“(vi) authorization of temporary work areas not associated
with other easement administration actions; and
“(vii) other adjustments determined appropriate by the
Secretary.
“(7) Modification of eligible entity terms and
conditions.—An eligible entity shall be authorized to modify
a term or condition of an agricultural land easement that is
the subject of an agreement entered into under section
1265B(b)(4)(A) if such modification does not conflict with
any minimum term or condition required by the Secretary under
such section.”.
(b) Adjusted Gross Income.—
(1) Exemption.—Section 1265D of the Food Security Act of
1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865D) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
“(f) Adjusted Gross Income Exemption.—The adjusted gross
income limitation described in section 1001D(b)(1) shall not
apply to any payment or other assistance under this
subtitle.”.
(2) Calculation.—Section 1001D(b) of the Food Security Act
of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308-3a(b)) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
“(5) Exception for compensation under acep.—For purposes
of this subsection, the adjusted gross income of a person or
legal entity that is a landowner of eligible land (as defined
in section 1265A) shall not include any income received as
compensation for the acquisition of an agricultural land
easement or a wetland reserve easement on that eligible land
under subtitle H of title XII.”.
Subtitle H—Forest Conservation Easement Program
SEC. 2701. FOREST CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROGRAM.
Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801
et seq.) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subtitle I (16 U.S.C. 3871 et seq.) as
subtitle J; and
(2) by inserting after subtitle H (16 U.S.C. 3865 et seq.)
the following:
“Subtitle I—Forest Conservation Easement Program
“SEC. 1267. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSES.
“(a) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish a
forest conservation easement program for the conservation and
restoration of eligible land and natural resources through
the acquisition of conservation easements or other interests
in land.
“(b) Purposes.—The purposes of the program are—
“(1) to protect the viability and sustainability of
working forest land, and related conservation values of
eligible land, by limiting the negative effects of nonforest
land uses of such land;
“(2) to protect and enhance forest ecosystem and landscape
functions and values;
“(3) to promote the restoration, protection, and
improvement of habitat of species that are threatened,
endangered, or otherwise at risk; and
“(4) to carry out the purposes and functions of the
healthy forests reserve program established under title V of
the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6571
et seq.), as in effect on the day before the date of
enactment of this section.
“SEC. 1267A. DEFINITIONS.
“In this subtitle:
“(1) Acreage owned by an indian tribe.—The term `acreage
owned by an Indian Tribe' means—
“(A) land that is held in trust by the United States for
Indian Tribes or individual Indians;
“(B) land, the title to which is held by Indian Tribes or
individual Indians subject to Federal restrictions against
alienation or encumbrance;
“(C) land that is subject to rights of use, occupancy, and
benefit of certain Indian Tribes;
“(D) land that is held in fee title by an Indian Tribe;
“(E) land that is owned by a native corporation formed
under—
“(i) section 17 of the Act of June 18, 1934 (commonly
known as the `Indian Reorganization Act') (25 U.S.C. 5124);
or
“(ii) section 8 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
(43 U.S.C. 1607); and
“(F) a combination of 1 or more types of land described in
subparagraphs (A) through (E).
“(2) Eligible entity.—The term `eligible entity' means—
“(A) an agency of State or local government or an Indian
Tribe (including a land resource council established under
State law); or
“(B) an organization that is—
“(i) organized for, and at all times since the formation
of the organization has been operated principally for, 1 or
more of the conservation purposes specified in clause (i),
(ii), (iii), or (iv) of section 170(h)(4)(A) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986;
“(ii) an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of
that Code that is exempt from taxation under section 501(a)
of that Code; or
“(iii) described in—
“(I) paragraph (1) or (2) of section 509(a) of that Code;
or
“(II) section 509(a)(3) of that Code and is controlled by
an organization described in section 509(a)(2) of that Code.
“(3) Eligible land.—The term `eligible land' means
private land or acreage owned by an Indian Tribe—
“(A) that is—
“(i) forest land; or
“(ii) being restored to forest land;
“(B) in the case of a forest land easement—
“(i) the enrollment of which would protect working forests
and related conservation values by conserving land; or
“(ii) the protection of which will further a State or
local policy consistent with the purposes of the program; and
“(C) in the case of a forest reserve easement, the
enrollment of which will maintain, restore, enhance, or
otherwise measurably—
“(i) increase the likelihood of recovery of a species that
is listed as endangered or threatened under section 4 of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533); or
“(ii) improve the well-being of a species that is—
“(I) not listed as endangered or threatened under that
section; and
“(II)(aa) a candidate for that listing, a State-listed
species, or a special concern species; or
“(bb) designated as a species of greatest conservation
need by a State wildlife action plan.
“(4) Forest land easement.—The term `forest land
easement' means an easement or other interest in eligible
land that—
“(A) is conveyed to an eligible entity for the purpose of
protecting natural resources and the forest nature of the
eligible land; and
“(B) permits the landowner the right to continue working
forest production and related uses, consistent with an
applicable forest management plan.
“(5) Forest management plan.—The term `forest management
plan' means—
“(A) a forest stewardship plan described in section 5(f)
of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C.
2103a(f));
“(B) another plan approved by the applicable State
forester or State forestry agency;
“(C) a plan developed under a third-party certification
system determined appropriate by the Secretary; or
“(D) another plan determined appropriate by the Secretary.
“(6) Forest reserve easement.—The term `forest reserve
easement' means an easement or other interest in eligible
land that—
“(A) is conveyed to the Secretary for the purpose of
protecting natural resources and the forest nature of the
eligible land; and
“(B) permits the landowner the right to continue working
forest production and related uses consistent with the
applicable forest reserve easement plan developed under
section 1267C(c)(1)(A).
“(7) Program.—The term `program' means the forest
conservation easement program established under this
subtitle.
“(8) Socially disadvantaged forest landowner.—The term
`socially disadvantaged forest landowner' means a forest
landowner who is a member of a socially disadvantaged group
(as defined in section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture,
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a))).
“SEC. 1267B. FOREST LAND EASEMENTS.
“(a) Availability of Assistance.—The Secretary shall
facilitate and provide funding for—
“(1) the purchase by eligible entities of forest land
easements on eligible land;
“(2) the development of a forest management plan; and
“(3) technical assistance to implement this section.
“(b) Cost-Share Assistance.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall protect working
forests, and related conservation values of eligible land,
through cost-share assistance to eligible entities for
purchasing forest land easements.
“(2) Scope of assistance available.—
“(A) Federal share.—
“(i) In general.—Except as provided in clause (ii), an
agreement described in paragraph (4) shall provide for a
Federal share of 50 percent of the fair market value of the
forest land easement, as determined by the Secretary.
“(ii) Exception.—An agreement described in paragraph (4)
may provide for a Federal share of not more than 75 percent
of the fair market value of a forest land easement in the
case of eligible land that is—
“(I) a forest of special environmental significance, as
determined by the Secretary; or
“(II) owned by a socially disadvantaged forest landowner.
“(B) Non-federal share.—
“(i) In general.—Under an agreement described in
paragraph (4), the eligible entity shall provide a non-
Federal share that is equivalent to the remainder of the fair
market value of the forest land easement not provided by the
Secretary under subparagraph (A).
“(ii) Permissible forms.—The non-Federal share provided
by an eligible entity under this paragraph may comprise—
“(I) cash resources;
“(II) a charitable donation or qualified conservation
contribution (as defined in section 170(h) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986) from the private forest landowner from
which the forest land easement will be purchased;
“(III) costs associated with securing a deed to the forest
land easement, including the cost of appraisal, survey,
inspection, and title; and
“(IV) other costs, as determined by the Secretary.
“(C) Determination of fair market value.—For purposes of
this paragraph, the Secretary shall determine the fair market
value of a forest land easement using—
“(i) the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal
Practice;
“(ii) an areawide market analysis or survey; or
“(iii) another industry-approved method.
“(3) Evaluation and ranking of applications.—
“(A) Criteria.—The Secretary shall establish evaluation
and ranking criteria to maximize the benefit of Federal
investment under the program.
“(B) Priority.—In evaluating applications under the
program, the Secretary shall give priority to an application
for the purchase of a forest land easement—
“(i) that maintains the viability of a working forest, as
determined by the Secretary; and
“(ii) on eligible land for which a forest management plan
has been developed at the time of application.
“(C) Considerations.—In establishing the criteria under
subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall emphasize support for—
“(i) protecting working forests and related conservation
values of eligible land;
“(ii) reducing fragmentation of forest land; and
“(iii) maximizing the areas protected from conversion to
nonforest uses.
“(4) Agreements with eligible entities.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary shall enter into
agreements with eligible entities to stipulate the terms and
conditions under which the eligible entity is permitted to
use cost-share assistance provided under this section.
“(B) Length of agreements.—An agreement under
subparagraph (A) shall be for a term that is not less than 3,
but not more than 5, years, unless the Secretary determines
that a longer term is justified.
“(C) Minimum terms and conditions.—An eligible entity
shall be authorized to use its own terms and conditions for
forest land easements so long as the Secretary determines
such terms and conditions—
“(i) are consistent with—
“(I) the purposes of the program; and
“(II) the forestry activities to be conducted on the
eligible land;
“(ii) permit effective enforcement of the conservation
purposes of the forest land easements;
“(iii) include a requirement to implement a forest
management plan on eligible land subject to a forest land
easement;
“(iv) include a limit on the impervious surfaces to be
allowed that is consistent with the forestry activities to be
conducted; and
“(v) include a right of enforcement for the Secretary
that—
“(I) may be used only if the terms and conditions of the
forest land easement are not enforced by the eligible entity;
and
“(II) does not extend to a right of inspection unless—
“(aa)(AA) the holder of the forest land easement fails to
provide monitoring reports in a timely manner; or
“(BB) the Secretary has a reasonable and articulable
belief that the terms and conditions of the forest land
easement have been violated; and
“(bb) prior to the inspection, the Secretary notifies the
eligible entity and the landowner of the inspection and
provides a reasonable opportunity for the eligible entity and
the landowner to participate in the inspection.
“(D) Additional permitted terms and conditions.—An
eligible entity may include terms and conditions for a forest
land easement that—
“(i) are intended to keep the eligible land subject to the
forest land easement in active forest management, as
determined by the Secretary;
“(ii) allow subsurface mineral development on the eligible
land subject to the forest land easement and in accordance
with applicable State law if, as determined by the
Secretary—
“(I) the subsurface mineral development—
“(aa) has a limited and localized impact;
“(bb) does not harm the forest use and conservation values
of the eligible land subject to the forest land easement;
“(cc) does not materially alter or affect the existing
topography;
“(dd) complies with a subsurface mineral development plan
that—
“(AA) includes a plan for the remediation of impacts to
the forest use and conservation values of the eligible land
subject to the forest land easement; and
“(BB) is approved by the Secretary prior to the initiation
of mineral development activity;
“(ee) is not accomplished by any surface mining method;
“(ff) is within the impervious surface limits of the
forest land easement under subparagraph (C)(iv); and
“(gg) uses practices and technologies that minimize the
duration and intensity of impacts to the forest use and
conservation values of the eligible land subject to the
forest land easement; and
“(II) each area impacted by the subsurface mineral
development is reclaimed and restored by the holder of the
mineral rights at cessation of operation; and
“(iii) include other relevant activities relating to the
forest land easement, as determined by the Secretary.
“(E) Substitution of qualified projects.—An agreement
under subparagraph (A) shall allow, upon mutual agreement of
the parties, substitution of qualified projects that are
identified at the time of the proposed substitution.
“(F) Effect of violation.—If a violation of a term or
condition of an agreement under subparagraph (A) occurs—
“(i) the Secretary may terminate the agreement; and
“(ii) the Secretary may require the eligible entity to
refund all or part of any payments received by the eligible
entity under the program,
with interest on the payments as determined appropriate by
the Secretary.
“(5) Forest management plan.—
“(A) In general.—If the eligible land does not have a
forest management plan at the time of application, prior to
the acquisition of the forest land easement the landowner
shall develop, in partnership with the eligible entity, a
forest management plan for the land subject to the forest
land easement.
“(B) Reimbursement.—The Secretary may reimburse the
landowner for the cost of the development of a forest
management plan for eligible land enrolled under this
section.
“(c) Method of Enrollment.—The Secretary shall enroll
eligible land under this section through the use of—
“(1) permanent easements; or
“(2) easements for the maximum duration allowed under
applicable State laws.
“(d) Technical Assistance.—The Secretary may provide
technical assistance, on request, to assist in compliance
with the terms and conditions of forest land easements.
“SEC. 1267C. FOREST RESERVE EASEMENTS.
“(a) Availability of Assistance.—The Secretary shall
provide assistance to owners of eligible land to restore,
protect, and enhance eligible land through—
“(1) forest reserve easements and related forest reserve
easement plans; and
“(2) technical assistance to implement this section.
“(b) Easements.—
“(1) Method of enrollment.—
“(A) Authorized methods.—The Secretary shall enroll
eligible land under this section—
“(i) through the use of—
“(I) permanent easements;
“(II) 30-year easements; and
“(III) easements for the maximum duration allowed under
applicable State laws; and
“(ii) in the case of acreage owned by an Indian Tribe,
through the use of—
“(I) 30-year contracts (the compensation for which shall
be equivalent to the compensation for 30-year easements); or
“(II) permanent easements.
“(B) Limitation.—Not more than 10 percent of amounts made
available to carry out this section in a fiscal year may be
used for 30-year easements under this section.
“(2) Evaluation and ranking of offers.—
“(A) Criteria.—The Secretary shall establish evaluation
and ranking criteria for offers from landowners under this
section.
“(B) Priority.—The Secretary shall give priority to the
enrollment of eligible land under this section that provides
the greatest conservation benefit to—
“(i) primarily, species listed as endangered or threatened
under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16
U.S.C. 1533); and
“(ii) secondarily, species that are—
“(I) not listed as endangered or threatened under that
section; and
“(II)(aa) candidates for that listing, State-listed
species, or special concern species; or
“(bb) designated as species of greatest conservation need
by a State wildlife action plan.
“(C) Other considerations.—The Secretary may give
additional consideration to eligible land the enrollment
under this section of which will—
“(i) improve biological diversity;
“(ii) restore native forest ecosystems;
“(iii) conserve forest land that provides habitat for
species described in subparagraph (B);
“(iv) reduce fragmentation of forest land; and
“(v) increase carbon sequestration.
“(3) Terms and conditions of easements.—
“(A) In general.—A forest reserve easement shall include
terms and conditions that—
“(i) are consistent with the purposes of the program and
the forestry activities to be conducted on the eligible land;
“(ii) are consistent with the management objectives of the
owner of the eligible land and the implementation of the
forest reserve easement plan developed under subsection
(c)(1)(A);
“(iii) permit effective enforcement of the conservation
purposes of the forest reserve easements;
“(iv) provide for the efficient and effective
establishment or enhancement of forest ecosystem functions
and values; and
“(v) include such additional provisions as the Secretary
determines are desirable to carry out the program or
facilitate the practical administration of the program.
“(B) Requested terms and conditions.—An owner of eligible
land may request that a term or condition be included in a
forest reserve easement, and the Secretary may include such
term or condition, if it—
“(i) is consistent with the management objectives of the
owner of the eligible land and the implementation of the
forest reserve easement plan developed under subsection
(c)(1)(A); and
“(ii) does not conflict with any terms or conditions
included under subparagraph (A).
“(4) Compensation.—
“(A) Permanent easements.—In the case of eligible land
enrolled in a permanent easement under this section, the
Secretary shall pay the owner of the eligible land an amount
equal to the difference between, as determined by the
Secretary—
“(i) the fair market value of the eligible land before the
enrollment in the permanent easement; and
“(ii) the fair market value of the eligible land as
encumbered by the permanent easement.
“(B) Other.—The Secretary shall pay the owner of eligible
land enrolled under this section in a 30-year contract, a 30-
year easement, or an easement for the maximum duration
allowed under applicable State laws, not less than 50
percent, and not more than 75 percent, of the compensation
that would be paid under subparagraph (A) if the land were
being enrolled in a permanent easement.
“(C) Determination of fair market value.—The Secretary
shall determine the fair market value of eligible land for
purposes of this paragraph using the Uniform Standards of
Professional Appraisal Practice or another industry-approved
method.
“(c) Easement Restoration and Management.—
“(1) Forest reserve easement plan.—
“(A) In general.—Land enrolled in a forest reserve
easement shall be subject to a forest reserve easement plan,
to be developed jointly by the landowner and the Secretary,
that describes such activities to be carried out on the land
as are necessary to restore, maintain, and enhance habitat
for species described in subsection (b)(2)(B).
“(B) Practices and measures.—A forest reserve easement
plan developed under subparagraph (A) shall require
implementation of such practices and measures as are
necessary to accomplish the activities described in the plan
under such subparagraph, which may include—
“(i) vegetative management and silviculture practices;
“(ii) structural practices and measures;
“(iii) practices to increase carbon sequestration;
“(iv) practices to improve biological diversity; and
“(v) other practices and measures, as determined by the
Secretary.
“(2) Financial assistance.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary shall provide financial
assistance to owners of eligible land to carry out the
activities, practices, and measures described in the forest
reserve easement plan developed for the eligible land under
paragraph (1).
“(B) Payments.—With respect to financial assistance
provided under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall pay—
“(i) in the case of a forest reserve easement plan for
eligible land enrolled in a permanent easement, an amount
that is not more than 100 percent of the eligible costs
described in subparagraph (C), as determined by the
Secretary; and
“(ii) in the case of a forest reserve easement plan for
eligible land enrolled in a 30-year contract, a 30-year
easement, or an easement for the maximum duration allowed
under applicable State laws, an amount that is not less than
50 percent, and not more than 75 percent, of the eligible
costs described in subparagraph (C), as determined by the
Secretary.
“(C) Eligible costs.—Costs eligible for payments under
this paragraph are the costs of activities, practices, and
measures referred to in subparagraph (A) that are associated
with the restoration or enhancement of the habitat conditions
specified for the applicable species in the forest reserve
easement plan.
“(D) Timing of payments.—Payments under this paragraph
shall be made—
“(i) only on a determination by the Secretary that an
activity, practice, or measure described in subparagraph (C)
has been established in compliance with appropriate standards
and specifications, which determination shall be made as soon
as practicable after establishment; and
“(ii) as soon as possible after such determination is
made.
“(E) Limitations.—Financial assistance provided by the
Secretary under this paragraph to an owner of eligible land
may not exceed $500,000 per easement or contract.
“(d) Technical Assistance.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall provide to owners of
eligible land technical assistance to assist the owners in—
“(A) developing a forest reserve easement plan; and
“(B) complying with the terms and conditions of a forest
reserve easement, including the implementation of a forest
reserve easement plan.
“(2) Contracts or agreements.—The Secretary may enter
into 1 or more contracts with private entities or agreements
with a State, nongovernmental organization, or Indian Tribe
to provide technical assistance described in paragraph (1),
if the Secretary determines that the contract or agreement
will advance the purposes of the program.
“(e) Protections and Measures.—
“(1) Protections.—In the case of a landowner who enrolls
eligible land in a forest reserve easement, and whose
conservation activities under the forest reserve easement
plan developed for such land result in a net conservation
benefit for a species described in subsection (b)(2)(B), the
Secretary shall make available to the landowner safe harbor
or similar assurances and protection under—
“(A) section 7(b)(4) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(16 U.S.C. 1536(b)(4)); or
“(B) section 10(a)(1) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 1539(a)(1)).
“(2) Measures.—If protection under paragraph (1) requires
the taking of measures that are in addition to the measures
covered by the forest reserve easement plan developed for the
eligible land, the cost of the additional measures, and the
cost of any permit, shall be considered costs eligible for
payments under subsection (c)(2).
“(f) Administration.—
“(1) Delegation of easement administration.—
“(A) Federal and state agencies.—The Secretary may
delegate any of the management, monitoring, and enforcement
responsibilities of the Secretary under this section to other
Federal or State agencies that have the appropriate
authority, expertise, and resources necessary to carry out
those delegated responsibilities.
“(B) Conservation organizations.—The Secretary may
delegate any of the management responsibilities of the
Secretary under this section to a nonprofit conservation
organization if the Secretary determines the organization has
the appropriate expertise and resources necessary to carry
out those delegated responsibilities.
“(2) Involvement by other agencies and organizations.—In
carrying out this section, the Secretary may consult with—
“(A) private forest landowners;
“(B) other Federal agencies;
“(C) State forestry agencies;
“(D) State fish and wildlife agencies;
“(E) State environmental quality agencies;
“(F) other State conservation agencies; and
“(G) nonprofit conservation organizations.
“SEC. 1267D. ADMINISTRATION.
“(a) Ineligible Land.—The Secretary shall not use amounts
made available to carry out the program for the purposes of
acquiring an easement on—
“(1) land owned by a Federal agency, other than such land
that is acreage owned by an Indian Tribe;
“(2) land owned in fee title by a State, including an
agency or a subdivision of a State, or a unit of local
government;
“(3) land subject to an easement or deed restriction that,
as determined by the Secretary, provides similar protection
as would be provided by enrollment in the program; or
“(4) land the enrollment in the program of which would
undermine the purposes of the program due to on-site or off-
site conditions, such as risk of hazardous substances,
permitted or existing rights of way, infrastructure
development, or adjacent land uses.
“(b) Subordination, Exchange, Modification, and
Termination.—
“(1) Subordination.—The Secretary may subordinate any
interest in eligible land, or portion of such an interest,
administered by the Secretary (including for the purposes of
utilities and energy transmission services) directly or on
behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation under the program
if the Secretary determines that the subordination—
“(A) increases conservation values or has a limited
negative effect on conservation values;
“(B) minimally affects the acreage subject to the interest
in eligible land; and
“(C) is in the public interest or furthers the practical
administration of the program.
“(2) Modification and exchange of interest in land.—
“(A) Modification.—
“(i) Authority.—The Secretary may approve a modification
of any interest in land, or portion of such interest,
administered by the Secretary, either directly or on behalf
of the Commodity Credit Corporation, under the program if the
Secretary determines that the modification—
“(I) will support the viability and sustainability of
working forests and the conservation values of the applicable
easement;
“(II) will result in equal or increased conservation
values;
“(III) is consistent with the original intent of the
easement;
“(IV) is consistent with the purposes of the program; and
“(V) is in the public interest or furthers the practical
administration of the program, including correcting errors
and exercising reserved rights.
“(ii) Limitation.—In modifying an interest in land, or
portion of such interest, under this subparagraph, the
Secretary may not, except in the case of a modification that
includes a change to an easement to add acreage, increase any
payment to an eligible entity.
“(B) Exchange.—
“(i) Authority.—The Secretary may approve an exchange of
any interest in land, or portion of such interest,
administered by the Secretary, either directly or on behalf
of the Commodity Credit Corporation, under the program if the
Secretary determines that—
“(I) no reasonable alternative exists and the effect on
the interest in land is avoided or minimized to the extent
practicable; and
“(II) the exchange—
“(aa) results in equal or increased conservation values;
“(bb) results in equal or greater economic value to the
United States;
“(cc) is consistent with the original intent of the
easement;
“(dd) is consistent with the purposes of the program; and
“(ee) is in the public interest or furthers the practical
administration of the program.
“(ii) Limitation.—In exchanging an interest in land, or
portion of such interest, under this subparagraph, the
Secretary may not increase any payment to an eligible entity.
“(3) Termination.—The Secretary may approve a termination
of any interest in eligible land, or portion of such an
interest, administered by the Secretary, directly or on
behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation under the program
if the Secretary determines that—
“(A) termination is in the interest of the Federal
Government;
“(B) the United States will be fully compensated for—
“(i) the value of the interest in the land, as determined
by the Secretary;
“(ii) any costs relating to the termination; and
“(iii) any damages determined appropriate by the
Secretary; and
“(C) the termination will—
“(i) address a compelling public need for which there is
no practicable alternative even with avoidance and
minimization; and
“(ii) further the practical administration of the program.
“(4) Consent.—The Secretary shall obtain consent from the
landowner and eligible entity, if applicable, for any
subordination, exchange, modification, or termination of an
interest in eligible land, or portion of such an interest,
under this subsection.
“(5) Notice.—Not fewer than 90 days before taking any
termination action described in paragraph (3), the Secretary
shall provide written notice of that action to the Committee
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate.
“(c) Land Enrolled in Other Programs.—In accordance with
the provisions of section 2702 of the Farm, Food, and
National Security Act of 2026, land enrolled in the healthy
forests reserve program established under title V of the
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6571 et
seq.) on the day before the date of enactment of this section
shall be considered enrolled in the program.”.
SEC. 2702. HEALTHY FORESTS RESERVE PROGRAM.
(a) Repeal.—
(1) In general.—Title V of the Healthy Forests Restoration
Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6571 et seq.) is repealed.
(2) Conforming amendment.—The table of contents in section
1(b) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (Public
Law 108-148; 117 Stat. 1887) is amended by striking the items
relating to title V.
(b) Transitional Provisions.—
(1) Effect on existing contracts, agreements, and
easements.—The repeal made by subsection (a) shall not
affect the validity or terms of any contract, agreement, or
easement entered into by the Secretary under title V of the
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6571 et
seq.) before the date of enactment of this Act, or any
payments or technical assistance required to be made in
connection with the contract, agreement, or easement.
(2) Funding.—
(A) Use of prior year funds.—Notwithstanding the repeal
made by subsection (a), any funds made available from the
Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out the healthy forests
reserve program established under title V of the Healthy
Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6571 et seq.) (as
in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this
Act) for any of fiscal years 2019 through 2025 shall be made
available to carry out contracts, agreements, or easements
referred to in paragraph (1), subject to the condition that
no such contract, agreement, or easement may be modified so
as to increase the amount of any payment received.
(B) Other.—The Secretary may use funds made available to
carry out the forest conservation easement program
established under subtitle I of the Food Security Act of 1985
to continue to carry out contracts, agreements, or easements
referred to in paragraph (1) using the provisions of law
(including regulations) applicable to those contracts,
agreements, and easements as in existence on the day before
the date of enactment of this Act.
Subtitle I—Regional Conservation Partnership Program
SEC. 2801. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSES.
Section 1271(b)(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3871(b)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
“(2) To address natural resource concerns on eligible land
on a regional or watershed scale, including through—
“(A) the conservation, protection, restoration, and
sustainable use of soil;
“(B) the conservation and protection of water, including
sources of drinking water and groundwater;
“(C) the prevention and mitigation of the effects of
flooding and drought, and the improvement or expansion of
flood resiliency; and
“(D) the conservation of wildlife, agricultural land, and
related natural resources.”.
SEC. 2802. DEFINITIONS.
Section 1271A(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3871a(1)) is amended by striking subparagraph (D) and
inserting the following:
“(D) The forest conservation easement program established
under subtitle I.”.
SEC. 2803. REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS.
(a) Partnership Agreements Authorized.—Section 1271B(a) of
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871b(a)) is amended
to read as follows:
“(a) Partnership Agreements Authorized.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary may enter into a
partnership agreement with an eligible partner to implement a
project that will assist producers with installing and
maintaining an eligible activity on eligible land.
“(2) Streamlining required.—The Secretary shall ensure
that a partnership agreement under paragraph (1)—
“(A) is entered into not later than 180 days after the
date on which an application is selected under subsection
(e); and
“(B) contains only—
“(i) the information, described under subsection (e)(3),
necessary to fund and initiate the project to be implemented
under the partnership agreement; and
“(ii) any adjustments to the requirements of a covered
program determined necessary by the Secretary under paragraph
(2) of section 1271E(f), and any waiver provided under
paragraph (3) of such section.
“(3) Process for requesting waivers and adjustments.—The
Secretary shall make available information on the process for
requesting a waiver or an adjustment to the requirements of a
covered program pursuant to section 1271E(f).”.
(b) Duties of Secretary.—Section 1271B(d) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871b(d)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking “how the Secretary
used amounts reserved by the Secretary for that year for
technical assistance under section 1271D(f); and” and
inserting “the use of funds for technical assistance under
section 1271D(c);”;
(2) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and
inserting “; and”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(6) ensure payments to eligible partners under a
partnership agreement are made not later than 30 days after
the date on which the eligible partner submits to the
Secretary a request for payment.”.
(c) Applications.—Section 1271B(e)(3) of the Food Security
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871b(e)(3)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (D), by striking “and” at the end;
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (F);
and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:
“(E) any requests by an eligible partner for a waiver or
an adjustment to the requirements of a covered program
pursuant to section 1271E(f); and”.
SEC. 2804. ASSISTANCE TO PRODUCERS.
Section 1271C(d)(3) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3871c(d)(3)) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C);
(2) in subparagraph (A)(iv), by striking the “and” at the
end; and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (A)(iv) the following:
“(B) provide, under section 1271B(c)(2), not less than 50
percent of the overall costs of the scope of the project that
is the subject of a partnership agreement funded pursuant to
paragraph (1) in direct funding; and”.
SEC. 2805. FUNDING.
(a) Allocation of Funding.—Section 1271D of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871d) is amended—
(1) by striking subsections (a) and (b);
(2) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and (e) as
subsections (a), (b), and (c), respectively; and
(3) in subsection (a), as so redesignated, by striking
“subsection (a)” and inserting “section 1241(a)(6)”.
(b) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.—Subsection (b)
of section 1271D of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3871d), as so redesignated, is amended to read as follows:
“(b) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.—
“(1) In general.—Of the funds made available to implement
a project under a partnership agreement, the Secretary may
use not more than ten percent to reimburse the eligible
partner for administrative expenses relating to the project.
“(2) Consideration.—Any amounts expended by an eligible
partner for administrative expenses that are not reimbursed
under paragraph (1) may be considered to be a part of the
contribution of the eligible partner under section
1271B(c)(2).”.
(c) Technical Assistance.—Subsection (c) of section 1271D
of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871d), as so
redesignated, is amended to read as follows:
“(c) Technical Assistance.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall, through a
partnership agreement, identify—
“(A) the total amount of funds that will be used for
technical assistance; and
“(B) the share of such funds that will be provided to
eligible partners under paragraph (2).
“(2) Provision of assistance.—
“(A) Reimbursement.—Under a partnership agreement that is
not funded through an alternative funding arrangement or
grant agreement under section 1271C(d), the Secretary may
reimburse eligible partners for the costs of technical
assistance provided through such partnership agreement,
including—
“(i) the costs of technical assistance needed to
facilitate the maximum conservation benefit of the applicable
project;
“(ii) the costs of providing outreach and education to
producers for potential participation in the applicable
project;
“(iii) the costs of establishing baseline metrics to
support the development of the assessment required under
section 1271B(c)(1)(E); and
“(iv) other costs necessary to support the implementation
of eligible activities, as determined by the Secretary.
“(B) Advancement of funds.—The Secretary may advance to
eligible partners reasonable amounts of funds for costs that
may be reimbursed under subparagraph (A), as determined by
the Secretary.
“(3) Limitation.—The Secretary shall limit costs of the
Secretary for technical assistance to costs necessary to
carry out the objectives of the program.
“(4) Reduction of administrative barriers.—The Secretary
shall provide a single, simplified process for reimbursements
or advancements to eligible partners for the costs of
technical assistance under this subsection.
“(5) Third-party providers.—The Secretary shall develop
and implement strategies to encourage third-party technical
service providers to provide technical assistance to eligible
partners pursuant to a partnership agreement.”.
SEC. 2806. ADMINISTRATION.
(a) Reporting.—Section 1271E(b) of the Food Security Act
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871e(b)) is amended in the matter
preceding paragraph (1) by inserting “make publicly
available and” after “the Secretary shall”.
(b) Consistency With Covered Program Rules.—Section 1271E
of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871e) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
“(f) Consistency With Covered Program Requirements.—
“(1) In general.—Except as provided in this subsection,
the Secretary shall ensure that the terms and conditions of a
program contract are consistent with the requirements of the
applicable covered program to be used as part of the
applicable partnership agreement.
“(2) Adjustments.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary may, if the Secretary
determines necessary, adjust a regulatory requirement of a
covered program to be used as a part of a partnership
agreement, or related guidance, as it applies to an eligible
activity carried out under a program contract entered into
pursuant to the partnership agreement—
“(i) to provide a simplified process; or
“(ii) to better reflect unique local circumstances.
“(B) Limitation.—The Secretary shall not adjust the
application of statutory requirements for a covered program
to be used as a part of a partnership agreement, including
requirements governing appeals, payment limits, and
conservation compliance.
“(3) Waiver.—With respect to a program contract for an
eligible activity under the agricultural conservation
easement program, the Secretary may, in the applicable
partnership agreement, waive the application of clauses (ii)
or (iii)(III) of section 1265A(4)(A) for purposes of
determining the eligibility of land.
“(4) Certification applicability.—With respect to a
partnership agreement entered into for acquisition of
easements, the Secretary shall apply the authorities
applicable to the eligible partner under section
1265B(b)(5)(A) if the eligible partner is an eligible entity
certified under such section.
“(5) Exemption.—With respect to a program contract that
includes an eligible activity under the environmental quality
incentives program to be installed and maintained in a State
in which irrigation has not been used significantly for
agricultural purposes, as determined by the Secretary, the
Secretary may not consider prior irrigation history when
determining the eligibility of land.
“(6) Application.—Paragraph (1) shall not apply to
partnership agreements funded pursuant to section
1271C(d).”.
SEC. 2807. CRITICAL CONSERVATION AREAS.
(a) Definitions.—Section 1271F(a)(2)(C) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871f(a)(2)(C)) is amended by
inserting “, including restoration and enhancement of
wildlife habitat connectivity and wildlife migration
corridors” before the semicolon at the end.
(b) Applications.—Section 1271F(b) of the Food Security
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871f(b)) is amended by striking
“funds under section 1271D(d)(2)” and inserting “funds
allocated under section 1271D(a)(2)”.
TITLE III—TRADE
Subtitle A—Food for Peace Act
SEC. 3101. TRANSFER OF AUTHORITIES TO THE SECRETARY OF
AGRICULTURE.
(a) In General.—Section 201 of the Food for Peace Act (7
U.S.C. 1721) is amended by striking “(to be implemented by
the Administrator)” and inserting “(to be implemented by
the Secretary)”.
(b) Conforming Amendments.—
(1) Emergency and private assistance programs.—Sections
202, 203, 205, 207, and 208 of the Food for Peace Act (7
U.S.C. 1722, 1723, 1725, 1726a, and 1726b) are each amended
by striking “Administrator” each place it appears and
inserting “Secretary”.
(2) Food for development.—Title III of the Food for Peace
Act (7 U.S.C. 1727 et seq.) is amended by striking
“Administrator” each place it appears and inserting
“Secretary”.
(3) Definitions.—Section 402 of the Food for Peace Act (7
U.S.C. 1732) is amended—
(A) by striking paragraph (1); and
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (9) as
paragraphs (1) through (8), respectively.
(4) General provisions.—Sections 403 and 404 of the Food
for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1733 and 1734) are each amended—
(A) by striking “or the Administrator, as appropriate,”
each place it appears;
(B) in section 403(h), by striking “or Administrator”;
and
(C) in section 404(d), by striking “or the
Administrator”.
(5) Consultation.—Section 405 of the Food for Peace Act (7
U.S.C. 1735) is repealed.
(c) Transfer of Assets and Liabilities.—The Food for Peace
Act (7 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following new title:
“TITLE VII—TRANSFER PROVISIONS
“SEC. 701. TRANSFER OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES FROM USAID TO
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.
“On and after the date of the enactment of this title, the
assets, liabilities, orders, determinations, permits, grants,
loans, contracts, agreements, certificates, and licenses of
the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, pursuant to any authority under
this Act on or after January 1, 2026, shall be transferred to
the Secretary of Agriculture.
“SEC. 702. TRANSFER OF OTHER AUTHORITIES.
“On and after the date of the enactment of this title, any
authority or responsibility provided by any other provision
of law that was or could have been used by the Administrator
of the United States Agency for International Development,
prior to such date of enactment to carry out any function,
duty, or responsibility under this Act may be exercised by
the Secretary of Agriculture. A reference to such
Administrator or to such Agency in any provision of law or
regulation relating to any authority or responsibility
described in the preceding sentence shall be deemed to be a
reference to the Secretary of Agriculture or the Department
of Agriculture, respectively.
“SEC. 703. RULES AND REGULATIONS.
“Beginning on the date of the enactment of this title, the
Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate or amend such rules
and regulations (including by issuing or re-issuing interim
final
rules) as the Secretary may determine appropriate, including
by amending such rules and regulations issued by the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development with respect to the authorities and
responsibilities provided by this Act and as in effect on the
day before such date of enactment, in order to effectuate and
complete the transfer of all functions and duties previously
carried out by that Administrator to the Secretary.
“SEC. 704. CONSULTATION.
“The Secretary of Agriculture shall consult with the
Secretary of State from time to time in carrying out the
authorities under this Act.”.
SEC. 3102. FOOD AID QUALITY ASSURANCE.
Section 202 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1722), as
amended by section 3101(b)(1), is further amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking “any other provision of
law” and inserting “any other provision of this Act”;
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting “assistance,
including in the form of” before “agricultural
commodities”;
(3) in subsection (b)(2)—
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “Agency for
International Development” and inserting “Department of
Agriculture”; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking “Agency” and
inserting “Department”;
(4) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “or” at the end;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and
inserting “; or”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(3) a nongovernmental organization, as determined by the
Secretary.”;
(5) in subsection (e), by adding at the end the following
new paragraph:
“(5) Limitation on diversion of funds.—Of the funds made
available in each fiscal year under this title to the
Secretary, not more than 50 percent may be made available for
expenses other than the procurement of United States-grown
agricultural commodities and ocean transportation of such
commodities.”; and
(6) in subsection (h)(3), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 3103. REPEAL OF MINIMUM LEVELS OF ASSISTANCE.
Section 204 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1724) is
repealed.
SEC. 3104. FOOD AID CONSULTATIVE GROUP.
Section 205 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1725), as
amended by section 3101(b)(1), is further amended—
(1) in subsection (b)(2), by striking “the Under
Secretary” and all that follows through the end of the
paragraph and inserting “the Secretary of State”.
(2) in subsection (b)(3), by striking “the Agency for
International Development” and inserting “the Department of
Agriculture”;
(3) in subsection (b)(4), by striking “Agency” and
inserting “Secretary”; and
(4) in subsection (f), by striking “December 31, 2023”
and inserting “December 31, 2031”.
SEC. 3105. ISSUANCE OF REGULATIONS; OVERSIGHT, MONITORING,
AND EVALUATION.
Section 207 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1726a), as
amended by section 3101(b)(1), is further amended—
(1) in subsection (c)(1), by striking “the Agriculture
Improvement Act of 2018” and inserting “the Farm, Food, and
National Security Act of 2026”;
(2) in subsection (d), by striking “, in consultation with
the Secretary,”; and
(3) in subsection (f)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “, in consultation with
the Secretary,”; and
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking “2023” each place it
appears and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 3106. INTERNATIONAL FOOD RELIEF PARTNERSHIP.
Section 208(f) of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C.
1726b(f)) is amended to read as follows:
“(f) Availability of Appropriations.—In addition to
amounts otherwise made available to carry out this section,
of the funds made available in each fiscal year under this
title to the Secretary, not less than $15,000,000 shall be
made available in each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to
carry out this section, to remain available until
expended.”.
SEC. 3107. USE OF COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION.
Subsection (b) of section 406 of the Food for Peace Act (7
U.S.C. 1736) is amended to read as follows:
“(b) Included Expenses.—With respect to commodities made
available under titles II and III, the Commodity Credit
Corporation may pay all associated and incidental costs of
such commodities.”.
SEC. 3108. PRE-POSITIONING OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES AND
ANNUAL REPORT REGARDING FOOD AID PROGRAMS AND
ACTIVITIES.
Section 407 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1736a) is
amended—
(1) by amending subsection (c)(1) to read as follows:
“(1) Acquisition.—The Secretary shall transfer, arrange
for the transportation, and take other steps necessary to
make available agricultural commodities to be provided under
title II and title III.”;
(2) in subsection (c)(2), by striking “Administrator” and
inserting “Secretary”;
(3) in subsection (c)(3), by striking “Agency for
International Development” and inserting “Secretary”;
(4) in subsection (c)(4)(A), by striking “2023” each
place it appears and inserting “2031”;
(5) in subsection (c)(4), by striking “Administrator”
each place it appears and inserting “Secretary”;
(6) in subsection (d), in the matter preceding paragraph
(1), by striking “or the Administrator, as appropriate,”;
(7) by amending subsection (f)(1) to read as follows:
“(1) Annual report.—Not later than April 1 of each fiscal
year, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate
committees of Congress a report regarding each program and
activity carried out under this Act during the prior fiscal
year.”;
(8) in subsection (f)(2)—
(A) by striking subparagraph (I);
(B) by amending subparagraph (H) to read as follows:
“(H) A statement of the amount of funds provided to each
eligible organization that received assistance under this Act
and the manner in which those funds were used, including
whether such use was for commodity transportation or
administrative costs.”;
(C) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) through (H) (as
amended) as subparagraphs (F) through (I), respectively; and
(D) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new
subparagraph:
“(E) An assessment of activities specifically targeting
women and girls and the impact of those activities in
addressing the unique needs of women and girls.”; and
(9) by striking subsection (f)(3).
SEC. 3109. DEADLINE FOR AGREEMENTS TO FINANCE SALES OR TO
PROVIDE OTHER ASSISTANCE.
Section 408 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1736b) is
amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 3110. MINIMUM LEVEL OF NONEMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE.
Section 412 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1736f) is
amended—
(1) in subsection (e)(1), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
“(f) Minimum Levels of Funding To Address Child Wasting.—
“(1) Minimum level.—For each of fiscal years 2027 through
2031, in addition to amounts otherwise made available, not
less than $200,000,000 of the amounts made available to carry
out emergency food assistance programs under title II shall
be expended for the procurement and distribution of ready-to-
use therapeutic foods.
“(2) Applicability.—The minimum expenditure requirement
under paragraph (1) shall only apply with respect to a fiscal
year if—
“(A) the most recent Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates,
published annually by the World Health Organization, the
World Bank, and the United Nations Children's Fund, report a
rate of children under 5 years of age affected by child
wasting above 5 percent for the year covered by such report;
and
“(B) the total amount made available to carry out programs
under title II in the fiscal year is greater than
$1,200,000,000.
“(3) Rule of construction.—Nothing in this subsection may
be construed to limit on the authority of the Secretary to
purchase or distribute ready-to-use therapeutic foods in a
fiscal year.”.
SEC. 3111. TERMINATION DATE FOR MICRONUTRIENT FORTIFICATION
PROGRAMS.
Section 415 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C.1736g-2) is
amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(1)—
(A) by striking “Administrator, in consultation with
the”; and
(B) by striking the comma after “Secretary”; and
(2) in subsection (c), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 3112. JOHN OGONOWSKI AND DOUG BEREUTER FARMER-TO-FARMER
PROGRAM.
Section 501 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1737) is
amended—
(1) by striking “2023” each place it appears and
inserting “2031”; and
(2) in subsection (f)(1), by striking “Administrator of
the Agency for International Development” and inserting
“Secretary”.
SEC. 3113. FOOD FOR PEACE ACT ADMINISTRATION.
(a) In General.—During fiscal years 2026 through 2031, the
Secretary may use funds made available for the salaries and
expenses of the Foreign Agricultural Service under an
appropriations Act or any other provision of law, including
such funds otherwise obligated as of the date of the
enactment of this Act, to pay the administrative expenses of
the Department of Agriculture in the implementation of the
Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.), as amended by
this subtitle.
(b) Carryover.—For fiscal years 2026 through 2031, the
balance of any funds provided to carry out subsection (a) for
a fiscal year that remains unexpended at the end of that
fiscal year may be carried over for use during the following
fiscal year.
Subtitle B—Agricultural Trade Act of 1978
SEC. 3201. AGRICULTURAL TRADE PROMOTION AND FACILITATION.
(a) Modification to Foreign Market Development Cooperator
Program.—Section 203(c) of the Agricultural Trade Act of
1978 (7 U.S.C. 5623(c)) is amended by adding at the end the
following new paragraph:
“(4) Technical assistance to improve infrastructure in
foreign markets for united states agricultural commodities.—
“(A) In general.—As part of the program established under
this subsection, the Secretary shall enter into contracts or
other agreements, with eligible trade organizations or with
nonprofit organizations with expertise in supply chain
infrastructure, to provide needs assessments, training, and
other technical assistance to enhance the capabilities of
infrastructure in new and developing foreign markets,
including infrastructure relating to cold chain capacity,
port improvements, and other developments, to ensure that
United States agricultural commodities are not damaged or
lost due to deficiencies of such infrastructure.
“(B) Limitation.—Of the amounts made available to carry
out the program established under this subsection, not more
than $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2027 and not more than
$5,000,000 for fiscal year 2028 and each fiscal year
thereafter may be made available to carry out this
paragraph.”.
(b) Report on Competitiveness of United States Specialty
Crops.—Section 203(e)(7) of the Agricultural Trade Act of
1978 (7 U.S.C. 5623(e)(7)) is amended to read as follows:
“(7) Biennial report.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary, in consultation with the
United States Trade Representative, shall submit every two
years to the appropriate congressional committees a report
detailing the competitiveness of United States specialty
crops.
“(B) Elements.—The report required by subparagraph (A)
shall—
“(i) identify and analyze acts, policies, or practices of
foreign countries that constitute significant barriers to, or
distortions of, United States exports of specialty crops,
including the imposition of—
“(I) tariffs (including retaliatory tariffs) or quotas
(including tariff-rate quotas); and
“(II) nontariff barriers, including technical barriers to
trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, import licensing
procedures, and subsidies;
“(ii) identify acts, policies, or practices of foreign
countries that enhance the competitiveness of imported
specialty crops with domestic specialty crop producers;
“(iii) identify and analyze any differences in applicable
food safety regulations of foreign countries that may result
in imported specialty crops posing a risk to United States
consumers;
“(iv) make an estimate of the impacts on the
competitiveness of United States specialty crops of any act,
policy, or practice identified under clauses (i) and (ii);
“(v) assess the extent to which each act, policy, or
practice identified under clauses (i) and (ii) are subject to
international agreements to which the United States is a
party;
“(vi) include information with respect to any action taken
by the executive or legislative branches during the two years
preceding submission of the report, or expected to be taken
after submission of the report, to eliminate any act, policy,
or practice identified under clauses (i) and (ii),
including—
“(I) any action under section 301;
“(II) negotiations or consultations with foreign
governments, which may include engagement through the
standing committee on sanitary and phytosanitary matters
established under a free trade agreement to which the United
States is a party; and
“(III) action at the World Trade Organization, including
dispute settlement actions, consultations, or negotiations;
and
“(vii) a description of—
“(I) any funds provided under subsection (f)(3)(A)(iv)
that were not obligated in the fiscal year preceding
submission of the report; and
“(II) the reason such funds were not obligated.
“(C) Comment period.—In preparing the report required by
subparagraph (A), the Secretary, in coordination with the
United States Trade Representative, shall seek and consider
comments from the public and from the Agricultural Technical
Advisory Committee for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables.
“(D) Form of report.—The report required by subparagraph
(A) shall be made available to the public in machine-readable
format.
“(E) Appropriate congressional committees defined.—In
this paragraph, the term `appropriate congressional
committees' means—
“(i) the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on
Ways and Means of the House of Representatives; and
“(ii) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry and the Committee on Finance of the Senate.”.
(c) Modification and Extension of Funding.—Section 203(f)
of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5623(f)) is
amended—
(1) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
“(2) Funding amount.—Of the funds of, or an equal value
of commodities owned by, the Commodity Credit Corporation,
the Secretary shall use to carry out this section the
following amounts, to remain available until expended:
“(A) For fiscal year 2026, $255,000,000.
“(B) For fiscal year 2027, $500,000,000.
“(C) For each of fiscal years 2028 through 2031,
$533,000,000.”; and
(2) in paragraph (3)—
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)(i), by
striking “For each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, the
Secretary” and inserting “The Secretary”;
(B) in subparagraph (A)—
(i) in clause (i), by striking “not less than” and all
that follows through the end and inserting: “not less than—
“(I) $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2026;
“(II) $400,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; and
“(III) $410,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2028 through
2031.”;
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking “not less than” and all
that follows through the end and inserting: “not less than—
“(I) $34,500,000 for fiscal year 2026;
“(II) $70,500,000 for fiscal year 2027; and
“(III) $82,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2028 through
2031.”;
(iii) in clause (iii), by striking “not more than” and
all that follows through the end and inserting: “not more
than—
“(I) $8,000,000 for each of fiscal year 2026 and 2027; and
“(II) $16,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2028 through
2031.”;
(iv) in clause (iv), by striking “Corporation” and all
that follows through the end and inserting: “Corporation—
“(I) $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and
“(II) $18,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through
2031.”; and
(v) in clause (v)(I), by striking “commodities,” and all
that follows through the end and inserting “commodities,
$3,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027 and
$7,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2028 through 2031”.
(d) Repeals.—The following provisions of law are repealed:
(1) Section 718 of title VII of the Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (as enacted by section
101(a) of division A of Public Law 105-277; 7 U.S.C. 5623
note).
(2) Section 10602 of Public Law 119-21 (7 U.S.C. 5623a).
SEC. 3202. PRESERVING FOREIGN MARKETS FOR GOODS USING COMMON
NAMES.
(a) Definitions.—Section 102 of the Agricultural Trade Act
of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5602) is amended—
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “As
used in this Act—” and inserting “In this Act:”;
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (8) as
paragraphs (3), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), and (4),
respectively, and reordering such paragraphs in numerical
sequence;
(3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
“(2) Common name.—
“(A) In general.—The term `common name' means a name
that, as determined by the Secretary—
“(i) is ordinarily or customarily used for an agricultural
commodity or food product;
“(ii) is typically placed on the packaging and product
label of the agricultural commodity or food product;
“(iii) with respect to wine—
“(I) is—
“(aa) ordinarily or customarily used for a wine grape
varietal name; or
“(bb) a traditional term or expression that is typically
placed on the packaging and label of the wine; and
“(II) does not mean any appellation of origin for wine
listed in subpart C of part 9 of title 27, Code of Federal
Regulations (or successor regulations); and
“(iv) the use of which is consistent with standards of the
Codex Alimentarius Commission.
“(B) Examples.—The following names, among others, shall
be considered as common names as such term is defined for
purposes of carrying out subparagraph (A):
“(i) With respect to food products: american, asiago,
basmati, black forest ham, blue, blue vein, bologna, bologne,
bratwurst, brie, burrata, camembert, capicola and capocollo,
cheddar, chevre, chorizo, colby, cottage cheese, coulommiers,
cream cheese, danbo, edam, emmental, feta, fontina,
gorgonzola, gouda, grana, gruyere, havarti, kielbasa,
limburger and limburgo, mascarpone, monterey jack,
mortadella, munster and muenster, neufchatel, parmesan,
pancetta, pecorino, pepper jack, prosciutto, provolone,
ricotta, romano, saint-paulin, salame, salami, samso, and
swiss, tilsiter, and tomme.
“(ii) With respect to wine:
“(I) The list of grape varietal terms in section 4.91 of
title 27, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor
regulation).
“(II) The grape variety designations administratively
approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
“(III) The following nonvarietal descriptors: chateau,
classic, clos, cream, crusted and crusting, noble, ruby, sur
lie, tawny, vintage, and vintage character.
“(iii) With respect to beer: bitter, pale ale, india pale
ale, mild, porter, stout, barleywine, dubbel, quadrupel,
witbier, saison, biere de garde, oud red, altbier, weisse,
gose, hefeweizen, dunkel, helles, rauchbier, pilsener,
maerzen, schwarzbier, doppelbock, bock, kellerbier, munchener
and munich style, oktoberfest, dortmunder, kolsch and
koelsch, cream, grodziskie, lager.
“(C) Considerations.—In making a determination under
subparagraph (A), the Secretary may take into account—
“(i) competent sources, such as dictionaries, newspapers,
professional journals and literature, and information posted
on websites that are determined by the Secretary to be
reliable in reporting market information;
“(ii) the use of the common name in a domestic, regional,
or international product standard, including a standard
promulgated by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, for the
agricultural commodity or food product; and
“(iii) the ordinary and customary use of the common name
in the production or marketing of the agricultural commodity
or food product in the United States or in other countries.
“(D) Rule of construction.—The enumeration of certain
names under subparagraph (B) may not be construed to limit or
restrict the ability of the Secretary to determine,
consistent with subparagraph (A), that any other name is a
common name for purposes of this section.”; and
(4) in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (7) (as so
redesignated)—
(A) in clause (v), by striking “; or” at the end and
inserting a semicolon;
(B) in clause (vi), by striking the period at the end and
inserting “; or”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(vii) prohibits or disallows the use of a name determined
or considered to be a common name pursuant to paragraph
(2).”.
(b) Negotiations To Defend Use of Common Names.—Title III
of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5652 et seq.)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 303. NEGOTIATIONS TO DEFEND THE USE OF COMMON NAMES.
“(a) In General.—The Secretary shall coordinate efforts
with the United States Trade Representative to secure the
right of United States agricultural producers, processors,
and exporters to use common names for agricultural
commodities or food products in foreign markets through the
negotiation of bilateral, plurilateral, or multilateral
agreements, memoranda of understanding, or exchanges of
letters that assure the current and future use of each common
name identified by the Secretary in connection with United
States agricultural commodities or food products.
“(b) Briefing.—The Secretary and the United States Trade
Representative shall jointly provide to the Committee on
Agriculture of the House of Representatives, the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, the
Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives,
and the Committee on Finance of the Senate, a briefing, twice
annually, on efforts and successes in carrying out subsection
(a).”.
SEC. 3203. INTERAGENCY SEASONAL AND PERISHABLE FRUITS AND
VEGETABLE WORKING GROUP.
Subtitle B of title IV of the Agricultural Trade Act of
1978 (7 U.S.C. 5671 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
“SEC. 418. INTERAGENCY SEASONAL AND PERISHABLE FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES WORKING GROUP.
“(a) In General.—The Secretary (acting through the Under
Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural
Affairs), the United States Trade Representative, the
Secretary of Commerce, and the heads of other Federal
agencies or entities as determined to be appropriate by the
Secretary, shall jointly establish an interagency working
group (referred to in this section as the `working group')
composed of representatives from each agency to monitor and
assess, on an ongoing basis, seasonal and perishable fruits
and vegetables trade data and related information.
“(b) Consultation.—The working group shall consult with
the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee, relevant seasonal
or perishable agricultural producers, and other relevant
trade associations to identify threats that imports pose to
domestic producers of seasonal and perishable fruits and
vegetables.
“(c) Trade Actions and Investigations.—The working group
shall coordinate as appropriate regarding potential
additional trade actions and investigations with respect to
any seasonal or perishable fruits and vegetables, as
determined to be advisable by the working group.
“(d) Recommendations to the Secretary.—The working group
shall recommend programs or assistance that the Secretary
could provide to producers of seasonal and perishable fruits
and vegetables to address market impacts.”.
Subtitle C—Other Agricultural Trade Laws
SEC. 3301. GROWING AMERICAN FOOD EXPORTS.
Section 1543A of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5679) is amended in subsection
(d), by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 3302. FOOD FOR PROGRESS ACT OF 1985.
Section 1110 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (commonly
referred to as the “Food for Progress Act of 1985”; 7
U.S.C. 1736o) is amended—
(1) in subsection (c)—
(A) by striking “enter into” and inserting “annually
enter into two or more”; and
(B) by inserting “two or more” before “eligible
entities”;
(2) in subsection (f)(3), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”;
(3) in subsection (g), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”;
(4) in subsection (k), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”;
(5) in subsection (l)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”; and
(B) in the heading of paragraph (4), by striking
“Humanitarian or development” and inserting
“Development”;
(6) in subsection (m)(2), by striking “humanitarian and”;
and
(7) in subsection (n)(2)(C), by striking “Committee on
International Relations” and inserting “Committee on
Foreign Affairs”.
SEC. 3303. BILL EMERSON HUMANITARIAN TRUST ACT.
Section 302 of the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust Act (7
U.S.C. 1736f-1) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)(2)(B)(i), by striking “2023” each
place it appears and inserting “2031”;
(2) in subsection (c)(1)(C), by striking “the
Administrator” and inserting “the Secretary”;
(3) by striking subsection (c)(1)(D);
(4) in subsection (f)(2)(A), by inserting “by the
Secretary” after “reimbursed”; and
(5) in subsection (h),
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking “2026” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 3304. PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS TO EMERGING
MARKETS.
Section 1542(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5622 note; Public Law 101-624) is
amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 3305. INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION FELLOWSHIP
PROGRAM.
Section 3307 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7
U.S.C. 3295) is amended—
(1) in subsection (g)(1), by striking “2019 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”;
(2) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
“(g) Program Continuity.—To assist eligible countries in
the long-term development of enduring, school-based
agricultural education and youth extension programs, the
Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable—
“(1) implement the fellowship program in each
participating host country for not fewer than 3 consecutive
years; and
“(2) ensure that contracts awarded to outside
organizations are multiyear.”.
SEC. 3306. INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURE CULTURAL IMMERSION AND
EXCHANGE PROGRAM.
Title III of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
(Public Law 115-334) is amended by adding at the end the
following new section (and by conforming the table of
contents in section 1(b) accordingly):
“SEC. 3313. INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURE CULTURAL IMMERSION AND
EXCHANGE PROGRAM.
“(a) Definition.—In this section:
“(1) Eligible candidate.—The term `eligible candidate'
means an individual that—
“(A) is between the ages of 19 and 30 years;
“(B) has demonstrated experience in agricultural sciences,
food systems, and food and nutrition education;
“(C) is prepared to live in 1 or more host countries for
at least 2 months or up to 6 months; and
“(D) is a resident of the United States.
“(2) Eligible country.—The term `eligible country' means
a country that has agricultural trade relations with the
United States, as recognized by the Foreign Agriculture
Service.
“(3) Program.—The term `Program' means the International
Agriculture Cultural Immersion and Exchange Program
established under subsection (b).
“(4) Secretary.—The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
“(b) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish an
international cultural immersion and exchange program, to be
known as the `International Agriculture Cultural Immersion
and Exchange Program', under which the Secretary shall—
“(1) provide eligible candidates with international
cultural exchange and immersion experiences focused on
agricultural sciences, food systems, and food and nutrition
education through placement with host families in eligible
countries; and
“(2) place in the United States with host families
individuals that meet the requirement of subsection (a)(1)(A)
and are residents of eligible countries to experience United
States agriculture, trade relations, and culture.
“(c) Purposes.—The purposes of the Program are—
“(1) to develop globally minded citizens of the United
States; and
“(2) to strengthen and enhance trade between eligible
countries and the United States in agricultural, food,
nutrition, and environmental industries.
“(d) Cooperative Agreement.—
“(1) In general.—To administer the Program, the Secretary
shall enter into a cooperative agreement with a nonprofit
organization that has experience in implementing
international cultural exchange programs focused on
agricultural sciences, food and nutrition education, and
cultural understanding through placement with host families.
“(2) Priority.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall give priority to a nonprofit organization
with which the Secretary has a memorandum of understanding
dated not earlier than January 1, 2019.
“(3) Matching funds.—As a condition of entering into a
cooperative agreement under this subsection, a nonprofit
organization shall provide equal matching funds from non-
Federal sources.
“(e) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027
through 2031 to carry out this section.”.
SEC. 3307. INTERNATIONAL FOOD SECURITY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
Section 1543B(f) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation,
and Trade Act of 1990 is amended by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 3308. MCGOVERN-DOLE INTERNATIONAL FOOD FOR EDUCATION AND
CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM.
Section 3107 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1736o-1) is amended—
(1) in subsection (c)(2)(B)(ii), by inserting “or lower
middle” before “income”;
(2) in subsection (h)(2), by striking “Committee on
International Relations” and inserting “Committee on
Foreign Affairs”;
(3) in subsection (l)(2), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”; and
(4) in subsection (l)(4), by striking “not more than 10
percent” and inserting “not less than 8 percent, but not
more than 15 percent”.
SEC. 3309. GLOBAL CROP DIVERSITY TRUST.
Section 3202 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 (22 U.S.C. 2220a note; Public Law 110-246) is amended—
(1) by amending subsection (b)(1) to read as follows:
“(1) In general.—For the period of fiscal years 2027
through 2031, the aggregate contributions of funds of the
Federal Government provided to the Trust under this section
shall not exceed 33 percent of the total amount of funds
contributed to the Trust from all sources and for all
purposes.”;
(2) in subsection (b)(2)—
(A) by inserting “under this section” after “Trust”;
and
(B) by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”; and
(3) in subsection (c), by striking “fiscal years 2014
through 2023” and inserting “fiscal years 2023 through
2031”.
SEC. 3310. LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD AID PROCUREMENT PROJECTS.
Section 3206(e)(1) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 1726c(e)(1)) is amended by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 3311. AGRICULTURAL TRADE ENFORCEMENT TASK FORCE.
(a) Establishment.—Not later than 30 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the President shall establish a
joint task force, to be known as the “Agricultural Trade
Enforcement Task Force” (referred to in this section as the
“Task Force”).
(b) Duties.—
(1) In general.—The Task Force shall—
(A) identify trade barriers to United States agricultural
exports that are vulnerable to dispute settlement under the
World Trade Organization (“WTO”) or other trade agreements;
(B) develop and implement a strategy for enforcing
violations of trade agreements related to these trade
barriers;
(C) identify like-minded trading partners for specific
trade barriers that could act as co-complainants or primary
complainants on disputes that are systemically or
economically important to the United States; and
(D) report quarterly to Congress on progress toward
resolving cases or filing disputes.
(2) Consultation.—In carrying out its duties under this
subsection, the Task Force shall regularly consult, to the
extent necessary and appropriate, with the following:
(A) Relevant stakeholders in the private sector, including
the agricultural trade advisory committees.
(B) Federal departments and agencies that are not
represented on the Task Force.
(C) Like-minded trading partners that are similarly
concerned with trade barriers and are potential participants
in the dispute settlement process.
(c) Membership.—
(1) In general.—The Task Force shall be comprised of the
following members:
(A) One or more employees of the Foreign Agricultural
Service, who shall be appointed by the Under Secretary for
Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs.
(B) One of more employees of the Office of the United
States Trade Representative, who shall be appointed jointly
by the General Counsel for the Office of the United States
Trade Representative and the Chief Agricultural Negotiator.
(C) One or more employees of other Federal agencies as
needed, who shall be appointed jointly by the officials
specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B).
(2) Qualification.—Employees of the Federal agencies
specified in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (1)
may be appointed as members of the Task Force only if such
employees have appropriate expertise in agricultural trade
policy and trade enforcement.
(d) Report.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, and on a quarterly basis thereafter,
the Task Force shall submit to Congress a report on its
progress in identifying and addressing trade barriers to
United States agricultural exports.
(2) Matters to be included.—The report required by this
subsection shall include the following:
(A) A description of the systemic and economically
significant trade barriers that have been identified.
(B) A justification for including the identified trade
barriers.
(C) A description of the progress that has been made in
developing dispute settlement cases and further information
that is required.
(D) The current status of ongoing disputes at the WTO and
implementation of panel, arbitration, or appellate body
decisions.
(3) Additional matters to be included in initial report.—
The initial report required by this subsection shall, in
addition to the matters described in subparagraphs (A), (B),
(C), and (D) of paragraph (2), include a plan to file a
request under the WTO dispute settlement process for
consultations to address India's minimum price supports. The
plan shall include—
(A) an identification of like-minded trading partners that
could act as co-complainants or primary complainants with
respect to the request;
(B) a description of specific claims the United States
intends to make with respect to the request; and
(C) a timeline to—
(i) request consultations; and
(ii) request the establishment of a panel not later than 60
days after the date of the request for consultations if India
does not provide assurances that it will address its minimum
price supports.
(e) Congressional Briefings.—The United States Trade
Representative and the Secretary of Agriculture shall provide
briefings on the Task Force to appropriate Members of
Congress and congressional staff.
SEC. 3312. REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL SHRIMP TRADE.
(a) Report Required.—Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report that examines policy options available to
the Secretary of Agriculture to boost the competitiveness of
domestic shrimp in global and domestic markets.
(b) Contents.—The report required by subsection (a)
shall—
(1) include an analysis of—
(A) the Secretary's authority with regard to shrimp and
other seafood products;
(B) domestic shrimp and other seafood producers' access to
financial support programs; and
(C) ways to facilitate interagency coordination under
existing authorities around common goals for shrimp and other
seafood commodities with respect to tariffs, market access
policies, and other nontariff barriers; and
(2) identify trade or other legal barriers to United States
shrimp and seafood production that are vulnerable to dispute
settlement through the World Trade Organization or otherwise
under bilateral or multilateral trade agreements.
(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees.—In this section,
the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—
(1) the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
of the Senate.
Subtitle D—Other Trade Matters
SEC. 3401. REPORT ON MODIFICATIONS TO USMCA.
(a) Report Required.—The Secretary of Agriculture, in
coordination with the United States Trade Representative,
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and
concurrently make publicly available, prior to July 1, 2026,
a report on how any expected or implemented modification or
revocation of any part of the USMCA (as such term is defined
in section 3 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement
Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 4502(9))) in any manner will
affect the importation or exportation of any article that is
a covered agricultural commodity, including—
(1) the anticipated effects on relevant product prices and
projections as a result of such revocation or modification,
including—
(A) the short- and long-term impacts on domestic pricing;
(B) changes in consumer food prices;
(C) expected or anticipated shifts in input costs for
domestic producers; and
(D) regional or sector-specific variations in pricing
impacts; and
(2) the forecasted shifts in farm revenue and profitability
for domestic farmers, foresters, ranchers, and other
producers as a result of such revocation or modification,
including—
(A) impacts on net farm income and debt-to-asset ratios;
(B) sector-specific effects on crops, livestock, and
specialty crops;
(C) effects on small, medium, and large farm operations;
(D) impacts on agricultural exports, market access, and
global competitiveness; and
(E) estimated effects on rural employment and economies.
(b) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.—The term
“appropriate congressional committees” means—
(A) the Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Ways and
Means, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry,
the Committee on Finance, and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate.
(2) Covered agricultural commodity.—The term “covered
agricultural commodity” has the meaning given the term
“agricultural commodity” under section 102(1) of the
Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5602(1)).
SEC. 3402. SENSE OF CONGRESS AND REPORT ON ARGENTINE BEEF
IMPORTS.
(a) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress as
follows:
(1) Congress finds that United States ranchers and cattle
producers produce the healthiest and highest quality beef on
the planet.
(2) Any official trade agreement between the United States
and Argentina—including the United States of America—
Argentine Republic Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and
Investment—that allow Argentina to export ship fresh and
frozen beef into the United States market under expanded
quotas is detrimental to domestic ranchers, cattle producers,
and cattle markets.
(3) Congress recognizes that many Americans enjoy eating
beef and recognizes that many Americans want their beef
raised domestically.
(4) Congress further concludes that any agreement to allow
increased beef from Argentina into United States markets
introduces unfair competition into an already volatile market
as this imported beef could depress cattle prices at United
States sale barns and have a ripple effect throughout the
domestic economy affecting feed suppliers, equipment dealers,
veterinarians, and other rural businesses.
(5) Congress additionally concludes that United States beef
production is the safest in the world and that inconsistent
enforcement abroad could put American consumers at risk and
create an uneven regulatory playing field.
(b) Report.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date on
which the United States signs any formal trade agreement with
Argentina that includes a change to the tariff rate quotas or
other duties on fresh and frozen beef imported from Argentina
the Secretary of Agriculture and the United States Trade
Representative shall jointly submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on the effect of such
imported beef on domestic beef and cattle markets,
including—
(A) American consumer sentiment about the quality of beef
in the United States;
(B) impacts on domestic cattle prices;
(C) effects on domestic beef prices;
(D) changes to the domestic cattle herd size; and
(E) rancher sentiments toward expanding their herds.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees defined.—In this
section, the term “appropriate congressional committees”
means—
(A) the Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Ways and
Means, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry,
the Committee on Finance, and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate.
TITLE IV—NUTRITION
Subtitle A—Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
SEC. 4101. DECLARATION OF POLICY.
Section 2 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C.
2011) is amended—
(1) by inserting “(a)” before “It”, and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(b) Congress recognizes the supplemental nutrition
assistance program allows low-income households to obtain
supplemental food for an active, healthy life that supports
the prevention of—
“(1) diet-related chronic disease, including—
“(A) obesity;
“(B) diabetes;
“(C) hypertension;
“(D) heart disease; and
“(E) cancer;
“(2) disability;
“(3) premature death;
“(4) unsustainable health care costs; and
“(5) undermining of military readiness.
“(c) Accordingly, it is also the policy of the Congress
that the Secretary should administer the supplemental
nutrition assistance program in a manner that will provide
participants, especially children, access to a variety of
foods essential to optimal health and well-being.”.
SEC. 4102. PROHIBITED FEES.
Section 7(h)(13)(B) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008
(7 U.S.C. 2016(h)(13)(B)) is amended by striking “Effective
through fiscal year 2023, neither” and inserting
“Neither”.
SEC. 4103. SNAP STAFFING FLEXIBILITY.
Section 11 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C.
2020) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(y) SNAP Staffing Flexibility.—
“(1) In general.—Notwithstanding section 11(e)(6)(B), a
State agency (as defined in section 3 of the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008) may, by contract with the State agency
at a reasonable cost in accordance with the State agency's
standard contracting rules, hire a contractor to undertake
supplemental nutrition assistance program certification or
carry out any other function of the State agency under such
program so long as—
“(A) the contract does not provide incentives for the
agency or contractor to delay eligibility determinations or
to deny eligibility for individuals otherwise eligible for
supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits; and
“(B) the contractor has no direct or indirect financial
interest in an approved retail store.
“(2) Use.—A State agency may use the authority provided
in paragraph (1) when—
“(A) the State experiences an inability to timely process
supplemental nutrition assistance program applications from
causes that include but are not limited to—
“(i) pandemics and other health emergencies;
“(ii) seasonal workforce cycles;
“(iii) temporary staffing shortages; and
“(iv) weather or other natural disasters;
“(B) the State's payment error rate, as defined in section
16, is greater than or equal to 6 percent based on the most
recent available Department of Agriculture data; or
“(C) the State experiences an increase in supplemental
nutrition assistance program applications.
“(3) Requirements.—A State agency that hires a contractor
under paragraph (1) shall ensure such action—
“(A) is consistent with all principles under section
900.603 of title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations; and
“(B) is part of a blended workforce and does not supplant
existing merit-based personnel in the State.
“(4) Notification.—A State agency shall notify the
Secretary of its intent to use the authority provided in this
section and shall provide any information or data supporting
State agency increases in supplemental nutrition assistance
program applications or any inability to timely process such
applications.
“(5) Public availability.—Not later than 10 days after
the date of the receipt of a notification submitted by a
State agency under paragraph (4), the Secretary shall make
publicly available on the website of the Department of
Agriculture the notification submitted by such State agency
and any accompanying information or data supporting such
notification so submitted.
“(6) Program design.—Any action taken by a State agency
under paragraph (1) shall not be—
“(A) considered to be a major change in the operations of
such State agency for purposes of section 11(a)(4) of this
Act, or
“(B) subject to any requirement specified in such section.
“(7) Annual report.—The Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate, an annual report that contains—
“(A) a description of measures taken to address increases
in supplemental nutrition assistance program applications and
any inability to timely process such applications;
“(B) information or data supporting State agency
notifications provided pursuant to paragraph (4); and
“(C) recommendations for changes to the Secretary's
authority under this Act to assist the Secretary, States, and
local governments of States in preparing for any future
increases in supplemental nutrition assistance program
applications or inability to timely process such
applications.
“(8) Temporary staffing shortages.—In cases of temporary
staffing shortages, the authority provided to State agencies
under paragraph (1) shall—
“(A) expire when the backlog of supplemental nutrition
assistance program applications has been eliminated;
“(B) not override any collective bargaining agreement or
memorandum of understanding in effect between the State and
employees of the State or of a local government of such
State; and
“(C) expire when the error rate, as defined in section 16,
is less than 6 percent.”.
SEC. 4104. UPDATES TO ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES FOR SNAP
RETAILERS.
The 2d sentence of section 9(d) of the Food and Nutrition
Act of 2008 is amended by inserting “, on two consecutive
occasions within a 3-year-period,” after “does not meet”.
SEC. 4105. REPORT ON ALL IDENTIFIED PAYMENT ERRORS.
Section 16(c) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7
U.S.C. 2025(c)) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph (10); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following:
“(9) Report on all identified payment errors.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary shall include all
identified payment errors, including small errors under
paragraph (1)(A)(ii), regardless of dollar amount, in a
supplemental section of the annual payment error rate
measurement report for the supplemental nutrition assistance
program.
“(B) Rule of construction.—The information reported under
subparagraph (A) shall not alter, modify, or affect the
calculation of the tolerance level for excluding small errors
under paragraph (1)(A)(ii).”.
SEC. 4106. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
The 1st sentence of section 18(a)(1) of the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2027(a)(1)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting "“2031”.
SEC. 4107. RETAIL FOOD STORE AND RECIPIENT TRAFFICKING.
Section 29(c)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7
U.S.C. 2036b) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 4108. EBT CARD SECURITY REGULATIONS.
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate, in the
form of a proposed rule, regulations through notice and
comment rulemaking to enhance EBT Card (as defined in section
3(i) of the Food and Nutrition Act; 7 U.S.C. 2012(i))
security measures.
SEC. 4109. REPORT ON SNAP ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.
Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall
submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate, a report that—
(1) examines the causes of State variation in supplemental
nutrition assistance program administrative costs and
identifies the factors most likely to contribute to an
increase in these costs; and
(2) provides recommendations on how the Department of
Agriculture and Congress can improve oversight of
administrative costs in the program.
SEC. 4110. ANIMAL PROTEIN AN ELIGIBLE INCENTIVE FOOD.
Section 9(j)(1)(B) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7
U.S.C. 2018(j)(1)(B)) is amended by inserting “animal
protein,” after “whole grain,”.
SEC. 4111. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ONLINE PURCHASING.
Section 7 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C.
2016) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(l) Online Purchasing Program.—
“(1) Permanent authority.—Not later than 120 days after
the effective date of this subsection, the Secretary shall
begin transitioning the supplemental nutrition assistance
program online purchasing initiative from pilot or
demonstration status to permanent nationwide program
operations, with the completion of the regulations marking
the end of the transition.
“(2) Regulations.—The Secretary shall issue such
regulations and guidance as may be necessary to carry out
paragraph (1), including provisions related to program
integrity, consumer protections, and equitable access in
rural areas. Such regulations shall be issued not later than
2 years after the effective date of this subsection.
“(3) Stakeholder consultation.—The Secretary shall
establish a formal process for consultation with State
agencies, authorized retailers, electronic benefit transfer
processors, consumer advocates, and other relevant
stakeholders to incorporate lessons learned from online
purchasing operations during the period of 2014 through 2025.
“(4) Report to congress.—Not later than 120 days after
the effective date of this subsection, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate a report describing the
consultation process and recommendations received.”.
SEC. 4112. EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
(a) Emergency Food Program Infrastructure Grants.—Section
209(d) of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C.
7511a(d)) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
(b) Availability of Commodities for the Emergency Food
Assistance Program.—Section 27(a)(1) of the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2036(a)(1)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
(c) Option for Purchasing Through DoD Fresh.—Section
214(c) of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C.
7515(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Option for purchasing through dod fresh.—At the
request of a State agency, the Secretary may allow the State
agency to use not more than 20 percent of the cost of the
commodities allocated to that State agency under this section
to order commodities through the Department of Defense Fresh
Fruit and Vegetable Program.”.
SEC. 4113. FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON INDIAN RESERVATIONS.
Section 4(b)(6)(E) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7
U.S.C. 2013(b)(6)(E)) is amended by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
Subtitle B—Commodity Distribution Programs
SEC. 4201. COMMODITY DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM.
(a) Expansion of the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition
Program.—Section 4402 of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3007) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking “2008 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”; and
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking “and herbs” and
inserting “herbs, maple syrup, and tree nuts (including
shelled tree nuts)”.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.—The 1st sentence of
section 4(a) of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act
of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note) is amended by striking “2023”
and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 4202. COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM.
Section 5 of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of
1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; Public Law 93-86) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1) by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”, and
(B) in paragraph (2)(B), in the matter preceding clause
(i), by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”,
(2) in subsection (d)(2), in the 1st sentence, by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(n) Commodity Supplemental Food Program Delivery Pilot
Program.—
“(1) Purpose.—The purpose of this subsection is to award
grants for the operation of projects that increase the access
of low-income elderly persons to commodities through home
delivery or other means and to evaluate such projects.
“(2) In general.—The Secretary shall award, on a
competitive basis, grants directly to State agencies, or to
State agencies on behalf of eligible entities, to carry out
the activities described in paragraph (5).
“(3) Maximum grant award.—A grant awarded to a State
agency under this subsection shall not exceed—
“(A) the greater of—
“(i) the State's commodity supplemental food program
caseload at time of application multiplied by 60; or
“(ii) $10,000; or
“(B) $4,000,000;
whichever is less.
“(4) Application.—A State agency seeking a grant under
this subsection shall submit to the Secretary an application
in such form, at such time, and containing such information
as the Secretary may require.
“(5) Grant uses.—A State agency awarded a grant under
this subsection shall distribute grant funds to eligible
entities to operate projects that facilitate delivery of
commodities to participants in the commodity supplemental
food program, including with respect to costs associated
with—
“(A) transportation and distribution of commodities to
participants in the commodity supplemental food program,
including transportation and distribution services provided
by a third party;
“(B) staffing required to operate delivery services; and
“(C) outreach to participants or potential participants in
the commodity supplemental food program with respect to home
delivery.
“(6) Priority.—A State agency awarded a grant under this
subsection must prioritize eligible entities that serve
participants in the commodity supplemental food program who
reside in a rural area.
“(7) Report to the secretary.—Not later than 180 days
after the end of the fiscal year in which a State agency is
awarded a grant under this subsection and has distributed
grant funds to eligible entities, and in each succeeding
fiscal year until grant funds are expended, a State agency
shall submit a report to the Secretary that includes—
“(A) a summary of the activities carried out under the
project, including the quantity of commodities delivered,
number of participants in the commodity supplemental food
program served, and total number of deliveries;
“(B) an assessment of the effectiveness of the project,
including a calculation of the average cost per delivery, and
an evaluation of any services provided by a third party; and
“(C) best practices regarding use of home delivery to
improve the effectiveness of the commodity supplemental food
program.
“(8) Definitions.—In this subsection:
“(A) Terms in regulations.—The term `State agency',
`local agency', and `subdistributing agency' have the
meanings given such terms in section 247.1 of title 7 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulations).
“(B) Eligible entity.—The term `eligible entity' means—
“(i) a local agency; or
“(ii) a subdistributing agency.
“(C) Rural area.—The term `rural area' has the meaning
given such term in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)).
“(9) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $10,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to remain
available until expended.”.
SEC. 4203. DISTRIBUTION OF SURPLUS COMMODITIES TO SPECIAL
NUTRITION PROJECTS.
Section 1114(a)(2)(A) of the Agriculture and Food Act of
1981 (7 U.S.C. 1431e(2)(A)) is amended by striking “2023”
and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 4204. COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM DEMONSTRATION
PROJECT FOR TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS.
(a) Demonstration Project for Tribal Organizations.—
(1) Definitions.—In this subsection:
(A) Demonstration project.—The term “demonstration
project” means the demonstration project established under
paragraph (2).
(B) Food distribution program.—The term “food
distribution program” means the commodity supplemental food
program identified in section 4 of the Agriculture and
Consumer Protection Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; Public
Law 93-86).
(C) Indian reservation.—The term “Indian reservation”
has the meaning given the term “reservation” in section 3
of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012).
(D) Indian tribe.—The term “Indian Tribe” has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(E) Self-determination contract.—The term “self-
determination contract” has the meaning given the term in
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304) with modification as
determined by the Secretary.
(F) Tribal organization.—The term “Tribal organization”
has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012).
(2) Establishment.—Subject to the availability of
appropriations, the Secretary shall establish a demonstration
project under which 1 or more Tribal organizations may enter
into self-determination contracts to purchase agricultural
commodities under the food distribution program for the
Indian reservation of that Tribal organization.
(3) Eligibility.—
(A) Consultation.—The Secretary shall consult with Indian
Tribes to determine the process and criteria under which a
Tribal organization may participate in the demonstration
project.
(B) Criteria.—The Secretary shall select for participation
in the demonstration project Tribal organizations that—
(i) are successfully administering the food distribution
program of the Tribal organization under section 4(b)(2)(B)
of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C.
2013(b)(2)(B));
(ii) have the capacity to purchase agricultural commodities
in accordance with paragraph (4) for the food distribution
program of the Tribal organization; and
(iii) meet any other criteria determined by the Secretary,
in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and Indian
Tribes.
(4) Procurement of agricultural commodities.—Any
agricultural commodities purchased by a Tribal organization
under the demonstration project shall—
(A) be domestically produced;
(B) not result in a material increase in the amount of food
in the food package of that Tribal organization compared to
the amount of food that the Secretary authorized to be
provided through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program
Guide Rate;
(C) be of similar or higher nutritional value as the type
of agricultural commodities that would be supplanted in the
existing food package for that Tribal organization or be an
agricultural commodity with Tribal significance to that
Indian Tribe; and
(D) meet any other criteria determined by the Secretary.
(5) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date on which
funds are appropriated under paragraph (6) and annually
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a
report describing the activities carried out under the
demonstration project during the preceding year.
(6) Funding.—
(A) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $1,000,000,
to remain available until expended.
(B) Appropriations in advance.—Only funds appropriated
under subparagraph (A) in advance specifically to carry out
this subsection shall be available to carry out this
subsection.
(b) Administration of Tribal Self-Determination
Contracts.—
(1) Administration.—The Secretary shall appoint an
existing office of the United States Department of
Agriculture to administer Tribal self-determination contracts
to include but not limited to:
(A) awarding of Food and Nutrition Service nutrition
program self-determination contracts to selected Tribal
organizations; and
(B) hiring contract officers and program staff in order to
manage the selection of Tribal organizations and execution of
self-determination contracts.
(2) Staffing minimum funding.—Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, there is authorized to be appropriated
$1,200,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for the
payment of Department contract officers and program staff
salaries and benefits.
Subtitle C—Miscellaneous
SEC. 4301. PURCHASE OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR
DISTRIBUTION TO SCHOOLS AND SERVICE
INSTITUTIONS.
Section 10603(b) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment
Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 612c-4(b)) is amended by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 4302. BUY AMERICAN REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN SCHOOL
MEALS.
(a) In General.—Section 12(n)(2)(A) of the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(n)(2)(A))
is amended to read as follows:
“(A) Requirements.—
“(i) Purchase expenditures by category.—Subject to clause
(ii) and subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall require that a
school food authority purchase, with respect to each food
purchase category designated by the Agricultural Marketing
Service, at least 95 percent domestic products and
commodities in each such category.
“(ii) Domestically unavailable products and commodities.—
Domestically unavailable products and commodities included on
a list issued pursuant to clause (iii) with respect to a
school year and purchased by a school food authority during
such school year shall not be used to calculate whether such
school food authority meets the requirements under clause
(i).
“(iii) Updated list.—Not later than 6 months after the
date of the enactment of this subparagraph, and every 2 years
thereafter, the Secretary shall make available to school food
authorities a list of domestically unavailable products and
commodities.
“(iv) Limited waiver authority.—Except with respect to a
domestically unavailable product or commodity included on a
list pursuant to clause (iii), the Secretary may not waive or
make accommodations for any of the requirements of this
subparagraph.
“(v) Prohibition on certain products from china or
russia.—The Secretary shall prohibit school food authorities
from purchasing raw or processed poultry products or seafood
imported into the United States from the People's Republic of
China or the Russian Federation.”.
(b) Application.—The amendments made by subsection (a)
shall apply to school food authorities beginning on the first
day of the first school year that begins after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4303. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE GUS SCHUMACHER NUTRITION
INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
Section 4405 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 (7 U.S.C. 7517) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by amending subparagraph (C) to read
as follows:
“(C) Federal share.—
“(i) In general.—Except as provided in clause (ii) and
subparagraph (D)(iii), the Federal share of the cost of
carrying out an activity under this subsection shall not
exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the activity.
“(ii) Waiver for persistent poverty areas.—The Secretary
may waive the application of clause (i) in the case of an
activity carried out—
“(I) in a county that, during the preceding 30-year period
has had a population of which greater than or equal to 20
percent of such population are living in poverty (as measured
by the most recent decennial censuses and most recent Small
Area Income and Poverty Estimates of the Bureau of the
Census); or
“(II) in a census tract with a poverty rate of at least 20
percent during the preceding 30-year period, as measured by
the most recent 5-year data series available from the
American Community Survey of the Bureau of the Census.”; and
(B) in paragraph (2)(B)—
(i) by redesignating clauses (ix) and (x) as clauses (x)
and (xi); and
(ii) by inserting after clause (viii) the following:
“(ix) increase year-round availability of incentives by
offering all forms of fruits or vegetables;”;
(2) in subsection (c), by striking “fresh fruits and
vegetables” and inserting “all forms of fruits, vegetables,
and legumes” each place it appears; and
(3) in subsection (f)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”; and
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking “2023” each place it
appears and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 4304. FOOD LOSS AND WASTE REDUCTION LIAISON ANNUAL
REPORT.
Section 224(e)(2) of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6924(e)(2)) is amended—
(1) in the heading, by inserting “Annual” before
“Report”;
(2) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting
“and annually thereafter,” before “the Secretary shall”;
(3) in subparagraph (A), by striking “and” at the end;
(4) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
“(C) a general description of each project and activity
implemented pursuant to this section;
“(D) a summary of the cooperative agreements entered into
pursuant to subsection (c);
“(E) a detailed account of how the Secretary avoided,
managed, or will manage market disruption; and
“(F) a summary of coordinated activities with the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the
Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, including
interagency communication and coordination related to the
promotion or exclusion of practices and technologies to limit
food waste.”.
SEC. 4305. DAIRY NUTRITION INCENTIVES PROJECTS.
Section 4208 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7
U.S.C. 2026a) is amended—
(1) in the section heading, by striking “healthy fluid
milk” and inserting “dairy nutrition” (and by conforming
the item of such section in the table of contents
accordingly);
(2) by striking “healthy fluid milk” and inserting
“dairy nutrition” each place it appears;
(3) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
“(a) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Covered dairy products.—The term `covered dairy
products' means—
“(A) cheese (including nonstandardized cheese) that is—
“(i) made from pasteurized cow's milk;
“(ii) a good source of protein, as determined by the
Secretary; and
“(iii) sold as a block, chunk, shred, slice, stick, string
or in snack-size form; and
“(B) yogurt (or other cultured dairy product) that—
“(i) is made from pasteurized cow's milk;
“(ii) is a good source of protein, as determined by the
Secretary; and
“(iii) contains limited amounts of added sugars.
“(2) Fluid milk.—The term `fluid milk' means all
varieties of pasteurized cow's milk that—
“(A) is packaged in liquid form; and
“(B) contains vitamins A and D at levels consistent with
the Food and Drug Administration, State, and local standards
for fluid milk.”;
(4) in subsection (b), by inserting “and covered dairy
products” after “of fluid milk” each place it appears;
(5) in subsection (c)(3), by inserting “and covered dairy
products” after “purchase of fluid milk”; and
(6) in subsection (e)(1), by striking “$20,000,000” and
inserting “$50,000,000”.
SEC. 4306. LOCAL FARMERS FEEDING OUR COMMUNITIES PROGRAM.
(a) In General.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall
establish a program under which the Secretary will enter into
cooperative agreements (on a noncompetitive basis) with
eligible entities—
(1) to help support covered local producers through
building and expanding economic opportunities;
(2) to establish and broaden partnerships with such covered
local producers and the food distribution community to ensure
distribution of fresh (including fresh frozen) and nutritious
foods; and
(3) to strengthen such entity's local and regional food
security and systems.
(b) Use of Funds.—An eligible entity selected to enter
into a cooperative agreement under this section shall use
funds received through such agreement—
(1) to purchase unprocessed or minimally processed local
foods (including seafood, meat, milk and dairy products,
eggs, produce, and poultry) from covered producers;
(2) to ensure that at least 25 percent of the total annual
value of products purchased by the eligible entity comprises
purchases from small-size producers, mid-size producers,
beginning farmers or ranchers, or veteran farmers or
ranchers;
(3) to provide technical assistance supporting—
(A) covered local producers, including in obtaining food
safety training and certifications; and
(B) efforts to grow the local agricultural value chain;
(4) to distribute such local foods to organizations,
including nonprofit organizations, that have experience in
food distribution to improve access to healthy and nutritious
food; and
(5) to build and expand economic opportunity for covered
local producers.
(c) Limitation on Use of Funds.—
(1) In general.—Of the amount made available to an
eligible entity through a cooperative agreement under this
section, an eligible entity may use not more than 15 percent
of such amount—
(A) to cover administrative expenses; and
(B) to provide technical assistance described in subsection
(b)(3);
(2) Allocation for technical assistance.—Of the amount
described in paragraph (1), an eligible entity shall use not
less than 50 percent to provide technical assistance
described in subsection (b)(3).
(d) Technical Assistance to Eligible Entities.—The
Secretary shall provide to eligible entities entering into a
cooperative agreement under this section guidance, technical
assistance, instruction, and monitoring throughout the life
cycle of the cooperative agreement.
(e) Amount of Allocation.—Of the amounts made available to
carry out this section for each fiscal year, the Secretary
shall—
(1) allocate 10 percent to Tribal Governments, to be
allocated using a funding formula determined by the
Secretary; and
(2) of the amounts remaining after making the allocation
under paragraph (1), allocate 1 percent to each State (other
than Tribal Governments); and
(3) after making the allocations under paragraphs (1) and
(2), allocate the remaining amounts to each eligible entity
(other than Tribal Governments) by applying the formula
described in section 214 of the Emergency Food Assistance Act
of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 7515).
(f) Funding.—There is authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this section $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2027 through 2031.
(g) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Beginning farmer or rancher; veteran farmer or
rancher.—The terms “beginning farmer or rancher” and
“veteran farmer or rancher” have the meanings given such
terms in section 2501 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation,
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279).
(2) Covered producer.—The term “covered producer” means
a fisherman, farmer, producer, rancher, processor, or
cooperative processor that is—
(A) within the geographic boundaries of the eligible entity
in which the food will be delivered; or
(B) not more than 400 miles from the delivery destination
of the food.
(3) Eligible entity.—The term “eligible entity” means a
State agency, commission, or department that is responsible
for agriculture, procurement, food distribution, emergency
response, or other similar activities within the State.
(4) Mid-size producer.—The term “mid-sized producer”
means an individual whose annual gross cash farm income is
equal to or exceeds $350,000 and is less than $999,999.
(5) Small-size producer.—The term “small-sized producer”
means one whose annual gross cash farm income is less than
$350,000.
(6) State.—The term “State” means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, each territory or
possession of the United States, and each federally
recognized Indian Tribe.
(7) Unprocessed or minimally processed local foods.—The
term “unprocessed or minimally processed local foods” means
food products means only those agricultural products that
retain their inherent character. Such term includes—
(A) fruits and vegetables (including 100 percent juices);
(B) grain products, such as pastas and rice;
(C) meats (including whole carcasses, pieces thereof, or
ground meat);
(D) protein sources that are meat alternatives (such as
beans or legumes) and fluid milk and other dairy foods (such
as cheese and yogurt); and
(E) foods in a wide variety of minimal processing states
(such as whole, cut, or pureed) or forms (such as fresh,
frozen, canned, or dried).
SEC. 4307. HEALTHY FOOD FINANCING INITIATIVE.
Section 243(d) of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6953(d)) is amended by
striking “$125,000,000” and inserting “$135,000,000”.
SEC. 4308. DIETARY GUIDELINES.
(a) In General.—Section 301(a) of the National Nutrition
Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.
5341(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)—
(A) by striking “At least every five years” and inserting
“Beginning with the 2030 report and at least every 10 years
thereafter,”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following: “Rulemaking
requirements under section 553 of title 5, United States
Code, shall apply to the development of each report under
this paragraph.”;
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking “shall be based on the
preponderance of the scientific and medical knowledge which
is current at the time the report is prepared.” and
inserting “shall—
“(A) be based on significant scientific agreement that is
determined by evidence-based review (as defined in paragraph
(8)(A));
“(B) be current at the time the report is prepared;
“(C) be derived from questions generated under paragraph
(5)(E);
“(D) address high-priority areas of concern to advance
health outcomes;
“(E) be designed to achieve nutritional adequacy and
promote health, as specified by the Food and Nutrition Board
of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and
Medicine, from the consumption of food, including nutrients
and bioactive food components occurring naturally and in
fortified foods;
“(F) include nutritional and dietary information relevant
to individuals with nutrition-related common chronic
diseases, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; and
“(G) include recommendations that are affordable,
available, and accessible for the general population.”;
(3) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (7);
(4) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
“(3) Frequency.—The Secretaries may publish the report
required under paragraph (1) more frequently than required
under that paragraph if the Secretaries determine that more
frequent publication is necessary to promote health, based on
the updated dietary reference intake values specified by—
“(A) the Food and Nutrition Board of the National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine; and
“(B) other relevant scientific advancements based on
continuous monitoring of the totality of publicly available
scientific evidence.
“(4) Notification of update.—
“(A) In general.—Not later than 90 days before the
Secretaries plan to update a report under paragraph (1), the
Secretaries shall submit notification of that plan, in
writing, to the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the
Senate and the Committees on Agriculture and Energy and
Commerce of the House of Representatives.
“(B) Justification.—The notification under subparagraph
(A) shall include a justification for updating the report.
“(5) Independent advisory board.—
“(A) In general.—Not later than 90 days after the
Secretaries submit a notification under paragraph (4)(A), the
Secretaries shall establish an Independent Advisory Board
(referred to in this paragraph as the `Board').
“(B) Members.—The Board shall be comprised of at least 4
members and not more than 8 members, of which—
“(i) 4 shall be appointed by the Secretaries, 2 of whom
shall not be Federal employees; and
“(ii) 1 may be appointed by each of the highest ranking
Member of Congress on each Committee described in paragraph
(4)(A) of the opposite political party of the President of
the United States at the time of the appointment.
“(C) Expertise.—Each member appointed to the Board shall
have expertise in nutrition science or food science,
including academic and applied experience.
“(D) Meetings.—
“(i) In general.—The first meeting of the Board—
“(I) may only take place on or after the date that 4
members are appointed to the Board under subparagraph (B);
and
“(II) shall take place on or after the date that is 90
days after the Secretaries submit a notification under
paragraph (4)(A).
“(ii) Quorum.—A majority of the members shall constitute
a quorum for the transaction of the business of the Board.
“(E) Duties.—Not later than 1 year after the
establishment of the Board, the Board shall submit to the
Secretaries and the Committees described in paragraph (4)(A)
a list of scientific questions relating to the report for
purposes of paragraph (2)(C).
“(F) Termination.—The authority of the Board shall
terminate, and the Board shall disband, immediately after
carrying out subparagraph (E).
“(6) Exclusion.—The information and guidelines contained
in each report required under paragraph (1) shall not be
based on or include topics that are not relevant to dietary
guidance, as determined by the Secretaries, in consultation
with the Independent Advisory Board established under
paragraph (5), including taxation, social welfare policies,
purchases under Federal feeding programs, food and
agricultural production practices, food labeling,
socioeconomic status, race, religion, ethnicity, culture, or
regulations relating to nutrition.”; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
“(8) Evidence-based review.—
“(A) Definition.—In this paragraph, the term `evidence-
based review' means a process under which—
“(i) the totality of the scientific evidence relevant to a
question of interest is collected, analyzed, and evaluated;
“(ii) scientific studies, conclusions, and recommendations
are rated, adhering strictly to standardized, generally
accepted evidence-based review methods; and
“(iii) external peer review is conducted by nongovernment
experts with recognized expertise in quality of evidence
evaluation.
“(B) Strength of evidence.—Each guideline contained in a
report published under paragraph (1) shall be assigned a
rating by the Secretaries for the strength of evidence used,
including to the extent by which the guideline will improve
the Healthy Eating Index.
“(9) Transparency.—
“(A) Disclosure.—Any individual appointed to the Dietary
Guidelines Advisory Committee or an Independent Advisory
Board established under paragraph (5) shall—
“(i) be appointed as a special government employee;
“(ii) comply with financial disclosure requirements
applicable to such a special government employee under
subpart I of part 2634 of title 5, Code of Federal
Regulations (or successor regulations), including the
requirement to file the Office of Government Ethics Form 450
(or successor Form); and
“(iii) prior to such an appointment, provide a report to
the Secretaries regarding, for the 10-year period preceding
such report, any research funding or professional affiliation
relating to a report under paragraph (1).
“(B) Publication.—Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, not later than 30 days after the date on which a Dietary
Guidelines Advisory Committee or an Independent Advisory
Board is established, the Secretaries shall make publicly
available—
“(i) a summary of the financial disclosures reported by
members of such Committee or Board;
“(ii) the research funding and professional affiliations
reported by such members under subparagraph (A)(iii),
categorized by the name of the individual; and
“(iii) a detailed plan for managing any disclosed
conflicts of interest, including financial or ethical
conflicts of interest, preferences, values, and beliefs.”.
(b) Controlling Report.—The 2025 Dietary Guidelines for
Americans published by the Secretaries under subsection
(a)(1) of section 301 of the National Nutrition Monitoring
and Related Research Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5341(a)(1)) shall
be controlling and considered to be the most recent Dietary
Guidelines for Americans until the publication of the first
report under such subsection in accordance with the
amendments made to such section by this Act.
TITLE V—CREDIT
Subtitle A—Farm Ownership Loans
SEC. 5101. PERSONS ELIGIBLE FOR REAL ESTATE LOANS.
Section 302(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1922(a)) is amended—
(1) in the 2nd sentence of paragraph (1), by striking “a
majority” each place it appears and inserting “at least a
50 percent”;
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B)
and inserting the following:
“(A) Eligibility of qualified operators.—Qualified
operators, as defined by the Secretary, shall be considered
to meet the operator requirement of paragraph (1).
“(B) Eligibility of certain operating-only entities.—An
applicant that is or will become only the operator of farm
real estate acquired, improved, or supported with funds under
this subtitle shall be considered to meet the owner-operator
requirements of paragraph (1) if 1 or
more of the individuals who is an owner of the farm real
estate owns at least 50 percent (or such other percentage as
the Secretary determines is appropriate) of the applicant.
“(C) Eligibility of certain embedded entities.—An entity
that is an owner-operator described in paragraph (1), or an
operator described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph that
is owned, in whole or in part, by 1 or more other entities,
shall be considered to meet the direct ownership requirement
imposed under paragraph (1) if at least 75 percent of the
total ownership interests of the embedded entity, or of the
other entities, is owned, directly or indirectly, by
qualified operators of the farm acquired, improved, or
supported with funds under this subtitle.”.
SEC. 5102. EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS.
Section 302(b) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1922(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by striking “3 years” and inserting “2 years”; and
(2) in paragraph (4)—
(A) in subparagraph (A)—
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i)—
(I) by striking “3-year” and inserting “2-year”; and
(II) by striking “1 or 2 years” and inserting “1 year”;
(ii) in clause (iii), by inserting “or operational”
before “responsibilities”;
(iii) in clause (vii), by striking “or”; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
“(ix) met any other criteria established by the Secretary;
or”; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking “3-year” and
inserting “2-year”.
SEC. 5103. REFINANCING OF INDEBTEDNESS INTO DIRECT LOANS.
Section 303 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 1923) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
“(d) Refinancing of Guaranteed Loans Into Direct Loans.—
Within 1 year after the date of the enactment of this
subsection, the Secretary, acting through the Administrator
of the Farm Service Agency (referred to in this section as
the `Secretary'), shall promulgate regulations allowing
certain loans guaranteed by the Farm Service Agency to be
refinanced into direct loans issued by the Farm Service
Agency, in accordance with this subsection.
“(1) Requirements.—
“(A) In general.—A guaranteed loan may be refinanced into
a direct loan pursuant to this subsection only if the
Secretary determines that—
“(i) the guaranteed loan is distressed due to its status
as a nonperforming loan that does not have a positive cash
flow at rates and terms available from the lender;
“(ii) the borrower on the guaranteed loan is in monetary
default and subject to liquidation or foreclosure action;
“(iii) a reasonable chance for the success of the
operation financed by the guaranteed loan exists; and
“(iv) all other criteria established by the Secretary for
purposes of this subsection to protect taxpayer funds and the
loan programs of the Farm Service Agency have been satisfied.
“(B) Reasonable chance of success.—For purposes of
subparagraph (A)(iii), the Secretary may determine that a
reasonable chance for the success of an operation exists if
the Secretary determines that—
“(i) all relevant problems with the operation financed by
the guaranteed loan—
“(I) have been identified; and
“(II) can be corrected; and
“(ii) on correction of the problems, the operation can
achieve, or be returned to, a sound financial basis.
“(2) Loan programs.—In making direct loans pursuant to
the regulations promulgated under this subsection, the
Secretary may refinance a loan guaranteed under 1 program of
the Farm Service Agency into a direct loan issued under
another program of the Farm Service Agency, as the Secretary
determines to be appropriate and in accordance with the laws
applicable to the program under which the direct loan is
issued.
“(3) Refinanced guaranteed loans.—A direct loan issued by
the Farm Service Agency pursuant to the regulations
promulgated under subsection (a) of this section shall be
subject to any otherwise applicable limitation on the maximum
amount of a direct loan issued by the Farm Service Agency,
including, if applicable, the limitations described in
sections 305 and 313.”.
SEC. 5104. CONSERVATION LOAN AND LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM.
Section 304 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 1924) is amended—
(1) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking “and” at the end;
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking “1985.” and inserting
“1985 (16 U.S.C. 3812); and”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(4) producers who use the loans to adopt precision
agriculture practices or acquire precision agriculture
technologies, including adoption or acquisition for the
purpose of participating in the environmental quality
incentives program under subchapter A of chapter 4 of
subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3839aa et seq.).”; and
(2) in subsection (h), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 5105. LIMITATIONS ON AMOUNT OF FARM OWNERSHIP LOANS.
Section 305(a)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1925(a)(2)) is amended by striking
“$600,000, or, in the case of a loan guaranteed by the
Secretary, $1,750,000 (increased, beginning with fiscal year
2019” and inserting “$850,000, or, in the case of a loan
guaranteed by the Secretary, $3,500,000 (increased, beginning
with fiscal year 2026”.
SEC. 5106. INFLATION PERCENTAGE.
Section 305(c) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1925(c)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “of the Prices Paid By
Farmers Index (as compiled by the National Agricultural
Statistics Service of the Department of Agriculture) for the
12-month period ending on July 31 of the immediately
preceding fiscal year” and inserting “of the per acre
average United States farm real estate value, the per acre
average United States cropland value, and the per acre
average United States pasture value for the preceding year
(as published in the applicable Agricultural Land Values
report of the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the
Department of Agriculture), weighted equally”; and
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking “of such index (as so
defined) for the 12-month period that immediately precedes
the 12-month period described in paragraph (1)” and
inserting “of the per acre average United States farm real
estate value, the per acre average United States cropland
value, and the per acre average United States pasture value
for the year immediately preceding the year described in
paragraph (1) (as so published), weighted equally”.
SEC. 5107. AUTHORITY OF FARM CREDIT SYSTEM INSTITUTIONS TO
PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR ESSENTIAL RURAL
COMMUNITY FACILITIES PROJECTS.
(a) In General.—The Farm Credit Act of 1971 is amended by
inserting after section 4.18A (12 U.S.C. 2206a) the
following:
“SEC. 4.18B. ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES.
“(a) In General.—A Farm Credit Bank, direct lender
association, or bank for cooperatives chartered under this
Act may, for the purpose of making available capital to
develop, build, maintain, improve, or provide related
equipment or other support for essential community facilities
in rural areas, make and participate in loans and
commitments, and extend other technical and financial
assistance for projects for essential community facilities
eligible for financing under section 306(a) of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act.
“(b) Eligibility.—Only an entity eligible for financing
under section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act may receive financing or any other assistance
under subsection (a) of this section.
“(c) Limitations.—
“(1) Financing.—A Farm Credit System institution
described in subsection (a) shall not provide financing or
assistance under this section in an aggregate amount that
exceeds 15 percent of the total of all outstanding loans of
the institution.
“(2) Offer requirement.—
“(A) In general.—A Farm Credit System institution shall
not provide financing or assistance under this section unless
the institution—
“(i) has offered, under reasonable terms and conditions
acceptable to the borrower involved, an interest in the
financing to at least 1 domestic lending institution not
referred to in subsection (a) other than the Department of
Agriculture; and
“(ii) has reported the offer to the Farm Credit
Administration.
“(B) Rural community bank priority.—In offering an
interest in a financing to a domestic lending institution
described in subparagraph (A)(i), the Farm Credit System
institution shall give priority to community banks located in
the service area of the essential community facility being
financed.
“(d) Annual Report to Congress.—Within 1 year after the
date of the enactment of this section and annually
thereafter, the Farm Credit Administration shall provide a
report to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate on the activities undertaken
pursuant to this section by Farm Credit System institutions
during the period covered by the report, including through
partnerships between such an institution and other lending
institutions, which shall also be posted on the website of
the Farm Credit Administration.”.
(b) Effective Date.—The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall take effect on October 1, 2026.
SEC. 5108. DOWN PAYMENT LOAN PROGRAM.
Section 310E(b)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1935(b)(1)) is amended—
(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
“exceed 45 percent of the least” and inserting “exceed,
subject to section 305(a), 45 percent of the lesser”;
(2) in subparagraph (A), by adding “or” after the
semicolon;
(3) in subparagraph (B), by striking “; or” and inserting
a period; and
(4) by striking subparagraph (C).
SEC. 5109. HEIRS PROPERTY.
(a) Reauthorization of the Heirs Property Intermediary
Relending Program.—Section 310I(g) of the Consolidated Farm
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1936c(g)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
(b) Cooperative Agreements for Heirs Property Resolution
Through Direct Public Interest Legal Services.—Title V of
the Rural Development Act of 1972 (7 U.S.C. 2661-2669) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 509. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS FOR HEIRS PROPERTY
RESOLUTION THROUGH DIRECT PUBLIC INTEREST LEGAL
SERVICES.
“(a) In General.—The Secretary shall enter into
cooperative agreements with eligible entities
to provide legal or accounting services to underserved heirs,
at no cost to the underserved heirs, to assist in resolving
undivided ownership interests on farmland or forest land, or
land transitioning to farmland or forest land, that has
multiple owners. Such a cooperative agreement must be for any
of the following purposes:
“(1) To assist with transitioning land to agricultural
production.
“(2) To maintain land in agricultural production.
“(3) To increase access to programs administered by the
Secretary through the resolution of real property claims in
order to allow real property owners to meet land ownership
eligibility requirements for participation in a program
administered by the Secretary.
“(b) Administration of Cooperative Agreements.—
“(1) Duration.—
“(A) In general.—A cooperative agreement under subsection
(a) shall be in effect for not more than 4 years, subject to
subparagraph (B).
“(B) Special rule.—The Secretary may extend a cooperative
agreement or re-enter into a cooperative agreement with the
same or a different eligible entity to provide continued
services for heirs if—
“(i) property ownership is not resolved within the initial
term of the original cooperative agreement; and
“(ii) the entity certifies that the entity understands
that the cooperative agreement is not guaranteed to be funded
for more than 4 years after the commencement of the original
cooperative agreement.
“(2) Management of performance.—
“(A) Annual reports.—An eligible entity must provide
annual reports to the Secretary summarizing the progress made
during each fiscal year towards achieving the goals of the
cooperative agreement for the heirs for whom services are
provided under the cooperative agreement.
“(B) Information and data.—The Secretary may require an
eligible entity to provide the Secretary with such
information or data as the Secretary deems necessary to
determine that the eligible entity is making acceptable
progress. The data may not include personally identifiable
information.
“(C) Effect of failure to demonstrate success.—If an
eligible entity providing services under such a cooperative
agreement does not demonstrate success, as determined by the
Secretary, in resolving or reasonably attempting to resolve
the property claims of an heir, the Secretary may terminate
the agreement.
“(3) Implementation.—The Secretary may utilize requests
for public input or the formal rulemaking process to
effectuate this section. At a minimum, the Secretary shall
make publicly available the criteria for selecting an
eligible entity to enter into an agreement to provide
services, the administrative and performance requirements for
cooperative agreements under this section, as well as codify
within its internal policy its implementation process.
“(4) Heirs property not in farming.—On a limited basis,
and when determined by the Secretary to meet the purposes of
a program administered by the Secretary and to expand access
to such a program, the Secretary may allow an eligible entity
to provide services at no cost to an heir who is not an
underserved heir if—
“(A) the land with respect to which the services are to be
provided is not farmland or in agricultural production, but
could be viably productive for agricultural, conservation, or
forestry purposes;
“(B) the heir satisfies all other requirements of the
definition of `underserved heir';
“(C) the heir can provide proof to substantiate that the
heir is in control of the real property; and
“(D) the heir certifies to the Secretary that the heir
intends to apply for, and make a good faith effort to enroll
the land in, a program administered by the Secretary once
property claims to the land are resolved through services
provided under a cooperative agreement entered into under
this section.
“(c) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Eligible entity.—The term `eligible entity' means a
nonprofit organization that—
“(A) provides legal or accounting services to an
underserved heir at no cost to the underserved heir to
resolve property ownership issues; and
“(B) has demonstrated experience in resolving issues
related to ownership and succession on farmland or forest
land that has multiple owners.
“(2) Limited resource heir.—An heir shall be considered a
limited resource heir for purposes of this section if—
“(A) the total household income of the heir is at or below
the national poverty level for a family of 4, or less than 50
percent of the county median household income for the 2
immediately preceding calendar years, as determined annually
using data of the Department of Commerce; or
“(B) the property of the heir for which legal services are
provided pursuant to a cooperative agreement entered into
under this section is in a persistent poverty community, as
determined annually on the basis of data from the Department
of Commerce, or a socially vulnerable area, as designated by
the Centers on Disease Control and Prevention.
“(3) Underserved heir.—The term `underserved heir' means
an heir with an undivided ownership interest in farmland or
forest land that has multiple owners, who is—
“(A) a limited resource heir;
“(B) a member of a socially disadvantaged group (as
defined in section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture,
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990); or
“(C) a veteran (as defined in section 101(2) of title 38,
United States Code).
“(d) Annual Reports to Congress.—Within 1 year after the
date of the enactment of this section, and annually
thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare, make public, and
submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate a written report on the activities
carried out under this section in the year covered by the
report.
“(e) Limitations on Authorization of Appropriations.—To
carry out this section, there is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary $60,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2027 through 2031.”.
(c) Annual Report on Operations and Outcomes Under the
Relending Program To Resolve Ownership and Succession on
Farmland.—Section 310I(f) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1936c(f)) is amended by striking
“Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this
section, the Secretary shall” and inserting “The Secretary
shall annually”.
SEC. 5110. PROMPT APPROVAL OF LOANS AND LOAN GUARANTEES.
Section 333A of the of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1983a) is amended—
(1) in subsection (g)—
(A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
“(1) Real estate and operating guaranteed loans.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary shall provide to lenders a
short, simplified application form for real estate and
operating guaranteed loans under this title, for loans of not
more than $1,000,000.
“(B) Notice.—Within 5 business days after receipt of a
complete application to guarantee a farm ownership or
operating loan that meets the requirements under subparagraph
(A) originated by a Preferred Certified Lender or Certified
Lender, the Secretary shall notify the lender as to whether
the application is approved or disapproved.
“(C) Maximum guarantee.—Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Act, the percentage of the principal amount
of a loan which may be guaranteed pursuant to this paragraph
shall not exceed—
“(i) 90 percent, in the case of a loan not exceeding
$125,000;
“(ii) 75 percent, in the case of a loan of more than
$125,000 and not more than $500,000; or
“(iii) 50 percent, in the case of a loan of more than
$500,000 and not more than $1,000,000.”; and
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs
(3) and (4), respectively, and inserting after paragraph (1)
the following:
“(2) Business and industry guaranteed loans to assist
rural entities.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary shall develop an
application process that accelerates, to the maximum extent
practicable, the processing of applications for business and
industry guaranteed loans to assist rural entities, as
described under section 310B(a)(2)(A), for loans not
exceeding $400,000.
“(B) Exception.—The accelerated application process, as
provided under subparagraph (A), shall apply to loans not
exceeding $600,000 if there is not a significant increased
risk of a default on the loan, as determined by the
Secretary.”; and
(2) by striking subsection (h).
SEC. 5111. EXPEDITED APPROVAL PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.—Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act is amended by inserting after section
333D (7 U.S.C. 1983d) the following:
“SEC. 333E. EXPEDITED APPROVAL PILOT PROGRAM.
“(a) In General.—Beginning not later than 1 year after
the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary
shall carry out a pilot program to establish an expedited
qualification and approval process for borrowers seeking—
“(1) a direct farm ownership loan under this Act; or
“(2) a guaranteed farm ownership loan under this Act that
is serviced by a Preferred Certified Lender under section
339(d) and provided to a creditworthy borrower, as determined
by the Preferred Certified Lender.
“(b) Loan Assessments.—In carrying out this section, the
Secretary shall consider streamlining the process for
making—
“(1) determinations necessary to make the certifications
and assessments referred to in section 339(c)(5); and
“(2) determinations under section 360(b).
“(c) Rule of Interpretation.—Except as otherwise provided
in subsections (a) and (b), this section shall not be
interpreted to authorize the waiver or modification of any
requirement, other than an application process timing
requirement, imposed by or under this Act.
“(d) Report.—Within 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report examining the
actions undertaken under, and the results of, the pilot
program.
“(e) Termination of Effectiveness.—The authority provided
by this section shall terminate effective September 30,
2031.”.
(b) Conforming Amendments.—Section 346(b)(2) of such Act
(7 U.S.C. 1994(b)(2)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A)(i)(II), by inserting “, to the
extent practicable” after “April 1 of the fiscal year”;
(2) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by inserting “, to the
extent practicable” after “September 1 of the fiscal
year”; and
(3) in subparagraph (B)(iii), in the text, by inserting “,
to the extent practicable” after “April 1 of the fiscal
year”.
Subtitle B—Operating Loans
SEC. 5201. PERSONS ELIGIBLE FOR OPERATING LOANS.
Section 311(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1941(a)) is amended—
(1) in the 2nd sentence of paragraph (1), by striking “a
majority” each place it appears and inserting “at least a
50 percent”; and
(2) in paragraph (2)—
(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking “(2) special
rule.—An entity” and inserting the following:
“(2) Special rules.—
“(A) Eligibility of qualified operators.—Qualified
operators, as defined by the Secretary, shall be considered
to meet the operator requirement of paragraph (1).
“(B) Eligibility of certain operating-only entities.—An
entity”; and
(B) by striking “ownership interests of each embedded
entity of the entity is owned directly or indirectly by the
individuals that own the family farm” and inserting “total
ownership interests of the embedded entity, or of the other
entities, is owned, directly or indirectly, by qualified
operators of the farm improved or supported with funds under
this subtitle”.
SEC. 5202. LIMITATIONS ON AMOUNT OF OPERATING LOANS.
Section 313(a)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1943(a)(1)) is amended by striking
“$400,000, or, in the case of a loan guaranteed by the
Secretary, $1,750,000 (increased, beginning with fiscal year
2019” and inserting “$750,000, or, in the case of a loan
guaranteed by the Secretary, $3,000,000 (increased, beginning
with fiscal year 2026”.
SEC. 5203. LIMITATION ON MICROLOAN AMOUNTS.
Section 313(c)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1943(c)(2)) is amended by striking
“$50,000” and inserting “$100,000”.
SEC. 5204. COOPERATIVE LENDING PILOT PROJECTS.
Section 313(c)(4)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1943(c)(4)(A)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
Subtitle C—Emergency Loans
SEC. 5301. PERSONS ELIGIBLE FOR EMERGENCY LOANS.
Section 321 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 1961) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in the 1st sentence—
(i) by striking “(A)” and inserting “(i)”;
(ii) by striking “(B)” and inserting “(ii)”;
(iii) by striking “(1)” and inserting “(A)”;
(iv) by striking “(2)” and inserting “(B)”; and
(v) by striking “a majority” each place it appears and
inserting “at least a 50 percent”;
(B) in the 2nd sentence, by striking “this subsection”
and inserting “this paragraph”;
(C) by striking the 5th sentence; and
(D) by adding after and below the end the following:
“(2) Special rules.—
“(A) Eligibility of qualified operators.—Qualified
operators, as defined by the Secretary, shall be considered
to meet the operator requirement of paragraph (1).
“(B) Eligibility of certain operating-only entities.— An
applicant that is or will become only the operator of farm
real estate acquired, improved, or supported with funds under
this subtitle shall be considered to meet the owner-operator
requirements of paragraph (1) if 1 or more of the individuals
who is an owner of the real estate owns at least 50 percent
(or such other percentage as the Secretary determines is
appropriate) of the applicant.
“(C) Eligibility of certain embedded entities.—An entity
that is an owner-operator described in paragraph (1), or an
operator described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph that
is owned, in whole or in part, by 1 or more other entities,
shall be considered to meet the direct ownership requirement
imposed under paragraph (1) if at least 75 percent of the
total ownership interests of the embedded entity, or of the
other entities, is owned, directly or indirectly, by
qualified operators of the farm acquired, improved, or
supported with funds under this subtitle.”; and
(2) by striking all that precedes “shall make and insure”
and inserting the following:
“SEC. 321. ELIGIBILITY FOR LOANS.
“(a) In General.—
“(1) Eligibility requirements.—The Secretary”.
Subtitle D—Administrative Provisions
SEC. 5401. BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER INDIVIDUAL
DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNTS PILOT PROGRAM.
Section 333B(h) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1983b(h)) is amended by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 5402. LOAN AUTHORIZATION LEVELS.
Section 346(b)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1994(b)(1)) is amended in the
matter preceding subparagraph (A) by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 5403. LOAN FUND SET-ASIDES.
Section 346(b)(2)(A)(ii)(III) of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1994(b)(2)(A)(ii)(III)) is
amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 5404. USE OF ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR DIRECT OPERATING
MICROLOANS UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
Section 346(b)(5)(C) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1994(b)(5)(C)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
Subtitle E—Miscellaneous
SEC. 5501. EXTENSION OF CREDIT TO BUSINESSES PROVIDING
SERVICES TO PRODUCERS OR HARVESTERS OF AQUATIC
PRODUCTS.
(a) Eligibility for Credit and Financial Services.—Section
1.9 of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. 2017) is
amended—
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking “or” at the end;
(2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
“(3) persons furnishing to producers or harvesters of
aquatic products services directly related to their operating
needs; or”.
(b) Purposes for Extensions of Credit.—Section 1.11(c)(1)
of such Act (12 U.S.C. 2019(c)(1)) is amended by inserting
“and to persons furnishing services directly related to the
operating needs of producers or harvesters of aquatic
products” after “needs”.
(c) Production Credit Associations.—Section 2.4(a) of such
Act (12 U.S.C. 2075(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking “and” at the end;
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and
inserting “; and”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(4) persons furnishing to producers or harvesters of
aquatic products services directly related to their operating
needs.”.
SEC. 5502. EXPORT FINANCE AUTHORITY.
Section 3.7(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12
U.S.C. 2128(b)(2)(A)(i)) is amended—
(1) by striking “50 percent of the bank's capital” and
inserting “15 percent of the total assets of the bank”; and
(2) by striking “an amount equal to 50 percent of the
bank's capital” and inserting “15 percent of the total
assets of the bank”.
SEC. 5503. SUPPORT FOR RURAL WATER AND WASTE SYSTEMS.
Section 3.7(f) of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C.
2128(f)) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as
subparagraphs (A) and (B);
(2) by striking “The banks” and inserting “(1) The
banks”;
(3) striking “For purposes” and inserting “(3) For
purposes”;
(4) in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), by inserting “,
or in the case of such loans, commitments, and assistance
that are guaranteed, the term `rural area' means an area
described in section 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A))” before
the period at the end; and
(5) by inserting after paragraph (1) (as so redesignated)
the following:
“(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a bank for
cooperatives may make and participate in loans and
commitments and provide technical and other financial
assistance to cooperatives and any other public or private
entity (except for the Federal Government) for the purpose of
installing, maintaining, expanding, improving, or operating
facilities in a rural area for the processing or disposal of
waste from any source, the provision of telecommunication
services, and producing electricity from any source for use
or sale by the borrower.”.
SEC. 5504. FARM CREDIT SYSTEM REGULATION.
(a) In General.—The Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C.
2001 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 4.20 the
following:
“SEC. 4.21. FARM CREDIT SYSTEM REGULATION.
“(a) The Farm Credit Administration shall be the sole and
independent regulator of the Farm Credit System with respect
to activities subject to this Act.
“(b) Nothing in this section shall limit or affect any
regulatory or other authority granted to the Farm Credit
System Insurance Corporation under this Act.
“(c) A law enacted or rule promulgated after the date of
the enactment of this section shall not be held to modify or
supersede the exclusive authority provided by subsection (a),
except to the extent that the enacted law does so
expressly.”.
(b) Effective Date.—The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 5505. LOAN GUARANTEES.
Section 8.0(7)(B) of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C.
2279aa(7)(B)) is amended by inserting “ or section
9007(c)(1) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of
2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107(c)(1))” before the 1st comma.
SEC. 5506. STANDARDS FOR QUALIFIED LOANS.
Section 8.8 of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C.
2279aa-8) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking “mortgage
investors” and inserting “investors in those types of
loans”; and
(2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
“(c) Qualified Loan Limitation for Single Borrowers.—
“(1) In general.—The Corporation shall not treat a loan
secured by agricultural real estate as a qualified loan when
the cumulative principal amount of all loans to a single
borrower or related borrowers exceeds 10 percent of the
Corporation's tier 1 capital, as defined by the Farm Credit
Administration.
“(2) Regulator determination.—The Farm Credit
Administration may issue regulations establishing a single
borrower concentration limit lower than the percentage
specified in paragraph (1) if the Farm Credit Administration
determines that such a lower limit is necessary for the safe
and sound operation of the Corporation.”.
SEC. 5507. STATE AGRICULTURAL MEDIATION PROGRAMS.
(a) Matching Grants to States.—Section 502 of the
Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 (7 U.S.C. 5102) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)(2), by striking “$500,000” and
inserting “$700,000”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(e) Carryover of Financial Assistance.—The Secretary
shall permit a State that receives financial assistance under
subsection (a) for a fiscal year to carry over not more than
25 percent of the financial assistance that is not expended
by the end of the fiscal year, for use during the next fiscal
year without deducting the amount from any assistance
provided under this Act in subsequent fiscal years.”.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.—Section 506 of the
Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 (7 U.S.C. 5106) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 5508. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.
(a) Elimination of Obsolete References to County
Committees.—
(1) Section 333A(a)(2)(B)(vi) of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1983a(a)(2)(B)(vi)) is
amended by striking “by the county committee” and inserting
“of the application”.
(2) Section 336 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1986) is amended—
(A) by striking the last sentence of subsection (b); and
(B) by striking subsection (c) and redesignating subsection
(d) as subsection (c).
(3) Section 339 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1989) is amended—
(A) in subsection (c)(4)(A), by striking “county committee
certification that the borrower of the loan meets the
eligibility requirements and” and inserting “the borrower
meeting”; and
(B) in subsection (d)(4)(A), by striking “county committee
certification that the borrower meets the eligibility
requirements or” and inserting “the borrower meeting”.
(4) Section 359(c)(1) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2006a(c)(1)) is
amended by striking “(as determined by the appropriate
county committee during the determination of eligibility for
the loan)”.
(b) Revision of Loan Assessment Requirements.—Section
360(d)(1) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2006b(d)(1)) is amended by
striking “annual review of direct loans, and periodic review
(as determined necessary by the Secretary) of guaranteed
loans” and inserting “periodic review (as determined by the
Secretary) of direct and guaranteed loans”.
(c) Updating of Outdated References to the Farmers Home
Administration and the Rural Development Agency.—
(1) Section 309(e) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1928(e)) is
amended by striking “Farmers Home Administration and the
Rural Development Administration” and inserting “Farm
Service Agency and Rural Development”.
(2) Section 331(b)(4) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1981(b)(4)) is
amended by striking “Consolidated”.
(3) Section 331(b) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1981(b)) is
amended in each of paragraphs (5) and (7) by striking
“Farmers Home Administration” each place it appears and
inserting “Farm Service Agency and Rural Development”.
(4) Section 331(b)(8) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1981(b)(8)) is
amended by striking “Rural Development Administration or by
the Farmers Home Administration” and inserting “Farm
Service Agency and Rural Development”.
(5) Section 331A(a) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1981a(a)) is
amended by striking “Farmers Home Administration or by the
Rural Development Administration” and inserting “Farm
Service Agency or by Rural Development”.
(6) Section 335(a) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1985(a)) is
amended by striking “Farmers Home Administration or the
Rural Development Administration” and inserting “Farm
Service Agency or Rural Development”.
(7) Section 335(f)(1) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1985(f)(1)) is
amended—
(A) by striking “Agricultural Stabilization and
Conservation Service payments” and inserting “Farm Service
Agency farm program”;
(B) by striking “Farmers Home Administration liens” and
inserting “liens for a farmer program loan”; and
(C) by striking “Farmers Home Administration farmer” and
inserting “Farm Service Agency farmer”.
(8) Section 338(a) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1988(a)) is
amended by striking “Farmers Home Administration or the
Rural Development Administration” and inserting “Farm
Service Agency and Rural Development”.
(9) Section 347 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1995) is amended by
striking “Farmers Home Administration” and inserting “Farm
Service Agency and Rural Development”.
(10) Section 356 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2004) is amended—
(A) by striking “Farmers Home Administration may” and
inserting “Farm Service Agency and Rural Development may”;
and
(B) by striking “the inventory of the Farmers Home
Administration” and inserting “inventory”.
(11) Section 370(a) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2008e(a)) is
amended by striking “the Rural Development Administration,
the Farmers Home Administration, the Rural Electrification
Administration” and inserting “Rural Development, the Farm
Service Agency, the Rural Utilities Service”.
(12) Each of the following provisions of such Act is
amended by striking “Farmers Home Administration” each
place it appears and inserting “Farm Service Agency”:
(A) Section 309(g)(1) (7 U.S.C. 1929(g)(1)).
(B) Section 331A(a) (7 U.S.C. 1981a(a)).
(C) Section 333A(e)(1) (7 U.S.C. 1983a(e)(1)).
(D) Section 335(d) (7 U.S.C. 1985(d)).
(E) Section 353A (7 U.S.C. 2001a).
(F) Section 349(e)(1)(B) (7 U.S.C. 1997(e)(1)(B)).
(G) Section 361 (7 U.S.C. 2006c).
(d) Section 335(c)(1) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1985(c)(1)) is
amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking “15” and inserting
“60”;
(2) in subparagraph (B)(i)—
(A) by striking “135” and inserting “180”; and
(B) by inserting “suitable for farming and ranching, as
determined by the Secretary” before the comma; and
(3) in subparagraph (C), by striking “not later than 135
days after acquiring the real property, the Secretary shall,
not later than 30 days after the 135-day period,” and
inserting “or if the property is not suitable for farming
and ranching as determined by the Secretary, not later than
60 days after the 180-day period, the Secretary shall”.
(e) Correction of Infeasible Inventory Property Disposition
Framework.—
(1) Section 331(b)(1) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1981(b)(1)) is
amended by striking “, and until January” and all that
follows through “fit)”.
(2) Section 335(f) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1985(f)) is
amended—
(A) by striking paragraphs (3) through (5) and
redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (3); and
(B) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following:
“(4) The Secretary shall issue regulations consistent with
this section that ensures the release of funds to each
borrower.”.
(f) Replacement of References to District Office With
References to District Director.—Section 333A(a)(2)(B) of
such Act (7 U.S.C. 1983a(a)(2)(B)) is amended by striking
“district office” each place it appears and inserting
“District Director”.
(g) Correction of Obsolete Reference to Former Trust
Territories.—Section 343(a)(6) of such Act (7 U.S.C.
1991(a)(6)) is amended by striking “the Trust Territory of
the Pacific Islands” and inserting “the Federated States of
Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the
Marshall Islands”.
(h) Revision of Farmer Program Loan Definition.—Section
343(a)(10) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(10)) is amended by
inserting “before June 18, 2008, conservation loan (CL)
under section 304 on or after June 18, 2008,” before
“emergency loan (EM)”.
(i) Elimination of Inconsistency Between Rules Applicable
to Beginning Farmers.—Section 343(a)(11)(C) of such Act (7
U.S.C. 1991(a)(11)(C)) is amended by striking “related to
one another by blood or marriage” and inserting “qualified
beginning farmers”.
(j) Updating of Provisions To Reflect Repurposing of
Conservation Loan Provisions.—
(1) Section 303(a) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1923(a)) is
amended in each of paragraphs (1)(D) and (2)(D) by striking
“described in section 304”.
(2) Section 310D of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1934) is amended by
striking “, or paragraphs (1) through (5) of section
304(a),” and inserting “section 304(a)”.
(k) Updating of Notice Provision Requirement and Lifetime
Debt Forgiveness Limit.—Section 353(i)(1) of such Act (7
U.S.C. 2001(i)(1)) is amended by striking “registered or
certified mail” and inserting “any method that provides
documentation of delivery”.
(l) Updating of Obsolete Reference to the Soil Conservation
Service.—Section 306(a)(13) of such Act (7 U.S.C.
1926(a)(13)) is amended by striking “Soil Conservation
Service” and inserting “Natural Resources Conservation
Service”.
(m) Clarification of Interest Rate Requirements.—
(1) Section 307(a)(3)(B) of such Act (7 U.S.C.
1927(a)(3)(B)) is amended by striking “not be—” and all
that follows and inserting “be equal to the interest rate
for direct farm ownership loans under this subtitle, not to
exceed 5 percent per year.”.
(2) Section 316(a)(2) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1946(a)(2)) is
amended by striking “not be—” and all that follows and
inserting “be equal to the interest rate for direct farm
ownership loans under this subtitle, not to exceed 5 percent
per year.”.
(n) Correction of Heading.—Section 309(h)(6) of such Act
(7 U.S.C. 1929(h)(6)) is amended in the paragraph heading by
striking “Beginning farmer loans” and inserting “Down
payment loan program participant”.
(o) Elimination of Superfluous Restrictions.—Section 312
of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1942) is amended by striking subsection
(d) and redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (d).
(p) Elimination of Confusing References to Loan
Guarantees.—Section 319 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1949) is
amended—
(1) in the section heading, by striking “or guarantees”;
and
(2) by striking “or with respect to whom there is an
outstanding guarantee under this subtitle”.
(q) Elimination of Obsolete Reporting Requirements.—
Section 346 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1994) is amended by
striking subsections (c) and (d).
(r) Correction of Obsolete Appeals Provisions.—
(1) Section 352(c)(3) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2000(c)(3)) is
amended by striking “section 333B” and inserting “subtitle
H of title II of Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department
of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994”.
(2) Section 353 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2001) is amended—
(A) in subsection (h), by striking “under section 333B”;
and
(B) in subsection (j)—
(i) by striking “filed with the appeals division under
section 333B” and inserting “to the National Appeals
Division”;
(ii) by striking “appeals division shall” and inserting
“Secretary shall”; and
(iii) by striking “county supervisor” and inserting
“Secretary”.
(s) Elimination of Unnecessary Constraint on Pilot
Projects.—Section 333D(a) of such
Act (7 U.S.C. 1983d(a)) is amended by striking “that are
consistent with subtitle A through this subtitle”.
(t) Correction of Heading.—The paragraph heading in
section 8.8(a)(3) of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C.
2279aa-8(a)(3)) is amended by striking “Mortgage loans” and
inserting “Loan quality”.
SEC. 5509. REPORT ON IMPROVING CREDITWORTHINESS OF DIRECT AND
GUARANTEED LOAN BORROWERS.
(a) In General.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate a report evaluating the feasibility of requiring the
adoption of certain risk management practices as a condition
for approving certain direct and guaranteed farm loans.
(b) Requirement.—In the report under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall evaluate the feasibility of requiring, as a
condition for approving certain direct and guaranteed farm
loans, the adoption of 1 or more of the following risk
management practices:
(1) Hedging and marketing price or revenue risk management
strategies.
(2) Insurance coverage optimization or coordination.
(3) Periodic financial reporting or financial management
practices.
(4) Cash management services to facilitate timely
disbursement of funds and structured collection of operating
revenues.
(5) The use of integrated monitoring and analytics tools to
align risk management and financial decisions with observed
environmental and production conditions.
(6) Other risk mitigation practices as determined by the
Secretary.
(7) Voluntary lender incentives to promote integrated risk
management support without increasing costs or burdens for
applicants.
(c) Certification.—In completing the report under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall also evaluate the
feasibility of establishing a certification program that
identifies loans approved contingent on the adoption of
enhanced risk management practices, including through
voluntary lender incentives to promote integrated risk
management support without increasing costs or burdens for
applicants.
(d) Applicability.—The requirements and evaluations under
this section shall apply only to operating, production, and
working capital loans made for agricultural production
purposes and shall not apply to real estate loans, rural
development loans, housing loans, business and industry
loans, or other non-operating credit programs administered by
the Secretary.
SEC. 5510. FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION OPTION TO EXAMINE LOW-
RISK FARM CREDIT SYSTEM INSTITUTIONS ON A 24-
MONTH CYCLE.
(a) In General.—Section 5.19(a) of the Farm Credit Act of
1971 (12 U.S.C. 2254(a)) is amended in the 1st sentence—
(1) by striking “in no event” and inserting “not”; and
(2) by inserting “, except that the Farm Credit
Administration, in its sole discretion, may extend the time
period between mandatory examinations of institutions deemed
by the Farm Credit Administration to be small, low-risk
institutions to not more than 24 months” before the period.
(b) Effective Date.—The amendments made by subsection (a)
shall take effect on October 1, 2026.
TITLE VI—RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Subtitle A—Improving Health Outcomes in Rural America
SEC. 6101. PRIORITIZATIONS FOR DISTANCE LEARNING AND
TELEMEDICINE AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES PROGRAM.
Section 6101(a) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
(132 Stat. 4726; Public Law 115-334) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)—
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
“2025” and inserting “2027”;
(B) in subparagraph (A)—
(i) in clause (i)—
(I) in the heading, by striking “Substance use disorder
set-aside” and inserting “Set-aside”;
(II) by inserting “at rural health facilities” before
“that provide”; and
(III) by inserting “, mental health, behavioral health, or
maternal health” before “treatment”; and
(ii) in clause (ii), by inserting “mental health,
behavioral health, maternal health, or” before
“substance”;
(C) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) in clause (i)—
(I) in the heading, by striking “Substance use disorder
selection” and inserting “Selection”;
(II) in subclause (I), by inserting “mental health,
behavioral health, maternal health, or” before “substance”
the first place it appears; and
(III) in subclause (II), by inserting “mental health
concerns, behavioral health concerns, maternal health
concerns, or” before “substance”; and
(ii) in clause (ii), by inserting “, behavioral health
treatment, mental health treatment, or maternal health,
respectively” before the period; and
(D) in subparagraph (C), by inserting “behavioral health,
mental health, maternal health, or” before “substance” the
first place it appears; and
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking “2025” and inserting
“2027”.
SEC. 6102. DISTANCE LEARNING AND TELEMEDICINE LOANS AND
GRANTS.
Section 2335A of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 950aaa-5) is amended by striking
“$82,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023”
and inserting “$82,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027
through 2031, to remain available for 2 fiscal years after
the fiscal year for which appropriated”.
Subtitle B—Connecting Rural Americans to High Speed Broadband
SEC. 6201. RURAL BROADBAND PROGRAM LOANS AND GRANTS.
(a) In General.—Section 601 of the Rural Electrification
Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb) is amended—
(1) in the section heading, by striking “access to
broadband telecommunications services in rural areas” and
inserting “reconnect rural broadband program”;
(2) in subsection (a), by striking “The purpose” and all
that follows through “provide funds for” and inserting
“The Secretary shall establish a program, which shall be
known as the `ReConnect Rural Broadband Program', to provide
grants, loans, and loan guarantees to finance”;
(3) in subsection (c)—
(A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall make grants, loans,
and loan guarantees to eligible entities described in
subsection (d) for the purpose of financing the construction,
improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment
necessary for delivering broadband service in rural areas.”;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B)
and inserting the following:
“(A) In general.—In making grants, making loans, and
guaranteeing loans under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall
give the highest priority to applications for projects to
provide broadband service to unserved rural communities that
do not have any residential broadband service of at least—
“(i) a 25-Mbps downstream transmission capacity; and
“(ii) a 3-Mbps upstream transmission capacity.
“(B) Other.—After giving priority to the applications
described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall then give
priority to applications—
“(i) for projects to provide broadband service to rural
communities—
“(I) with a population of less than 10,000 inhabitants; or
“(II) in geographically underserved and distressed areas,
including—
“(aa) a socially vulnerable community (as determined by
the Secretary);
“(bb) a persistent poverty county (as determined by the
Secretary); or
“(cc) in an economically distressed area (as determined by
the Secretary);
“(ii) that were developed with the participation of, and
will receive a substantial portion of the funding or in-kind
assistance for the project from, 2 or more stakeholders,
including—
“(I) State, local, and Tribal governments;
“(II) nonprofit institutions;
“(III) community anchor institutions, such as—
“(aa) public libraries;
“(bb) elementary schools and secondary schools (as defined
in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801));
“(cc) institutions of higher education (including 1862
Land-Grant Institutions, 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, 1994
Land-Grant Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and
Historically Black Colleges and Universities);
“(dd) health care facilities; and
“(ee) facilities essential for local or regional commerce
or for the movement of goods;
“(IV) private entities;
“(V) philanthropic organizations; and
“(VI) cooperatives; or
“(iii) that are submitted by an eligible entity or is
owned by an entity that has provided broadband service or
other utility service for at least 5 years in rural areas in
the State in which the project would be carried out.
“(C) Affordability.—In determining whether a household is
unserved for purposes of this section, the Secretary shall
consider the affordability of broadband service.”;
(C) in paragraph (3)—
(i) in subparagraph (B)—
(I) by striking “and” at the end of clause (i);
(II) by striking the period at the end of clause (ii) and
inserting “; and”; and
(III) by adding at the end the following:
“(iii) shall be subject to a grant agreement of not less
than 10 years.”;
(ii) by striking subparagraphs (C) and (D) and inserting
the following:
“(C) Applications.—
“(i) Grant-only applications.—The Secretary shall
establish an application process that permits an application
for a grant-only award.
“(ii) Combined applications.—The Secretary shall
establish an application process that—
“(I) permits a single application for a grant and a loan
under title I or II, or this title, that is associated with
the grant; and
“(II) provides a single decision to award the grant and
the loan.”;
(iii) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph
(D); and
(iv) by striking subparagraph (F); and
(D) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
“(4) Fees.—
“(A) Initial guarantee fee.—The Secretary may assess an
initial guarantee fee for any insured or guaranteed loan
issued or modified under this section in an amount that does
not exceed 3 percent of the guaranteed principal portion of
the loan.
“(B) Periodic retention fee.—The Secretary may assess a
periodic retention fee for any insured or guaranteed loan
issued or modified
under this section in an amount that does not exceed 0.75
percent of the outstanding principal of the guarantee loan.
“(C) Disclosure.—In altering any fee charged for any
insured or guaranteed loan issued or modified under this
section, the Secretary, not less than 30 days in advance of
any fee change, shall provide a public disclosure, of the
financial data, economic and behavioral assumptions,
calculations, and other factors used to determine the new fee
rates.”;
(4) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in subparagraph (A)—
(I) in clause (i), by adding “and” at the end; and
(II) by striking “require; and” and all that follows
through “agree” and insert “require, and agree”;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (E)
and inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
“(B) Inclusions.—An entity eligible to obtain assistance
under subsection (c) may include—
“(i) a State or local government, including any agency,
subdivision, instrumentality, or political subdivision of a
State or local government;
“(ii) a territory or possession of the United States;
“(iii) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25
U.S.C. 5304));
“(iv) a cooperative or mutual organization;
“(v) an organization of 2 or more incorporated areas that
have established an intermunicipal legal agreement for the
purposes of delivering communication services to residents;
“(vi) a corporation; or
“(vii) a limited liability company or limited liability
partnership.
“(C) Ineligible entities.—An individual or legal general
partnership that is formed with individuals shall not be
eligible to obtain a grant, loan, or grant and loan
combination under subsection (c).
“(D) Affiliated owned and operated networks.—Under this
subsection, the Secretary may fund the construction of
networks owned and operated by an affiliate of an eligible
entity receiving the grant, loan, or loan guarantee, if the
eligible entity, the affiliate, or both, as determined
necessary by the Secretary, furnishes adequate security for
the grant, loan, or loan guarantee.”; and
(iii) in subparagraph (E) (as so redesignated by clause
(ii) of this subparagraph), by inserting “, directly or in
conjunction with any combination of affiliates,” before
“may not”;
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) in subparagraph (A)—
(I) by striking “subparagraphs (B) and (C)” and inserting
“subparagraph (B)”;
(II) by striking “is submitted—” and all that follows
through “(i) not less than 50” and inserting “is submitted
not less than 75”; and
(III) by striking “(e); and” and all that follows and
inserting “(e).”;
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking “(A)(i)” and
inserting “(A)”; and
(iii) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the
following:
“(C) Affordability.—In deciding whether a proposed
service territory is unserved for purposes of subparagraph
(A), the Secretary shall consider the affordability of
broadband service in the service territory.”; and
(C) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5);
(5) in subsection (e)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) by striking “Subject to paragraph (2), for” and
inserting “For”;
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking “25” and inserting
“50”; and
(iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking “3” and inserting
“25”;
(B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
“(2) Adjustments.—The Secretary may adjust, through a 30-
day public notice and comment period published in the Federal
Register, an increase in the minimum level of broadband
service under paragraph (1) of no more than 50 percent from
the preceding year, if less than 95 percent of the funds of
the program are obligated in the preceding 2 funding
rounds.”; and
(C) in paragraph (4)—
(i) in the paragraph heading, by striking “buildout” and
inserting “project agreement”; and
(ii) by striking subparagraphs (B) through (D) and
inserting the following:
“(B) Broadband buildout standards defined.—A project must
meet the following applicable broadband standard in order to
be considered for assistance;
“(i) A project with an award term of less than 8 years
must provide service at 2 times the minimum broadband speed
established in subsection (e)(1).
“(ii) A project with an award term of at least 8 years and
less than 14 years must provide service at 5 times the
minimum broadband speed established in subsection (e)(1).
“(iii) A project with an award term of 14 or more years
must provide service at 10 times the minimum broadband speed
established in subsection (e)(1).
“(C) Network upgrade planning.—The Secretary may
prioritize an applicant seeking to meet the broadband
buildout standards under clause (i) or (ii) of subparagraph
(B) if the applicant submits information regarding the
potential for the physical infrastructure of the network to
be upgraded to meet the broadband buildout standards under
subparagraph (B)(iii) at the time of the application,
assuming reasonable progress in relevant networking
technologies.”;
(6) by striking subsection (j) and inserting the following:
“(j) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section
$350,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031, to
remain available until expended.”; and
(7) in subsection (k), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
(b) Regulations.—Not later than 270 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate
rules to carry out the amendments made by subsection (a) of
this section, and complete the biennial review process
required by section 601(e)(2) of the Rural Electrification
Act of 1936.
(c) Sunset.—The authorities provided by section 779 of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141)
shall have no force or effect beginning 270 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
(d) Transition Rules.—
(1) Availability of funds for administrative costs.—Not
more than 1 percent of the unobligated balances of amounts
made available, as of the date that is 270 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, to carry out the pilot
program described in section 779 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141) may be used for
the costs of transitioning from the pilot program to the
program under section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of
1936, as amended by this Act.
(2) Consolidation of funds.—
(A) In general.—The unobligated balances of all amounts
made available on or before June 30, 2025, to carry out the
pilot program described in section 779 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141) that are in
excess of the amount described in subparagraph (B) of this
paragraph are hereby transferred to and merged with amounts
made available to carry out the program authorized under
section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936.
(B) Unfunded approvals.—The amount described in this
subparagraph is the amount required to fully fund each
project approved as of the date that is 270 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, under the pilot program
described in such section 779 for which amounts were not
obligated or partially obligated as of such date.
SEC. 6202. EXPANSION OF MIDDLE MILE INFRASTRUCTURE INTO RURAL
AREAS.
Section 602(g) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7
U.S.C. 950bb-1(g)) is amended by striking “2018 through
2023” and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6203. INNOVATIVE BROADBAND ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM.
Section 603 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7
U.S.C. 950bb-2) is amended to read as follows:
“SEC. 603. INNOVATIVE BROADBAND ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM.
“(a) In General.—The Secretary shall establish a program
to be known as the `Innovative Broadband Advancement
Program', under which the Secretary may provide a grant, a
loan, or both to an eligible entity for the purpose of
demonstrating innovative broadband technologies or methods of
broadband deployment that significantly decrease the cost of
broadband deployment, and provide substantially faster
broadband speeds than are available, in a rural area.
“(b) Terrestrial Broadband Demonstration Projects.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall provide grants or
loans to eligible entities for the purpose of deploying
innovative broadband technologies to qualified consumers who
subscribe to terrestrial broadband service in rural areas.
“(2) Eligibility.—To be eligible to obtain assistance
under this subsection for a project, an entity shall—
“(A) submit to the Secretary an application—
“(i) that describes a terrestrial broadband demonstration
project designed to decrease the cost of broadband
deployment, and substantially increase broadband speed to not
less than the maximum broadband project agreement
requirements established under section 601(e)(4), to
qualified consumers in a rural area to be served by the
project; and
“(ii) at such time, in such manner, and containing such
other information as the Secretary may require;
“(B) demonstrate that the entity is able to carry out the
project; and
“(C) agree to complete the project build-out within 5
years after the date the assistance is first provided for the
project.
“(3) Prioritization.—In awarding assistance under this
subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to proposals
for projects that—
“(A) involve partnerships between or among multiple
entities;
“(B) would provide broadband service to the greatest
number of rural entities at or above the broadband
requirements referred to in paragraph (2)(A)(i);
“(C) the Secretary determines could be replicated in rural
areas described in paragraph (2); and
“(D) are located in States and territories selected by the
Secretary to be diverse on the basis of geography,
topography, and demographics.
“(4) Qualified consumer.—In this subsection, the term
`qualified consumer' means—
“(A) an individual or member of a household who lives in a
rural area;
“(B) a rural small business; or
“(C) an essential community facility, as defined pursuant
to section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)).
“(5) Rural area.—In this subsection, the term `rural
area' has the meaning provided in section 601(b)(3).
“(c) Satellite Broadband Demonstration Projects.—
“(1) Purpose.—The purpose of this subsection is to reduce
or eliminate the costs to access satellite broadband service
for remote subscribers.
“(2) Definitions.—In this subsection:
“(A) Eligible entity.—The term `eligible entity' means a
broadband service provider that provides Internet access
directly to qualified consumers in remote areas via satellite
technology.
“(B) Qualified consumer.—The term `qualified consumer'
means a consumer served by an eligible entity that receives a
grant under paragraph (3), who is—
“(i) an individual or a member of a household at or below
the poverty line (as defined in section 673(2) of the Omnibus
Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, including any revision
required by such section, applicable to a family of the size
involved); or
“(ii) an essential community facility, as defined pursuant
to section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)).
“(C) Satellite broadband equipment.—The term `satellite
broadband equipment' means user terminals, Wi-Fi routers,
power supplies, mounts, and any other equipment necessary to
connect a qualified consumer to satellite broadband service.
“(D) Secretary.—The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Agriculture, acting through the Administrator of the Rural
Utilities Service.
“(E) Remote.—The term `remote' means a region classified
within level 3 or level 4 of the frontier and remote ZIP Code
areas published by the Economic Research Service of the
Department of Agriculture.
“(3) Grants to eligible entities.—
“(A) In general.—Subject to paragraph (B), the Secretary
shall make grants to eligible entities for the purpose of
reducing or eliminating the cost associated with the purchase
or installation, or both, of satellite broadband equipment to
qualified consumers to subscribe to satellite broadband
service in remote areas.
“(B) Requirements.—As a condition of receiving a grant
under this subsection, an eligible entity shall—
“(i) provide retail broadband service delivered via
satellite technology to qualified consumers, that—
“(I) enables a qualified consumer to the service to
originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics,
video; and
“(II) has a latency which does not exceed 250
milliseconds;
“(ii) submit to the Secretary an application at such time,
in such manner, and containing such other information as the
Secretary may require;
“(iii) agree to reduce or eliminate the cost associated
with the purchase, installation, or both, of satellite
broadband equipment for qualified consumers; and
“(iv) agree to provide qualified consumers with the
reduction or elimination of that cost within 1 year of the
assistance being obligated to the eligible entity.
“(C) Eligibility map of qualified consumers.—Within 1
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and
annually thereafter, the Secretary shall publish a map of the
remote areas of qualified consumers that do not have access
to terrestrial broadband service of at least—
“(i) a 25-Mbps downstream transmission capacity; and
“(ii) a 3-Mbps upstream transmission capacity.
“(d) Report.—Within 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the
Secretary shall submit a comprehensive report to the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate that shall provide the outcomes, effectiveness, and
impact of the Innovative Broadband Advancement Program,
including—
“(1) an assessment of the broadband infrastructure funded,
including the scope, scale, nature and geographic locations
of each award;
“(2) the broadband access and speeds achieved, including
the download and upload speeds, latency, and overall network
reliability;
“(3) any technical or logistical challenges encountered by
the eligible entities; and
“(4) any recommendations for future innovative broadband
deployment initiatives in rural areas.
“(e) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.”.
SEC. 6204. COMMUNITY CONNECT GRANTS.
Section 604 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7
U.S.C. 950bb-3) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(2)—
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “10” and inserting
“25”; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking “1” and inserting
“3”;
(2) in subsection (c)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “and” at the end;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and
inserting “; and”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) provides broadband speeds not less than the broadband
project agreement requirements established under section
601(e)(4)(B)(ii) to the eligible entity within the proposed
eligible service area.”; and
(3) in subsection (g), by striking “2019 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6205. RATE REGULATION.
Title VI of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C.
950bb-5) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 607. RATE REGULATION.
“Nothing in this title authorizes the Secretary to
regulate rates charged for broadband service.”.
SEC. 6206. PUBLIC NOTICE, ASSESSMENTS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE,
AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
Section 701 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7
U.S.C. 950cc) is amended—
(1) in the section heading, by inserting “technical
assistance,” before “and”;
(2) in subsection (a)(1)(B)(i), by inserting “, including
a complete shapefile map” before the semicolon;
(3) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking “and” at the end;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C)
and inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
“(B) validate the information submitted by service
providers under subparagraph (A) through procedures
established by the Secretary, which shall include an agency
determination provided to the submitter, an opportunity of
the submitter to respond, and a final non-appealable
determination of the Secretary; and”; and
(iii) in subparagraph (C) (as so redesignated by clause
(ii) of this subparagraph), by striking “paragraph (1)” and
inserting “subparagraph (A)”; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking all that precedes
subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:
“(2) Assessment of eligibility.—In making any
determination to award a loan, loan guarantee, or grant for
any retail broadband project provided assistance or for which
assistance is sought that is administered by the Secretary,
the Secretary shall confirm that each unserved rural
community identified in the application is eligible for
funding by—
“(A) utilizing the map created by the Federal
Communications Commission under section 802(c)(1)(A) of the
Communications Act of 1934 and the Deployment Locations Map
established under section 60104(b) of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (47 U.S.C. 1704(b));”; and
(4) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:
“(e) Broadband Technical Assistance Program.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall make grants to
private, nonprofit, or public organizations to provide or
receive eligible entities broadband technical assistance and
training to expand access to broadband service in rural
communities through the broadband programs of the Department
of Agriculture including—
“(A) preparing applications for grants, loans and loan
guarantees under this section;
“(B) identifying resources to finance broadband facilities
from public and private sources, including other Federal
agencies;
“(C) preparing feasibility studies, financial forecasts,
market surveys, environmental studies, and technical design
information to support broadband services;
“(D) preparing reports and surveys necessary to support
the need for broadband services, the price range, and request
financial assistance;
“(E) analyzing and improving operations related to the
management, including financial management, of broadband
facilities and to the efficiency of the entity;
“(F) collecting broadband infrastructure data; or
“(G) assisting with other areas of need identified by the
Secretary.
“(2) Eligible entities.—To be eligible to obtain
assistance under this subsection, an entity shall be—
“(A) a federally recognized Tribe or Tribal entity;
“(B) a State or local government, including any agency,
subdivision, instrumentality, or political subdivision
thereof;
“(C) a territory or possession of the United States;
“(D) an institution of higher education (including a 1862
Land-Grant Institution, 1890 Land-Grant Institution, 1994
Land-Grant Institution, Hispanic-Serving Institution, or
Historically Black College or University);
“(E) a nonprofit organization described in section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
“(F) a cooperative or mutual organization;
“(G) a corporation; or
“(H) a limited liability company or limited liability
partnership.
“(3) Selection priority.—In selecting recipients of
grants under this paragraph, the Secretary shall give
priority to organizations that have experience in providing
technical assistance and training to rural entities.
“(4) National applications.—The Secretary shall allow
applications for grants under this paragraph from qualified
organizations for the sole purpose of providing on-site
community technical assistance and training on a national or
multi-State regional basis.
“(f) Assistance for Community Broadband Mapping.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary may make grants to
eligible entities for the purpose of collecting broadband
service data to assist the Secretary in—
“(A) establishing the availability of broadband service or
middle mile infrastructure in a rural area;
“(B) determining the eligibility of a community for
assistance under any broadband program administered by the
Secretary;
“(C) undertaking a service area assessment under this
section; or
“(D) collecting information to submit a challenge to the
National Broadband Map created by the Federal Communications
Commission pursuant to section 802(c)(1) of the
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 642(c)(1)).
“(2) Application.—To apply for a grant under this
section, an entity shall submit an application which
identifies—
“(A) the data collection area;
“(B) the purpose of the data collection;
“(C) the types of broadband service data to be collected;
“(D) the survey and data collection methods utilized; and
“(E) any other information the Secretary determines
necessary to promote the integrity of broadband service
collected under this section.
“(3) Limitation of grant amount.—The amount of a grant
made available under this subsection shall not exceed
$50,000.
“(4) Broadband service data usage.—The Secretary shall
ensure that any broadband service data collected under this
section is—
“(A) measured or assessed in accordance with such
standards as are established by the Federal Communications
Commission pursuant to section 802(a)(1)(A) of the
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 642(a)(1)(A));
“(B) accurate and verifiable in accordance with such
standards as are established by the Federal Communications
Commission pursuant to section 802(a)(1)(A) of the
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 642(a)(1)(A));
“(C) included in any broadband maps or data sets
maintained by the Secretary; and
“(D) made available to the Chair of the Federal
Communications Commission and the Administrator of the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
for inclusion in any broadband maps or data sets either may
maintain.
“(5) Definitions.—In this subsection:
“(A) Broadband service.—The term `broadband service' has
the same meaning given the term in section 601.
“(B) Broadband service data.—
“(i) In general.—The term `broadband service data' means
information related to—
“(I) the location and type of broadband service;
“(II) the location and type of broadband infrastructure;
“(III) the advertised, maximum, and average speed of
broadband service;
“(IV) the average price of the most subscribed tier of
broadband service;
“(V) the speed tiers of broadband service available in the
area; or
“(VI) any additional metric the Secretary deems
appropriate.
“(ii) Further definition.—The Secretary shall further
define the term `broadband service area' to ensure that data
is measured and collected in a manner consistent with the
reporting requirements under this section, and any broadband
coordination or data-sharing obligations.
“(C) Eligible entity.—The term `eligible entity' means—
“(i) a unit of local government in a rural area;
“(ii) a Tribal Government or unit of Tribal Government;
“(iii) an economic development or other community
organization;
“(iv) an eligible entity under title I or II that serves
persons in rural areas;
“(v) an internet service provider that has not more than
100,000 subscribers; or
“(vi) any other entity eligible under a title VI program
that is not an internet service provider.
“(D) Middle mile infrastructure.—The term `middle mile
infrastructure' has the meaning given the term in section
“(E) Rural area.—The term `rural area' has the meaning
given the term in section 601.
“(6) Limitation on amount made available for grants.—The
Secretary may not expend more than 1 percent of the amounts
made available under subsection (g) for each of fiscal years
2027 through 2031 to carry out this subsection.
“(g) Limitations on Reservation of Funds.—Not less than 3
but not more than 5 percent of the amounts appropriated to
the program to carry out title VI shall be set aside to be
used for—
“(1) conducting oversight under such title;
“(2) implementing accountability measures and related
activities authorized under such title; or
“(3) carrying out this section.”.
SEC. 6207. LIMITATION ON OVERBUILDING.
Title VI of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C.
950bb et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 608. LIMITATION ON OVERBUILDING.
“Any area in a proposed service area under this title
shall not be considered unserved if an applicant in another
Federal or State broadband program has received an obligation
of funding to offer retail broadband service in the area not
more than 5 years from the date of the obligation of funds,
at a speed of at least 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps
upload.”.
Subtitle C—Miscellaneous
SEC. 6301. RURAL ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM.
Section 6407 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107a) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting “, if the entity
continues to serve rural areas (as defined in section
343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A))” before the semicolon;
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking “or” at the end;
and
(iii) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (E)
and inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
“(C) any Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25
U.S.C. 5304));
“(D) any public, quasi-public, or nonprofit entity that
uses innovative financing techniques and market development
tools to accelerate the deployment of energy efficiency
technology; or”;
(B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
“(2) Energy efficiency measures.—The term `energy
efficiency measures' means, with respect to any property
service by an eligible entity—
“(A) a structural improvement or investment in a cost-
effective, commercial technology to increase energy
efficiency (including cost-effective on- or off-grid
renewable energy or energy storage system); and
“(B) the replacement of a manufactured housing unit or
large appliance with a substantially similar manufacturing
housing unit or appliance, respectively, if that replacement
is a cost-effective option with respect to energy savings.”;
(2) in subsection (c)—
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting “and Grants”
before “to”;
(B) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
“(1) In general.—Subject to this subsection, the
Secretary shall provide—
“(A) loans to eligible entities that agree to use the loan
funds to make loans under subsection (d) to qualified
consumers for the purpose of implementing energy efficiency
measures; and
“(B) at the election of any eligible entity that receives
a loan under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, a grant in
accordance with paragraph (11).”;
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (9) as
paragraphs (3) through (10), respectively, and inserting
after paragraph (1) the following:
“(2) Prioritization.—The Secretary shall give priority to
applications from eligible entities serving at least 80
percent of their ratepayers residing in rural areas, as
defined in section 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).”;
(D) in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated by subparagraph
(C) of this paragraph)—
(i) in the paragraph heading, by inserting “for loans”
before the period; and
(ii) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking “that is”;
(E) by striking paragraph (6) (as so redesignated by
subparagraph (C) of this paragraph) and inserting the
following:
“(6) Repayment.—
“(A) In general.—Subject to subparagraph (B) of this
paragraph, with respect to a loan under paragraph (1)(A)—
“(i) the term shall not exceed 20 years from the date on
which the loan is closed; and
“(ii) except as provided in paragraph (8), the repayment
of each advance shall be amortized for a period not to exceed
10 years.
“(B) Extensions.—The Secretary may extend the term of a
loan under subparagraph (A)(i), or the deadline for repayment
of an advance under subparagraph (A)(ii), as the Secretary
determines appropriate.”;
(F) in paragraph (8) (as so redesignated by subparagraph
(C) of this paragraph)—
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking “(1)” and inserting
“(1)(A)”; and
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking “Repayment” and
inserting “Subject to an applicable extension under
paragraph (6)(B), repayment”;
(G) by striking paragraph (9) (as so redesignated by
subparagraph (C) of this paragraph) and inserting the
following:
“(9) Limitations.—
“(A) Special advances.—All special advances shall be made
under a loan described in paragraph (1) during the first 10
years of the term of the loan.
“(B) Replacement of manufactured housing units or large
appliances.—Not more than 10 percent of the total annual
amount of budget authority for loans described in paragraph
(1) may be used for the replacement of manufactured housing
units or large appliances.”; and
(H) by adding at the end the following:
“(11) Grants.—
“(A) In general.—At the election of an eligible entity
that receives a loan under this subsection, the Secretary may
provide to the eligible entity a grant to pay for a portion
of the costs incurred in—
“(i) making repairs to the property of a qualified
consumer that facilitates the energy efficiency measures for
the property financed through a loan provided to the
qualified consumer under subsection (d); or
“(ii) providing technical assistance, outreach, and
training.
“(B) Amount.—
“(i) In general.—Except as provided in clause (ii), the
amount of a grant provided to an eligible entity under this
paragraph shall be equal to not more than 5 percent of the
amount of the loan provided to the eligible entity under this
subsection.
“(ii) Persistent poverty counties.—The amount of a grant
provided under this paragraph to an eligible entity that will
use the grant to make loans under subsection (d) to qualified
consumers located in a persistent poverty county (as
determined by the Secretary) shall be equal to 10 percent of
the amount of the loan provided to the eligible entity under
this subsection.”;
(3) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting
“or grant” before “funds”; and
(ii) by striking subparagraphs (B) and (C) and inserting
the following:
“(B)(i) may have a term and amortization schedule the
length of which is the useful life of the energy efficiency
measures implemented using the loan, if the loan term does
not exceed 20 years; and
“(ii) shall finance energy efficiency measures for the
purpose of decreasing energy usage or costs of the qualified
consumer by an amount that ensures, to the maximum extent
practicable, that the applicable loan term described in
clause (i) will not pose an undue financial burden on the
qualified consumer, as determined by the eligible entity;
“(C) shall not be used to fund purchases of, or
modifications to, personal property unless the personal
property—
“(i) is a manufactured housing unit or large appliance
described in subsection (b)(2)(B); or
“(ii) is or becomes attached to real property as a
fixture;”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Clarification of eligibility.—Notwithstanding any
other provision of law (including regulations), an eligible
entity may make a loan under this subsection to any qualified
consumer located within the service territory of the eligible
entity, regardless of whether the qualified consumer is
located in a rural area.”;
(4) in subsection (e)—
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting “Outreach,”
before “and Technical Assistance”;
(B) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking “and technical
assistance of the program” and inserting “outreach, and
technical assistance relating to the program under this
section”; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by inserting “, outreach,”
before “and training”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Funding.—Not less than 3 but not more than 5 percent
of amounts appropriated under subsection (i) may be used to
provide outreach, training, and technical assistance under
this subsection.”; and
(5) in subsection (i), by striking “2014 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6302. PROMOTING PRECISION AGRICULTURE.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Advanced wireless communications technology.—The term
“advanced wireless communications technology” means
advanced technology that contributes to mobile (5G or beyond)
networks, next-generation Wi-Fi networks, or other future
networks using other technologies, regardless of whether the
network is operating on an exclusive licensed, shared
licensed, or unlicensed frequency band.
(2) Artificial intelligence.—The term “artificial
intelligence” has the meaning given the term in section
238(g) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115-232; 10 U.S.C. note
prec. 4061).
(3) Foreign adversary.—The term “foreign adversary”
means any foreign government or foreign nongovernment person
engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of
conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the
United States, or security and safety of United States
persons.
(4) Precision agriculture; precision agriculture
technology.—The terms “precision agriculture” and
“precision agriculture technology” have the meanings given
the terms in section 1201 of the Food Security Act of 1985.
(5) Trusted.—The term “trusted” means, with respect to a
provider of advanced communications service or a supplier of
communications equipment or service, that the Secretary has
determined that the provider or supplier is not owned by,
controlled by, or subject to the influence of, a foreign
adversary.
(6) Voluntary consensus standards development
organization.—The term “voluntary consensus standards
development organization” means an organization that
develops standards in a process that meets the principles for
the development of voluntary consensus standards (as defined
in the document of the Office of Management and Budget
entitled “Federal Participation in the Development and Use
of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment
Activities” (OMB Circular A-119)).
(b) Purposes.—The purposes of this section are—
(1) to enhance the participation of precision agriculture
in the United States; and
(2) to promote United States leadership in voluntary
consensus standards development organizations that set
standards for precision agriculture.
(c) Interconnectivity Standards for Precision
Agriculture.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with
the Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology and the Federal Communications Commission, shall—
(A) develop voluntary, consensus-based, private sector-led
interconnectivity standards, guidelines, and best practices
for precision agriculture that will promote economies of
scale and ease the burden of the adoption of precision
agriculture; and
(B) in carrying out subparagraph (A)—
(i) coordinate with relevant public and trusted private
sector stakeholders and other relevant industry
organizations, including voluntary consensus standards
development organizations; and
(ii) consult with sector-specific agencies, other
appropriate agencies, and State and local governments.
(2) Considerations.—The Secretary, in carrying out
paragraph (1), shall, in consultation with the Federal
Communications Commission and the Director of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, consider—
(A) the evolving demands of precision agriculture;
(B) the connectivity needs of precision agriculture
technology;
(C) the cybersecurity challenges facing precision
agriculture, including cybersecurity threats for agriculture
producers and agriculture supply chains;
(D) the impact of advanced wireless communications
technology on precision agriculture; and
(E) the impact of artificial intelligence on precision
agriculture.
(d) GAO Assessment of Precision Agriculture Standards.—
(1) Study.—Not later than 1 year after the Secretary
develops standards under subsection (c), and every 2 years
thereafter for the following 8 years, the Comptroller General
of the United States shall conduct a study that assesses
those standards, including the extent to which those
standards, as applicable—
(A) are voluntary;
(B) were developed in coordination with relevant industry
organizations, including voluntary consensus standards
development organizations; and
(C) have successfully encouraged the adoption of precision
agriculture.
(2) Report.—The Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate a report that summarizes the findings of each study
conducted under paragraph (1).
SEC. 6303. FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN GUARANTEED LOANS.
Section 310B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 1932) is amended by inserting after subsection
(e) the following:
“(f) Food Supply Chain Capacity and Resilience Guaranteed
Loans.—
“(1) Definition of food supply chain guaranteed loan.—In
this subsection, the term `food supply chain guaranteed loan'
means a business and industry guaranteed loan that is made or
guaranteed by the Secretary under subsection (a)(2)(A),
including a guarantee described in subsection (a)(3).
“(2) Purpose.—A food supply chain guaranteed loan may be
made for the purpose of financing new investments in the
start-up or expansion of projects in the United States that
will increase the capacity of the food supply chain in the
United States to aggregate, process, manufacture, store,
transport, wholesale, or distribute food, agricultural
products, or agricultural inputs.
“(3) Limitations.—The maximum amount of a food supply
chain guaranteed loan shall not exceed $40,000,000.
“(4) Loan guarantees in nonrural areas.—The Secretary may
guarantee a food supply chain guaranteed loan to an eligible
entity for a facility that is not located in a rural area
if—
“(A) the primary purpose of the loan guarantee is for a
facility to aggregate, process, manufacture, store,
transport, wholesale, or distribute food agricultural
products, or agricultural inputs for agricultural producers
or processors that are located within 80 miles of the
facility;
“(B) the applicant demonstrates to the Secretary that the
primary benefit of the loan guarantee will be to provide
employment for residents of a rural area; and
“(C) the total principal amount of food supply chain
guaranteed loans guaranteed for a fiscal year under this
paragraph does not exceed 10 percent of the total principal
amount of food supply chain guaranteed loans made for the
fiscal year under subsection (a)(2)(A).
“(5) Quarterly reports to congress.—Within 30 days after
the end of each calendar quarter, the Secretary shall submit
to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate a report that contains—
“(A) an evaluation of the outcomes achieved through use of
the assistance, and the ability of the recipient of the
assistance to meet performance goals;
“(B) a description of any debt recovery made with respect
to a loan guaranteed under this subsection, and agency
projections for activities for which the assistance is
provided; and
“(C) any recommendations of the Secretary regarding the
implementation of this subsection.
“(6) Reservation of funds.—
“(A) In general.—For each of fiscal years 2025 through
2029, the Secretary shall reserve not more than 5 percent of
the funds made available to carry out subsection (a) to carry
out this subsection.
“(B) Availability of funds.—Funds reserved under
subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year shall be reserved until
April 1 of the fiscal year.”.
SEC. 6304. NEW, MOBILE, AND EXPANDED MEAT PROCESSING AND
RENDERING GRANTS.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Eligible entity.—The term “eligible entity” means—
(A) a public, private, or cooperative organization
organized on a for-profit or nonprofit basis, including a
small establishment and very small establishment;
(B) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
5304));
(C) a land-grant college or university (as defined in
section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103));
(D) a non-land-grant college of agriculture (as defined in
that section); and
(E) a State department of agriculture or other applicable
State office with authority over meat and poultry processing
and rendering.
(2) Small establishment; very small establishment.—The
terms “small establishment” and “very small
establishment” have the meanings given the terms “smaller
establishment” and “very small establishment”,
respectively, in the final rule entitled “Pathogen
Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)
Systems” (61 Fed. Reg. 38806 (July 25, 1996)) (or successor
regulations).
(b) Purposes.—The purposes of this section are—
(1) to create more resilient local and regional food
systems;
(2) to expand, diversify, and increase resilience in meat
and poultry processing and rendering activities;
(3) to increase farmer and rancher access to animal
slaughter options;
(4) to improve compliance of processors with livestock and
poultry processing statutes (including regulations),
including the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et
seq.) and the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451
et seq.);
(5) to reduce barriers to entry for new meat and poultry
processors and renderers;
(6) to establish new, or update, expand, or otherwise
improve existing, meat and poultry processing and rendering
facilities; and
(7) to support the processing and slaughtering of niche
production methods such as halal, kosher, and other specific
cultural methods.
(c) Grants.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary shall award grants to
eligible entities to use in accordance with subsection (d).
(2) Maximum amount.—The maximum amount of a grant awarded
under paragraph (1) shall not exceed $500,000.
(3) Duration.—The term of a grant awarded under paragraph
(1) shall not exceed 3 years.
(4) Priority.—In awarding grants under paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall give priority to small establishments and
very small establishments.
(d) Use of Funds.—An eligible entity receiving a grant
under this section shall use the grant to carry out
activities in support of the purposes described in subsection
(b), including activities—
(1) to identify and analyze business opportunities,
including feasibility studies required for credit worthiness;
(2) to achieve compliance with applicable Federal, State,
or local regulations;
(3) to conduct regional, community, and local economic
development planning and coordination and leadership
development;
(4) to incentivize new, innovative, or mobile enterprises
for increasing or improving local and regional meat or
poultry processing and rendering;
(5) to implement humane handling infrastructure, including
holding space for livestock prior to slaughter, shade
structures, and structures and equipment for humane
slaughter;
(6) to develop a feasibility study or business plan for, or
carry out any other activity associated with, establishing or
expanding a small meat or poultry slaughter, processing, or
rendering facility;
(7) to purchase equipment that enables the further use or
value-added sale of coproducts or byproducts; and
(8) to purchase cold storage and related equipment.
(e) Federal Share.—The Federal share of the activities
carried out using a grant awarded under this section shall
not exceed—
(1) 90 percent in the case of a grant in the amount of
$100,000 or less; or
(2) 75 percent in the case of a grant in an amount greater
than $100,000.
(f) Quarterly Reports to Congress.—Within 30 days after
the end of each calendar quarter, the Secretary shall submit
to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate a report that contains—
(1) an evaluation of the outcomes achieved through use of
the grant, and the ability of the grantee to meet performance
goals;
(2) an evaluation of the compliance of the grantee with the
terms and conditions of the grant;
(3) a determination as to whether the grant recipient
maintains adequate financial capacity to carry out the
activities for which the grant is provided; and
(4) any recommendations of the Secretary regarding the
implementation of this section.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section
$3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
SEC. 6305. EXPANDING CHILDCARE IN RURAL AMERICA INITIATIVE.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Childcare.—
(A) In general.—The term “childcare” means any program
that—
(i) provides quality care and early education for children
who have not yet entered first grade; and
(ii) is operated by—
(I) an eligible childcare provider described in section
658P(6)(A) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858n(6)(A)); or
(II) a childcare provider that, on the date of enactment of
this Act—
(aa) is licensed, regulated, or registered in the State,
territory, or Indian Tribe in which the provider is located;
and
(bb) meets applicable State, Tribal, territorial, and local
health and safety requirements.
(B) Inclusions.—The term “childcare” includes—
(i) a school-based program described in subparagraph (A);
(ii) a program described in subparagraph (A) that is a Head
Start program, including a migrant and seasonal Head Start
program, or an American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start
program carried out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831
et seq.);
(iii) a facility used for a program described in
subparagraph (A); and
(iv) a service provided under a program described in
subparagraph (A).
(2) Initiative.—The term “Initiative” means the
Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative established
under subsection (b).
(3) Rural area.—The term “rural area” has the meaning
given the term in section 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act.
(b) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish an
initiative, to be known as the “Expanding Childcare in Rural
America Initiative”, under which the Secretary shall
provide, for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2029, priority
in accordance with subsection (c) to address the
availability, quality, and cost of childcare in rural areas.
(c) Childcare Priorities.—
(1) In general.—Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, in selecting recipients of loans and grants under a
program described in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall give
priority to any qualified applicant that proposes to use the
loan or grant to address the availability, quality, or cost
of childcare.
(2) Description of programs.—The programs referred to in
paragraph (1) are the following:
(A) The essential community facilities loan and grant
programs authorized under section 306(a) of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)).
(B) The business and industry direct and guaranteed loan
program authorized under section 310B(g) of that Act (7
U.S.C. 1932(g)).
(C) The rural microentrepreneur assistance program
authorized under section 379E of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2008s).
(D) The intermediary relending program authorized under the
Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1936b).
(d) Requirements.—In providing funding in accordance with
the Initiative, the Secretary shall ensure a balanced
geographical distribution of the benefits under the
Initiative.
(e) Evaluation; Report.—
(1) Evaluation.—Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a
comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the
projects carried out using assistance provided under the
Initiative, including—
(A) a description of—
(i) the types of projects carried out;
(ii) the communities in which the projects are carried out;
(iii) the organizations and entities participating in the
projects; and
(iv) the types of partnerships developed to carry out the
projects; and
(B) the economic and social impacts of the investments in
the projects.
(2) Report.—Not later than 4 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives a report describing the evaluation conducted
under paragraph (1), including a thorough analysis of the
outcomes of the evaluation.
SEC. 6306. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR GEOGRAPHICALLY
UNDERSERVED AND DISTRESSED AREAS.
(a) In General.—Within 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall directly, or
through cooperative agreements, provide technical assistance
and strengthen local capacity to improve access to rural
development programs administered by the Secretary for local
partners (including local governments, cooperatives,
businesses, and community anchor institutions) in
geographically underserved and distressed areas.
(b) Reports.—Beginning 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall annually
publish, make available to the public, and submit to the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate a report on how the provision of technical assistance
under subsection (a) has affected geographically underserved
and distressed areas in the year covered by the report.
(c) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Geographically underserved and distressed area.—The
term “geographically underserved and distressed area” means
a rural area (as defined in section 343(a)(13)(A) of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.
1991(a)(13)(A)))—
(A) in a socially vulnerable community (as determined by
the Secretary);
(B) in a persistent poverty county (as determined by the
Secretary);
(C) in an economically distressed area (as determined by
the Secretary); or
(D) in a colonia.
(2) Community anchor institution.—The term “community
anchor institution” means—
(A) a public library;
(B) an elementary or secondary school;
(C) an institution of higher education;
(D) a health care facility; or
(E) any other nonprofit or governmental community support
organization.
SEC. 6307. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION
CENTER.
Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 1981 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
“SEC. 379J. RURAL DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION CENTER.
“(a) Definition of Rural Development Mission Areas.—In
this section, the term `Rural Development Mission Areas'
means the agencies under the Rural Development Agency at the
Department of Agriculture, including the Rural Utilities
Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and the Rural
Housing Service.
“(b) Establishment.—There is hereby established within
the Rural Development Mission Areas a Rural Development
Innovation Center (the `Innovation Center') to promote and
facilitate innovation in the administration and
implementation of rural development programs and initiatives.
“(c) Functions.—The Innovation Center shall—
“(1) review all processes for Rural Development Mission
Area programs to identify inefficiencies, redundancies, and
barriers to access, including—
“(A) unnecessary delays in loan and grant applications
processing and approvals;
“(B) high application costs; and
“(C) deficiencies in technical assistance for programs;
“(2) establish and maintain an ongoing public process for
public and private stakeholders to provide perspectives on
the challenges faced when applying for, utilizing, or
participating in Rural Development Mission Area programs;
“(3) identify and assess any innovative strategies and
collaborative models to enhance the efficiency and
effectiveness of rural development programs and initiatives;
“(4) foster and maintain partnerships with public and
private stakeholders to leverage expertise and resources for
the Rural Development Mission Areas;
“(5) promote cross-agency collaborations and identify best
practices in rural economic development;
“(6) identify and implement technological solutions and
software applications to improve the effectiveness and
efficiency of Rural Development Mission Area programs,
including enhancing data management systems;
“(7) conduct research, analysis, and evaluation to
modernize, simplify, and improve Rural Development Mission
Area programs, and ensure that the programs are accessible,
transparent, and user-friendly; and
“(8) disseminate information, guidance, and training
materials to Rural Development Mission Area personnel and
stakeholders on innovative rural development practices and
opportunities.
“(d) Modernization Plan.—The Innovation Center shall
develop, and periodically update, a modernization plan to
facilitate innovation in administering and implementing rural
development programs and initiatives that—
“(1) outlines strategies aimed at harnessing the potential
of emerging technologies for program delivery and overall
service;
“(2) enhances program efficiencies by identifying and
implementing measures to streamline program and
administrative processes, reduce redundancies, and optimize
resource allocation;
“(3) expands the availability and accessibility of digital
services, leveraging digital platforms and tools to broaden
the reach of the programs and improve the overall user
experience for rural stakeholders;
“(4) integrates data-driven solutions to optimize program
delivery and maximize impact and effectiveness of the efforts
in rural development; and
“(5) establishes periodic milestones and goals to track
the progress of the modernization plan.
“(e) Report.—The Secretary shall submit an annual report
to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate on—
“(1) the activities and accomplishments of the Innovation
Center, including progress in advancing rural development
innovation and the outcome achieved;
“(2) a comprehensive working plan designed to actively
engage public and private stakeholders, as described in
subsection (c)(2); and
“(3) the progress on the modernization plan described in
subsection (d).”.
SEC. 6308. RURAL HEALTH LIAISON REPORT.
Section 236 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization
Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6946) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (8), by striking “and” at the end;
(B) in paragraph (9), by striking the period and inserting
“; and”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(10) coordinate with the National Institute of Food and
Agriculture in implementation of the Farm and Ranch Stress
Assistance Network provided for in section 7522 of the Food,
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 5936).”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(c) Report.—The Rural Health Liaison shall submit an
annual report to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate outlining the activities conducted
under subsection (b).”.
Subtitle D—Additional Amendments to the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act
SEC. 6401. WATER, WASTE DISPOSAL, AND WASTEWATER FACILITY
GRANTS.
Section 306(a)(2)(B)(vii) of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(2)(B)(vii)) is
amended by striking “2019 through 2023” and inserting
“2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6402. RURAL WATER AND WASTEWATER CIRCUIT RIDER PROGRAM.
Section 306(a)(22) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(22)) is amended to read as
follows:
“(22) Rural water and wastewater circuit rider program.—
“(A) Establishment.—The Secretary, through the Rural
Utilities Service, shall continue a national rural water and
wastewater circuit rider program that is consistent with the
activities and results of the program conducted before the
date of enactment of this Act, and with this section, as
determined by the Secretary.
“(B) Purpose.—The Rural Water and Wastewater Circuit
Rider Program shall provide a network of expert rural water
Circuit Riders located in all 50 States, including United
States territories and Freely Associated States, which work
one-on-one with eligible rural water and wastewater systems
in major assistance categories described in subparagraph (D).
The program is intended to help rural water systems operate
effectively and efficiently and achieve long-term
sustainability and compliance with certain Federal laws and
requirements, including the Safe Water Drinking Act (42
U.S.C. 300f et seq.) and the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1251
et seq.).
“(C) Eligible entities.—In selecting recipients of
grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to be made
available for activities listed under subparagraph (D), the
Secretary shall select nonprofit organizations that have
demonstrated experience providing technical assistance and
disaster and recovery assistance for water and wastewater
utilities nationwide. Awardees shall rely on personnel that
possess active water and wastewater operators' licenses or
overall knowledge of water utilities necessary to carry out
eligible activities under subparagraph (D).
“(D) Eligible uses of funds.—An eligible entity shall use
funds under the Rural Water and Wastewater Circuit Rider
program for a rural water, wastewater, or wastewater disposal
facility for—
“(i) technical assistance, including—
“(I) Board training;
“(II) managerial and financial operations with the effort
to enhance the long-term sustainability of rural water and
wastewater systems, including partnerships, consolidation,
and regionalization;
“(III) physical operation and maintenance of rural water
and wastewater infrastructure;
“(IV) water treatment;
“(V) regulatory compliance;
“(VI) facility security;
“(VII) loan application and reporting;
“(VIII) cybersecurity;
“(IX) implementation of cybersecurity plans, procedures,
and technologies to protect against cyberthreats; or
“(X) other areas the Secretary deems appropriate;
“(ii) disaster and recovery assistance including—
“(I) direct on-site personnel and equipment to eligible
utilities;
“(II) coordinating in statewide emergency response
networks;
“(III) facilitating the development of action plans
between utilities, local governments, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency and the State emergency management
agencies;
“(IV) resiliency and mitigation planning;
“(V) GIS mapping;
“(VI) updating vulnerability assessments, preparation of
emergency response plans, communication protocols, hazard
recognition and evaluation skills;
“(VII) conducting preliminary damage assessments of
critical infrastructure;
“(VIII) addressing outstanding deficiencies focused on
resolving health-based regulatory, operational, financial,
and managerial deficiencies that impact the sustainability of
the affected utilities;
“(IX) application and reporting assistance for Federal and
State requirements including Federal Emergency Management
Agency and insurance recovery claims;
“(X) providing for disaster readiness, support, and
response activities targeted to disadvantaged communities
that lack the financial resources and human capital necessary
to adequately address significant health, safety, or sanitary
concerns; and
“(XI) other areas the Secretary deems appropriate.
“(iii) Additional uses.—In response to activities under
subparagraph (B) related to natural disasters and
emergencies, not more than 5 percent of each award may be
used to purchase or reimburse the rental costs of appropriate
emergency equipment, as determined by the Secretary.
“(E) Eligible project areas.—To receive assistance under
the Rural Water and Wastewater Circuit Rider Program and
carry out activities, an eligible entity must serve—
“(i) an area with a population of—
“(I) 10,000 or fewer inhabitants for technical assistance
under subparagraph (D)(i); or
“(II) 50,000 or fewer inhabitants for disaster and
recovery assistance under subparagraph (D)(ii); and
“(ii) a public body, nonprofit corporation, or Indian
tribe with legal authority to own and operate the water
facility.
“(F) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph $25,000,000
for fiscal year 2027 through fiscal year 2031.”.
SEC. 6403. ZERO AND LOW INTEREST LOANS FOR DISTRESSED WATER
SYSTEMS.
Section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)) is amended by inserting
after paragraph (22) the following:
“(23) Assistance for distressed water systems.—
“(A) To promote the long-term sustainability and financial
viability of eligible rural community waste disposal and
water facilities as described in subparagraph (B), for any
entity described in subparagraph (C), the Secretary may—
“(i) make a zero percent interest loan or a 1 percent
interest loan pursuant to paragraph (1);
“(ii) forgive the principal or interest, or modify any
term or condition of a new or existing loan made pursuant to
paragraph (1);
“(iii) refinance all or part of any other loan made for an
eligible purpose under paragraph (1) of this subsection or
section 306C; or
“(iv) waive any fee required to insure or guarantee a loan
pursuant to paragraph (1) or (24).
“(B) To promote the long-term sustainability and financial
viability of the services provided by eligible entities, the
Secretary shall—
“(i) provide assistance to an eligible entity for the
purpose of—
“(I) ensuring the entity has necessary resources to
maintain public health, safety, or order;
“(II) addressing financial hardships of the eligible
entity, its customers, and the community it serves;
“(III) improving the financial stability of the eligible
entity, including changes to—
“(aa) operational practices;
“(bb) revenue enhancements;
“(cc) policy revisions; and
“(dd) contract services; and
“(IV) supporting a partnership, regionalization, or
consolidation of the entity with another water system; and
“(ii) require an applicant to—
“(I) receive financial planning assistance and prepare a
long-term financial plan; or
“(II) partner, regionalize, or consolidate with another
water system.
“(C) An entity shall be eligible for assistance under this
paragraph if the entity—
“(i) is a rural water, wastewater, or wastewater disposal
system with respect to which assistance may be provided under
a water or wastewater, or waste disposal program under this
subsection or section 306A, 306C, or 306D, and
“(ii) is—
“(I) located in a socially disadvantaged community, a
persistent poverty county, colonia, or distressed tribal
area, as determined by the Secretary; or
“(II) facing an economic hardship as defined by the
Secretary.
“(D) An entity eligible under paragraph (1) or (2) of
subsection (a) may designate a water and wastewater utility
provider to apply for a loan under this paragraph and carry
out the loan application on behalf of the eligible entity.
“(E)(i) The Secretary shall evaluate such a loan
application on the basis of the needs of the eligible entity
and the beneficiaries of the eligible entity rather than the
needs of the applicant water and wastewater utility provider.
“(ii) A water and wastewater utility provider to whom a
loan is made under this paragraph on the basis of an
application submitted on behalf of an eligible entity may use
the loan only for the benefit of the residents of the
eligible area for which the loan is provided.”.
SEC. 6404. TRIBAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY
FACILITIES.
Section 306(a)(25)(C) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(25)(C)) is amended by
striking “2008 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through
2031”.
SEC. 6405. EMERGENCY AND IMMINENT COMMUNITY WATER ASSISTANCE
GRANT PROGRAM.
Section 306A(i)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926a(i)(2)) is amended by striking
“2019 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6406. WATER SYSTEMS FOR RURAL AND NATIVE VILLAGES IN
ALASKA.
Section 306D(d)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926d(d)(1)) is amended by striking
“2008 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6407. RURAL DECENTRALIZED WATER SYSTEMS.
Section 306E of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 1926e) is amended to read as follows:
“SEC. 306E. RURAL DECENTRALIZED WATER SYSTEMS.
“(a) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Eligible individual.—The term `eligible individual'
means an individual who is a member of a household the
members of which have a combined income (for the most recent
12-month period for which the information is available) that
is not more than 80 percent of the median nonmetropolitan
household income for the State or territory in which the
individual resides, according to the most recent decennial
census of the United States.
“(2) Eligible grant recipient.—The term `eligible grant
recipient' means a private nonprofit organization that uses a
grant provided under this section for the purposes described
in subsection (b)(1).
“(3) Qualified water quality testing.—The term `qualified
water quality testing' means a baseline analysis of the
bacterial and chemical characteristics of concern from a
drinking water sample collected at the point of consumption
and tested by a laboratory certified to conduct water quality
testing that is provided to—
“(A) the Secretary; and
“(B) the eligible grant recipient receiving a grant under
this section and any eligible individual served by the
eligible grant recipient.
“(b) Grants.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary may make grants to an
eligible grant recipient for the purpose of—
“(A) providing loans and subgrants to eligible individuals
for—
“(i) the construction, refurbishing, and servicing of
individual household water well systems and individually
owned household decentralized wastewater systems in rural
areas that are or will be owned by the eligible individuals;
or
“(ii) in the event of ground well water contamination, the
installation or replacement of water treatment, where needed
as determined by a qualified water quality test or other
third-party documentation to the satisfaction of the
Secretary;
“(B) performing qualified water quality testing of
individual household water well systems and individually
utilized household decentralized wastewater systems in rural
areas that are or will be utilized by the eligible
individuals; or
“(C) providing technical assistance to eligible
individuals for—
“(i) the installation or replacement of individual
household water well systems and individually owned household
decentralized wastewater systems in rural areas that are or
will be owned by the eligible individuals;
“(ii) interpreting qualified water quality tests; or
“(iii) addressing ground well water contamination.
“(2) Terms and amounts for loans and subgrants.—
“(A) Terms of loans.—A loan made with grant funds under
this section—
“(i) shall have an interest rate of 1 percent; and
“(ii) shall have a term not to exceed 20 years.
“(B) Amounts.—A loan or subgrant made with grant funds
under this section shall not exceed $20,000 for each water
well system or decentralized wastewater system described in
paragraph (1).
“(3) Administrative expenses.—A recipient of a grant made
under this section may use grant funds to pay administrative
expenses associated with providing the assistance described
in paragraph (1), as determined by the Secretary.
“(4) Water treatment standards.—Water treatment provided
under this section shall—
“(A) incorporate components that are third-party certified
as compliant with relevant consensus-based standards for
drinking water treatment units or systems, as determined by
the Secretary; and
“(B) be installed, according to the instructions of the
manufacturer, by a qualified, certified, or licensed water
treatment professional, including a professional credentialed
through a manufacturer or third-party.
“(c) Priority in Awarding Grants.—In awarding grants
under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to an
applicant that has substantial expertise and experience in
promoting the safe and effective use of individually owned
household water well systems, individually owned household
decentralized wastewater systems, and ground water.
“(d) Limitation.—An eligible grant recipient cannot use
more than 10 percent of a grant awarded under this section
for the activities described under subparagraphs (B) and (C)
of subsection (b)(1).
“(e) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.”.
SEC. 6408. ASSISTANCE TO RURAL ENTITIES.
Section 310B(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following:
“(C) Precision agriculture; precision agriculture
technology.—The terms `precision agriculture' and `precision
agriculture technology' have the meanings given those terms
in section 1201 of the Food Security Act of 1985.”; and
(2) in paragraph (2)—
(A) by striking “and” at the end of subparagraph (C);
(B) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (D)
and inserting “; and”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(E) expanding the adoption of precision agriculture
practices, including by financing the acquisition of
precision agriculture technology, in order to promote best
practices, reduce costs, and improve the environment.”.
SEC. 6409. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT GRANTS.
Section 310B(b) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “governments and related
agencies” and inserting “governments, related agencies, and
Indian tribes”; and
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking “2014 through 2023” and
inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6410. RURAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.
Section 310B(c)(4)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(c)(4)(A)) is amended by
striking “2014 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through
2031”.
SEC. 6411. RURAL COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.
Section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(e)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following:
“(C) Cooperative development.—The term `cooperative
development' means activities including education, training,
and technical assistance, to support the start-up, expansion,
or ongoing sustainability of new and existing
cooperatives.”;
(2) in paragraph (5)—
(A) in subparagraph (D), by striking “underserved and
economically distressed areas in rural areas of the United
States” and inserting “socially vulnerable, underserved, or
distressed communities”; and
(B) in subparagraph (F)—
(i) by inserting “at least” before “a 25 percent”; and
(ii) by inserting “, and all applications that satisfy
this subparagraph shall be given the same priority for the
scoring criterion based on satisfying this subparagraph”
before the period;
(3) in paragraph (6), by striking subparagraph (B) and
inserting the following:
“(B) Award renewals for qualified nonprofit
institutions.—The Secretary shall award a grant under this
subsection to a nonprofit institution on the same terms and
for the establishment or operation of the same center or
centers for cooperative development for which the nonprofit
institution was awarded a grant in the current fiscal year,
if the nonprofit institution—
“(i) is a recipient of an award under this subsection;
“(ii) requests a renewal under this subparagraph;
“(iii) has submitted a complete application under this
subsection in the preceding 2 fiscal years; and
“(iv) has operated the center or centers for cooperative
development in a manner which successfully meets the
parameters described in paragraph (5), as determined by the
Secretary.”;
(4) in paragraph (10), by adding at the end the following:
“The Secretary shall analyze the data resulting from the
research, and include the data and the analysis in the annual
report submitted by the interagency working group under
paragraph (12).”;
(5) in paragraph (12), by adding at the end the following:
“Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this sentence and annually thereafter, the interagency
working group shall submit to the Congress a report
describing the activities carried out by the working
group.”; and
(6) in paragraph (13), by striking “2014 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6412. LENDER FEES IN GUARANTEED LOAN PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.—Section 333 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1983) is
amended—
(1) by inserting “(a) In General.—” before “In
connection”;
(2) in paragraph (5), by adding “and” at the end;
(3) in paragraph (6)(E), by striking “; and” and
inserting a period;
(4) by striking paragraph (7); and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
“(b) Fees.—
“(1) Initial guarantee fee.—The Secretary may assess an
initial guarantee fee for any insured or guaranteed loan
issued or modified under section 306(a) in an amount that
does not exceed 3 percent of the guaranteed principal portion
of the loan.
“(2) Periodic retention fee.—The Secretary may assess a
periodic retention fee for any insured or guaranteed loan
issued or modified under section 306(a) in an amount that
does not exceed 0.75 percent of the outstanding principal of
the guaranteed loan.
“(3) Disclosure.—In altering any fee charged for any
insured or guaranteed loan issued or modified under section
306(a), the Secretary, not less than 30 days in advance of
any fee change, shall provide a public disclosure of the
financial data, economic and behavioral assumptions,
calculations, and other factors used to determine the new fee
rates.”.
(b) Conforming Amendment.—Section 310B(g)(5) of such Act
(7 U.S.C. 1932(g)(5)) is amended to read as follows:
“(5) Fees.—
“(A) Initial guarantee fee.—The Secretary may assess an
initial guarantee fee for any guaranteed business and
industry loan in an amount that does not exceed 3 percent of
the guaranteed principal portion of the loan.
“(B) Periodic retention fee.—The Secretary may assess a
periodic retention fee for any guaranteed business and
industry loan in an amount that does not exceed 0.75 percent
of the outstanding principal of the guaranteed loan.
“(C) Disclosure.—In altering any fee charged for any
guaranteed business and industry loan, the Secretary, not
less than 30 days in advance of any fee change, shall provide
a public disclosure of the financial data, economic and
behavioral assumptions, calculations, and other factors used
to determine the new fee rates.”.
SEC. 6413. LOCALLY OR REGIONALLY PRODUCED AGRICULTURAL FOOD
PRODUCTS.
Section 310B(g)(9)(B)(iv)(I) of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(g)(9)(B)(iv)(I)) is
amended by striking “2008 through 2023” and inserting
“2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6414. APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR RURAL AREAS
PROGRAM.
Section 310B(i) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(i)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)—
(A) by striking “and” at the end of subparagraph (C);
(B) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (D)
and inserting “; and”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(E) provides training opportunities and resources for
veterans (as defined in section 101(2) of title 38, United
States Code) who actively are or are seeking to become
agricultural producers, which shall be known as the `Armed to
Farm Initiative'.”; and
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking “2008 through 2023.”
and inserting the following: “2027 through 2031, of which—
“(A) $3,500,000 shall be made available for each fiscal
year for activities described in subparagraphs (A) through
(D) of paragraph (2); and
“(B) $1,500,000 shall be available for each fiscal year
for activities described in paragraph (2)(E).”.
SEC. 6415. RURAL ECONOMIC AREA PARTNERSHIP ZONES.
Section 310B(j) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(j)) is amended by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 6416. INTERMEDIARY RELENDING PROGRAM.
Section 310H(i) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1936b(i)) is amended by striking
“2014 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6417. RURAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.—Section 342 of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1990a) is amended—
(1) by striking “Assistance” and inserting the following:
“(a) Refinancing of Certain Rural Health Care Facility
Debt.—
“(1) In general.—Assistance”;
(2) by striking “rural hospital” and inserting “an
eligible health care facility”;
(3) by striking “a community” and inserting “an area”;
(4) by striking “hospital,” and inserting “eligible
health care facility,”; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
“(2) Requirements.—To promote the long-term
sustainability and financial viability of an eligible health
care facility, the Secretary shall—
“(A) provide assistance to an eligible health care
facility for the purpose of—
“(i) ensuring the facility has necessary resources to
maintain public health, safety, or order;
“(ii) addressing financial hardships of the facility, its
patients, and the area it serves; and
“(iii) identifying the financial stability of the
facility, including—
“(I) operational practices;
“(II) revenue enhancements;
“(III) policy revisions;
“(IV) partnerships, regionalization, or consolidation of
rural health systems; and
“(V) contract services; and
“(B) require an applicant to—
“(i) receive financial planning assistance; and
“(ii) prepare a long-term financial plan.
“(3) Waiver.—In the case of an application for
refinancing pursuant to this section, the Secretary may waive
the requirement of section 302(a)(1)(D) if the eligible
health care facility is insolvent.
“(b) Rural Health Care Facility Technical Assistance
Program.—
“(1) In general.—In lieu of any other authority under
which the Secretary may provide technical assistance to any
eligible health care facility, the Secretary shall establish,
and maintain, directly or by grant, contract, or cooperative
agreement, a Rural Health Care Facility Technical Assistance
Program (in this section referred to as the `Program') to
provide technical assistance and training, tailored to the
capacity and needs of each eligible health care facility, to
help eligible health care facilities in rural areas—
“(A) identify development needs for maintaining essential
health care services, and support action plans for
operational and quality improvement projects to meet the
development needs;
“(B) better manage their financial and business
strategies, including providing financial planning assistance
and preparing long-term financial plans; and
“(C) identify, and apply for assistance from, loan and
grant programs of the Department of Agriculture for which the
facilities are eligible.
“(2) Goals.—The goals of the Program shall be to—
“(A) improve the long-term financial position and
operational efficiency of the eligible health care
facilities;
“(B) prevent the closure of eligible health care
facilities;
“(C) strengthen the delivery of health care in rural
areas;
“(D) help eligible health care facilities better access
and compete for loans and grants from programs administered
by the Department of Agriculture; and
“(E) continue the activities of the Rural Hospital
Technical Assistance Program in effect as of the date of the
enactment of this subsection.
“(3) Program participation.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary shall engage in outreach
and engagement strategies to encourage eligible health care
facilities to participate in the Program.
“(B) Eligible health care facility selection.—In
selecting eligible health care facilities to participate in
the Program, the Secretary shall give priority to borrowers
and grantees of the Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-
Cooperative Service, and Rural Utilities Service. The
Secretary may also consider—
“(i) the age and physical state of the health care
facility involved;
“(ii) the financial vulnerability of the eligible health
care facility, and the ability of the eligible health care
facility to meet debt obligations;
“(iii) the electronic health record implementation needs
of the health care facility;
“(iv) whether the eligible health care facility is located
in a health professional shortage area or a medically
underserved area;
“(v) whether the eligible health care facility serves a
medically underserved population; and
“(vi) such other criteria and priorities as are determined
by the Secretary of Agriculture.
“(C) Reporting requirements.—Not later than 1 year after
the date of the enactment of this section, and annually
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a
written report describing the progress and results of the
program conducted under this section, which should include—
“(i) a brief description of each project to provide
technical assistance to an eligible health care facility
under this section, including—
“(I) the name and location of the facility;
“(II) a description of the assistance provided;
“(III) a description of the outcomes for completed
projects;
“(IV) the cost of the technical assistance; and
“(V) any other information the Secretary deems
appropriate;
“(ii) a summary of the technical assistance projects
completed;
“(iii) a summary of the outcomes of the technical
assistance projects;
“(iv) an assessment of the effectiveness of the Program;
and
“(v) recommendations for improving the Program.
“(D) Limitations on authorization of appropriations.—To
carry out this section, there
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary not more
than $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
“(c) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Rural area.—The term `rural area' has the meaning
given the term in section 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).
“(2) Development needs.—The term `development needs'
includes—
“(A) constructing, expanding, renovating or otherwise
modernizing health care facilities;
“(B) increasing telehealth capabilities;
“(C) acquiring or upgrading health care information
systems such as electronic health records;
“(D) providing financial planning assistance and preparing
a long-term financial plan; and
“(E) such other needs as the Secretary deems critical to
maintaining health care services in the community in which an
eligible health care facility is located.
“(3) Eligible health care facility.—The term `eligible
health care facility' means a facility that is located in a
rural area and is—
“(A) a hospital (as defined in section 1861(e) of the
Social Security Act;
“(B) a psychiatric hospital (as defined in section 1861(f)
of such Act);
“(C) a long-term care hospital (as defined in section
1861(ccc) of such Act);
“(D) a critical access hospital (as defined in section
1861(mm)(1) of such Act);
“(E) a rural health clinic (as defined in section
1861(aa)(2) of such Act);
“(F) a religious nonmedical health care institution (as
defined in section 1861(ss)(1) of such Act);
“(G) a sole community hospital (as defined in section
1886(d)(5)(C)(iii) of such Act);
“(H) a rural emergency hospital (as defined in section
1861(kkk)(2) of such Act);
“(I) a home health agency (as defined in section 1861(o)
of such Act); or
“(J) a community health center (as defined in section 330
of the Public Health Service Act).
“(4) Health professional shortage area.—The term `health
professional shortage area' has the meaning given the term in
section 332(a)(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act.
“(5) Medically underserved area.—The term `medically
underserved area' has the meaning given the term in section
330I(a)(5) of the Public Health Service Act.
“(6) Medically underserved population.—The term
`medically underserved population' has the meaning given the
term in section 330(b)(3) of the Public Health Service
Act.”.
(b) Effective Date.—The amendments made by subsection (a)
shall take effect on the completion of a rulemaking carrying
out such amendments.
SEC. 6418. PROHIBITION ON USE OF LOAN OR GRANT FOR CERTAIN
PURPOSES.
Section 363 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 2006e) is amended to read as follows:
“SEC. 363. PROHIBITION ON USE OF LOAN OR GRANT FOR CERTAIN
PURPOSES.
“(a) In General.—The Secretary shall not approve any loan
or grant under this title to drain, dredge, fill, or level,
or otherwise manipulate a wetland (as defined in section
1201(a)(16) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3801(a)(16))), or to engage in any activity that results in
impairing or reducing the flow, circulation, or reach of
water, except in the case of activity related to the
maintenance of previously converted wetlands, or in the case
of such activity that commenced before November 29, 1990.
“(b) Exclusions.—
“(1) Utilities lines.—This section shall not apply to a
loan made or guaranteed under this title for a utility line.
“(2) Permitted activities and projects.—This section
shall not apply to a rural development loan made or
guaranteed under section 306 or 306C of this Act for an
activity or project for which the applicant or borrower has
obtained or is required to obtain a permit from the Secretary
of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, under
section 10 of the Act of March 3, 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403; 30
Stat. 1151, chapter 425), or section 404 of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1344).”.
SEC. 6419. RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE SERVICE PROGRAMS
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.
Section 368(d)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008c(d)(1)) is amended by striking
“2019 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6420. NATIONAL RURAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP.
Section 378 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 2008m) is amended—
(1) in subsection (g)(1), by striking “2008 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”; and
(2) in subsection (h), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 6421. GRANTS FOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO TRANSMITTERS.
Section 379B(d) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008p(d)) is amended by striking
“2014 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6422. RURAL MICROENTREPRENEUR ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
Section 379E of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 2008s) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(4), by striking “$50,000” and
inserting “$75,000”;
(2) in subsection (c)(1)(A), by striking “shall not exceed
75 percent” and inserting “may be up to 100 percent, and a
loan under this section for a project may be used to cover
not more than 50 percent of any renovation, construction, or
related costs of real estate improvements under the
project”;
(3) in subsection (c)(1)(B), by inserting “(or 5 percent,
in the case of a microenterprise development organization
serving a persistent poverty county, as determined by the
Secretary)” before “of the total amount”; and
(4) in subsection (d), by striking “2019 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6423. HEALTH CARE SERVICES.
Section 379G(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008u(e)) is amended by striking
“2008 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6424. STRATEGIC ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
Section 379H(d)(4) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008v(d)(4)) is amended by striking
“2019 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6425. RURAL INNOVATION STRONGER ECONOMY GRANT PROGRAM.
Section 379I of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 2008w) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1)(A)—
(i) in clause (iii)—
(I) by striking subclause (I) and inserting the following:
“(I) an institution of higher education (as defined in
section 101, and subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section
102(a)(1), of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001, 1002(a)(1)));”;
(II) by redesignating subclauses (II) and (III) as
subclauses (III) and (IV), respectively, and inserting after
subclause (I) the following:
“(II) an area career and technical education school (as
defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302));”; and
(III) in subclause (IV) (as so redesignated by subclause
(II) of this clause), by striking “and”;
(ii) in clause (iv)—
(I) by striking subclause (IV) and inserting the following:
“(IV) an institution of higher education (as defined in
section 101, and subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section
102(a)(1), of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001, 1002(a)(1)));”; and
(II) by redesignating subclause (V) as subclause (VI) and
inserting after subclause (IV) the following:
“(V) an area career and technical education school (as
defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302)); or”; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
“(v) in the case of a career pathway program, includes 1
or more members of the local workforce development board
established under section 107 of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act and serving the region to ensure the program
is integrated with the activities carried out by the local
workforce development board; and”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(6) Career pathway.—The term `career pathway' has the
meaning given the term in section 3(7) of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102(7)).
“(7) Industry or sector partnership.—The term `industry
or sector partnership' has the meaning given the term in
section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29
U.S.C. 3102).”;
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting
“or carry out career pathway training programs or industry
or sector partnerships aligned with industry sectors in rural
communities” before “, including”;
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking “and” after the
semicolon;
(iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period and
inserting a semicolon; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
“(C) address workforce challenges, including worker
displacement, faced by specific industry sectors in rural
communities; and
“(D) promote targeted skills development and training
initiatives to stimulate innovation and enhance economic
development in rural regions.”;
(B) in paragraph (3)—
(i) in subparagraph (A)—
(I) in clause (i), by inserting “, career pathway
programs, or industry or sector partnerships” before the
semicolon; and
(II) in clause (ii)—
(aa) by inserting “, career pathway programs, or industry
or sector partnerships” before “to provide”; and
(bb) by inserting “leadership development,” before
“customized training”;
(ii) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period and
inserting “; and”; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
“(G) the ability of the eligible entity to carry out
activities to address the issues of worker displacement, an
aging workforce, and youth migration.”; and
(C) by striking paragraph (5) and inserting the following:
“(5) Geographic distribution.—The Secretary shall ensure
regional diversity of recipients of grants or participants in
providing grants under paragraph (1) for jobs accelerators,
career pathway programs, and related programming.”;
(3) in subsection (d)(1)—
(A) in subparagraph (B)(xi), by striking the period and
inserting “; and”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(C) to support career pathway programs or industry or
sector partnerships to be carried out within industries in
rural communities, including—
“(i) telecommunications or broadband services;
“(ii) water, waste water, or disposal services;
“(iii) electric supply services;
“(iv) forestry and logging operations;
“(v) conservation practices and management;
“(vi) health care and child care;
“(vii) manufacturing;
“(viii) agribusiness related to production, processing,
and distribution;
“(ix) veterinarian services; and
“(x) any other sectors identified by the local workforce
development board serving the region to be an in-demand
industry sector or occupation, as defined in section 3 of the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.”;
(4) in subsection (e)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “and”;
(B) in paragraph (2)(B)—
(i) in clause (xvii), by striking “or”;
(ii) by redesignating clause (xviii) as clause (xix) and
inserting after clause (xvii) the following:
“(xviii) the number of individuals who have completed
skills development, recognized postsecondary credentials, or
gained specialized education through career pathways programs
or industry or sector partnerships; or”; and
(iii) in clause (xix) (as so redesignated by subparagraph
(B) of this paragraph), by striking the period and inserting
“; and”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) in the case of a career pathway program or industry
or sector partnership, report to the Secretary the employment
and earnings outcomes for individuals who participate in the
program on the indicators described in subclauses (I) through
(III) of section 116(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act.”; and
(5) in subsection (f), by striking “2019 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6426. LIMITATION ON RURAL BUSINESS INVESTMENT COMPANIES
CONTROLLED BY FARM CREDIT SYSTEM INSTITUTIONS.
Section 384J(c) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009cc-9(c)) is amended by striking
“50” and inserting “75”.
SEC. 6427. RURAL BUSINESS INVESTMENT PROGRAM.
Section 384S of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 2009cc-18) is amended by striking “2014
through 2023” and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6428. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.
Each of the following provisions of the Consolidated Farm
and Rural Development Act are amended by striking
“urbanized” and inserting “urban”:
(1) Section 343(a)(13)(A)(ii) (7 U.S.C.
1991(a)(13)(A)(ii)).
(2) Section 343(a)(13)(D)(i)(I) (7 U.S.C.
1991(a)(13)(D)(i)(I)), in the matter preceding item (aa).
(3) Section 343(a)(13)(D)(i)(I)(bb) (7 U.S.C.
1991(a)(13)(D)(i)(I)(bb)).
(4) Section 343(a)(13)(D)(i)(II) (7 U.S.C.
1991(a)(13)(D)(i)(II)).
(5) Section 343(a)(13)(E) (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(E)).
(6) Section 343(a)(13)(F)(i)(II) (7 U.S.C.
1991(a)(13)(F)(i)(II)).
(7) Section 384I(c)(4)(C) (7 U.S.C. 2009cc-8(c)(4)(C)).
SEC. 6429. RURAL WATER AND WASTEWATER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
AND TRAINING PROGRAMS.
Section 306(a)(14) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(14)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A)—
(A) by striking “technical assistance and training to—”
and inserting “for—”;
(B) in clause (v), by striking the period and inserting “;
or”; and
(C) by redesignating clauses (i) through (v) as subclauses
(I) through (V), respectively, and moving each such provision
2 ems to the right; and
(D) by inserting before the matter so redesignated the
following:
“(i) technical assistance and training to—”; and
(E) by adding after and below the end the following:
“(ii) disaster and recovery assistance.”; and
(2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting “or disaster and
recovery assistance” before “described”.
Subtitle E—Additional Amendments to the Rural Electrification Act of
1936
SEC. 6501. GUARANTEES FOR BONDS AND NOTES ISSUED FOR UTILITY
INFRASTRUCTURE PURPOSES.
Section 313A(f) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7
U.S.C. 940c-1(f)) is amended by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 6502. EXTENSION OF THE RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOAN
AND GRANT PROGRAM.
Section 313B of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7
U.S.C. 940c-2) is amended—
(1) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
“(b) Repayments.—
“(1) In general.—In the case of zero interest loans, the
Secretary shall establish such reasonable repayment terms as
will encourage borrower participation.
“(2) Letters of credit.—The Secretary shall not require a
letter of credit or other similar guarantee from a recipient
of a zero-interest loan under this section if the borrower
assigns the Secretary a security interest in any collateral
provided to secure a loan made with funds loaned under this
section, or makes other similar arrangements to the
satisfaction of the Secretary.”; and
(2) in subsection (e)(1), by striking “2019 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 6503. EXPANSION OF 911 ACCESS.
Section 315(d) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7
U.S.C. 940e(d)) is amended by striking “2008 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
TITLE VII—RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND RELATED MATTERS
Subtitle A—National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
Policy Act of 1977
SEC. 7101. NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION,
EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS ADVISORY BOARD.
Section 1408 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123) is
amended—
(1) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “15” and inserting
“16”;
(B) in paragraph (3), by adding at the end the following:
“(E) 1 member representing the industry, consumer, or
rural interests of insular areas.”; and
(C) in paragraph (5), by striking “7” and inserting
“3”; and
(2) in subsection (h), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7102. SPECIALTY CROP COMMITTEE.
Section 1408A of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3123a)
is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “Not later than” and
all that follows through “initial members of” and inserting
“The Secretary shall continue to implement, and appoint the
members of”; and
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) in subparagraph (C), by adding a period at the end; and
(ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”; and
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking “executive
committee” and inserting “Secretary”.
SEC. 7103. VETERINARY MEDICINE LOAN REPAYMENT.
Section 1415A of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3151a)
is amended—
(1) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
“(b) Determination of Veterinarian Shortage Situations.—
In determining `veterinarian shortage situations', the
Secretary—
“(1) may consider—
“(A) geographical areas that the Secretary determines have
a shortage of veterinarians;
“(B) areas of veterinary practice that the Secretary
determines have a shortage of veterinarians, such as food
animal medicine, public health, epidemiology, and food
safety; and
“(C) areas described in subparagraphs (A) and (B)
identified by appropriate State agencies; and
“(2) shall—
“(A) develop quantitative mechanisms for predicting the
emergence of new veterinarian shortage situations in the
short-term and long-term; and
“(B) make available to State agencies described in
paragraph (1)(C) the quantitative mechanisms developed under
subparagraph (A).”; and
(2) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following:
“(9) Eligibility.—The Secretary shall not make a
veterinarian ineligible for the program under this section
based on a veterinarian's participation in a comparable
Federal, State, or local program.
“(10) Application process.—Not later than 1 year after
the date of the enactment of the Farm, Food, and National
Security Act of 2026, the Secretary shall establish
streamlined application procedures and guidelines for
entering into agreements with veterinarians under this
section.”.
SEC. 7104. VETERINARY SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM.
Section 1415B of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3151b)
is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1)(A)(i), by striking “, as defined in”
and all that follows through “1991(a))”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Rural area.—The term “rural area” has the meaning
given such term in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)).”;
(2) in subsection (b)(2)—
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as
subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
“(B) expand, retain, or attract additional veterinary
practices in rural areas;”;
(3) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following:
“(5) Application process.—Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security
Act of 2026 the Secretary shall establish a streamlined
application process.”; and
(4) in subsection (d)—
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking “To Relieve
Veterinarian Shortage Situations and Support Veterinary
Services”; and
(B) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
“situations and support” and inserting “situations, to
expand, retain, or attract additional veterinary practices in
rural areas, and to support”; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
“(G) To cover expenses associated with starting a new
veterinary practice or attracting new veterinarians to
existing practices, including—
“(i) relocation expenses;
“(ii) the purchase of necessary startup equipment; and
“(iii) housing or living stipends for veterinary students,
veterinary interns, externs, fellows, and residents, and
veterinary technician students.”.
SEC. 7105. GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
SCIENCES EDUCATION.
Section 1417(m)(2) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C.
3152(m)(2)) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7106. AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD POLICY RESEARCH CENTERS.
Section 1419A(e) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3155(e))
is amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7107. EDUCATION GRANTS TO ALASKA NATIVE SERVING
INSTITUTIONS AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN SERVING
INSTITUTIONS.
Section 1419B of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3156) is
amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following:
“The term of such grants may be for a period of more than 1
year, but not more than 5 years.”; and
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”; and
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following:
“The term of such grants may be for a period of more than 1
year, but not more than 5 years.”; and
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7108. NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM.
Section 1425(g) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3175(g))
is amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7109. CONTINUING ANIMAL HEALTH AND DISEASE RESEARCH
PROGRAMS.
Section 1433 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3195) is
amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Carryover.—The balance of any annual funds provided
to an eligible institution for a fiscal year under this
subsection that remains unexpended at the end of that fiscal
year may be carried over for use during the following fiscal
year.”; and
(2) in subsection (c)(1), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7110. EXTENSION AND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AT 1890 LAND-
GRANT COLLEGES, INCLUDING TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY.
(a) Extension.—Section 1444(a)(2) of the National
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of
1977 (7 U.S.C. 3221(a)(2)) is amended by striking “20
percent” and inserting “40 percent”.
(b) Research.—Section 1445 of the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7
U.S.C. 3222) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(2), by striking “30 percent” and
inserting “40 percent”;
(2) in subsection (c), by striking “the research
director” each place it appears and inserting “the
agricultural research director”; and
(3) in subsection (d)—
(A) by striking “a research director” and inserting “an
agricultural research director”; and
(B) by striking “or other officer”.
SEC. 7111. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS AT 1890 INSTITUTIONS.
Section 1446 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222a)
is amended—
(1) in the section heading, by inserting “(commonly known
as the david a. scott scholarship program for students at
1890 institutions)” before the period at the end; and
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7112. GRANTS TO UPGRADE AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SCIENCES
FACILITIES AT 1890 LAND-GRANT COLLEGES,
INCLUDING TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY.
Section 1447(b) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C.
3222b(b)) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7113. GRANTS TO UPGRADE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SCIENCES
FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT AND SUPPORT TROPICAL
AND SUBTROPICAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AT
INSULAR AREA LAND-GRANT COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES.
Section 1447B(d) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222b-
2(d)) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7114. MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENT FOR RESEARCH AND
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES AT ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS.
Section 1449 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222d)
is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)—
(A) by striking “Not later than September 30, 1999” and
inserting “Beginning on September 30, 2026, and not later
than September 30 of each fiscal year thereafter”; and
(B) by striking “fiscal year 1999” and inserting “the
fiscal year ending on that September 30”; and
(2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
“(c) State Matching Funds Requirement.—Notwithstanding
any other provision of this subtitle, for each fiscal year, a
State shall provide to each eligible institution located in
the State matching funds from non-Federal sources in an
amount equal to the amounts provided to the eligible
institution under sections 1444 and 1445 for the purposes
described in subsection (b)(1).”.
SEC. 7115. NEW BEGINNING FOR TRIBAL STUDENTS.
Section 1450 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222e)
is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (4), by striking “land-grant college or
university” and inserting “land-grant college or university
(except for a 1994 Institution (as defined in section 532 of
the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994
(Public Law 103-382; 7 U.S.C. 301 note)))”; and
(B) by striking paragraph (5); and
(2) in subsection (d), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7116. EDUCATION GRANTS PROGRAMS FOR HISPANIC-SERVING
INSTITUTIONS.
Section 1455(c) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3241(c))
is amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7117. BINATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
Section 1458(e) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3291(e))
is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “entered into” and
inserting “, as entered into in 1977,”;
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking “United States and
Israel” and inserting “United States, Israel, or other
signatories of the Abraham Accords Declaration”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) BARD fund accelerator.—The BARD Fund shall establish
an accelerator program that supports mid-stage research, as
determined by the technology readiness level, in priority
areas established by the BARD Fund that—
“(A) fast-tracks cooperative research between scientists
participating in activities described in paragraph (2);
“(B) accelerates the successful development of
agricultural research through resources and services
developed or orchestrated by the BARD Fund;
“(C) provides management guidance, technical assistance,
and consulting to scientists participating in activities
described in paragraph (2); or
“(D) advances cooperative agricultural research projects
of mutual interest to the United States, Israel, or other
signatories of the Abraham Accords Declaration.”.
SEC. 7118. GRANTS AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND
EDUCATION.
(a) In General.—Section 1458A of the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7
U.S.C. 3292) is amended—
(1) by amending the section heading to read as follows
“grants and partnerships for international agricultural
research, extension, and education”;
(2) by striking subsections (a) and (b) and inserting the
following:
“(a) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Developing country.—The term `developing country'
means a country that meets such criteria as determined by the
Secretary, established using a gross national income per
capita test selected by the Secretary.
“(2) Eligible institution.—The term `eligible
institution' means—
“(A) a land-grant colleges or university;
“(B) a non-land-grant college of agriculture;
“(C) a Hispanic-serving agricultural college or
university; and
“(D) a cooperating forestry school.
“(3) International partner institution.—The term
`international partner institution' means a higher education
institution in a developing country that is performing, or
desiring to perform, activities similar to agricultural
research, extension, and education activities carried out
through eligible institutions in the United States.
“(b) Grants and Partnerships.—
“(1) Grants.—The Secretary may make competitive grants to
eligible institutions in order to strengthen United States
economic competitiveness and to promote international market
development through—
“(A) enhancing the international content of the curricula
in colleges and universities so as to ensure that United
States students acquire an understanding of the international
dimensions and trade implications of their studies;
“(B) ensuring that United States scientists, extension
agents, and educators involved in agricultural research and
development activities outside of the United States have the
opportunity to convey the implications of their activities
and findings to their peers and students in the United States
and to the users of agricultural research, extension, and
teaching;
“(C) enhancing the capabilities of colleges and
universities to do collaborative research with other
countries, in cooperation with other Federal agencies, on
issues relevant to United States agricultural
competitiveness;
“(D) enhancing the capabilities of colleges and
universities to provide cooperative extension education to
promote the application of new technology developed in
foreign countries to United States agriculture; and
“(E) enhancing the capability of United States colleges
and universities, in cooperation with other Federal agencies,
to provide leadership and educational programs that will
assist United States natural resources and food production,
processing, and distribution businesses and industries to
compete internationally, including through the use of product
market identification, international policies limiting or
enhancing market production, the development of new or
enhancement of existing markets, and production efficiencies.
“(2) Partnerships.—The Secretary may promote cooperation
and coordination between eligible institutions and
international partner institutions through—
“(A) improving extension by—
“(i) encouraging the exchange of research materials and
results between eligible institutions and international
partner institutions;
“(ii) facilitating the broad dissemination of agricultural
research through extension;
“(iii) assisting with efforts to plan and initiate
extension services in developing countries; and
“(iv) developing self-sustaining regional agricultural
markets and promoting the application of new agricultural
technologies and techniques;
“(B) improving agricultural research by—
“(i) in partnership with international partner
institutions, encouraging research that addresses problems
affecting food production and security, human nutrition,
agriculture, forestry, livestock, and fisheries, including
local challenges; and
“(ii) supporting and strengthening national agricultural
research systems in developing countries;
“(C) improving agricultural teaching and education by—
“(i) in partnership with international partner
institutions, supporting education and teaching relating to
food and agricultural sciences, including technical
assistance, degree training, research collaborations,
classroom instruction, workforce training, and education
programs; and
“(ii) assisting with efforts to increase student capacity,
including to encourage equitable access for women and other
underserved populations, at international partner
institutions by promoting partnerships with, and improving
the capacity of, eligible institutions;
“(D) assisting eligible institutions in strengthening
their capacity for food, agricultural, and related research,
extension, and teaching programs relevant to agricultural
development activities in developing countries to promote the
application of new technology to improve education delivery;
“(E) providing support for the internationalization of
resident instruction programs of eligible institutions;
“(F) establishing a program, to be coordinated by the
Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture
and the Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service, to
place interns from eligible institutions in, or in service to
benefit, developing countries; and
“(G) establishing a program to provide fellowships to
students at eligible institutions to study at foreign
agricultural colleges and universities.”;
(3) in subsection (c), in the matter preceding paragraph
(1), by striking “covered Institutions” and inserting
“eligible institutions”; and
(4) in subsection (d), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
(b) Conforming Amendment.—Section 1459A of the National
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of
1977 (7 U.S.C. 3292b) is repealed.
SEC. 7119. RESEARCH EQUIPMENT GRANTS.
Section 1462A(e) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C.
3310a(e)) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7120. UNIVERSITY RESEARCH.
Section 1463 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3311) is
amended by striking “2023” each place it appears in
subsections (a) and (b) and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7121. EXTENSION SERVICE.
Section 1464 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3312) is
amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7122. SUPPLEMENTAL AND ALTERNATIVE CROPS.
Section 1473D of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3319d)
is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”;
(2) in subsection (c)(3)—
(A) in subparagraph (E), by striking “and” at the end;
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (G);
and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:
“(F) to examine potential benefits and opportunities for
supplemental and alternative crops (including winter-planted
rapeseed and winter-planted canola crops); and”; and
(3) in subsection (e)(3), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7123. GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE AGRICULTURE AND
NATURAL RESOURCES PROGRAMS.
Section 1473E of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3319e)
is amended—
(1) by amending the section heading to read as follows:
“grants for community college agriculture and natural
resources programs”;
(2) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e);
(3) by striking subsections (a) through (c) and inserting
the following:
“(a) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Eligible entity.—The term `eligible entity' means—
“(A) a junior or community college (as defined in section
312 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058))
supporting agriculture advancement;
“(B) a consortium or alliance of 2-year public colleges
supporting agriculture advancement; or
“(C) an area career and technical education school (as
defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302)) that offers
a program of study in agriculture.
“(2) Work-based learning.—The term `work-based learning'
has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Carl D.
Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C.
2302).
“(b) Competitive Grants.—The Secretary shall make
competitive grants to eligible entities to conduct workforce
training, education, research, and outreach activities
relating to food and agricultural sciences.
“(c) Priority.—In making grants under subsection (b), the
Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity
coordinating with a local agriculture industry operator or
conservation district to provide work-based learning,
experiential training, and other opportunities for students.
“(d) Use of Funds.—An eligible entity that receives a
grant under subsection (b) may use the funds made available
through the grant—
“(1) to offer educational programming on agricultural
industry jobs, including farm business management-related
subjects, such as accounting, paralegal studies, finance, and
soil, water, and related resource conservation;
“(2) to develop apprenticeships and other work-based
learning opportunities; and
“(3) other services that would increase workforce
training, education, research, and outreach activities
relating to food and agricultural sciences, as determined by
the Secretary.”; and
(4) in subsection (e), as so redesignated, by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7124. CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS FOR NLGCA INSTITUTIONS.
Section 1473F(b) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C.
3319i(b)) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7125. AGRICULTURE ADVANCED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY.
Section 1473H of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3319k)
is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (2)—
(i) by inserting “, including precision agriculture,”
after “equipment”; and
(ii) by striking “relating to the research and development
of qualified products and projects”;
(B) in paragraph (5)—
(i) in the paragraph heading, by striking “Person” and
inserting “Eligible entity”;
(ii) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
“person” and inserting “eligible entity”;
(iii) by striking subparagraph (E); and
(iv) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) through (H) as
subparagraphs (E) through (G), respectively;
(C) in paragraph (6)—
(i) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking “and” at the
end;
(ii) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking the period at the
end and inserting “; or”; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
“(D) any other product or project, as determined by the
Secretary.”; and
(D) in paragraph (7), by striking “that is developed to
assist in the discovery, development, or manufacture of a
qualified product or project”;
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (2), by amending subparagraph (B) to read
as follows:
“(B) to overcome the long-term and high-risk technological
barriers in the development of agricultural technologies,
research tools, and qualified products and projects that
enhance export competitiveness, environmental sustainability,
water conservation, and resilience to extreme weather,
drought, infectious diseases, plant and animal pathogens, and
plant and animal pests;”;
(B) in paragraph (4)—
(i) in subparagraph (C), by striking “persons” and
inserting “eligible entities”; and
(ii) in subparagraph (G), by striking “persons” and
inserting “eligible entities”; and
(C) in paragraph (7)(A)—
(i) by striking “a person” and inserting “an eligible
entity”; and
(ii) by striking “the person” and inserting “the
eligible entity”;
(3) in subsection (c)—
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking “persons” and inserting
“eligible entities”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Use of strategic plan.—The Secretary shall use the
strategic plan developed under paragraph (1) to inform the
administration of AGARDA under this section.”;
(4) in subsection (d)(3), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”; and
(5) in subsection (e)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “5 years” and inserting
“13 years”; and
(B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking “5-year” and
inserting “13-year”.
SEC. 7126. AQUACULTURE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
Section 1477(a)(2) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C.
3324(a)(2)) is amended by striking “2023” and insert
“2031”.
SEC. 7127. SPECIAL AUTHORIZATION FOR BIOSECURITY PLANNING AND
RESPONSE.
Section 1484(a)(3) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C.
3351(a)(3)) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7128. AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROTECTION GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.—Section 1485 of the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7
U.S.C. 3352) is amended—
(1) by amending the section heading to read as follows:
“agriculture and food protection grant program”;
(2) by striking subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and
(f) and inserting the following:
“(a) In General.—The Secretary shall establish a
competitive grant program under which the Secretary will
award grants to eligible entities to support research,
extension, and education activities that improve the
capability of the United States to protect the food and
agricultural system from any chemical, biological,
cybersecurity, or bioterrorism attack.
“(b) Use of Funds.—Grants made under this section shall
be used to—
“(1) encourage basic and applied research and development
of agricultural countermeasures;
“(2) promote the development and expansion of teaching
programs in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and other
disciplines closely allied to the food and agriculture system
to increase the number of trained individuals with an
expertise in agricultural biosecurity and cybersecurity;
“(3) expand or upgrade facilities to meet biosafety and
biosecurity requirements necessary to protect facility staff,
members of the public, and the food supply while carrying out
agricultural biosecurity research;
“(4) costs associated with the acquisition of equipment
and other capital costs related to expansion of food,
agriculture, and veterinary medicine teaching programs in
agricultural biosecurity and cybersecurity; or
“(5) otherwise improve the capacity of the United States
to respond in a timely manner to emerging or existing
threats.
“(c) Eligible Entities.—Entities eligible to receive a
grant under this section include—
“(1) State agricultural experiment stations;
“(2) State departments of agriculture;
“(3) colleges and universities;
“(4) university research foundations;
“(5) other research institutions and organizations;
“(6) Federal agencies;
“(7) national laboratories; or
“(8) any group consisting of 2 or more of the entities
described in paragraphs (1) through (7).”;
(3) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (d); and
(4) in subsection (d), as so redesignated, by striking
“for each fiscal year.” and inserting “for each of fiscal
years 2027 through 2031.”.
(b) Conforming Amendments.—Chapters 1 and 2 of subtitle B
of title XIV of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 (7 U.S.C. 8912, 8913, 8921, and 8922) are repealed.
SEC. 7129. DISTANCE EDUCATION GRANTS FOR INSULAR AREAS.
Section 1490(f)(2) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C.
3362(f)(2)) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7130. RESIDENT INSTRUCTION GRANTS FOR INSULAR AREAS.
Section 1491(c)(2) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C.
3363(c)(2)) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7131. REPEALS.
(a) Section 1410 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 ((7 U.S.C. 3125)
is repealed.
(b) Section 1419C of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3158) is
repealed.
(c) Section 1447A of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222b-1)
is repealed.
(d) Subtitle M of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3331 et
seq.) is repealed.
Subtitle B—Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990
SEC. 7201. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION.
Subtitle B of title XVI of the Food, Agriculture,
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.)
is amended by striking “2023” each place it appears in
sections 1624 (7 U.S.C. 5814), 1627(d) (7 U.S.C. 5821(d)),
1628(f)(2) (7 U.S.C. 5831(f)(2)), and 1629(i) (7 U.S.C.
5832(i)), and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7202. NATIONAL GENETICS RESOURCES PROGRAM.
Section 1635(b)(2) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation,
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5844(b)(2)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7203. AGRICULTURAL GENOME TO PHENOME INITIATIVE.
Section 1671(g) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5924(g)) is amended by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7204. HIGH-PRIORITY RESEARCH AND EXTENSION INITIATIVES.
Section 1672 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925) is amended—
(1) in subsection (d)—
(A) by striking paragraphs (5), (6), (9), (10), (11), (13),
and (18);
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (7), (8), (12), (14), (15),
(16), (17), (19), and (20) as paragraphs (5), (6), (7), (8),
(9), (10), (11), (12), and (13), respectively;
(C) in paragraph (11), as so redesignated, by inserting
“and harmful algal blooms” after “macro-algae systems”;
and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
“(14) Fertilizer and nutrient management initiative.—
Research and extension grants may be made under this section
for the purposes of carrying out research to improve
fertilizer use efficiency in crops and examining nutrient
management based on the source, rate, timing, and placement
of crop nutrients.
“(15) Tropical plant health initiative.—Research and
extension grants may be made under this section for the
purposes of—
“(A) developing and disseminating science-based tools and
treatments to combat plant pests and noxious weeds (as those
terms are defined in section 403 of the Plant Protection Act
(7 U.S.C. 7702)) that impact tropical plants, including—
“(i) coffee plants;
“(ii) macadamia trees;
“(iii) cacao trees;
“(iv) plantains and bananas;
“(v) mangos;
“(vi) vanilla plants;
“(vii) tropical floriculture and nursery crops; and
“(viii) any other tropical plant as determined by the
Secretary;
“(B) establishing an areawide integrated pest management
program in areas affected by, or areas at risk of being
affected by, plant pests or noxious weeds;
“(C) surveying and collecting data on tropical plant
production and health;
“(D) investigating tropical plant biology, immunology,
ecology, genomics, and bioinformatics; and
“(E) conducting research on various factors that may
contribute to, or be associated with, tropical plant immune
systems and other serious threats to tropical plants.
“(16) Biochar research.—Research and extension grants may
be made under this section for the purpose of testing the
full range of biochar types across soil types, soil health
and soil management conditions, application methods, and
climatic and agronomic regions, including through the
establishment of a national biochar research network, to—
“(A) assess the soil carbon sequestration potential of
various biochars and management systems integrating biochar
use;
“(B) understand how to use biochar productively to
contribute to climate mitigation, crop production, resilience
to extreme weather events, ecosystem and soil health, natural
resource conservation, and farm profitability; and
“(C) deliver science-based, region-specific, cost-
effective, and practical information to farmers, ranchers,
foresters, land reclamation managers, urban land managers,
and other land and natural resource managers and businesses
on sustainable biochar production and application.
“(17) Wildfire smoke exposure research.—Research and
extension grants may be made under this section for the
purposes of studying the impact of wildfire smoke exposure on
specialty crops, including wine grapes, hops, stone fruit,
and apples, by—
“(A) conducting research—
“(i) to identify the compounds responsible for smoke
exposure; and
“(ii) to establish standard methodologies for sampling and
testing smoke-exposed specialty crops and smoke-affected
products, including fast and inexpensive screening methods;
“(B) establishing a reliable database of background levels
of smoke exposure compounds that occur naturally in specialty
crops;
“(C) developing risk assessment tools or mitigation
methods to reduce or eliminate smoke exposure; and
“(D) studying compounds that can act as a barrier between
specialty crops and smoke compounds.
“(18) Invasive species research.—Research and extension
grants may be made under this section for the purposes of
developing and disseminating science-based tools and
treatments to manage or eradicate (including through methods
of biocontrol and sterile insect techniques) invasive species
of plants and animals, such as the spotted lanternfly
(Lycorma delicatula), navel orangeworm (Amyelois
transitella), and spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila
suzukii).
“(19) Microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances on farmland.—Research and extension grants may be
made under this section for the purposes of carrying out or
enhancing research on the agricultural impacts of
microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,
including structural firefighting foam, in land-applied
biosolids or compost on farmland, including by—
“(A) conducting surveys and collecting data on
concentration, particle size, and chemical composition of
such substances in land-applied biosolids on farmland;
“(B) the development or analysis of techniques, including
wastewater treatment and composting, to filter out or
biodegrade such substances from biosolids intended to be used
for agricultural purposes;
“(C) conducting an analysis of the impact on agricultural
crops and soil health of such substances in land-applied
biosolids on farmland, including the uptake of such
substances by various crops or livestock;
“(D) conducting research to better understand how
wastewater processing impacts such substances;
“(E) conducting research to better understand the fate,
residence time, and transport of such substances on farmland;
and
“(F) conducting research on how to remediate soil and
water systems contaminated with such substances.
“(20) Agricultural byproducts research.—Research and
extension grants may be made under this section for the
purposes of converting agricultural byproducts or forest
residuals into valuable materials and products, including
innovations in production processes for easily deployable
refining facilities, developing alternatives to agricultural
burning, and fostering energy production through recycling
animal byproducts, wet waste, and plant-based waste.
“(21) Soil health research.—Research and extension grants
may be made under this section for the purposes of—
“(A) developing management practices that improve soil
health, including establishing tools that aid soil
preservation or improve composition of soil organic compounds
that are beneficial to soil quality and the environment; and
“(B) disseminating such practices through methods such as
innovative coursework and work-based learning.
“(22) White oak research.—Research and extension grants
may be made under this section for the purposes of white oak
research, including conducting research on—
“(A) white oak genes with resistance and stress tolerance;
“(B) white oak trees that exhibit vigor for the purpose of
increasing survival and growth;
“(C) establishing a diverse white oak seed bank capable of
responding to stressors;
“(D) providing a sustainable supply of white oak seedlings
and genetic resources;
“(E) reforestation of white oak through natural and
artificial regeneration; and
“(F) the best methods for reforesting abandoned mine land
sites.
“(23) Alternative growing media research.—Research and
extension grants may be made under this section for the
purposes of developing and enhancing research on the
characterization, utilization, and evaluation of alternative
growing media, including science-based techniques that
maximize functions in the growth of plants and harvest
yields.
“(24) Rangeland research.—Research and extension grants
may be made under this section for the purposes of carrying
out or enhancing research on the development of forage
production and improved grazing and range management,
including the adoption of virtual fencing technology that
simultaneously enhance wildlife habitat, protect watersheds,
and reduce hazards of erosion and flooding.
“(25) Specialty crop mechanization and automation
research.—Research and extension grants may be made under
this section for the purpose of developing and evaluating
mechanization and automation technologies for specialty
crops.”;
(2) in subsection (e)(5), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”;
(3) in subsection (f)(5), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”;
(4) in subsection (g)—
(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”;
(B) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”; and
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”;
(5) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i);
(6) by inserting after subsection (g) the following:
“(h) Report.—Not later than February 1, 2028, and not
less frequently than once every other year thereafter, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report describing how
the Department carried out research and extension activities
specified in subsections (d) through (f) for the previous two
fiscal years, including the amount of funding allocated to
each high-priority research and extension initiative,
through—
“(1) amounts made available under appropriations Acts to
the Agricultural Research Service;
“(2) amounts made available to the National Institute of
Food and Agriculture under capacity and infrastructure
programs (as defined in section 251 of the Department of
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971));
“(3) amounts made available to the National Institute of
Food and Agriculture under competitive programs (as defined
in such section); and
“(4) amounts made available through other agencies within
the Department.”; and
(7) in subsection (i) (as redesignated by paragraph (4)),
by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7205. ORGANIC AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION
INITIATIVE.
Section 1672B of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925b) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph
(1), by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”;
(2) by striking subsection (e);
(3) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (e); and
(4) in subsection (e), as so redesignated—
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”; and
(B) by striking paragraph (3).
SEC. 7206. FARM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT.
Section 1672D(d)(2) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation,
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925f(d)(2)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7207. URBAN, INDOOR, AND OTHER EMERGING AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTION RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION
INITIATIVE.
Section 1672E(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation,
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925g(a))—
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—
(A) by striking “the Urban Agriculture and Innovative
Production Advisory Committee established under section
222(b) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of
1994” and inserting “the Urban Agriculture and Innovative
Production Advisory Committee and the Office of Urban
Agriculture and Innovative Production established under
section 222 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization
Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6923)”; and
(B) by striking “emerging agricultural production” and
inserting “emerging agricultural production practices (as
described in subsection (a)(3) of such section)”;
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking “emerging agricultural
production” and inserting “emerging agricultural production
practices”;
(3) in paragraph (7), by striking “or” at the end;
(4) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at the end and
inserting a semicolon; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
“(9) managing waste streams to improve the environmental
footprint; or
“(10) advising land-grant colleges and universities (as
defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7
U.S.C. 3103)), minority-serving institutions (as described in
section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1067q(a))), junior or community colleges (as defined in
section 312(f) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1058(f))), and
vocational schools, with respect to career and technical
education.”.
SEC. 7208. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.
Section 1673 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5926) is amended—
(1) by striking subsections (a), (b), and (c) and inserting
the following:
“(a) Centers of Excellence.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall
establish at least one center of excellence for the purpose
of carrying out research, extension, or education activities
for each of the areas of focus described in paragraph (3).
“(2) Host institutions.—
“(A) In general.—Institutions eligible to host or co-host
a center of excellence established under this subsection
include—
“(i) 1862 Institutions, as defined in section 2 of the
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of
1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601);
“(ii) 1890 Institutions, as defined in section 2 of the
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of
1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601);
“(iii) 1994 Institutions, as defined in section 532 of the
Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C.
301 note);
“(iv) non-land-grant colleges of agriculture, as defined
in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103);
“(v) Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges or
universities, as defined in section 1404 of the National
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of
1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103); and
“(vi) accredited schools of veterinary medicine.
“(B) Distribution.—To the maximum extent practicable, the
Secretary shall ensure the geographic diversity of
institutions selected to host or co-host a center of
excellence established under this subsection.
“(C) Limitation.—An institution may host or co-host only
one center of excellence under this subsection at a time.
“(D) Duties.—The institution or institutions selected to
host or co-host a center of excellence established under this
subsection shall partner with the Agricultural Research
Service, other Federal agencies, State governments, other
institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)),
agricultural industry groups, or other relevant entities to—
“(i) reduce duplicative efforts and focus on filling gaps
across research, extension, or education activities by
enhancing coordination and improving cost-effectiveness;
“(ii) leverage available resources by using public-private
partnerships;
“(iii) implement training and educational initiatives to
increase awareness and effectively disseminate solutions to
target audiences through extension activities;
“(iv) increase the economic returns to rural communities
by identifying, attracting, and directing funds to high-
priority agricultural issues;
“(v) rapidly respond to emerging issues that threaten any
sector of the United States agricultural industry;
“(vi) focus on workforce development for employers to
recruit and retain high-quality employees in rural areas; and
“(vii) engage in assistance for administrative management
and education regarding potentially valuable intellectual
property derived from federally-supported research,
extension, or education activities.
“(3) Areas of focus.—
“(A) Aquaculture.—A center of excellence established
under this subsection may engage in research, extension, or
education activities focused on developing and applying
aquaculture methods, including through the propagation and
rearing of economically and ecologically valuable aquatic and
marine species.
“(B) Beginning farmers and ranchers.—A center of
excellence established under this subsection may engage in
research, extension or education activities focused on
training beginning farmers and ranchers, including farm and
agribusiness management, mentoring and technical assistance,
and access to capital.
“(C) Biosecurity and cybersecurity.—A center of
excellence established under this subsection may engage in
research, extension, or education activities focused on
agricultural biosecurity and cybersecurity efforts to defend
the United States food supply from any attacks.
“(D) Biosystems and agricultural engineering.—A center of
excellence established under this subsection may engage in
research, extension, or education activities focused on
biosystems and agricultural engineering, including precision
agriculture technologies and mechanization and automation
technologies for specialty crops.
“(E) Biotechnology.—A center of excellence established
under this subsection may engage in research, extension, or
education activities focused on development of animal and
plant biotechnologies that will increase agricultural
productivity.
“(F) Crop production, protection, and resilience.—A
center of excellence established under this subsection may
engage in research, extension, or education activities
focused on crop production and protection, including the
development, manufacture, and use of fertilizer, crop
protection tools, and adjuvants in increasing productivity
and protecting crops from damaging pests and diseases.
“(G) Digital agriculture.—A center of excellence
established under this subsection may engage in research,
extension, or education activities focused on developing,
evaluating, and deploying digital agriculture, including
artificial intelligence and remote sensing systems.
“(H) Farm business and financial management.—A center of
excellence established under this subsection may engage in
research, extension, or education activities focused on farm
business and financial management activities, including
marketing plans, production diversification, and cash forward
contracting.
“(I) Food quality.—A center of excellence established
under this subsection may engage in research, extension, or
education activities focused on improving food quality,
including research on the uptake of per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances in food, the presence of microplastics in
biosolids, and the efficacy and feasibility of reducing
levels of inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium, or mercury in
food.
“(J) Foreign animal disease.—A center of excellence
established under this subsection may engage in research,
extension, or education activities focused on foreign animal
diseases, including the ecology and etiology of emerging
diseases, control methods, and implementation strategies to
enhance preparedness and response efforts to protect the
livestock and poultry industry.
“(K) Forestry.—A center of excellence established under
this subsection may engage in research, extension, or
education activities focused on forest productivity and
forest health, including invasive species control, biochar
and pyrolysis development and commercialization,
reforestation and restoration of damaged landscapes, and new
wood-based materials.
“(L) Invasive species.—A center of excellence established
under this subsection may engage in research, extension, or
education activities focused on the control and eradication
of invasive species that pose a persistent and growing threat
to United States agricultural production, forest resources,
global food security, and rural economies.
“(M) Livestock and poultry.—A center of excellence
established under this subsection may engage in research,
extension, or education activities focused on issues
impacting livestock (including equines) and poultry
production in the United States, including economic research
to understand policy implications for producers.
“(N) Veterinary medicine.—A center of excellence
established under this subsection may engage in research,
extension, or education activities focused on developing
additional veterinarians, including large animal
veterinarians, to address the veterinarian shortage in rural
areas.
“(O) Water quality and quantity.—A center of excellence
established under this subsection may engage in research,
extension, or education activities focused on water quality
and quantity efforts, including drought, water management,
natural resource benefits, and the health and resilience of
the water supply in the United States.
“(4) Terms.—
“(A) Duration.—The term of an award under this subsection
shall be for a five-year period, and may be renewed for not
more than one additional five-year period.
“(B) Construction prohibited.—Funds made available under
this subsection shall not be used for the construction of a
new building or facility or the acquisition, expansion,
remodeling, or alteration of an existing building or facility
(including site grading and improvement, and architect fees).
“(5) Annual report.—Not later than one year after the
date of enactment of this subsection, and every year
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a
report describing—
“(A) the projects initiated by each center of excellence
established under this subsection in the preceding year;
“(B) the amount of funding for each such project and the
funding source;
“(C) the institutions participating in each such project
and their shares of the overall funding for each project;
“(D) the level of cost sharing for each such project;
“(E) any technology transfer and intellectual property
management actions taken by each such center of excellence,
such as the number of relevant invention disclosures, any
provisional patents filed, any non-provisional patents filed
and issued, the number of licenses executed, and any start-up
companies registered; and
“(F) any additional information deemed necessary.”;
(2) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (b);
(3) in subsection (b), as so redesignated—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) by striking “The Secretary” and inserting “In
addition to the centers of excellence established under
subsection (a), the Secretary”; and
(ii) by striking “not less than 3 centers of excellence”
and inserting “not less than 8 centers of excellence”;
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) in subparagraph (A)—
(I) in the subparagraph heading, by striking “and
workforce development” and inserting “, workforce
development, and rural studies”; and
(II) by inserting “economics, psychology, rural sociology,
data sciences,” after “mathematics,”;
(ii) in subparagraph (E), by inserting “and nature-based
solutions to improve the composition of soil organic
compounds, including carbon, that are beneficial to soil
quality and the environment” before the period at the end;
and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
“(G) Forest health and conservation.—A center of
excellence established under paragraph (1) may focus on
forest health, sustainable forest management, agroforestry,
enhancing forest resilience to catastrophic wildfire,
supporting rural infrastructure, and urban and community
forestry programs to promote healthy forest ecosystems and
resilient communities.
“(H) Food safety, bioprocessing, and value-added
agriculture.—A center of excellence established under
paragraph (1) may focus on food safety, bioprocessing, value-
added agriculture enterprise development, and innovative food
and agriculture product development.”; and
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7209. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM FOR FARMERS WITH
DISABILITIES.
Section 1680 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5933) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(3)—
(A) in subparagraph (D), by striking “and” at the end;
(B) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end
and inserting “; and”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(F) provide education and support to youth and young
adults with disabilities interested in farming and farm-
related occupations.”; and
(2) in subsection (c)(1)(B), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7210. FARMING OPPORTUNITIES TRAINING AND OUTREACH.
Section 2501 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279) is amended—
(1) in subsection (c)—
(A) in paragraph (2), in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A)—
(i) by striking “Secretary of Agriculture” and inserting
“Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Director of
the National Institute of Food and Agriculture,”; and
(ii) by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”; and
(B) in paragraph (4)—
(i) in subparagraph (F), by inserting “and organizations
that provide training and technical assistance in budgeting,
business planning, and similar financial and management
skills that focus on the ongoing economic viability of
beginning farm and ranch enterprises” after “veteran
farmers and ranchers”;
(ii) in subparagraph (I)(ii), by striking “shall include a
broad representation of peers of the eligible entity” and
inserting “shall include a broad representation of
individuals with demonstrated expertise in farm business
management”; and
(iii) in subparagraph (J), by striking “to the eligible
entities providing that technical assistance” and inserting
“to the needs of farmers and ranchers' ongoing economic
viability”;
(2) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”;
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) by striking subparagraph (J); and
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (K), (L), (M), (N), and
(O) as subparagraphs (J), (K), (L), (M) and (N),
respectively;
(C) in paragraph (8), by striking “to partnerships and
collaborations that are led by or include nongovernmental,
community-based organizations and school-based educational
organizations with expertise in new agricultural producer
training and outreach” and inserting “to programs that
provide training and technical assistance in budgeting,
business planning, and similar financial and management
skills that focus on the ongoing economic viability of
beginning farm and ranch enterprises”; and
(D) in paragraph (12)(B), by striking “a broad
representation of peers of the applicant for the grant or
cooperative agreement” and inserting “a broad
representation of the United States agriculture industry and
individuals with demonstrated expertise in farm business
management”; and
(3) in subsection (l)(2), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7211. NATIONAL RURAL INFORMATION CENTER CLEARINGHOUSE.
Section 2381(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 3125b(e)) is amended by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7212. REPEAL.
Subtitle D of title XVI of the Food, Agriculture,
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5851 et seq.)
is repealed.
SEC. 7213. RESEARCHING THE TRANSITION TO ORGANIC.
Title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade
Act of 1990 is amended by inserting after section 1673 (7
U.S.C. 5926) the following:
“SEC. 1674. RESEARCHING THE TRANSITION TO ORGANIC.
“(a) Competitive Specialized Research and Extension Grants
Authorized.—The Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in
this section as the `Secretary'), in consultation with the
National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and
Economics Advisory Board, may make competitive grants to
support research, education, and extension activities
relating to the transition of nonorganic production systems
into organic agricultural production systems for the purposes
of—
“(1) overcoming barriers to transitioning to organic
agricultural production;
“(2) documenting and understanding the effects of organic
practices on ecosystem services, including soil health and
fertility, greenhouse gas mitigation and sequestration, water
management, biodiversity-related services, and pest
management; and
“(3) developing improved technologies, methods, models,
and metrics to document, describe, and optimize ecosystem
services of transitioning agricultural production into
organic management.
“(b) Grant Administration.—Paragraphs (4), (7), (8), and
(11)(B) of subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, and
Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)) shall apply
with respect to the making of grants under this section.
“(c) Authorization of Appropriations.—There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$7,500,000 for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year
thereafter.”.
Subtitle C—Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act
of 1998
SEC. 7301. NATIONAL FOOD SAFETY TRAINING, EDUCATION,
EXTENSION, OUTREACH, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM.
Section 405 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7625) is amended—
(1) by striking subsection (d);
(2) by redesignating subsections (e) through (j) as
subsections (d) through (i), respectively; and
(3) in subsection (i), as so redesignated, by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7302. INTEGRATED RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION
COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM.
Section 406(f) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7626(f)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7303. SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH REGARDING DISEASES OF WHEAT,
TRITICALE, AND BARLEY CAUSED BY FUSARIUM
GRAMINEARUM OR BY TILLETIA INDICA.
Section 408(e)(3) of the Agricultural Research, Extension,
and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7628(e)(3)) is
amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7304. GRANTS FOR YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS.
Section 410(d)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension,
and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7630(d)(2)) is
amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7305. SPECIALTY CROP RESEARCH INITIATIVE.
Section 412 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632) is amended—
(1) in subsection (f)(3), by striking “subsection (d) and
(j)” and inserting “subsections (d), (j), and (k)”;
(2) in subsection (g)(3), by adding at the end the
following:
“(C) Waiver.—The Secretary may waive the matching funds
requirement under subparagraph (A) with respect to a grant if
the Secretary determines that—
“(i) the results of the grant are of a particular benefit
to a specific specialty crop, but such results are likely to
be applicable to specialty crops or agricultural commodities,
generally; or
“(ii)(I) the grant—
“(aa) involves a minor commodity; and
“(bb) deals with scientifically important research; and
“(II) the recipient is unable to satisfy the matching
funds requirement.”;
(3) in subsection (j)(5), by striking “subsection
(k)(1)(C)” and inserting “subsection (l)(1)(C)”;
(4) by redesignating subsection (k) as subsection (l);
(5) by inserting after subsection (j) the following:
“(k) Specialty Crop Mechanization and Automation Research
and Extension Program.—The Secretary shall establish a
competitive research and extension grant program to award
grants to eligible entities to increase the competitiveness
of specialty crops in the United States through the
advancement and acceleration of mechanization and automation,
including projects that—
“(1) create or improve cost-effective mechanization and
automation technologies to—
“(A) reduce the manual labor requirements of a specialty
crop grower; or
“(B) increase the efficiency of—
“(i) crop production;
“(ii) resource management;
“(iii) harvesting;
“(iv) processing;
“(v) post-harvest technologies; or
“(vi) packing;
“(2) increase adoption of mechanization and automation
technologies by—
“(A) emphasizing adoption drivers, including—
“(i) connectivity;
“(ii) autonomy;
“(iii) reliability;
“(iv) durability;
“(v) in-field validation; or
“(vi) cost-effectiveness; or
“(B) investing in, and developing human capital to,
increase the capacity to—
“(i) utilize new technologies; or
“(ii) manage a more tech-focused farm workforce; or
“(3) accelerate automation and mechanization through—
“(A) prototype development;
“(B) in-field trial testing;
“(C) ongoing industry engagement; or
“(D) rapid commercialization.”; and
(6) in subsection (l), as redesignated by paragraph (4)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) by amending subparagraph (C) to read as follows:
“(C) Reservation for specialty crop mechanization and
automation research and extension program.—For each of
fiscal years 2027 through 2031, the Secretary shall reserve
not less than $30,000,000 of the funds made available under
subparagraph (B) to carry out the program established under
subsection (k).”; and
(ii) by amending subparagraph (D) to read as follows:
“(D) Reallocation.—Notwithstanding paragraph (4), any
funds reserved under subparagraph (C) that remain unobligated
at the end of the fiscal year following the fiscal year in
which such funds are first made available shall be
reallocated to carry out activities of the specialty crop
research initiative established under subsection (b).”;
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) in the paragraph heading, by striking “for fiscal
years 2014 through 2023”; and
(ii) by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”;
(C) by striking paragraph (3); and
(D) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as paragraphs
(3) and (4), respectively.
SEC. 7306. AGRICULTURE GRANTS FOR VETERAN EDUCATION AND
TRAINING SERVICES.
Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7624 et seq.) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 414. AGRICULTURE GRANTS FOR VETERAN EDUCATION AND
TRAINING SERVICES.
“(a) In General.—The Secretary shall establish a program
under which the Secretary will award competitive grants to
eligible entities for the purpose of establishing and
enhancing farming and ranching opportunities for veterans (as
defined in section 101(2) of title 38, United States Code).
“(b) Eligible Entities.—An entity is eligible for a grant
under this section if such entity is—
“(1) a cooperative extension service;
“(2) a land-grant college or university (as defined in
section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103));
“(3) a non-land-grant college of agriculture (as defined
in such section);
“(4) a Hispanic-serving agricultural college and
university (as defined in such section);
“(5) a State department of agriculture;
“(6) a nonprofit organization;
“(7) a community-based organization; or
“(8) a combination of 2 or more eligible entities
described in paragraphs (1) through (7).
“(c) Use of Funds.—An eligible entity that receives a
grant under this section shall use the funds received through
the grant—
“(1) to provide training and classroom education that
leads to a comprehensive understanding of farm and ranch
business operations and management practices;
“(2) to develop or identify curriculum that veteran
farmers and ranchers can adopt to help manage their
enterprise;
“(3) to offer education, workshops, tours, and instructor-
supervised field experiences; or
“(4) to support any other activity, as identified by the
Secretary, to increase the number of veterans pursuing
knowledge and skills development in agriculture.
“(d) Matching Funds.—An entity that receives a grant
under this section shall provide non-Federal matching funds
for the purposes of carrying out this section in an amount
equal to not less than the amount of the grant.
“(e) Authorization of Appropriations.—There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2031.”.
SEC. 7307. FOOD ANIMAL RESIDUE AVOIDANCE DATABASE PROGRAM.
Section 604(e) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7642(e)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7308. OFFICE OF PEST MANAGEMENT POLICY.
Section 614(f)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension,
and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7653(f)(2)) is
amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7309. FORESTRY PRODUCTS ADVANCED UTILIZATION RESEARCH.
Section 617(f)(1) of the Agricultural Research, Extension,
and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7655b(f)(1)) is
amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7310. REPEALS.
The Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform
Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601 et seq.) is amended—
(1) by striking section 404 (7 U.S.C. 7624); and
(2) by striking section 411 (7 U.S.C. 7631).
Subtitle D—Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
SEC. 7401. GRAZINGLANDS RESEARCH LABORATORY.
Section 7502 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 (Public Law 110-246; 122 Stat. 2019) is amended by
striking “, or otherwise be conveyed or transferred in whole
or in part, for the period beginning on the date of the
enactment of this Act and ending on September 30, 2026” and
inserting “, beginning on the date of the enactment of this
Act”.
SEC. 7402. FARM AND RANCH STRESS ASSISTANCE NETWORK.
Section 7522 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 (7 U.S.C. 5936) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by inserting “, including
crisis hotlines” after “websites”;
(2) in subsection (d), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”;
(3) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g); and
(4) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
“(f) Referrals to Providers.—As part of the efforts of
the recipient of a grant under subsection (a) to connect
individuals to behavioral health counseling and wellness
support and to ensure individuals have access to a
comprehensive scope of mental health and substance use
treatments and supports, when applicable, the grant recipient
may establish referral relationships with—
“(1) certified community behavioral health clinics
described in section 223 of the Protecting Access to Medicare
Act of 2014 (42 U.S.C. 1396a note; Public Law 113-93);
“(2) health centers (as defined in section 330(a) of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(a)));
“(3) rural health clinics (as defined in section 1861(aa)
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)));
“(4) Federally qualified health centers (as defined in
that section); and
“(5) critical access hospitals (as defined in section
1861(mm) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395x(mm))).”.
SEC. 7403. SUN GRANT PROGRAM.
Section 7526 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 (7 U.S.C. 8114) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting “and bioproduct”
before “technologies”;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking “product” and inserting
“bioproduct”; and
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking “product” and inserting
“bioproduct”;
(2) in subsection (c)(2), by striking “4 percent” and
inserting “30 percent”; and
(3) in subsection (g), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7404. REPEALS.
The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C.
8701 et seq.) is amended—
(1) by striking section 7521 (7 U.S.C. 3202); and
(2) by striking section 7525 (7 U.S.C. 5937).
Subtitle E—Amendments to Other Laws
SEC. 7501. EQUITY IN EDUCATIONAL LAND-GRANT STATUS ACT OF
The Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7
U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103-382) is amended—
(1) in section 533(b), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”;
(2) in section 534(a)(1), by striking “equal to” and
inserting “that is not less than”;
(3) in section 535, by striking “2023” each place it
appears in subsections (b)(1) and (c) and inserting “2031”;
and
(4) in section 536—
(A) in subsection (a), by inserting before the period at
the end the following: “and to acquire, alter, repair,
maintain, and operate relevant equipment necessary for
strengthening the capacity of the Institution to conduct
research in the food and agricultural sciences”;
(B) by striking subsection (b);
(C) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (b); and
(D) in subsection (b) (as so redesignated), by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7502. RESEARCH FACILITIES ACT.
Section 6(a) of the Research Facilities Act (7 U.S.C.
390d(a)) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7503. AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE.
Subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities
Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)—
(A) in subparagraph (A)(iii)—
(i) by inserting “regionally adapted” before
“cultivar”; and
(ii) by inserting “breeding for environmental
resilience,” before “and participatory breeding”;
(B) in subparagraph (B)(i), by inserting “, including
methods of increasing survival rate and adaptability of
shellfish” after “aquaculture”;
(C) in subparagraph (E)—
(i) in clause (iv), by striking “and” at the end;
(ii) in clause (v), by striking the period at the end and
inserting “; and”; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
“(vi) hydroponics, aquaponics, aeroponics, and other
production technologies used in controlled-environment
agriculture production.”; and
(D) in subparagraph (F)—
(i) in clause (i), by inserting “, including supply chain
coordination and capacity building” after “overseas
markets”;
(ii) in clause (vii), by striking “; and” at the end and
inserting a semicolon;
(iii) in clause (viii), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
“(ix) workforce training and development, including meat
and poultry processing (including rendering) and precision
agriculture; and
“(x) reducing food loss and food waste.”;
(2) in paragraph (7)—
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) through (I) as
subparagraphs (E) through (J), respectively;
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:
“(D) area career and technical education schools;”; and
(C) in subparagraph (J), as so redesignated, by striking
“(H)” and inserting “(I)”; and
(3) in paragraph (11)(A), in the matter preceding clause
(i), by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7504. EXTENSION DESIGN AND DEMONSTRATION INITIATIVE.
Subsection (d)(6) of the Competitive, Special, and
Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(d)(6)) is
amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7505. BIOMASS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
Section 9008(h)(2) of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8108(h)(2)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7506. RENEWABLE RESOURCES EXTENSION ACT OF 1978.
The Renewable Resources Extension Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C.
1671 et seq.) is amended—
(1) in section 6 (16 U.S.C. 1675), in the first sentence,
by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”; and
(2) in section 8 (16 U.S.C. 1671 note), by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7507. NATIONAL AQUACULTURE ACT OF 1980.
The National Aquaculture Act of 1980 (16 U.S.C. 2801 et
seq.) is amended—
(1) in section 4 (16 U.S.C. 2803)—
(A) in subsection (a)(2), by striking “acquaculture” and
inserting “aquaculture”;
(B) in subsection (d), in the matter preceding paragraph
(1), by inserting “, not less than once every 3 years,”
after “periodic reviews”; and
(C) in subsection (e)—
(i) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting “,
not less than once every 3 years,” after “undertake a
continuing assessment of aquaculture in the United States”;
(ii) in paragraph (5), by striking “and” at the end;
(iii) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
“(7) a catalog of new and existing capital constraints, as
described in the capital requirements plan formulated under
section 8(b), that affect the development of the aquaculture
industry in the United States; and
“(8) a catalog of new and existing Federal or State
regulatory barriers, as described in the regulatory
constraints plan formulated under section 9(b), to the
initiation and operation of commercial aquaculture
ventures.”;
(2) in section 5 (16 U.S.C. 2804), by striking subsection
(d) and inserting the following:
“(d) Aquaculture Advisory Committee.—
“(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of
2026, the Secretary shall establish an advisory committee, to
be known as the Aquaculture Advisory Committee (referred to
in this subsection as the `Committee'), to advise the
Secretary on—
“(A) oversight of programs of the Department and other
members of the coordinating group to support development of,
and to advance, aquaculture best practices using the best
available science, in consultation with farmers and industry
partners;
“(B) providing technical assistance to aquaculture farmers
and businesses, including technical assistance that pertains
to shellfish, algae, and land-based aquaculture systems,
using the best available science; and
“(C) any other aspects of the implementation of this Act.
“(2) Membership.—
“(A) In general.—The Committee shall be composed of 14
members, who are not officers or employees of the Federal
Government.
“(B) Initial appointments.—The Secretary shall appoint
the members of the Committee not later than 180 days after
the date of enactment of this section.
“(C) Period of initial appointment; vacancies.—
“(i) In general.—Except as provided in clause (ii), a
member of the Committee shall be appointed for a term of 3
years.
“(ii) Initial appointments.—Of the members first
appointed to the Committee—
“(I) 5 of the members, as determined by the Secretary,
shall be appointed for a term of 3 years;
“(II) 5 of the members, as determined by the Secretary,
shall be appointed for a term of 2 years; and
“(III) 4 of the members, as determined by the Secretary,
shall be appointed for a term of 1 year.
“(iii) Vacancies.—Any vacancy in the Committee—
“(I) shall not affect the powers of the Committee; and
“(II) shall be filled as soon as practicable in the same
manner as the original appointment.
“(D) Consecutive terms.—An initial appointee of the
Committee may serve an additional consecutive term if the
member is reappointed by the Secretary.
“(3) Meetings.—
“(A) Frequency.—The Committee shall meet not fewer than 3
times per year.
“(B) Initial meeting.—Not later than 180 days after the
date on which the members are appointed under paragraph
(2)(B), the Committee shall hold the first meeting of the
Committee.
“(4) Duties.—The Committee shall—
“(A) develop recommendations and advise the Secretary on
aquaculture policies, initiatives, and outreach administered
by the Department;
“(B) evaluate and review ongoing research and extension
activities relating to aquaculture practices;
“(C) identify new and existing barriers to successful
aquaculture practices; and
“(D) provide additional assistance and advice to the
Secretary as appropriate.
“(5) Personnel matters.—
“(A) Compensation.—A member of the Committee shall serve
without compensation.
“(B) Travel expenses.—A member of the Committee shall be
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, in accordance with section 5703 of title 5,
United States Code.
“(6) Termination.—
“(A) In general.—Subject to subparagraph (B), the
Committee shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after
the date on which the members are appointed under paragraph
(2)(B).
“(B) Extensions.—Before the date on which the Committee
terminates, the Secretary may renew the Committee for 1 or
more 2-year periods.
“(e) Annual Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date
of the enactment of the Farm,
Food, and National Security Act of 2026, and each year
thereafter, the Secretary, acting through the coordinating
group and in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and
the Secretary of the Interior, shall prepare on an annual
basis, and submit to Congress, a report on the status of
aquaculture in the United States. Such report shall contain—
“(1) a description and evaluation of the actions
undertaken with respect to the Plan during the reporting
period;
“(2) an explanation of any revisions made to the Plan
during the reporting period;
“(3) the results of the continuing assessment established
under section 4(e);
“(4) an evaluation of the role each Federal department or
agency has in supporting the aquaculture industry;
“(5) the total amount and value of expenditures of Federal
departments or agencies on—
“(A) aquaculture purchases;
“(B) aquaculture promotion and outreach supporting the
aquaculture industry;
“(C) grants made to the aquaculture industry; and
“(D) grants to facilitate aquaculture research and the
subject matter of such research;
“(6) a summary of the activities and recommendations of
the Aquaculture Advisory Committee established under
subsection (d);
“(7) a summary of the activities and recommendations of
the coordinating group; and
“(8) such other comments and recommendations as the
Secretary determines appropriate.”; and
(3) in section 10 (16 U.S.C. 2809), by striking “2023”
each place it appears in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 7508. REPORTS ON DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS FOR AGRICULTURAL
RESEARCH AND EXTENSION AT 1862 AND 1890 LAND-
GRANT COLLEGES, INCLUDING TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY.
Section 7116 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7
U.S.C. 2207d) is amended—
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
“Not later than” and inserting the following:
“(a) In General.—Not later than”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(b) Outreach.—Not later than February 1 of each fiscal
year, the Secretary shall provide information relating to
each matching requirement applicable to the State under the
programs referred to in subsection (a) to the Governor and
legislature of each State in which an 1862 Institution or
1890 Institution (as those terms are defined in section 2 of
the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform
Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601)) is located.
“(c) Attestations.—
“(1) In general.—Not less frequently than once each
calendar year, the Governor of each State described in
subsection (b) shall submit to the Secretary an attestation
that describes if the State is able to fulfill each matching
requirement with respect to which information is provided by
the Secretary under such subsection for such State and
calendar year.
“(2) Reports.—Not later than December 31 of each calendar
year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress, and make
publicly available on the website of the Department of
Agriculture, an annual report describing the attestations
received under paragraph (1) during that calendar year.”.
SEC. 7509. REPEAL.
Section 1431 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act Amendments of 1985 (title
XIV of Public Law 99-198; 99 Stat. 1556) is repealed.
SEC. 7510. AMENDMENT TO SMITH-LEVER ACT.
Section 3(b)(3) of the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 343(b)(3))
is amended by inserting after “for the purposes set forth in
section 2” the following: “, and for 1994 Institutions to
acquire, alter, repair, maintain, and operate relevant
equipment necessary to strengthen the capacity of such 1994
Institutions to achieve the purposes set forth in section
2”.
Subtitle F—Other Matters
SEC. 7601. FOUNDATION FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE RESEARCH.
Section 7601 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C.
5939) is amended—
(1) in subsection (d)(1)—
(A) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) in clause (ii), by striking “of Agriculture; and” and
inserting a semicolon; and
(ii) by striking clause (iii); and
(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking “the roadmap for
agricultural research, education, and extension authorized by
section 7504 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 (7 U.S.C. 7614a)” and inserting “the national research
policies and priorities set forth in section 1402 of the
National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3101)”;
(2) in subsection (e)(2)(C)(i)—
(A) in subclause (I), by striking “National Academy of
Sciences” and inserting “National Agricultural Research,
Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board
established under section 1408 of the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7
U.S.C. 3123)”; and
(B) in subclause (II), by striking “industry” and
inserting “national farm, producer, or research
organizations”; and
(3) in subsection (f)(3)(B)(i)—
(A) in subclause (I)—
(i) in the matter preceding item (aa), by striking “and
post online” and inserting “online and submit to the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate”;
(ii) in item (bb), by striking “and” at the end;
(iii) in item (cc), by striking the period at the end and
inserting a semicolon; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following:
“(dd) the source and a description of all gifts to the
Foundation of real or personal property;
“(ee) the source and amount of each gift to the Foundation
of money, including a specification of any restrictions on
the purposes for which a gift to the Foundation may be used;
“(ff) the source and amount of any Federal or State grant,
contract, or cooperative agreement awarded to the Foundation;
“(gg) an accounting of the use of funds made available
under subsection (g)(1);
“(hh) a description of the Foundation's outreach
activities to agricultural stakeholders and potential
research partners; and
“(ii) a description of the Foundation's consultation
process with the Department under subsection (d)(1)(B).”;
(B) by striking subclauses (II) and (III); and
(C) by redesignating subclause (IV) as subclause (II).
SEC. 7602. AGRICULTURE INNOVATION CENTER DEMONSTRATION
PROGRAM.
Section 6402 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1632b) is amended—
(1) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (2)—
(i) by striking “Each Agriculture Innovation Center” and
inserting “Subject to paragraph (3), each Agriculture
Innovation Center”; and
(ii) by striking “following::” and inserting
“following:”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Waiver.—The Secretary may waive the requirement
described in paragraph (2) with respect to an eligible entity
if the Secretary determines that the eligible entity has a
board of directors adequate for the purpose of carrying out
this section.”; and
(2) in subsection (g), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 7603. LIVESTOCK INSECTS LABORATORY.
Public Law 100-208 (101 Stat. 1439) is amended by striking
“Knipling-Bushland Research Laboratory” each place it
appears and inserting “Knipling-Bushland Research Center”.
SEC. 7604. U.S. ABIT MASSEY NATIONAL POULTRY RESEARCH CENTER.
(a) Designation.—The U.S. National Poultry Research Center
of the Department of Agriculture located in Athens, Georgia
shall be known and designated as the “U.S. Abit Massey
National Poultry Research Center”.
(b) References.—Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be
a reference to the “U.S. Abit Massey National Poultry
Research Center”.
SEC. 7605. HATCH ACT OF 1887.
Section 5 of the Hatch Act of 1887 (7 U.S.C. 361e) is
amended—
(1) in the second sentence—
(A) by striking “known as a director” and inserting
“known as an experiment station director”; and
(B) by striking “or other officer appointed by the
government board of the station”;
(2) in the third sentence, by striking “or other
officer”; and
(3) in the fourth sentence, by striking “the authorized
receiving officer” and inserting “the experiment station
director”.
SEC. 7606. COMMISSION ON NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS
SERVICE MODERNIZATION.
(a) Establishment.—There is established a commission to be
known as the Commission on National Agricultural Statistics
Service Modernization (referred to in this section as the
“Commission”).
(b) Study.—The Commission shall conduct a study of the
National Agricultural Statistics Service and provide
recommendations on—
(1) how data collection can be modernized and streamlined
to—
(A) improve the quality of statistics reported;
(B) account for differences of national, regional, and
local production;
(C) accelerate adoption of new and innovative technologies
to reduce the number of surveys needed;
(D) improve producer response rates in statistical surveys
and identifying ways to reduce survey fatigue;
(E) increase transparency and confidence in statistical
reports through improved collaboration with agricultural
stakeholders;
(F) use more real-time statistical and environmental data
to complement existing survey-based data and reporting; and
(G) improve collection and generation of timely data on the
specialty crop industry; and
(2) how the recommendations under paragraph (1) with
respect to modernizing and streamlining data collection can
be implemented and the estimated costs of such
implementation.
(c) Membership.—
(1) Composition.—The Commission shall be composed of 11
members, as follows:
(A) The Administrator of the National Agricultural
Statistics Service.
(B) The Administrator of the Economic Research Service.
(C) The Chief Economist of the Department.
(D) The Chair of the World Agricultural Outlook Board of
the Department.
(E) A representative from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
(F) 3 members appointed by the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, of which—
(i) 1 shall be appointed by the chair of the Committee;
(ii) 1 shall be appointed by the ranking member of the
Committee; and
(iii) 1 shall be appointed jointly by the chair and ranking
member of the Committee.
(G) 3 members appointed by the Committee on Agriculture of
the House of Representatives, of which—
(i) 1 shall be appointed by the chair of the Committee;
(ii) 1 shall be appointed by the ranking member of the
Committee; and
(iii) 1 shall be appointed jointly by the chair and ranking
member of the Committee.
(2) Date of appointments.—The appointment of all members
of the Commission shall be made not later than 60 days after
the date of enactment of this Act.
(3) Term; vacancies.—
(A) Term.—A member shall be appointed for the life of the
Commission.
(B) Vacancies.—A vacancy on the Commission—
(i) shall not affect the powers of the Commission; and
(ii) shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointment was made.
(4) Initial meeting.—Not later than 60 days after the date
on which all members of the Commission have been appointed,
the Commission shall hold the initial meeting of the
Commission.
(d) Quorum.—A majority of the members of the Commission
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business,
but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.
(e) Chair.—The Chair of the Commission shall be selected
by a majority of the members of the Commission.
(f) Report.—Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the
President, the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate a report containing the results of
the study required by subsection (b), including—
(1) an inventory of surveys conducted by the Commission,
and the frequency with which they are conducted; and
(2) such recommendations for administrative, regulatory,
and legislative changes as the Commission considers
appropriate.
(g) Hearings.—The Commission shall hold such hearings,
meet and act at such times and places, take such testimony,
and receive such evidence as the Commission considers
advisable to carry out this section.
(h) Stakeholder Engagement.—The Commission shall establish
a process to collect feedback from agricultural stakeholders
to inform the results of the study required under subsection
(b) and the report required under subsection (f).
(i) Information From Federal Agencies.—The Commission may
secure directly from a Federal agency such information as the
Commission considers necessary to carry out this section. On
request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the head of the
agency shall provide the information to the Commission.
(j) Postal Services.—The Commission may use the United
States mail in the same manner and under the same conditions
as other agencies of the Federal Government.
(k) Assistance From Secretary.—The Secretary shall provide
to the Commission appropriate office space and such
reasonable administrative and support services as the
Commission may request.
(l) Compensation of Members.—
(1) Non-federal employees.—A member of the Commission who
is not an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall
be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the
annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the
Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United
States Code, for each day (including travel time) during
which the member is engaged in the performance of the duties
of the Commission.
(2) Federal employees.—A member of the Commission who is
an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall serve
without compensation in addition to the compensation received
for the services of the member as an officer or employee of
the Federal Government.
(3) Travel expenses.—A member of the Commission shall be
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, at rates authorized for an employee of an agency
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code, while away from the home or regular place of business
of the member in the performance of the duties of the
Commission.
(m) Federal Advisory Committee Act.—Sections 1009 and 1013
of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to the
Commission or any proceeding of the Commission.
(n) Termination.—The Commission shall terminate on
September 30, 2031.
(o) Funding.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit
Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this
section $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2026, to remain available
until expended.
SEC. 7607. RESTORATION OF 4-H NAME AND EMBLEM AUTHORITY.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) 4-H club.—
(A) In general.—The term “4-H club” means a 4-H club
recognized under the 4-H Program.
(B) Inclusion.—The term “4-H club” includes an
authorized agent of a 4-H club.
(2) 4-H emblem or name.—The term “4-H emblem or name”
means the 4-H sign or emblem, consisting of a green four-leaf
clover with stem and the letter “H” in white or gold on
each leaflet, and the words “4-H”, “4-H Club”, and “4-H
Clubs”, used to identify and distinguish the 4-H Program and
the activities, clubs, members, goods, and services of the 4-
H Program.
(3) 4-H program.—The term “4-H Program”—
(A) In general.—The term “4-H Program” means the youth
development program of the land-grant colleges or
universities, the Cooperative Extension System (as defined by
the Secretary), and the Department.
(B) Inclusion.—The term “4-H Program” includes an
authorized agent of the 4-H Program.
(4) Land-grant college or university.—The term “land-
grant college or university”—
(A) In general.—The term “land-grant college or
university” means an 1862 Institution, an 1890 Institution,
or a 1994 Institution (as those terms are defined in section
2 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education
Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601)).
(B) Inclusion.—The term “land-grant college or
university” includes an authorized agent of a land-grant
college or university.
(b) Effect of Repeal; Ratification.—
(1) Civil acts.—Any civil act or action of the 4-H
Program, a 4-H club, the Secretary, or a land-grant college
or university taken with respect to the use of the 4-H emblem
or name, or the recognition of any 4-H club, during the
period beginning on May 8, 1914, and ending on the date of
enactment of this Act, is deemed to be of legal force and
effect and ratified as if section 1002(3) of the Clean Up the
Code Act of 2019 (title X of division O of Public Law 116-
260; 134 Stat. 2155) had not been enacted into law.
(2) Effect on criminal law.—Nothing in this subsection
affects the effect on criminal law of the repeal made by
section 1002(3) of the Clean Up the Code Act of 2019 (title X
of division O of Public Law 116-260; 134 Stat. 2155).
(c) Authorizations for Use of 4-H Emblem or Name; Fees;
Deposits.—
(1) Authorization.—The Secretary may—
(A) use the 4-H emblem or name; and
(B) grant authorizations to use the 4-H emblem or name, as
provided by regulations issued by the Secretary.
(2) Fees.—An authorization under paragraph (1) may be
granted—
(A) without a fee or other consideration; or
(B) for a fee or other consideration.
(3) Use of fees.—The Secretary shall deposit into a
special account any fees collected under paragraph (2)(B),
the amounts in which shall remain available to the Secretary
until expended, without further appropriation, for furthering
the 4-H Program.
(d) Unauthorized Use of 4-H Emblem or Name.—
(1) Prohibition.—Whoever, other than the 4-H Program, a 4-
H club, the Department, a land-grant college or university,
and those authorized by them, uses in commerce the 4-H emblem
or name or any reproduction, counterfeit, copy, or colorable
imitation of the 4-H emblem or name to indicate membership in
an association, organization, or other collective group, or
in connection with the sale, offering for sale, distribution,
or advertising of goods or services, on or in connection with
which that use is likely to cause confusion, to cause
mistake, or to deceive as to membership or participation in,
an affiliation, connection, or association with, or
authorization or approval by, a 4-H club or the 4-H Program,
shall be subject to the civil action under paragraph (2).
(2) Civil action.—The Attorney General, on behalf of the
Secretary, or contract counsel procured by the Secretary, may
bring a civil action in an appropriate district court of the
United States against whoever engages in any of the
prohibited acts described in paragraph (1) for the remedies
provided in the Act of July 5, 1946 (commonly known as the
“Trademark Act of 1946” or the “Lanham Act”) (15 U.S.C.
1051 et seq.).
(e) Savings Clauses.—
(1) Prior authorized uses.—Nothing in this section makes
unlawful the use of any emblem, name, sign, symbol, insignia,
or words that was lawful on December 26, 2020.
(2) Delegation.—Nothing in this section limits the
authority of the Secretary to delegate the authority of the
Secretary as otherwise authorized by law.
SEC. 7608. UNDER SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR RESEARCH,
EDUCATION, AND ECONOMICS.
Section 251 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization
Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971) is amended—
(1) in subsection (c)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “and” at the end;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and
inserting “; and”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) be responsible for the coordination of research
activities with other Federal agencies.”;
(2) in subsection (e)(3)(C), by striking “not less than 3
years” and inserting “not less than 1 year”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(h) Interagency Coordination.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall carry out cross-
cutting and collaborative research and development activities
focused on the joint advancement of the mission requirements
and priorities of the Department of Agriculture and other
Federal agencies.
“(2) Memoranda of understanding.—
“(A) Department of energy.—
“(i) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of
2026, the Secretary and the Secretary of Energy(referred to
in this subparagraph as the `Secretaries') shall coordinate
the activities under paragraph (1) through the establishment
of memoranda of understanding or other appropriate
interagency agreements. Such a memorandum or such an
agreement shall require the use of a competitive, merit-
reviewed process as appropriate. Activities may include
components proposed by Federal agencies, National
Laboratories, institutions of higher education, nonprofit
organizations, and other entities deemed appropriate under
the memorandum or agreement.
“(ii) Coordination.—In carrying out the activities under
paragraph (1), the Secretaries may—
“(I) conduct collaborative research in a variety of focus
areas;
“(II) develop methods to accommodate large voluntary
standardized and integrated data sets
on agricultural, environmental, supply chain, and economic
information with variable accuracy and scale;
“(III) promote collaboration and open community-based
development between—
“(aa) Federal agencies;
“(bb) National Laboratories;
“(cc) institutions of higher education (as defined in
section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001));
“(dd) nonprofit institutions;
“(ee) industry partners; and
“(ff) other entities deemed appropriate under the
memorandum or agreement involved;
“(IV) support research infrastructure, including new
facilities and equipment, and workforce development as the
Secretaries determine necessary;
“(V) conduct collaborative research, development, and
demonstration of methods and technologies; and
“(VI) facilitate relations between public and private
entities to carry on the activities of this clause upon the
termination of any agreement established under this
subparagraph.
“(iii) Agreements.—In carrying out the activities under
this subparagraph, the Secretaries are authorized to—
“(I) carry out reimbursable agreements between the
Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, and
other entities in order to maximize the effectiveness of
research and development; and
“(II) collaborate with other Federal agencies, as
appropriate.
“(B) National science foundation.—
“(i) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of
2026, the Secretary and the Director of the National Science
Foundation (referred to in this subparagraph as the
“Director”) shall coordinate the activities under paragraph
(1) through the establishment of memoranda of understanding
or other appropriate interagency agreements. Such a
memorandum or such an agreement shall require the use of a
competitive, merit-reviewed process as appropriate.
Activities may include components proposed by Federal
agencies, institutions of higher education, nonprofit
organizations, and other entities deemed appropriate under
the memorandum or agreement.
“(ii) Coordination.—In carrying out the activities under
paragraph (1), the Secretary and the Director may—
“(I) conduct collaborative research in a variety of focus
areas;
“(II) promote collaboration and open, community-based
development between—
“(aa) Federal agencies;
“(bb) institutions of higher education;
“(cc) community colleges (as defined in section 3167B of
the Energy Science Education Enhancement Act (42 U.S.C.
7381c-3));
“(dd) area career and technical education schools (as
defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302));
“(ee) nonprofit institutions;
“(ff) industry partners; and
“(gg) other entities deemed appropriate under the
memorandum or agreement;
“(III) support research infrastructure, including new
facilities, equipment and broadband deployment, as the
Secretary and Director determine necessary;
“(IV) develop translational technologies for commercial
utilization;
“(V) organize education, training, and research
initiatives relating to STEM education and workforce
development, which may include—
“(aa) activities supported by the Cooperative Extension
System;
“(bb) industrial partnership programs;
“(cc) workshops for educating kindergarten through grade
12 teachers on how to increase agricultural literacy;
“(dd) development of agricultural-based science curricula
for kindergarten through grade 12 students; and
“(ee) distribution of resources for educators to implement
curricula; and
“(VI) facilitate relationships between public and private
entities to carry on the activities under this clause upon
the termination of any agreement established under this
subparagraph.
“(iii) Agreements.—In carrying out the activities under
this subparagraph, the Secretary and the Director are
authorized to—
“(I) carry out reimbursable agreements between the
Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation,
and other entities in order to maximize the effectiveness of
research and development; and
“(II) collaborate with other Federal agencies as
appropriate.
“(C) Department of defense.—
“(i) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of
2026, the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense (referred to
in this subparagraph as the `Secretaries') shall coordinate
the activities under paragraph (1) through the establishment
of memoranda of understanding or other appropriate
interagency agreements. Such a memorandum or such an
agreement shall require the use of a competitive, merit-
reviewed process as appropriate. Activities may include
components proposed by Federal agencies, National
Laboratories, institutions of higher education, nonprofit
organizations, industry, and other entities deemed
appropriate under the memorandum or agreement.
“(ii) Coordination.—In carrying out the activities under
paragraph (1), the Secretaries may—
“(I) conduct collaborative research in a variety of focus
areas, including the areas specified in clause (iv);
“(II) develop methods to accommodate large voluntary
standardized and integrated data sets on agricultural,
environmental, supply chain, and economic information with
variable accuracy and scale;
“(III) promote collaboration and secure information
sharing with stakeholders that are capable of increasing
market-based adoption of technologies developed pursuant to
the memoranda of understanding or other appropriate
interagency agreements entered into under this subparagraph;
“(IV) promote collaboration and open community-based
development between—
“(aa) Federal agencies;
“(bb) National Laboratories;
“(cc) institutions of higher education (as defined in
section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001));
“(dd) nonprofit institutions;
“(ee) industry partners; and
“(ff) other entities deemed appropriate under the
memorandum or agreement involved;
“(V) support research infrastructure, including new
facilities and equipment, and workforce development as the
Secretaries determine necessary;
“(VI) conduct collaborative research, development, and
demonstration of methods and technologies; and
“(VII) facilitate relations between public and private
entities to carry on the activities of this clause upon the
termination of any agreement established under this
subparagraph.
“(iii) Agreements.—In carrying out the activities under
this subparagraph, the Secretaries are authorized to—
“(I) carry out reimbursable agreements between the
Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, and
other entities in order to maximize the effectiveness of
research and development; and
“(II) collaborate with other Federal agencies, as
appropriate.
“(iv) Focus areas described.—The focus areas described in
this clause are the following:
“(I) Management strategies for water, energy, soil,
forests, and food to reduce scarcity risks to civilian and
military operations.
“(II) Innovations applicable to defense objectives and
beneficial to rural agricultural economies, including—
“(aa) precision agriculture technologies;
“(bb) drones;
“(cc) remote sensing; and
“(dd) positioning, navigation, and timing capabilities.
“(III) Mitigation of the impacts of chemicals,
specifically perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances
(commonly referred to as PFAS), released through activities
carried out by the Department of Defense, to farmland
contiguous to military bases.
“(D) Other federal agencies.—In addition to the memoranda
of understanding with Federal agencies described in
subparagraphs (A) and (B), the Secretary shall, as
appropriate, enter into memoranda of understanding with the
heads of other Federal agencies to coordinate the activities
under paragraph (1).
“(3) Report.—Not later than two years after the date of
enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of
2026, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report detailing—
“(A) interagency coordination between each Federal agency
involved in the research and development activities carried
out under this section;
“(B) potential opportunities to expand the technical
capabilities of each Federal agency involved in the research
and development activities carried out under this section;
“(C) collaborative research achievements;
“(D) areas of future mutually beneficial successes;
“(E) continuation of coordination activities between each
Federal agency involved in the research and development
activities carried out under this section;
“(F) potential opportunities for additional memoranda of
understanding with other Federal agencies; and
“(G) any additional information as the Secretary deems
appropriate.
“(4) Research security.—The activities authorized under
this section shall be applied in a manner consistent with
subtitle D of title VI of the Research and Development,
Competition, and Innovation Act (enacted as division B of the
CHIPS Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-167; 42 U.S.C. 19231 et
seq.)).”.
SEC. 7609. AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION CORPS.
(a) In General.—The Secretary shall establish an
Agricultural Innovation Corps (referred to in this section as
the “Ag I-Corps”) to promote technology transfer and
increase the economic impact of federally-funded research
through—
(1) supporting agricultural researchers, students, and
institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), in
exploring the commercial potential of technologies developed
in laboratories through a standardized entrepreneurial
training program; and
(2) bringing together Agriculture Research Service
researchers and institutions of higher education within a
distinct geographical region to collaborate and deliver a
standardized entrepreneurial training curriculum.
(b) Eligibility.—Agricultural researchers, students, and
institutions of higher education receiving funds from the
Department shall be eligible to participate in Ag I-Corps.
(c) Follow-on Grants.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary may make funds available
from the Small Business Innovation Research Program for
competitive grants to Ag I-Corps participants to help
support—
(A) prototype or proof-of-concept development; and
(B) such activities as the Secretary considers necessary to
build local, regional, and national infrastructure for
agricultural entrepreneurship.
(2) Limitation.—Grants under paragraph (1) shall be
limited to participants in Ag I-Corps with innovations that,
because of the early stage of development of such
innovations, are not eligible to participate in a Small
Business Innovation Research Program or Small Business
Technology Transfer Program (as defined in section 9 of the
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638)).
(d) Partnerships.—The Secretary may engage in partnerships
with other Federal agencies, State and local governments,
economic development organizations, and nonprofit
organizations to provide access to Ag I-Corps to support
entrepreneurship education and training for agricultural
researchers, students, and institutions of higher education
under this section.
(e) Report.—Not later than September 30, 2027, and not
less frequently than once every other year, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate a report on the efficacy of Ag I-
Corps, including metrics on the effectiveness of the program.
SEC. 7610. STUDY ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH RESPECT TO
TRANSFER OF AGRICULTURAL LAND AND ASSETS.
(a) In General.—Not later than September 30, 2026, the
Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct a study on, and submit
to Congress a report on, ways to increase opportunities for
1890 Institutions (as defined in section 2 of the
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of
1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601)) to conduct educational programs and
provide technical assistance with respect to issues relating
to the transfers of agricultural land and assets, including
heirs property, to the next generation of farmers and
ranchers.
(b) Heirs Property Defined.—In this section, the term
“heirs property” means real property held in tenancy in
common which, as of the date on which a partition action is
filed, satisfies all of the following requirements:
(1) There is no recorded agreement binding all the co-
tenants which governs the partition of the property.
(2) One or more of the co-tenants acquired title from a
relative, whether living or deceased.
(3) Any of the following applies:
(A) 20 percent or more of the interests are held by co-
tenants who are relatives.
(B) 20 percent or more of the interests are held by an
individual who acquired title from a relative, whether living
or deceased.
(C) 20 percent or more of the co-tenants are relatives.
TITLE VIII—FORESTRY
Subtitle A—Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978
SEC. 8101. SUPPORT FOR STATE ASSESSMENTS AND STRATEGIES FOR
FOREST RESOURCES.
Section 2A(f) of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of
1978 (16 U.S.C. 2101a(f)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”; and
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking “to carry out this
section,” and all that follows through the period at the end
and inserting the following: “the Secretary may use any
other funds made available under this Act to develop and
implement the State-wide assessment and State-wide strategy
required by subsection (a), except that the total amount of
combined funding used to develop and implement such
assessment and strategy may not exceed $10,000,000 in any
fiscal year.”.
SEC. 8102. FOREST LEGACY PROGRAM TECHNICAL CORRECTION.
Section 7(l)(3) of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act
of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2103c(l)(3)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking “the State of
Vermont” and inserting “a State”; and
(2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), in the matter preceding
subclause (I), by striking “of Vermont” and inserting
“involved”.
SEC. 8103. STATE AND PRIVATE FOREST LANDSCAPE-SCALE
RESTORATION PROGRAM.
Section 13A(l)(3) of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance
Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2109a(l)(3)) is amended by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 8104. RURAL FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL.
Section 10 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of
1978 (16 U.S.C 2106) is amended—
(1) in subsection (e)(2)(B), by striking “in kind
contributions.” and inserting “in-kind contributions. The
Secretary may waive the Federal share requirements of this
subparagraph with respect to any such funds made available to
rural volunteer fire departments.”; and
(2) in subsection (g)(1)—
(A) by striking “any organized, not for profit, fire
protection organization” and inserting “any fire protection
organization that is organized as a not for profit
organization or by the authority of a local government and”;
(B) by striking “10,000” and inserting “15,000”; and
(C) by striking “80” and inserting “70”.
Subtitle B—Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
SEC. 8201. PROMOTING CROSS-BOUNDARY WILDFIRE MITIGATION.
Section 103(e)(5) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of
2003 (16 U.S.C. 6513(e)(5)) is amended by striking “2023”
and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 8202. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR HAZARDOUS FUEL
REDUCTION ON FEDERAL LAND.
Section 108 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
(16 U.S.C. 6518) is amended by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 8203. WATER SOURCE PROTECTION PROGRAM.
Section 303 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
(16 U.S.C. 6542) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (7) as
paragraphs (2) through (8), respectively;
(B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated,
the following:
“(1) Adjacent land.—The term `adjacent land' means non-
Federal land, including State, local, and private land, that
is adjacent to, and within the same watershed as, National
Forest System land on which a watershed protection and
restoration project is carried out under this section.”; and
(C) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated—
(i) by redesignating subparagraphs (G) and (H) as
subparagraphs (K) and (L), respectively; and
(ii) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following:
“(G) an acequia association;
“(H) a local, regional, or other public entity that
manages stormwater or wastewater resources or other related
water infrastructure;
“(I) a land-grant mercedes;
“(J) a local, regional, or other private entity that has
water delivery authority;”;
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) by striking “The Secretary shall” and inserting the
following:
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(2) Requirements.—A watershed protection and restoration
project under the Program shall be designed to—
“(A) protect and restore watershed health, water supply
and quality, a municipal or agricultural water supply system,
and water-related infrastructure;
“(B) protect and restore forest health from insect
infestation and disease or wildfire; or
“(C) advance any combination of the purposes described in
subparagraphs (A) and (B).
“(3) Priorities.—In selecting watershed protection and
restoration projects under the Program, the Secretary shall
give priority to projects that—
“(A) provide risk management benefits associated with
drought; wildfire; post-wildfire conditions; extreme weather;
flooding; resilience to climate change; and watershed and
fire resilience, including minimizing risks to watershed
health, water supply and quality, and water-related
infrastructure, including municipal and agricultural water
supply systems;
“(B) support aquatic restoration and conservation efforts
that complement existing or planned forest restoration or
wildfire risk reduction efforts; or
“(C) provide quantifiable benefits to water supply or
quality and include the use of nature-based solutions, such
as restoring wetland and riparian ecosystems.
“(4) Conditions for projects on adjacent land.—
“(A) In general.—No project or activity may be carried
out under this section on adjacent land unless the owner of
the adjacent land agrees in writing that the owner is a
willing and engaged partner in carrying out that project or
activity.
“(B) Effect.—Nothing in this section shall be construed
to authorize any change in—
“(i) the ownership of adjacent land on which a project or
activity is carried out under this section; or
“(ii) the management of adjacent land on which a project
or activity is carried out under this section, except during
the carrying out of that project or activity.”;
(3) in subsection (c)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “watersheds that provide
water to the end water users” and inserting “watersheds,
and lands adjacent to any such watershed, that provide
water—
“(A) to the end water users subject to the agreement; or
“(B) for the benefit of another end water user.”;
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) in subparagraph (C), by striking “or” at the end;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E);
and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:
“(D) a good neighbor agreement entered into under section
8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a); or”;
and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Cooperation with non-federal partners.—The Secretary
shall cooperate with non-Federal partners in carrying out
assessments, planning, project design, and project
implementation under this section.”;
(4) in subsection (d)—
(A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
“(2) Requirements.—A water source management plan shall
be—
“(A) designed to protect and restore ecological integrity
(as defined in section 219.19 of title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this
subparagraph));
“(B) based on the best available scientific information;
and
“(C) conducted in a manner consistent with the forest plan
applicable to the National Forest System land on which the
watershed protection and restoration project is carried
out.”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Reducing redundancy.—An existing watershed plan,
such as a watershed protection and restoration action plan
developed under section 304(a)(3), or other applicable
watershed planning documents as approved by the Secretary may
be used as the basis for a water source management plan under
this subsection.”;
(5) in subsection (e)(1), by striking “primary purpose
of” and all that follows through the period at the end and
inserting “primary purpose of advancing any of the purposes
described in subsection (b)(2).”;
(6) in subsection (g), by amending paragraph (2) to read as
follows:
“(2) Matching funds required.—
“(A) In general.—Subject to subparagraph (B), the
Secretary shall require the contribution of funds or in-kind
support from non-Federal partners to be in an amount that is
not less than 50 percent of the amount of Federal funds.
“(B) Waiver.—The requirement in subparagraph (A) may be
waived at the discretion of the Secretary.”; and
(7) in subsection (g)(4)—
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking “2019 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(D) Set-aside for partner participation in planning and
technical assistance.—Of the amounts made available under
subparagraph (B) to carry out this section for each fiscal
year, the Secretary may not use more than 10 percent for non-
Federal partner planning and technical assistance efforts in
developing or implementing a water source management plan
under subsection (d).”.
SEC. 8204. WATERSHED CONDITION FRAMEWORK TECHNICAL
CORRECTIONS.
Section 304(a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of
2003 (16 U.S.C. 6543(a)) is amended in paragraphs (3) and (5)
by striking “protection and”.
SEC. 8205. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS TO COMBAT INSECT
INFESTATIONS AND RELATED DISEASES.
Section 406 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
(16 U.S.C. 6556) is amended by striking “October 1, 2023”
and inserting “October 1, 2031”.
SEC. 8206. INSECT AND DISEASE INFESTATION.
Section 602(d)(2) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of
2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591a(d)(2)) is amended by striking “2023”
and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 8207. STEWARDSHIP END RESULT CONTRACTING PROJECTS.
Section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
(16 U.S.C. 6591c) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b), by inserting “, including retaining
and expanding existing forest products infrastructure
necessary to carry out an agreement or contract under this
subsection” before the period at the end;
(2) in subsection (d)(3)(B), by striking “10 years” and
inserting “20 years”; and
(3) in subsection (h), by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Special rule for long-term stewardship contracts.—
“(A) Definition of multiyear contract.—In this paragraph,
the term `multiyear contract' means a contract entered into
under subsection (b) that—
“(i) has a term of at least 5 years; and
“(ii) is entered into on or after the date of enactment of
this paragraph.
“(B) Special rule.—A multiyear contract entered into
under subsection (b) by the Chief or the Director with an
entity shall provide that, in the case of cancellation or
termination of the multiyear contract by the Chief or the
Director, the Chief or the Director, as applicable, shall
provide to the entity a cancellation or termination payment
equal to the lesser of—
“(i) an amount equal to 10 percent of the multiyear
contract; or
“(ii) the amount of unrecovered costs that would have been
recouped through amortization over the full term of the
contract (including the term canceled).”.
Subtitle C—Other Forestry Programs
SEC. 8301. NATIONAL AND REGIONAL AGROFORESTRY CENTERS.
Section 1243 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
Trade Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 1642 note; Public Law 101-624)
is amended—
(1) by striking the section heading and inserting
“national and regional agroforestry centers”;
(2) by redesignating subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d) as
subsections (b), (d), (e), and (h), respectively;
(3) by inserting before subsection (b) (as so redesignated)
the following:
“(a) Definition of Agroforestry.—In this section, the
term `agroforestry' means a management system that
intentionally integrates trees and shrubs into crop and
animal farming systems to build more profitable and weather-
resilient farms, ranches, and communities, address natural
resource concerns and conservation needs, and establish
productive and sustainable land use practices, including—
“(1) riparian forest buffers;
“(2) alley cropping;
“(3) silvopasture;
“(4) forest farming and multistory cropping; and
“(5) windbreaks, shelterbelts, hedgerows, and, where
applicable, field borders, and living snow fences.”;
(4) in subsection (b) (as so redesignated)—
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking “Semiarid” and
inserting “National”;
(B) by inserting “(referred to in this section as the
`Secretary')” after “Secretary of Agriculture”;
(C) by striking “Semiarid Agroforestry Research,
Development, and Demonstration Center (hereafter referred to
in this section as the `Center')” and inserting “National
Agroforestry Research, Development, and Demonstration
Center”; and
(D) by striking “at the Center under subsection (b)” and
inserting “under subsection (d)”;
(5) by inserting after subsection (b) (as so redesignated)
the following:
“(c) Regional Agroforestry Centers.—
“(1) Establishment.—The Secretary, acting through the
Chief of the Forest Service and in cooperation with the
Natural Resources Conservation Service, shall, subject to the
availability of appropriations, establish 1 or more regional
agroforestry centers to advance agroforestry research,
outreach, technical assistance, and adoption.
“(2) Director.—The Secretary, acting through the Chief of
the Forest Service and in cooperation with the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, shall appoint a Director to
manage and coordinate the 1 or more regional agroforestry
centers established under paragraph (1).
“(3) Location.—In selecting the locations for the 1 or
more regional agroforestry centers under paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall prioritize locations at which the Department
of Agriculture has, on the date of enactment of the Farm,
Food, and National Security Act of 2026, at least 1 employee
providing coordination among a diverse group of research
institutions and other partners.
“(4) Administration.—Regional agroforestry centers
established under paragraph (1) shall by administered by the
National Agroforestry Center.”;
(6) in subsection (d) (as so redesignated)—
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—
(i) by striking “the Center” and inserting “each of the
centers established under subsections (b) and (c) (referred
to in this section as the `Centers')”;
(ii) by inserting “and organizations” after “nonprofit
foundations”; and
(iii) by inserting “demonstration projects,” after
“studies,”;
(B) in paragraph (1)—
(i) by striking “on semiarid lands that” and inserting
“that build soil health and”; and
(ii) by inserting “, including agroforestry systems on
semiarid land and other fragile agroecosystems where
permanent woody perennial plant communities can enhance
carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions”
before the semicolon;
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking “forestry products for
commercial sale from semiarid land” and inserting
“agroforestry products for commercial sale”;
(D) in paragraph (4)—
(i) by striking “in semiarid regions”; and
(ii) by striking “the Great Plains region” and inserting
“particular regions”;
(E) in paragraph (5), by inserting “technical assistance,
demonstration projects, and” before “technology”;
(F) by redesignating paragraphs (7) through (11) as
paragraphs (8) through (12), respectively;
(G) by striking paragraph (6) and inserting the following:
“(6) develop improved silvopasture, alley cropping, forest
farming, multistory cropping, riparian buffer, windbreak and
shelterbelt, and other perennial production and conservation
systems and technologies to improve soil health, carbon
sequestration, drought preparedness, soil and water
conservation, environmental quality, and biological
diversity;
“(7) address barriers to the adoption of agroforestry
practices, including—
“(A) insufficient access to plant material;
“(B) insufficient infrastructure to contain equipment and
plant material;
“(C) insufficient machinery to implement agroforestry
practices;
“(D) insufficient technical service assistance; and
“(E) insufficient research related to agroforestry
systems, including silvopasture and alley cropping;”;
(H) in paragraph (8) (as so redesignated), by striking “on
semiarid lands”;
(I) in paragraph (9) (as so redesignated), by striking “on
semiarid lands worldwide” and inserting “worldwide,
including on semiarid land”; and
(J) in paragraph (10) (as so redesignated)—
(i) by striking “on semiarid lands”; and
(ii) by inserting “and extreme weather” after
“pollution”;
(7) in subsection (e) (as so redesignated)—
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking “the
Center” and inserting “each of the Centers”;
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking “and” at the end;
(C) in paragraph (2)—
(i) by striking “forestry” and inserting “forestry,
agroforestry,”; and
(ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting “;
and”; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) facilitate agroforestry adoption by disseminating
comprehensive information on Federal, State, local, and
Tribal programs that provide support for agroforestry.”;
(8) by inserting after subsection (e) (as so redesignated)
the following:
“(f) Regional Support.—The Secretary shall provide
targeted regional support for agroforestry projects,
including demonstration sites.
“(g) Survey.—Not later than 5 years after the date of the
enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of
2026 and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall
conduct a National Agroforestry Producers Survey.”; and
(9) in subsection (h) (as so redesignated)—
(A) by striking “There are” and inserting “In addition
to amounts otherwise available, there is”; and
(B) by striking “$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019
through 2023” and inserting “$7,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 8302. NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION ACT.
(a) Matching Funds.—Section 405(b) of the National Forest
Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 583j-3(b)) is amended by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”.
(b) White Oak Restoration Fund.—Section 409 of the
National Forest Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 583j-7) is
amended—
(1) by striking “The activities” and inserting the
following:
“(a) In General.—The activities”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(b) White Oak Restoration Fund.—
“(1) In general.—Funds described in paragraph (2) shall
be made available for activities—
“(A) on national forests that are approved by the
Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service;
and
“(B) to—
“(i) re-establish white oak forests where appropriate;
“(ii) improve management of existing white oak forests to
foster natural regeneration of white oak;
“(iii) improve and expand white oak nursery stock; and
“(iv) adapt and improve white oak seedlings.
“(2) Fund.—The National Forest Foundation may accept
gifts, devises, or bequests for the purposes of carrying out
the activities specified in paragraph (1).
“(3) Summary.—Beginning 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this section, the National Forest Foundation
shall include in the budget justification materials submitted
to Congress in support of the budget of each such Foundation
for each fiscal year (as submitted with the budget of the
President under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States
Code) a summary of the activities carried out under paragraph
(1) and the funds accepted under paragraph (2) that
includes—
“(A) the amount—
“(i) accepted under paragraph (2) in the preceding fiscal
year; and
“(ii) described in clause (i) that is unobligated on the
date of the report; and
“(B) a description of the activities under paragraph (1)
funded during the preceding fiscal year.”.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.—Section 410(b) of the
National Forest Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 583j-8(b)) is
amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 8303. CONVEYANCES AND LEASES OF FOREST SERVICE
ADMINISTRATIVE SITES.
(a) Conveyance of Forest Service Administrative Sites.—
Section 503(f) of the Forest Service Facility Realignment and
Enhancement Act of 2005 (16 U.S.C. 580d note; Public Law 109-
54) is amended by striking “September 30, 2019” and
inserting “September 30, 2031”.
(b) Authorization for Lease of Forest Service Sites.—
Section 8623(i) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
(16 U.S.C. 580d note; Public Law 115-334) is amended by
striking “2023” each place it appears and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 8304. FOREST INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS.
(a) In General.—Section 3(e) of the Forest and Rangeland
Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1642(e))
is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)—
(A) by striking “their resources” and inserting “the
resources of those forests, including forest carbon,”;
(B) by striking “In compliance” and inserting the
following:
“(A) In general.—In compliance”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(B) Additional methods.—Under the program under this
subsection, the Secretary shall carry out, as a data
collection method—
“(i) a national timber products output survey; and
“(ii) a national woodland owner survey.”;
(2) in paragraph (3)(C), by inserting “including with
respect to available forest carbon data,” after “2
decades,”;
(3) in paragraph (4)—
(A) in the second sentence, by striking “The standards”
and inserting the following:
“(B) Inclusions.—The standards described in subparagraph
(A)”;
(B) by striking “(4) National standards and definitions.—
To ensure” and inserting the following:
“(4) National consistency.—
“(A) Standards and definitions.—To ensure”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(C) Terminology.—The Secretary shall include a clear
description of the definition of `forest' used for purposes
of reporting data from inventories and analyses of forests
and the resources of forests under this subsection with—
“(i) any data or report provided under the program under
this subsection;
“(ii) Renewable Resource Assessments prepared under
section 3(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources
Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1601(a)); and
“(iii) any data or report provided to an entity outside
the United States.”;
(4) in paragraph (6)—
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
“Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this
subsection,” and inserting “In accordance with paragraph
(7),”; and
(B) by striking subparagraphs (D) and (E) and inserting the
following:
“(D) the organization and procedures necessary to
understand and report on changes in land cover and use;
“(E) the organization and procedures necessary to sample
and evaluate carbon-related data variables, including soil
carbon, collected from forest inventory and analysis plots,
timber products output surveys, and national woodland owner
surveys to ensure that carbon accounting information needs
can be met; and”; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
“(7) Updates to strategic plan.—
“(A) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall prepare
an update to the strategic plan under paragraph (6) to
include—
“(i) a plan to implement nationally consistent data
collection protocols and procedures to improve the
statistical precision of base program estimates;
“(ii) pathways to integrate and report on status and
trends in forest carbon pools, including below-ground carbon;
“(iii) plans, including the identification of challenges,
to collaborate with other Federal agencies, non-Federal
partners, and the private sector to integrate existing
nationally available data sets and best available commercial
technologies, such as remote sensing, spatial analysis
techniques, and other new technologies;
“(iv) a plan to increase transparency and clarity in
reporting in accordance with paragraph (4)(C);
“(v) a plan to expand current data collection, further
integrate remote sensing technology, or both, to include
procedures to improve the statistical precision of estimates
at the sub-State level;
“(vi) a plan to expand current data collection, further
integrate remote sensing technology, or both, to include
information on renewable biomass supplies and carbon stocks
at the local, State, regional, and national levels, including
by ownership type; and
“(vii) such other matters as the Secretary determines to
be appropriate based on recommendations of the Forest
Inventory and Analysis National User Group.
“(B) Submission.—Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall submit to
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives the update to the strategic plan prepared
under subparagraph (A).
“(C) Further updates.—Not later than 5 years after the
date on which the update is submitted under subparagraph (B),
and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall—
“(i) prepare an additional update to the strategic plan;
and
“(ii) submit the additional update to the committees
described in subparagraph (B).
“(8) Accessibility.—The Secretary shall ensure that data
collected under this subsection is—
“(A) easily accessible to all public- and private-sector
entities; and
“(B) collected and made accessible using means that ensure
the confidentiality, in accordance with section 1770 of the
Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 2276), of—
“(i) plot locations;
“(ii) nonaggregated data of woodland owners; and
“(iii) nonaggregated data from timber product output
survey.
“(9) Biennial compilations.—Biennially, the Secretary
shall prepare and make publicly available a compilation of
national forest inventory and analysis forest statistics,
which shall be similar to the tables contained in the
Renewable Resource Assessments prepared under section 3(a) of
the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of
1974 (16 U.S.C. 1601(a)), accompanied by relevant geospatial
products.
“(10) External complex data requests.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary shall establish an office,
a data platform, or team to process and respond to complex
data requests submitted by external organizations relating to
the program under this subsection.
“(B) Fees.—
“(i) In general.—To cover the costs of processing of and
responding to complex data requests described in subparagraph
(A), the Secretary may impose fees on external organizations
submitting the requests.
“(ii) Fees collected.—Fees collected under clause (i) may
only be used for the purposes described in such clause.
“(11) Reports.—Each year, the Secretary shall publish as
part of the forest inventory and analysis business report a
detailed description of the progress of the Secretary in
implementing the programmatic elements of the strategic plan
described in paragraph (6), including—
“(A) the costs and priorities of the strategic plan; and
“(B) how the program under this subsection leverages new
technology, improves and standardizes collection protocols,
and increases workforce capacity.”.
(b) Remote Sensing Technologies.—Section 8632(1) of the
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (16 U.S.C. 1642 note;
Public Law 115-334) is amended by striking “technologies”
and inserting “technologies, such as microwave, LiDAR,
hyperspectral, and high-resolution remote sensing data, and
advanced computing technologies for improved modeling to
provide tabular statistical estimates and geospatial
products,”.
SEC. 8305. REFORESTATION, NURSERY, AND SEED ORCHARD SUPPORT.
(a) Partnerships, Collaboration, and Other Assistance in
Support of Nurseries and Seed Orchards.—The Secretary,
acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall—
(1) partner with Federal and State agencies, Indian Tribes,
private nurseries, and other relevant entities to provide
training, technical assistance, and research to nursery and
tree establishment programs that support natural
regeneration, reforestation, agroforestry, and afforestation;
(2) promote information sharing to improve the technical
knowledge, practices, and understanding of the demands,
climate change impacts, and other issues necessary to address
all facets of the reforestation pipeline;
(3) provide technical and financial assistance to
international nursery and tree establishment programs
through—
(A) international programs conducted by the Forest Service
pursuant to the International Forestry Cooperation Act of
1990 (16 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.);
(B) the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry of the Forest
Service; and
(C) the International Institute of Tropical Forestry of the
Forest Service;
(4) collaborate with other relevant Federal departments and
agencies, including the Foreign Agricultural Service of the
Department, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service of
the Department of the Interior, and international
organizations to provide technical and financial assistance
related to nurseries and reforestation;
(5) coordinate the efforts of the Department to—
(A) address the challenges associated with the
reforestation pipeline; and
(B) leverage economic development assistance for work with
private nurseries; and
(6) expand science-based reforestation supply chains
through research, seed collection and storage, and nursery
infrastructure and operations in coordination with the
Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service.
(b) Nursery and Seed Orchard Financial Assistance.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a
program to provide grants to eligible recipients to support
nurseries and seed orchards.
(2) Eligible projects.—The Secretary may make a grant
under this subsection to an eligible recipient for a project
to carry out at least one of the following:
(A) Develop, expand, enhance, or improve nursery production
capacity or other infrastructure to—
(i) improve seed collection, processing, and storage;
(ii) increase seedling production, storage, and
distribution; or
(iii) enhance seedling survival and properly manage tree
genetic resources.
(B) Establish, improve, or expand a nursery or seed
orchard, including by acquiring equipment for such nursery or
seed orchard.
(C) Develop or implement quality control measures at
nurseries or seed orchards.
(D) Promote workforce development within any facet of the
reforestation pipeline.
(E) Carry out such other activity as the Secretary
determines appropriate.
(c) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Eligible recipient.—The term “eligible recipient”
means—
(A) a State forestry agency;
(B) an Indian Tribe;
(C) a private nursery that has experience growing high-
quality native trees of appropriate genetic sources in
bareroot or container stock types specific for reforestation,
restoration, or conservation, including native plants and
seeds that are of cultural significance to Indian Tribes;
(D) an institution of higher education (as defined in
section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001)); and
(E) a county or local government with a nursery or seed
orchard.
(2) Nursery.—The term “nursery” means a tree or native
plant nursery.
(3) Seed orchard.—The term “seed orchard” means a tree
or native plant seed orchard.
(4) State.—The term “State” means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, and any territory or possession of the United States.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
Subtitle D—Forest Management
PART I—NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM MANAGEMENT
SEC. 8401. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR HIGH PRIORITY HAZARD
TREES.
(a) Categorical Exclusion.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a
categorical exclusion (as defined in section 111 of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4336e))
for high-priority hazard tree activities.
(2) Administration.—In developing and administering the
categorical exclusion under paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall—
(A) comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); and
(B) apply the extraordinary circumstances procedures under
section 220.6 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (or
successor regulations), in determining whether to use the
categorical exclusion.
(3) Project size limitation.—A project carried out using
the categorical exclusion developed under paragraph (1) may
not exceed 6,000 acres.
(b) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) High-priority hazard tree.—The term “high-priority
hazard tree” means a standing tree that—
(A) presents a visible hazard to people or property due to
conditions such as deterioration of, or damage to, the root
system, trunk, stem, or limbs of the tree, or the direction
or lean of the tree, as determined by the Secretary;
(B) is determined by the Secretary to be highly likely to
fail and, on failure, would be highly likely to cause injury
to people or damage to Federal property; and
(C) is located—
(i) within 300 feet of a National Forest System road with a
maintenance level of 3, 4, or 5;
(ii) along a National Forest System trail; or
(iii) in a developed recreation site—
(I) that is operated and maintained by the Secretary; and
(II) on National Forest System land.
(2) High-priority hazard tree activity.—
(A) In general.—The term “high-priority hazard tree
activity” means a forest management activity that mitigates
the risks associated with high-priority hazard trees,
including pruning, felling, and disposal of a high-priority
hazard tree.
(B) Exclusions.—The term “high-priority hazard tree
activity” does not include any activity—
(i) conducted in a wilderness area or wilderness study
area;
(ii) for the construction of a permanent road or permanent
trail;
(iii) conducted on Federal land on which, by Act of
Congress or Presidential proclamation, the removal of
vegetation is restricted or prohibited;
(iv) conducted in an area in which activities described in
subparagraph (A) would be inconsistent with the applicable
land and resource management plan; or
(v) conducted in an inventoried roadless area.
SEC. 8402. COLLABORATIVE RESTORATION PROJECTS.
Section 603(c)(1) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of
2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b(c)(1)) is amended by striking “3000
acres” and inserting “10,000 acres”.
SEC. 8403. WILDFIRE RESILIENCE PROJECT SIZE.
Section 605(c)(1) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of
2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591d(c)(1)) is amended by striking “3000
acres” and inserting “10,000 acres”.
SEC. 8404. FUEL BREAKS IN FORESTS AND OTHER WILDLAND
VEGETATION.
Section 40806(d)(1) of the Infrastructure Investment and
Jobs Act (16 U.S.C. 6592b(d)(1)) is amended by striking
“3,000 acres” and inserting “10,000 acres”.
SEC. 8405. GREATER SAGE-GROUSE AND MULE DEER HABITAT.
Section 606 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
(16 U.S.C. 6591e) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(1)(A)—
(A) by striking clause (ii);
(B) by redesignating clauses (iii) through (vii) as clauses
(ii) through (vi), respectively; and
(C) in clause (iii), as so redesignated, by striking “in a
sagebrush steppe ecosystem”;
(2) in subsection (c), by striking “concurrently for both
greater sage-grouse and” and inserting “for greater sage-
grouse or”; and
(3) by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:
“(g) Limitation.—A covered vegetation management activity
that is covered by the categorical exclusion under subsection
(b) may not exceed 4,500 acres in a forested ecosystem or
7,500 acres in a rangeland ecosystem.”.
SEC. 8406. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR ELECTRIC UTILITY LINES
RIGHTS-OF-WAY.
(a) Categorical Exclusion Established.—Forest management
activities described in subsection (b) are a category of
activities designated as being categorically excluded from
the preparation of an environmental assessment or an
environmental impact statement under section 102 of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332).
(b) Forest Management Activities Designated for Categorical
Exclusion.—The forest management activities designated as
being categorically excluded under subsection (a) are—
(1) the development and approval of a vegetation
management, facility inspection, and operation and
maintenance plan submitted under section 512(c)(1) of the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.
1772(c)(1)) to the Secretary; and
(2) the implementation of routine activities conducted
under the plan referred to in paragraph (1).
(c) Availability of Categorical Exclusion.—On and after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary may use
the categorical exclusion established under subsection (a) in
accordance with this section.
(d) Exclusion of Certain Areas.—The categorical exclusion
established under subsection (a) shall not apply to any
forest management activity conducted—
(1) in a component of the National Wilderness Preservation
System; or
(2) on National Forest System lands on which, by Act of
Congress, the removal of vegetation is restricted or
prohibited.
(e) Permanent Roads.—
(1) Prohibition on establishment.—A forest management
activity designated under subsection (b) shall not include
the establishment of a permanent road.
(2) Existing roads.—The Secretary may carry out necessary
maintenance and repair on an existing permanent road for the
purposes of conducting a forest management activity
designated under subsection (b).
(3) Temporary roads.—The Secretary shall decommission any
temporary road constructed for a forest management activity
designated under subsection (b) not later than 3 years after
the date on which the action is completed.
(f) Applicable Law.—A forest management activity
designated under subsection (b) shall not be subject to
section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C.
1536) or section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act.
SEC. 8407. FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES ON NATIONAL FOREST
SYSTEM LANDS.
(a) In General.—The Secretary may conduct forest
management activities on National Forest System land.
(b) Coordination.—In carrying out forest management
activities, the Secretary shall, as appropriate, coordinate
with impacted parties to increase efficiency and maximize the
compatibility of management practices across National Forest
System lands.
(c) Objectives.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary shall conduct forest
management activities on National Forest System land in a
manner that attains multiple ecosystem benefits, including.—
(A) reducing forest fuels;
(B) maintaining the diversity of plant and animal
communities;
(C) improving soil, streams, lakes, wetlands, and water
quality, including in riparian areas; and
(D) increasing resilience to changing water temperature and
precipitation regimes.
(d) Ground Disturbance.—Consistent with applicable Federal
law and any applicable forest plan, the Secretary shall—
(1) establish criteria for ground conditions following a
forest management activity carried out under a forest plan
that results in ground disturbances; and
(2) monitor such ground conditions to determine whether
desired outcomes or conditions are achieved.
(e) Availability of Categorical Exclusion for Certain
Forest Management Activities.—A forest management activity
conducted on National Forest System land for the purpose of
reducing forest fuels is categorically excluded from the
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) if the forest management activity—
(1) does not exceed 10,000 acres, including not more than
3,000 acres of mechanical thinning;
(2) is developed—
(A) in coordination with impacted parties, specifically
including representatives of local governments, such as
county supervisors or county commissioners; and
(B) in consultation with other entities, as determined by
the Secretary/any other entity determined relevant by the
Secretary; and
(3) is consistent with any applicable forest plan.
(f) Cooperative Authorities.—The Secretary may enter into
contracts and cooperative agreements with an impacted party
to provide for fuel reduction, soil restoration, erosion
control, reforestation, riparian restoration, revegetation,
and similar management activities on Federal land and non-
Federal land.
(g) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Forest management activity.—The term “forest
management activity” means a project or activity that is
carried out by the Secretary on National Forest System land
and is consistent with any applicable forest plan.
(2) Forest plan.—The term “forest plan” means a land and
resource management plan under section 6 of the Forest and
Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C.
1406).
(3) Impacted parties.—The term “impacted parties”
includes—
(A) State, local, and Tribal governments;
(B) local fire departments;
(C) other relevant volunteer groups.
(4) National forest system.—The term “National Forest
System” has the meaning given that term in section 11(a) of
the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of
1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)).
SEC. 8408. SUPPRESSION OF WILDFIRES.
(a) In General.—With respect to National Forest System
lands described in subsection (b), the Secretary, acting
through the Chief of the Forest Service—
(1) shall—
(A) use available resources to carry out wildfire
suppression with the purpose of containing wildfires detected
on such lands not later than 24 hours after such a wildfire
is detected; and
(B) carry out wildfire suppression under subparagraph (A)
in a manner that is consistent with interagency agreements
and applicable standards of firefighter safety;
(2) shall not inhibit the suppression efforts of State or
local firefighting agencies that are authorized to respond to
wildfire on such lands;
(3) may only use fire as a resource management tool if the
fire is a prescribed fire that complies with applicable law
and regulations;
(4) may only initiate a backfire or burnout during a
wildfire—
(A) by order of the responsible incident commander, in
consultation with the appropriate Forest Service line
officer; or
(B) in instances that are necessary to protect the health
and safety of firefighting personnel;
(5) shall use available resources to control any such
initiated backfire or burnout until contained;
(6) shall use available resources, including infrared
technologies, to ensure prescribed fires are contained; and
(7) shall update the prescribed fire policies of the Forest
Service to reflect the findings and recommendations included
in the report entitled “National Prescribed Fire Program
Review” published in September 2022 by the Forest Service.
(b) Limitations on Scope.—For purposes of subsection (a),
the National Forest System lands described in this subsection
are National Forest System lands that—
(1) the National Interagency Fire Center has established as
a National Wildland Fire Preparedness Level of 5;
(2) contain areas that the U.S. Drought Monitor has rated
as having a D2 (severe drought) intensity, D3 (extreme
drought) intensity, or D4 (exceptional drought) intensity; or
(3) the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest
Service, has identified as being located in a fireshed ranked
in the top 10 percent of wildfire exposure, as determined
using the most recent published models of fireshed risk
exposure published by the Forest Service.
(c) National Forest System Defined.—In this section, the
term “National Forest System” has the meaning given such
term in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable
Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)).
PART II—FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
SEC. 8411. NO ADDITIONAL CONSULTATION REQUIRED.
(a) Forest Service Plans.—Section 6(d)(2) of the Forest
and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16
U.S.C. 1604(d)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
“(2) No additional consultation required under certain
circumstances.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the Secretary shall not be required to reinitiate
consultation under section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(2)) or section 402.16 of title
50, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation),
on a land management plan approved, amended, or revised under
this section when—
“(A) a new species is listed or critical habitat is
designated under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); or
“(B) new information reveals effects of the land
management plan that may affect a species listed or critical
habitat designated under that Act in a manner or to an extent
not previously considered.”.
(b) Bureau of Land Management Plans.—Section 202 of the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.
1712) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(g) No Additional Consultation Required Under Certain
Circumstances.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the Secretary shall not be required to reinitiate
consultation under section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(2)) or section 402.16 of title
50, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation),
on a land use plan approved, amended, or revised under this
section when—
“(1) a new species is listed or critical habitat is
designated under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); or
“(2) new information reveals effects of the land use plan
that may affect a species listed or critical habitat
designated under that Act in a manner or to an extent not
previously considered.”.
SEC. 8412. GOOD NEIGHBOR AUTHORITY.
(a) Good Neighbor Authority.—Section 8206 of the
Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(6), by striking “or Indian tribe”;
(2) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:
“(11) Special district.—The term `special district' means
a political subdivision of a State that—
“(A) has significant budgetary autonomy or control;
“(B) was created by or pursuant to the laws of the State
for the purpose of performing a limited and specific
governmental or proprietary function; and
“(C) is distinct from any other local government unit
within the State.”.
(3) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting “, Indian Tribe,
special district,” after “Governor”;
(B) in paragraph (2)(C)—
(i) in clause (i)—
(I) by inserting “special district,” after “Indian
Tribe,” each place it appears;
(II) in subclause (I)—
(aa) by striking “on”; and
(bb) by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;
(III) in subclause (II)(bb), by striking the period at the
end and inserting a semicolon; and
(IV) by adding at the end the following:
“(III) to construct new permanent roads on Federal lands
that are—
“(aa) necessary to implement authorized restoration
activities; and
“(bb) approved by the Federal agency through environmental
analysis or categorical exclusion decision;
“(IV) to complete new permanent road construction to
replace and decommission an existing permanent road that is
adversely impacting forest, rangeland, or watershed health;
and
“(V) if there are funds remaining after carrying out
subclauses (I) through (IV), to carry out authorized
restoration services under other good neighbor agreements and
for the administration of a good neighbor authority program
by a Governor, Indian Tribe, special district, or county.”;
and
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking “2028” and inserting
“2030”;
(C) in paragraph (3), by inserting “, Indian Tribe,
special district,” after “Governor”; and
(D) by striking paragraph (4).
(b) Conforming Amendments.—Section 8206(a) of the
Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting “, Indian Tribe,
special district,” after “Governor”; and
(2) in paragraph (5), by inserting “, Indian Tribe,
special district,” after “Governor”.
(c) Effective Date.—The amendments made by this section
apply to any project initiated pursuant to a good neighbor
agreement (as defined in section 8206(a) of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(a)))—
(1) before the date of enactment of this Act, if the
project was initiated after the date of enactment of the
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-334; 132
Stat. 4490); or
(2) on or after the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 8413. COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION
PROGRAM.
Section 4003 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of
2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)(3)—
(A) in subparagraph (D), by inserting “or pathogens”
after “species”;
(B) in subparagraph (G), by striking “and” at the end;
(C) in subparagraph (H), by adding “and” after the
semicolon at the end; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
“(I) address standardized monitoring questions and
indicators;”;
(2) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (2)—
(i) in subparagraph (E), by striking “and” at the end;
(ii) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at the end
and inserting “;”; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
“(G) proposals that seek to use innovative implementation
mechanisms, including good neighbor agreements entered into
under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C.
2113a), and similar implementation mechanisms;
“(H) proposals that seek to reduce the risk of
uncharacteristic wildfire or increase ecological restoration
activities—
“(i) within areas across land ownerships, including State,
Tribal, and private land; and
“(ii) within the wildland-urban interface; and
“(I) proposals that seek to enhance watershed health and
drinking water sources.”; and
(B) in paragraph (3)—
(i) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
“(A) 4 proposals in any 1 region of the National Forest
System to be funded during any fiscal year; and”;
(ii) by striking subparagraph (B); and
(iii) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph
(B); and
(3) in subsection (f)(6), by striking “2019 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 8414. PUBLIC-PRIVATE WILDFIRE TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT AND
TESTBED PARTNERSHIP.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Appropriate committees.—The term “appropriate
committees” means—
(A) the Committees on Agriculture, Natural Resources, and
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry,
Energy and Natural Resources, and Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate.
(2) Covered agency.—The term “covered agency” means—
(A) the National Park Service;
(B) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service;
(C) the Bureau of Land Management;
(D) the Bureau of Reclamation;
(E) the Forest Service;
(F) the Department of Defense;
(G) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
(H) the United States Fire Administration;
(I) the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
(J) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
(K) the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and
(L) any other Federal agency involved in wildfire response.
(3) Covered entity.—The term “covered entity” means—
(A) a private entity;
(B) a nonprofit organization; or
(C) an institution of higher education (as defined in
section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001)).
(4) Pilot program.—The term “Pilot Program” means the
deployment and testbed pilot program developed under
subsection (b).
(5) Secretaries.—The term “Secretaries” means the
Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior,
acting jointly.
(b) Deployment and Testbed Pilot Program Established.—Not
later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretaries, in coordination with the heads of the
covered agencies, shall establish a deployment and testbed
pilot program for new and innovative wildfire prevention,
detection, communication, and mitigation technologies.
(c) Functions.—In carrying out the Pilot Program, the
Secretaries shall—
(1) incorporate the Pilot Program into an existing
interagency coordinating group on wildfires;
(2) in consultation with the heads of covered agencies,
identify key technology priority areas with respect to the
deployment of wildfire prevention, detection, communication,
and mitigation technologies, including—
(A) hazardous fuels reduction treatments or activities;
(B) dispatch communications;
(C) remote sensing and tracking;
(D) safety equipment; and
(E) common operating pictures or operational dashboards;
and
(3) partner with each covered entity selected to
participate in the Pilot Program with the appropriate covered
agency to coordinate real-time and on-the-ground testing of
technology during wildland fire mitigation activities and
training.
(d) Applications.—To participate in the Pilot Program, a
covered entity shall submit to the Secretaries an application
at such time, in such manner, and containing such information
as the Secretaries may require, which shall include a
proposal to test technologies specific to key technology
priority areas identified under subsection (c)(2).
(e) Prioritization of Emerging Technologies.—In selecting
covered entities to participate in the Pilot Program, the
Secretaries shall give priority to covered entities
developing and applying emerging technologies that address
issues identified by the Secretaries, including artificial
intelligence, quantum sensing, computing and quantum-hybrid
applications, augmented reality, and 5G private networks and
device-to-device communications supporting nomadic mesh
networks, for wildfire mitigation.
(f) Outreach.—The Secretaries, in coordination with the
heads of the covered agencies, shall make publicly available
the key technology priority areas identified under subsection
(c)(2) and invite covered entities to apply to test and
demonstrate their technologies to address those priority
areas.
(g) Reports and Recommendations.—Not later than 1 year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and each year
thereafter for the duration of the Pilot Program, the
Secretaries shall submit to the appropriate committees a
report that includes the following with respect to the Pilot
Program:
(1) A list of participating covered entities.
(2) A brief description of the technologies tested by such
covered entities.
(3) An estimate of the cost of acquiring the technology
tested in the program and applying it at scale.
(4) Outreach efforts by Federal agencies to covered
entities developing wildfire technologies.
(5) Assessments of, and recommendations relating to, new
technologies with potential adoption and application at-scale
in Federal land management agencies' wildfire prevention,
detection, communication, and mitigation efforts.
(h) Termination.—The Pilot Program shall expire on
September 30, 2031.
SEC. 8415. FOREST SERVICE PARTICIPATION IN EXPERIENCED
SERVICES PROGRAM.
Section 8302 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C.
3851a) is amended—
(1) in the section heading, by striking “aces” and
inserting “experienced services” (and by conforming the
item relating to such section in the table of sections
accordingly);
(2) in subsection (a)—
(A) by striking “(a) In General.—”;
(B) by striking “Agriculture Conservation”; and
(C) by inserting “, professional, or administrative”
after “technical”; and
(3) by striking subsection (b).
SEC. 8416. TIMBER SALES ON NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LAND.
Section 14 of the National Forest Management Act of 1976
(16 U.S.C. 472a) is amended—
(1) in subsection (d), by striking “$10,000” and
inserting “$55,000”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(j) In the event of extreme risks to a unit of National
Forest System land, including catastrophic wildfire, insect
and disease outbreak, wind, hurricane, flood, drought, or to
avoid impacts from such extreme events, the Secretary may,
without an appraisal and under such rules and regulations
prescribed by the Secretary, dispose of by sale or otherwise,
portions of trees or forest products located on such unit of
National Forest System land.”.
SEC. 8417. PERMITS AND AGREEMENTS WITH ELECTRICAL UTILITIES.
(a) In General.—In any special use permit or easement on
National Forest System lands provided to an electric utility
company (as defined in section 1262 of the Energy Policy Act
of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16451)), the Secretary may provide
permission to cut and remove trees or other vegetation from
within the vicinity of distribution lines or transmission
lines, including hazardous vegetation that increases fire
risk, without requiring a separate timber sale if that
cutting and removal is consistent with the applicable land
management plan.
(b) Use of Proceeds.—A special use permit or easement that
includes permission for the cutting and removal of trees or
other vegetation described in subsection (a) shall include a
requirement that, if the applicable electrical utility sells
any portion of the material removed under the permit or
easement, the electrical utility shall provide to the
Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service,
any proceeds received from the sale, less any transportation
costs incurred in the sale.
(c) Rule of Construction.—Nothing in this section shall be
construed to require the sale of any material removed under a
special use permit or easement that includes permission for
the cutting and removal of trees or other vegetation
described in subsection (a).
SEC. 8418. UTILIZING GRAZING FOR WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION.
(a) Strategy.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall develop
and implement a strategy to utilize livestock grazing as a
wildfire risk reduction tool on Federal land under the
jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned.
(2) Inclusions.—The strategy under paragraph (1) shall
include—
(A) the completion of any reviews required under the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.) to allow a permittee with a grazing permit in effect to
graze on vacant grazing allotments during instances of
drought, wildfire, or other natural disaster that disrupt
grazing on the allotments covered by such grazing permit;
(B) the use of targeted grazing to reduce hazardous fuels;
(C) an increase in the use of temporary grazing permits to
promote targeted fuels reduction and reduction of invasive
annual grasses;
(D) an increase in the use of livestock grazing—
(i) to eradicate invasive annual grasses; and
(ii) as a restoration strategy and for post-fire recovery,
as appropriate;
(E) the integrated use of advanced technologies to
dynamically adjust livestock placement on Federal land under
the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned;
(F) an increase in the use of any authorities applicable to
livestock grazing, including modifications to grazing permits
or leases to allow variances; and
(G) the use of grazing on Federal land under the
jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned in a manner that—
(i) avoids conflicts with other uses of such land; and
(ii) is consistent with any applicable land management
plan.
(b) Effect on Existing Grazing Programs.—Nothing in this
section affects—
(1) any livestock grazing program carried out by the
Secretary concerned as of the date of enactment of this Act;
or
(2) any statutory authority for any program described in
paragraph (1).
(c) Secretary Concerned Defined.—In this section, the term
“Secretary concerned” means—
(1) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National
Forest System lands; and
(2) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public
lands.
SEC. 8419. JOINT CHIEFS LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PARTNERSHIP
PROGRAM.
Section 40808 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
is amended—
(1) in subsection (g)(2), by inserting “and at least once
every 2 fiscal years thereafter” after “and 2023”; and
(2) in subsection (h)(1), by striking “and 2023” and
inserting “through 2031”.
SEC. 8420. TRIBAL FOREST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TECHNICAL
CORRECTION.
Section 8703 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 is
amended—
(1) in the heading, by striking “demonstration project”
and inserting “program” (and by conforming the item
relating to such section in the table of contents
accordingly); and
(2) in subsection (a), by striking “demonstration projects
by” and inserting “a program under”.
PART III—TIMBER INNOVATION
SEC. 8431. COMMUNITY WOOD FACILITIES PROGRAM.
Section 9013 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8113) is amended—
(1) in the heading, by striking “community wood energy and
wood innovation program” and inserting “community wood
facilities program”;
(2) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (1)(A)(iii), in the matter preceding
subclause (I), by striking “woody biomass, including
residuals” and inserting “primarily forest biomass,
including processing or manufacturing residuals”; and
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking “Community Wood Energy
and Wood Innovation Program” and inserting “Community Wood
Facilities Program”;
(3) in subsection (b), by striking “to be known as” and
all that follows through the period at the end and inserting
“to be known as the `Community Wood Facilities Program'.”;
(4) in subsection (d), by striking “exceed—” in the
matter preceding paragraph (1) and all that follows through
the period at the end of paragraph (2) and inserting “exceed
$5,000,000.”;
(5) in subsection (e)—
(A) by striking paragraph (1);
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (8) as (1)
through (7), respectively; and
(C) in paragraph (1), as so redesignated, by inserting “or
market competitiveness” after “cost effectiveness”;
(6) in subsection (f)—
(A) by striking paragraph (2);
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs
(2) and (3), respectively; and
(C) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by striking “use
or retrofitting (or both) of existing sawmill” and inserting
“construction, use or retrofitting of forest products
manufacturing”;
(7) in subsection (g)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “5 megawatts of thermal
energy or combined thermal and electric energy” and
inserting “15 megawatts of thermal energy or combined
thermal and electric energy”; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking “25 percent” and
inserting “50 percent”; and
(8) in subsection (h), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 8432. WOOD INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Application to Transportation Costs.—Section
8643(b)(1) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7
U.S.C. 7655d(b)(1)) is amended by inserting “, including the
construction of new facilities that advance the purposes of
the program and for the hauling of material removed to reduce
hazardous fuels to locations where that material can be
utilized” before the period at the end.
(b) Targeting To Support Economic Development, Enhanced
Building Design, and Impact Assessment.—Section 8643(c) of
the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 7655d(c))
is amended to read as follows:
“(c) Targeting To Support Economic Development, Enhanced
Building Design, and Impact Assessment.—In selecting among
proposals of eligible entities under subsection (b)(2), the
Secretary may give priority to proposals for projects that—
“(1) include the use or retrofitting (or both) of existing
sawmill facilities located in counties in which the average
annual unemployment rate exceeded the national average
unemployment rate by more than 1 percent in the previous
calendar year;
“(2) recognize or enhance carbon reduction strategies in
building design and interior wood products, including forest
impacts, which can be improved by North American
manufacturing; or
“(3) include in the proposal of the entity an analysis of
the benefits that forest management under the proposal will
have on the resilience and economy of the community,
including benefits associated with—
“(A) wood products from anticipated wood supply areas;
“(B) wildfire risk reduction;
“(C) increased fiber flow;
“(D) the increase of forest or mill jobs; and
“(E) support for forested communities.”.
(c) Matching Requirement.—Section 8643(d) of the
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 7655d(d)) is
amended by inserting “50 percent of” before “the amount”.
SEC. 8433. FOREST AND WOOD PRODUCTS DATA TRACKER.
(a) In General.—Not later than 2 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the
Chief of the Forest Service, in collaboration with the Chief
of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and in
consultation with federally recognized Indian Tribes, State
foresters, and private sector partners, shall establish a
publicly available platform to provide measurement,
monitoring, verification, and reporting data regarding the
carbon emissions, sequestration, storage, and related
atmospheric impacts of forest management and wood products.
(b) Activities.—In carrying out subsection (a), the
Secretary shall source data, information, and data analysis
from Department programs and interagency programs,
including—
(1) the Forest Inventory and Analysis program, including
the Timber Products Output survey;
(2) Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation
Service soil carbon estimations;
(3) the Forest Products Laboratory;
(4) the Federal Life Cycle Assessment Commons;
(5) Department entity-level guidelines; and
(6) other relevant programmatic data and information
sources, as published and made available.
(c) Priorities.—The platform established by subsection (a)
shall provide tools that calculate—
(1) the above- and below-ground forest carbon stocks and
stock changes associated with species composition, forest
management regime, and landowner types (including small area
estimations for regional and localized geographies across the
United States) made available through Forest Inventory and
Analysis updates and annual reports;
(2) the embodied carbon involved in the manufacture of
products, using data from published environmental product
declarations and life cycle assessments, updated as new and
more refined data becomes available;
(3) the long-term stored carbon in manufactured timber
products; and
(4) the carbon displacement of wood products, compared to
other materials, using substitution factors.
(d) Rule of Construction.—Nothing in this section may be
construed to provide authority with respect to the
generation, consumption, or trading of carbon or
environmental credits from National Forest System lands in
any voluntary or compliance environmental markets.
SEC. 8434. BIOCHAR APPLICATION DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Biochar.—The term “biochar” means carbonized biomass
produced by converting feedstock through reductive thermal
processing for nonfuel uses.
(2) Covered secretaries.—The term “covered Secretaries”
means—
(A) the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest
Service;
(B) the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the
Director of the Bureau of Land Management; and
(C) the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Director of
the Office of Science.
(3) Eligible entity.—The term “eligible entity” means—
(A) a private, nonprivate, or cooperative entity or
organization;
(B) a State, local, special district, or Tribal government;
(C) an eligible institution;
(D) a National Laboratory (as such term is defined in
section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
15801)); or
(E) a partnership or consortium of two or more entities
described in subparagraphs (A) through (D).
(4) Eligible institution.—The term “eligible
institution” means land-grant colleges and universities,
including institutions eligible for funding under—
(A) the Act of July 2, 1862 (12 Stat. 503, chapter 130; 7
U.S.C. 301 et seq.);
(B) the Act of August 30, 1890 (26 Stat. 417, chapter 841;
7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), including Tuskegee University;
(C) Public Law 87-788 (commonly known as the “McIntire-
Stennis Act of 1962”); or
(D) the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994
(7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103-382).
(5) Feedstock.—The term “feedstock” means excess biomass
in the form of plant matter or materials that serves as the
raw material for the production of biochar.
(b) Demonstration Projects.—
(1) Establishment.—
(A) In general.—Subject to the availability of
appropriations made in advance for such purpose, not later
than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
covered Secretaries shall establish a program to enter into
partnerships with eligible entities to carry out
demonstration projects to support the development and
commercialization of biochar in accordance with this
subsection.
(B) Location of demonstration projects.—In carrying out
the program established under subparagraph (A), the covered
Secretaries shall, to the maximum extent practicable, enter
into partnerships with eligible entities such that not fewer
than one demonstration project is carried out in each region
of the Forest Service and each region of the Bureau of Land
Management.
(2) Proposals.—To be eligible to enter into a partnership
to carry out a biochar demonstration project under paragraph
(1)(A), an eligible entity shall submit to the covered
Secretaries a proposal at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the covered Secretaries may
require.
(3) Use of funds.—In carrying out the program established
under paragraph (1)(A), the covered Secretaries may enter
into partnerships and provide funding to such partnerships to
carry out demonstration projects to—
(A) acquire and test various feedstocks and their efficacy;
(B) develop and optimize commercially and technologically
viable biochar production units, including mobile and
permanent units;
(C) demonstrate—
(i) the production of biochar from forest residue; and
(ii) the use of biochar to restore forest health and
resiliency;
(D) build, expand, or establish biochar facilities;
(E) conduct research on new and innovative uses of biochar;
(F) demonstrate cost-effective market opportunities for
biochar and biochar-based products;
(G) carry out any other activities the covered Secretaries
determine appropriate; or
(H) do any combination of the activities specified in
subparagraphs (A) through (F).
(4) Priority.—In selecting proposals under paragraph (2),
the covered Secretaries shall give priority to entering into
partnerships with eligible entities that submit proposals to
carry out biochar demonstration projects that—
(A) have the most potential to create new jobs and
contribute to local economies, particularly in rural areas;
(B) have the most potential to demonstrate—
(i) new and innovative uses of biochar;
(ii) market viability for cost-effective biochar-based
products;
(iii) the restorative benefits of biochar with respect to
forest health and resiliency, including forest soils and
watersheds; or
(iv) any combination of the purposes specified in clauses
(i) through (iii);
(C) are located in areas that have a high need for biochar
production, as determined by the covered Secretaries, due
to—
(i) nearby lands identified as having high or very high or
extreme risk of wildfire;
(ii) availability of sufficient quantities of feedstocks;
or
(iii) a high level of demand for biochar or other
commercial byproducts of biochar; or
(D) satisfy any combination of the purposes specified in
subparagraphs (A) through (C).
(5) Feedstock requirements.—To the maximum extent
practicable, an eligible entity that carries out a biochar
demonstration project under this subsection shall, with
respect to the feedstock used under such project, derive at
least 50 percent of such feedstock from forest thinning and
management activities, including mill residues, conducted on
National Forest System lands or public lands.
(6) Review of biochar demonstration.—
(A) In general.—The covered Secretaries shall conduct
regionally specific research, including economic analyses and
life-cycle assessments, on any biochar produced from a
demonstration project carried out under the program
established in paragraph (1)(A), including—
(i) the effects of such biochar on—
(I) forest health and resiliency;
(II) carbon capture and sequestration, including increasing
soil carbon in the short term and long term;
(III) productivity, reduced input costs, and water
retention in agricultural practices;
(IV) the health of soil and grasslands used for grazing
activities, including grazing activities on National Forest
System land and public land; and
(V) environmental remediation activities, including
abandoned mine land remediation;
(ii) the effectiveness of biochar as a coproduct of
biofuels or in biochemicals; and
(iii) the effectiveness of other potential uses of biochar
to determine if any such use is technologically and
commercially viable.
(B) Coordination.—The covered Secretaries shall, to the
maximum extent practicable, provide data, analyses, and other
relevant information collected under subparagraph (A) with
recipients of a grant under subsection (c).
(7) Limitation on funding for establishing biochar
facilities.—If the covered Secretaries provide to an
eligible entity that enters into a partnership with the
covered Secretaries under paragraph (1)(A) funding for
establishing a biochar facility, such funding may not exceed
35 percent of the capital cost of establishing such biochar
facility.
(c) Biochar Research and Development Grant Program.—
(1) Establishment.—The Secretary of the Interior, in
consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall establish or
expand an existing applied biochar research and development
grant program to make competitive grants to eligible
institutions to carry out the activities described in
paragraph (3).
(2) Applications.—To be eligible to receive a grant under
this subsection, an eligible institution shall submit to the
Secretary a proposal at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(3) Use of funds.—An eligible institution that receives a
grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds to
conduct applied research on—
(A) the effect of biochar on forest health and resiliency,
accounting for variations in biochar, soil, climate, and
other factors;
(B) the effect of biochar on soil health and water
retention, accounting for variations in biochar, soil,
climate, and other factors;
(C) the long-term carbon sequestration potential of
biochar;
(D) the best management practices with respect to biochar
and biochar-based product that maximize—
(i) carbon sequestration benefits; and
(ii) the commercial viability and application of such
products in forestry, agriculture, environmental remediation,
water quality improvement, and any other similar uses, as
determined by the Secretary;
(E) the regional uses of biochar to increase productivity
and profitability, including—
(i) uses in agriculture and environmental remediation; and
(ii) use as a coproduct in fuel production;
(F) new and innovative uses for biochar byproducts; and
(G) opportunities to expand markets for biochar and create
related jobs, particularly in rural areas.
(d) Reports.—
(1) Report to congress.—Not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the covered Secretaries shall
submit to Congress a report that—
(A) includes policy and program recommendations to improve
the widespread use of biochar;
(B) identifies any area of research needed to advance
biochar commercialization; and
(C) identifies barriers to further biochar
commercialization, including permitting and siting
considerations.
(2) Materials submitted in support of the president's
budget.—Beginning with the second fiscal year that begins
after the date of enactment of this Act and annually
thereafter until the date described in subsection (e), the
covered Secretaries shall include in the materials submitted
to Congress in support of the President's budget pursuant to
section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, a report
describing, for the fiscal year covered by the report, the
status of each demonstration project carried out under
subsection (b) and each research and development grant
carried out under subsection (c).
(e) Sunset.—The authority to carry out this section shall
terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of
enactment of this Act.
Subtitle E—Other Matters
SEC. 8501. RURAL REVITALIZATION TECHNOLOGIES.
Section 2371(d)(2) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation,
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6601(d)(2)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 8502. RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES.
Section 205 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-
Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125) is amended—
(1) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following:
“(6) Appointments by applicable regional foresters.—In
making appointments under this subsection, the Secretary
concerned may act through the applicable regional forester so
long as before the applicable regional forester makes an
appointment, the applicable regional forester conducts the
review and analysis that would otherwise be conducted for an
appointment to a resource advisory committee, including any
review and analysis with respect to civil rights, budgetary
requirements, vetting, and reporting, as the Secretary
concerned determines appropriate.”;
(2) in subsection (d)(6), by striking “October 1, 2026”
and inserting “October 1, 2031”; and
(3) by striking subsection (g).
SEC. 8503. ACCURATE HAZARDOUS FUELS REDUCTION REPORTS.
(a) Materials Submitted in Support of President's Budget.—
(1) In general.—Beginning with the first fiscal year that
begins after the date of the enactment of this Act, and
annually thereafter, the Secretary concerned shall include in
the materials submitted to Congress in support of the
President's budget pursuant to section 1105 of title 31,
United States Code, a report describing the number of acres
of Federal land on which the Secretary concerned carried out
hazardous fuels reduction activities during the preceding
fiscal year, as determined using—
(A) the methodology of the Secretary concerned in effect on
the day before the date of enactment of this Act; and
(B) the methodology described in paragraph (2).
(2) Requirements.—For purposes of a report required under
paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall—
(A) in determining the number of acres of Federal land on
which the Secretary concerned carried out hazardous fuels
reduction activities during the period covered by the
report—
(i) record acres of Federal land on which hazardous fuels
reduction activities were completed during that period; and
(ii) record each acre described in clause (i) once in the
report, regardless of whether multiple hazardous fuels
reduction activities were carried out on that acre during the
applicable period; and
(B) with respect to the acres of Federal land recorded in
the report, include information relating to—
(i) which acres are located in the wildland-urban
interface;
(ii) the level of hazard potential of the acres on the
first and last day of the period covered by the report;
(iii) the types of hazardous fuels reduction activities
completed with respect to the acres, including a description
of whether those hazardous fuels reduction activities were
conducted—
(I) in a wildfire managed for resource benefits; or
(II) through a planned hazardous fuels reduction project;
(iv) the cost per acre of the hazardous fuels reduction
activities carried out during the period covered by the
report;
(v) the region or System unit in which the acres are
located; and
(vi) the effectiveness of the hazardous fuels reduction
activities with respect to reducing the risk of wildfire.
(3) Transparency.—The Secretary concerned shall make each
report submitted under paragraph (1) publicly available on
the website of the Department of Agriculture or the
Department of the Interior, as applicable.
(b) Accurate Data Collection.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall
implement standardized procedures for tracking data related
to hazardous fuels reduction activities carried out by the
Secretary concerned.
(2) Elements.—The standardized procedures required under
paragraph (1) shall include—
(A) regular, standardized data reviews of the accuracy and
timely input of data used to track hazardous fuels reduction
activities;
(B) verification methods that validate whether those data
accurately correlate to the hazardous fuels reduction
activities carried out by the Secretary concerned;
(C) an analysis of the short- and long-term effectiveness
of the hazardous fuels reduction activities on reducing the
risk of wildfire; and
(D) for hazardous fuels reduction activities that occur
partially within the wildland-urban interface, methods to
distinguish which acres are located within the wildland-urban
interface and which acres are located outside the wildland-
urban interface.
(3) Report.—Not later than 45 days after implementing the
standardized procedures required under paragraph (1), the
Secretary concerned shall submit to Congress a report that
describes—
(A) the standardized procedures; and
(B) any programmatic or policy recommendations to Congress
to address limitations in tracking data relating to hazardous
fuels reduction activities under this subsection.
(c) GAO Study.—Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall—
(1) conduct a study regarding the implementation of this
section, including any limitations with respect to—
(A) reporting hazardous fuels reduction activities under
subsection (a); or
(B) tracking data relating to hazardous fuels reduction
activities under subsection (b); and
(2) submit to Congress a report that describes the results
of the study under paragraph (1).
(d) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Federal land.—The term “Federal land” means any land
under the jurisdiction of—
(A) the Secretary; or
(B) the Secretary of the Interior.
(2) Hazardous fuels reduction activity.—
(A) In general.—The term “hazardous fuels reduction
activity” means any vegetation management activity to reduce
the risk of wildfire, including mechanical treatments,
grazing, and prescribed burning.
(B) Exclusion.—The term “hazardous fuels reduction
activity” does not include the awarding of a contract to
conduct an activity described in subparagraph (A).
(3) Secretary concerned.—The term “Secretary concerned”
means—
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National
Forest System lands; and
(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public
lands.
(e) No Additional Funds Authorized.—
(1) In general.—No additional funds are authorized to
carry out this section.
(2) Subject to appropriations.—The activities authorized
by this section are subject to the availability of
appropriations made in advance for those purposes.
SEC. 8504. SPECIAL USE AUTHORIZATION RENTAL FEE WAIVER.
All or part of the programmatic administrative fee, and any
fees related to the special use authorization, as
appropriate, may be waived by the Secretary, acting through
the Chief of the Forest Service, when equitable and in the
public interest as determined by the Chief of the Forest
Service, for the use and occupancy of National Forest System
land in the following circumstances:
(1) The holder of the special use authorization is a State
or local government or any agency or instrumentality thereof,
excluding municipal utilities and cooperatives whose
principal source of revenue is customer charges.
(2) The holder is—
(A) an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt from taxation
under section 501(a) of such Code;
(B) not controlled or owned by a profit-making corporation
or business enterprise; and
(C) is engaged in a public or semipublic activity to
further public health, safety, or welfare.
(3) The holder is an amateur station, amateur operator, or
provides amateur radio services, as those terms are defined
in section 97.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or
successor regulations).
(4) Other circumstances the Secretary, acting through the
Chief of the Forest Service, determines appropriate.
SEC. 8505. CHARGES AND FEES FOR HARVEST OF FOREST BOTANICAL
PRODUCTS.
(a) Recovery of Fair Market Value for Products.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary, acting through the Chief of
the Forest Service, shall establish and carry out a program
to charge and collect fees under subsection (b) for forest
botanical products harvested on National Forest System lands.
(2) Appraisal methods; bidding procedures.—The Secretary,
acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall
establish a fee system based on fair market value for forest
botanical products harvested on National Forest System lands.
(b) Fees.—
(1) Imposition and collection.—The Secretary shall charge
and collect fees from persons who harvest forest botanical
products on National Forest System lands.
(2) Amount of fee.—The fees collected under paragraph (1)
shall be based on the fair market value of the harvested
forest botanical products and the costs incurred by the
Secretary associated with granting, modifying, or monitoring
the authorization for harvest of the forest botanical
products, including the costs of any environmental or other
analysis.
(3) Security.—The Secretary, acting through the Chief of
the Forest Service, may require a person assessed a fee under
this subsection to provide security to ensure that the
Secretary receives the fees imposed under this subsection
from the person.
(c) Sustainable Harvest Levels for Forest Botanical
Products.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary, acting through the Chief of
the Forest Service, shall—
(A) conduct appropriate analyses to determine whether and
how the harvest of forest botanical products on National
Forest System lands can be conducted on a sustainable basis;
and
(B) establish procedures and timeframes to monitor and
revise the harvest levels established for forest botanical
products.
(2) Prohibition on harvest in excess of sustainable
levels.—The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the
Forest Service, may not permit under the program under this
section the harvest of forest botanical products on National
Forest System lands at levels in excess of sustainable
harvest levels, as defined under section 4 of the Multiple-
Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960 (16 U.S.C. 531).
(d) Waiver Authority.—
(1) Personal use.—The Secretary, acting through the Chief
of the Forest Service, shall establish a personal use harvest
level for each forest botanical product, and the harvest of a
forest botanical product below that level by a person for
personal use shall not be subject to charges and fees under
subsections (a) and (b).
(2) Other exceptions.—The Secretary, acting through the
Chief of the Forest Service, may also waive the application
of subsection (a) or (b) pursuant to such regulations as the
Secretary may prescribe.
(e) Deposit and Use of Funds.—
(1) Deposit.—Funds collected under the program in
accordance with subsections (a) and (b) shall be deposited
into a special account in the United States Treasury.
(2) Funds available.—Funds deposited into the special
account in accordance with paragraph (1) shall remain
available until expended without further appropriation.
(3) Authorized uses.—The funds made available under
paragraph (2) shall be expended at units of the National
Forest System in proportion to the charges and fees collected
at that unit under the program under this section to pay
for—
(A) the costs of conducting inventories of forest botanical
products, determining sustainable levels of harvest,
monitoring and assessing the impacts of harvest levels and
methods, and for restoration activities, including any
necessary revegetation; and
(B) the costs described in subsection (b)(2).
(4) Treatment of fees.—Funds collected under the program
in accordance with subsections (a) and (b) shall not be taken
into account for the purposes of the following laws:
(A) The sixth paragraph under the heading “forest
service” in the Act of May 23, 1908 (16 U.S.C. 500), and
section 13 of the Act of March 1, 1911 (commonly known as the
Weeks Act; 16 U.S.C. 500).
(B) The fourteenth paragraph under the heading “forest
service” in the Act of March 4, 1913 (16 U.S.C. 501).
(C) Section 33 of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7
U.S.C. 1012).
(D) The Act of August 28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.) and
the Act of May 24, 1939 (43 U.S.C. 2621 et seq.).
(E) Section 6 of the Act of June 14, 1926 (commonly known
as the Recreation and Public Purposes Act; 43 U.S.C. 869-4).
(F) Chapter 69 of title 31, United States Code.
(G) Section 401 of the Act of June 15, 1935 (16 U.S.C.
715s).
(H) Section 100904 of title 54, United States Code.
(I) Any other provision of law relating to revenue
allocation.
(f) Reporting Requirements.—As soon as practicable after
the end of each fiscal year in which the Secretary collects
charges and fees under the program in accordance with
subsections (a) and (b) or expends funds from the special
account under subsection (e), the Secretary, acting through
the Chief of the Forest Service, shall submit to the Congress
a report summarizing the activities of the Secretary under
the program under this section, including the funds collected
under the program in accordance with subsections (a) and (b),
the expenses incurred to carry out the program under this
section, and the expenditures made from the special account
during that fiscal year.
(g) Definitions.—For purposes of this section:
(1) Forest botanical product.—The term “forest botanical
product”—
(A) means any naturally occurring mushroom, fungus, flower,
seed, root, bark, leaf, berry, bough, bryophyte, bulb, burl,
cone, epiphyte, fern, forb, grass, moss, nut, pine straw,
sedge, shrub, transplant, tree sap, or other vegetation (or
portion thereof) that grows on National Forest System lands;
and
(B) does not include trees, or portions of trees, except as
provided in regulations issued under
section 339 of the Department of the Interior and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 528 note) by
the Secretary before the date of enactment of this Act.
(2) National forest system.—The term “National Forest
System” has the meaning given that term in section 11(a) of
the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of
1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)).
SEC. 8506. FOREST SERVICE LEGACY ROAD AND TRAIL REMEDIATION
PROGRAM TRANSPARENCY.
Section 8 of Public Law 88-657 (16 U.S.C. 538a) is
amended—
(1) in subsection (c)(2)—
(A) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the
following:
“(B) solicit and consider public input regionally in
selecting projects for funding under the Program by—
“(i) publishing annually, for each region, a list of
projects considered for funding under the Program;
“(ii) accepting public comment on the projects described
in clause (i); and
“(iii) considering public comments in selecting projects
for funding under the Program;”; and
(B) in subparagraph (D)—
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting
“annually, for each region,” before “publish”; and
(ii) by striking clause (ii) and inserting the following:
“(ii) a list that includes a description of—
“(I) each project considered for funding under the
Program;
“(II) public comments received on each project described
in subclause (I);
“(III) the ranking within the applicable region of each
project described in subclause (I); and
“(IV) the proposed outcome of each project funded under
the Program for the applicable fiscal year.”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(f) Definition of Region.—In this section, the term
`region' means one of the 9 regions of the Forest Service.”.
SEC. 8507. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY.
For fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter, the
Secretary may appoint, without regard to the provisions of
subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code,
other than sections 3303 and 3328 of that title, a Job Corps
graduate (as defined in section 142(5) of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3192(5))) to a
position in the competitive service in the Forest Service for
which the graduate meets the qualification standards.
SEC. 8508. IMPROVING THE EMERGENCY FOREST RESTORATION
PROGRAM.
Section 407 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16
U.S.C. 2206) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
“(e) Advance Payments.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall give an owner of
nonindustrial private forest land the option of receiving,
before the owner carries out emergency measures under this
section, not more than 75 percent of the cost of the
emergency measures, as determined by the Secretary based on
the fair market value of the cost of the emergency measures
using the estimated cost of the applicable practice published
in the Field Office Technical Guide of each State by the
Natural Resources Conservation Service.
“(2) Return of funds.—If the funds provided under
paragraph (1) are not expended by the end of the 180-day
period beginning on the date on which the owner of
nonindustrial private forest land receives those funds, the
funds shall be returned to the Secretary within a reasonable
timeframe, as determined by the Secretary.”.
SEC. 8509. EXEMPTION FOR PREVIOUSLY ANALYZED AREAS OF
NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS.
(a) In General.—The requirements under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) or
division A of subtitle 54, United States Code, shall not
apply to an application for a communications use
authorization on National Forest System lands, including
National Forest System lands on which authorized utilities,
communications facilities, powerline facilities, or roads
have been installed, if—
(1) the communications equipment is located in or on
existing infrastructure; or
(2) the communications facility is located on previously
analyzed areas of National Forest System lands.
(b) No Additional Consultation Required Under Certain
Circumstances.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the Secretary shall not be required to reinitiate
consultation of the requirements under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) or
division A of subtitle 54, United States Code, for an
application for a communications use authorization on
previously analyzed areas of National Forest System lands if
new information concerning a previously analyzed area of
National Forest System lands becomes available.
(c) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Communications facility; communications use
authorization.—The terms “communications facility” and
“communications use authorization” have the meanings given
the terms, respectively, in section 8705 of the Agriculture
Improvement Act of 2018 (43 U.S.C. 1761a).
(2) Previously analyzed areas of national forest system
lands.—The term “previously analyzed areas of National
Forest System lands” means any National Forest System lands
with respect to which the Secretary has—
(A) granted, issued, and executed a communications use
authorization; and
(B) conducted sufficient environmental or historical
reviews.
(3) Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary
of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest
Service.
SEC. 8510. RELEASE OF REVERSIONARY INTEREST IN BLACK RIVER
STATE FOREST.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Deli, inc.—The term “Deli, Inc.” means Deli, Inc., a
sphagnum moss production business located in Millston,
Wisconsin.
(2) Deli land.—The term “Deli land” means the
approximately 37.27 acres of land owned or optioned to
acquire, subject to the approval of the land exchange by the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin
Natural Resources Board, and the Governor of Wisconsin, in 2
separate parcels, by Deli, Inc., and located in Millston,
Wisconsin, as depicted on the map and as described as
follows:
(A) A parcel of real property containing approximately 31.3
acres (which includes land within the road right-of-way),
together with any improvements—
(i) comprising the NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ sec. 29, T. 20 N., R. 2
W., Town of Millston, Jackson County, Wisconsin;
(ii) excluding—
(I) land lying north of the railroad right-of-way; and
(II) a parcel 150 feet wide, with 50 feet lying to the
northeast, and 100 feet to the southwest, of a line
commencing at a point 5 feet east of the northwest corner of
the quarter-quarter section described in clause (i), thence
south 56 east 39" a distance of 222 feet, thence south 57
east 31" a distance of 1359 feet; and
(iii) subject to—
(I) any public water use or easements on Lee Lake; and
(II) any easements or restrictions of record, public
roadways, zoning and use ordinances, and the railroad right-
of-way.
(B) A parcel of real property containing approximately 5.97
acres located in the SW\1/4\SW\1/4\ sec. 20, T. 20 N., R. 4
W., Town of Millston, Jackson County, Wisconsin, comprising
lot 7 of Certified Survey Map No. 4483, as recorded in volume
19S of the certified survey maps, page 334, as Document No.
413440 in the Jackson County Register of Deeds.
(3) Map.—The term “map” means the map entitled “Black
River State Forest-Deli, Inc.” and dated June 26, 2023.
(4) State.—The term “State” means the State of
Wisconsin.
(5) State forest land.—The term “State forest land”
means the approximately 31.83 acres of land located in the
Black River State Forest in Millston, Wisconsin, as depicted
on the map and as described as follows:
(A) A parcel containing 23.13 acres—
(i) comprising the portion of the E\1/2\SE\1/4\ sec. 20, T.
20 N., R. 2. W., Town of Millston, Jackson County, Wisconsin,
lying south of the Interstate Highway 94 southern right-of-
way; and
(ii) excluding a triangular parcel in the southwest corner
described as commencing at the southwest corner, thence east
260 feet, thence northwesterly to a point on the west
boundary thereof 200 feet north of the southwest corner,
thence south to the place of beginning.
(B) A parcel containing 8.70 acres comprising the portion
of the NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ sec. 29, T. 20 N., R. 2. W., Town of
Millston, Jackson County, Wisconsin, lying north of the
railroad right-of-way, forming a triangular piece and
described as commencing at the northeast corner of that
quarter-quarter section, thence west 1010 feet to the north
line of the railroad right-of-way, thence southeasterly along
the boundary of the railroad to the east line of that
quarter-quarter section, thence north on the east line 750
feet to the place of beginning.
(b) Conditional Release.—
(1) Findings.—Congress finds that—
(A) the State forest land is subject to a reversionary
interest of the United States pursuant to section 32(c) of
The Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 1011(c)),
requiring that the State forest land be used for public
purposes in perpetuity; and
(B) the State and Deli, Inc., have agreed that the State
will convey the State forest land in exchange for the Deli
land, and the Deli land will be added to Black River State
Forest in the State.
(2) Conditional release.—If the State offers in a written
agreement to convey the State forest land to Deli, Inc., in
exchange for the conveyance of the Deli land to the State—
(A) the reversionary interest of the United States in the
State forest land shall be released; and
(B) the Secretary shall provide, as expeditiously as
possible, recordable evidence of the release under
subparagraph (A) in the form of a quitclaim deed, which
shall—
(i) convey any interest of the United States in the State
forest land without consideration; and
(ii) be provided to the State for recording before the
exchange deeds are recorded.
(3) Corrections.—The Secretary, in consultation with the
State, may make any necessary corrections to the legal
description of the State forest land for purposes of the
quitclaim deed described in paragraph (2)(B).
SEC. 8511. DOUG LAMALFA SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS ACT.
Section 1 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-
Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7101 note) is amended by
inserting “or the `Doug LaMalfa Secure Rural Schools Act' ”
before the period at the end.
SEC. 8512. MINOR RANGE IMPROVEMENTS UNDER FOREST SERVICE
GRAZING PERMITS.
(a) Minor Range Improvements by Permittees.—Not later than
1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary shall issue regulations allowing a permittee to
carry out a minor range improvement on the lands with respect
to which the permittee holds a grazing permit if—
(1) the permittee notifies the applicable Forest Service
district ranger at least 30 days prior to carrying out such
minor range improvement; and
(2) such applicable district ranger—
(A) approves the minor range improvement; or
(B) does not respond to notification regarding the minor
range improvement.
(b) Range Improvements by the Secretary.—The Secretary,
acting through the applicable district ranger, shall—
(1) respond to a covered request not later than 30 days
after the date on which such request is submitted; and
(2) if such response confirms that the Secretary, acting
through the applicable district ranger, will carry out the
range improvement requested—
(A) notify the district office that serves the area in
which such range improvement will occur; and
(B) expedite the carrying out of such range improvement
using any available administrative tools or authorities,
including categorical exclusions.
(c) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) CFR terms.—The terms “grazing permit”,
“permittee”, and “range improvement” have the meanings
given those terms, respectively, in section 222.1 of title
36, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor
regulations).
(2) Covered request.—The term “covered request” means a
request submitted by a permittee to the Secretary requesting
that the Secretary carry out a range improvement.
(3) Minor range improvement.—The term “minor range
improvement” includes improvements to existing fences and
fence lines, wells, water pipelines, and stock tanks.
Subtitle F—White Oak Resilience
SEC. 8601. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the “White Oak Resilience
Act”.
SEC. 8602. WHITE OAK RESTORATION INITIATIVE COALITION.
(a) In General.—The White Oak Restoration Initiative
Coalition shall be established—
(1) as a voluntary collaborative group of Federal, State,
Tribal, and local governments and private and nongovernmental
organizations to carry out the duties described in subsection
(b); and
(2) in accordance with the charter titled “White Oak
Initiative Coalition Charter” adopted by the White Oak
Initiative Board of Directors on March 21, 2023 (or any
successor charter).
(b) Duties.—In addition to the duties specified in the
charter described in subsection (a)(2), the duties of the
White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition are—
(1) to coordinate Federal, State, Tribal, local, private,
and nongovernmental restoration of white oak in the United
States; and
(2) to make program and policy recommendations, consistent
with applicable forest management plans, with respect to—
(A) changes necessary to address Federal and State policies
that impede activities to improve the health, resiliency, and
natural regeneration of white oak;
(B) adopting or modifying Federal and State policies to
increase the pace and scale of white oak regeneration and
resiliency of white oak;
(C) options to enhance communication, coordination, and
collaboration between forest landowners, particularly for
cross-boundary projects, to improve the health, resiliency,
and natural regeneration of white oak;
(D) research gaps that should be addressed to improve the
best available science on white oak;
(E) outreach to forest landowners with white oak or white
oak regeneration potential; and
(F) options and policies necessary to improve the quality
and quantity of white oak in tree nurseries.
(c) Administrative Support, Technical Services, and Staff
Support.—The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary
shall make such personnel available to the White Oak
Restoration Initiative Coalition for administrative support,
technical services, and development and dissemination of
educational materials as the Secretary of the Interior or the
Secretary, as applicable, determines necessary to carry out
this section.
SEC. 8603. FOREST SERVICE PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.—The Secretary, acting through the Chief of
the Forest Service, shall establish and carry out 5 pilot
projects in national forests to restore white oak in such
forests through white oak restoration and natural
regeneration practices that are consistent with applicable
forest management plans.
(b) National Forests Reserved or Withdrawn From Public
Domain.—At least 3 pilot projects required under subsection
(a) shall be carried out on national forests reserved or
withdrawn from the public domain.
(c) Authority To Enter Into Cooperative Agreements.—The
Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements to carry out
the pilot projects required under subsection (a).
(d) Sunset.—The authority under this section shall
terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 8604. WHITE OAK REGENERATION AND UPLAND OAK HABITAT.
(a) Establishment.—Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a
nonregulatory program to be known as the “White Oak and
Upland Oak Habitat Regeneration Program” (in this section
referred to as the “Program”).
(b) Duties.—In carrying out the Program, the Secretary
shall—
(1) draw upon the best available science and management
plans for species of white oak to identify, prioritize, and
implement restoration and conservation activities that will
improve the growth of white oak within the United States;
(2) collaborate and coordinate with the White Oak
Restoration Initiative Coalition to prioritize white oak
restoration initiatives;
(3) adopt a white oak restoration strategy that—
(A) supports the implementation of a shared set of science-
based restoration and conservation activities developed in
accordance with paragraph (1);
(B) targets cost-effective projects with measurable
results; and
(C) maximizes restoration outcomes with no net gain of
Federal full-time equivalent employees; and
(4) establish the voluntary grant and technical assistance
programs in accordance with subsection (e).
(c) Coordination.—In establishing the Program, the
Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service,
shall consult with—
(1) the heads of Federal agencies, including—
(A) the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service; and
(B) the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation
Service; and
(2) the Governor of each State in which restoration efforts
will be carried out pursuant to the Program.
(d) Purposes.—The purposes of the Program include—
(1) coordinating restoration and conservation activities
among Federal, State, Tribal, and local entities and
conservation partners to address white oak restoration
priorities;
(2) improving and regenerating white oak and upland oak
forests and the wildlife habitat such forests provide;
(3) carrying out coordinated restoration and conservation
activities that lead to the increased growth of species of
white oak in native white oak regions on Federal, State,
Tribal, and private land;
(4) facilitating strategic planning to maximize the
resilience of white oak systems and habitats under changing
climate conditions;
(5) engaging the public through outreach, education, and
citizen involvement to increase capacity and support for
coordinated restoration and conservation activities for
species of white oak; and
(6) increasing scientific capacity to support the planning,
monitoring, and research activities necessary to carry out
such coordinated restoration and conservation activities.
(e) Grants and Assistance.—
(1) In general.—To the extent that funds are available to
carry out this section, the Secretary shall establish a
voluntary grant and technical assistance program (in this
section referred to as the “grant program”) to achieve the
purposes of the Program, as described in subsection (d).
(2) Administration.—
(A) In general.—The Secretary shall enter into a
cooperative agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation (in this subsection referred to as the
“Foundation”) to manage and administer the grant program.
(B) Funding.—Subject to the availability of appropriations
made in advance for such purpose, after the Secretary enters
into a cooperative agreement with the Foundation under
subparagraph (A), the Foundation shall, for each fiscal year,
receive amounts to carry out this subsection in an advance
payment of the entire amount on October 1, or as soon as
practicable thereafter, of that fiscal year.
(3) Application of national fish and wildlife foundation
establishment act.—Amounts received by the Foundation to
carry out the grant program shall be subject to the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C.
3701 et seq.), excluding section 10(a) of that Act (16 U.S.C.
3709(a)).
(f) Sunset.—The authority under this section shall
terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 8605. TREE NURSERY SHORTAGES.
(a) In General.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Secretary, acting through
the Chief of the Forest Service, shall—
(1) develop and implement a national strategy to increase
the capacity of Federal, State, Tribal, and private tree
nurseries to address the nationwide shortage of tree
seedlings; and
(2) coordinate such strategy with—
(A) the national reforestation strategy of the Forest
Service; and
(B) each regional implementation plan for national forests.
(b) Elements.—The strategy required under subsection (a)
shall—
(1) be based on the best available science and data; and
(2) identify and address—
(A) regional seedling shortages of bareroot and container
tree seedlings;
(B) regional reforestation opportunities and the seedling
supply necessary to fulfill such opportunities;
(C) opportunities to enhance seedling diversity and close
gaps in seed inventories; and
(D) barriers to expanding, enhancing, or creating new
infrastructure to increase nursery capacity.
TITLE IX—ENERGY
SEC. 9001. DEFINITION OF ADVANCED BIOFUEL.
Section 9001(3)(B)(iv) of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101(3)(B)(iv)) is amended
by inserting “and sustainable aviation fuel” after
“diesel-equivalent fuel”.
SEC. 9002. BIOBASED MARKETS PROGRAM.
Section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8102) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the following:
“(G) Procurement resources.—The Office of Federal
Procurement Policy, in coordination with the Secretary, shall
provide educational
materials to procuring agencies to consider the longevity of
a product, economic savings, and the efficacy and performance
of a product when making procurement decisions under this
subsection.”; and
(B) in paragraph (4)—
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking clause (ii) and
redesignating clauses (iii) and (iv) as clauses (ii) and
(iii), respectively;
(ii) in subparagraph (B)(i)—
(I) in the matter preceding subclause (I)—
(aa) by inserting “and the Secretary” after “Policy”;
and
(bb) by striking “information concerning—” and inserting
“a report that describes, for the year covered by the
report—”;
(II) in subclause (I), by inserting “, including the
actions taken by the procuring agency to establish and
implement the biobased procurement program of the procuring
agency under that paragraph” before the semicolon;
(III) in subclause (IV), by striking “and” at the end;
(IV) in subclause (V), by striking “and” at the end; and
(V) by adding at the end the following:
“(VI)(aa) the specific categories of biobased products
that are unavailable to meet procurement needs of the
procuring agencies; and
“(bb) the desired performance characteristics and other
relevant specifications for those products; and
“(VII) if applicable, an explanation of the procurement
requirement or updated procurement requirement established
under paragraph (2)(A)(i) that procuring agencies failed to
meet and reasons for the failure; and”; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
“(D) Accountability.—The Office of Federal Procurement
Policy, in consultation with the Secretary, shall annually—
“(i) collect the information required to be reported under
subparagraph (B) and make the information publicly available;
“(ii) using the information collected under subparagraph
(B) of this paragraph, document relevant procuring agencies
under paragraph (2)(A)(i) that, as applicable, have
established a procurement program in accordance with
paragraph (2)(A)(i)(I); and
“(iii) make the information publicly available, subject to
the exemptions from disclosure under section 552(b) of title
5, United States Code.”;
(2) in subsection (f)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in the heading, by inserting “and napcs” before
“codes”;
(ii) by inserting “and North American Product
Classification System codes” before “for—”; and
(iii) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) and inserting
the following:
“(A) renewable chemicals manufacturers and biobased
products manufacturers; and
“(B) renewable chemicals and biobased products.”; and
(B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3) and
inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
“(2) Report.—To inform the development of codes under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, within 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this paragraph, submit to the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate, a report that provides—
“(A) the Federal statistical collections of information
related to the North American Industry Classification System
codes and the North American Product Classification System
codes that utilize bioeconomy-specific data;
“(B) recommendations to implement any bioeconomy-related
changes as part of the 2027 revisions of the North American
Industry Classification System codes and the North American
Product Classification System codes; and
“(C) an assessment of the impacts that bioeconomy-specific
North American Industry Classification System codes and North
American Product Classification System codes would have on
the measurement by the agency of the economic contributions
of the bioeconomy.”; and
(3) in subsection (k)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “2024” and inserting
“2031”; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 9003. BIOREFINERY ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.—Section 9003 of the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8103) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)(1)—
(A) by inserting “or innovative” before “commercial-
scale”; and
(B) by inserting “, renewable chemicals, or biobased
products” after “end-user products”;
(2) in subsection (d)(1)—
(A) in subparagraph (B)—
(i) by striking all that precedes “a loan guarantee” and
inserting the following:
“(B) Feasibility.—
“(i) In general.—In approving”; and
(ii) by adding after and below the end the following:
“(ii) Waiver.—The Secretary may waive the requirement
that the applicant must demonstrate commercial viability for
projects adopting commercially available technology.”;
(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as
subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively; and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
“(C) Technical review agreement.—
“(i) In general.—The Secretary shall enter into an
agreement with each project applicant that clearly outlines
the specific objectives, outcomes, and conditions by which
the Secretary determines successful technical feasibility of
the project under this section.
“(ii) Conditions of agreement.—The agreement provided
under clause (i) shall include clear guidelines and
expectations for the methodologies, protocols, and
procedures, and what the eligible technology must
demonstrate, for the Department to determine technical
feasibility from an integrated demonstration unit,
including—
“(I) a set timeline for the integrated demonstration unit
campaign and final technical report to show reliable evidence
of continuous, steady-state production;
“(II) criteria and methods for evaluating the project's
success, including any third-party assessments or evaluations
that may be conducted during the demonstration period and at
the conclusion of the set timeline;
“(III) criteria and methods to prove the ability of the
integrated demonstration unit to use project-specific
feedstock for the production of advanced biofuels, renewable
chemicals, or biobased products at a yield and quality
consistent with the design basis of the project;
“(IV) required information and conditions that demonstrate
operation duration, quality, and quantity specifications; and
“(V) any other information that, if supplied to the
Secretary, would assist the eligible entity in sufficiently
demonstrating a project's technical feasibility.
“(iii) Failure to comply with agreement.—
“(I) Noncompliance notification.—If a project applicant
fails to comply with the technical feasibility requirements
as provided under clause (ii), the Secretary shall issue a
written notice to the project applicant detailing the
specific deficiencies and providing a reasonable timeframe
for the project applicant to rectify the issues.
“(II) Corrective action period.—The project applicant
shall have a period of not more than 90 days from the date of
issuance of the noncompliance notice to address the
identified deficiencies and submit a revised technical
feasibility assessment for reconsideration.
“(iv) Technical feasibility approval.—Upon fulfillment of
the conditions of agreement established under clause (ii) or
approval of the revised technical feasibility assessment
under clause (iii)(II), the Secretary shall determine the
project to be technically feasible.”; and
(3) in subsection (g)—
(A) by striking all that precedes “is authorized” and
inserting the following:
“(g) Funding.—There”; and
(B) by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
(b) Rescission.—Of the unobligated balances of amounts
made available under section 9003 of the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002, $18,000,000 are rescinded.
SEC. 9004. BIOPRODUCT LABELING TERMINOLOGY.
Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of
2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101-8115) is amended by inserting after
section 9003 the following:
“SEC. 9004. BIOPRODUCT LABELING TERMINOLOGY.
“(a) Uniform Standards.—
“(1) In general.—Within 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall issue rules
implementing national uniform labeling standards for, and
ensuring the proper use of, the following terms in the
labeling and marketing of bioproducts:
“(A) Bio-attributed plastic.
“(B) Bio-attributed product.
“(C) Biobased plastic.
“(D) Plant-based product.
“(2) Inclusion of certain defined terms.—In implementing
the national uniform labeling standards under paragraph (1),
the Secretary shall include the following terms, as defined
in section 9001:
“(A) Biobased product.
“(B) Intermediate ingredient or feedstock.
“(C) Renewable biomass.
“(D) Renewable chemical.
“(b) Consultation.—In defining terms under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall consult with—
“(1) biomanufacturers;
“(2) entities engaged in research and development of
bioproducts;
“(3) feedstock growers; and
“(4) other industry stakeholders.”.
SEC. 9005. BIOENERGY PROGRAM FOR ADVANCED BIOFUELS.
Section 9005(g)(2) of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8105(g)(2)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 9006. BIODIESEL FUEL EDUCATION PROGRAM.
Section 9006 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8106) is repealed.
SEC. 9007. RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM.
(a) In General.—Section 9007 of the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting “(referred to in this
section as the `Program')” after “Program”;
(2) in subsection (b)(3)—
(A) in subparagraph (D), by inserting “, cost savings,”
after “savings”;
(B) in subparagraph (E), by striking “and” at the end;
(C) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at the end
and inserting “; and”; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
“(G) the potential of the proposed program to meaningfully
improve the financial conditions of the agricultural producer
or rural small business.”;
(3) in subsection (c)—
(A) in paragraph (1)(A)(i), by inserting “, agricultural
cooperatives with less than 2,500 employees,” before “and
rural”;
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) in subparagraph (F), by striking “and” at the end;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (G) as subparagraph (H);
and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following:
“(G) the potential improvements to the financial
conditions of the agricultural producer or rural small
business; and”; and
(C) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking “$25,000,000” and
inserting “$50,000,000”;
(4) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), and (f) as
subsections (e), (f), and (g), respectively, and inserting
after subsection (c) the following:
“(d) Streamlined Application Process.—The Secretary shall
develop a streamlined application process, including within
each tier described in subsection (c)(4), under which an
entity may apply for a grant under subsection (b), financial
assistance under subsection (c), or a bundled application for
a project with components eligible under clauses (i) and (ii)
of subsection (c)(1)(A).”;
(5) in subsection (e) (as so redesignated)—
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking “Outreach” and
inserting “Outreach, Technical Assistance, and Education”;
(B) by striking “that adequate” and inserting the
following: “that—
“(1) adequate”;
(C) in paragraph (1) (as inserted by subparagraph (B) of
this paragraph), by striking the period at the end and
inserting a semicolon; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
“(2) technical assistance is provided to entities seeking
to apply for a grant or financial assistance under the
Program; and
“(3) outreach, technical assistance, and education is
provided to recipients of grants and other financial
assistance under the Program relating to integrating
renewable energy projects on land shared with crops or
livestock.”;
(6) in subsection (g), (as so redesignated by paragraph (4)
of this section)—
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Reserve fund.—
“(A) In general.—Of the funds obligated under paragraph
(1) for each fiscal year , not less than 10 percent shall be
deposited in a reserve fund in the Treasury and reserved for
use in accordance with this subparagraph.
“(B) Use of funds.—
“(i) In general.—The Secretary shall use amounts reserved
under subparagraph (A) to provide grants to support projects
using underutilized renewable energy technologies.
“(ii) Costs.—The amount of the grant for such a project
shall not exceed 25 percent of the installation or
maintenance costs of the project for the year in which the
grant is awarded.
“(C) Frequency of solicitations to fund.—The Secretary
shall carry out at least 2 solicitations for applications for
grants from the reserve fund in each fiscal year.
“(D) Reallocation.—Any funds reserved under subparagraph
(A) that remain unobligated 1 year after the end of the
fiscal year in which made available under subparagraph (A)
shall be reallocated to carry out the program established
under this section.
“(E) Definition of underutilized renewable energy
technologies.—The term `underutilized renewable energy
technologies' means renewable energy technologies for which
have been expended not more than 20 percent of the average of
the total amounts made available under this section for the 5
fiscal years most recently ending before the date of the
enactment of this paragraph.”; and
(7) by adding at the end the following:
“(h) Project Diversity.—In approving grant or loan
guarantee applications under this section, the Secretary
shall ensure that, to the extent practicable, there is
diversity in the types of projects approved for grants or
loan guarantees to ensure that as wide a range as possible of
technologies, products, and approaches are assisted.”.
(b) Conforming Amendments.—Section 9007 of such Act (7
U.S.C. 8107) is amended by striking “subsection (f)” each
place it appears and inserting “subsection (g)”.
SEC. 9008. FEEDSTOCK FLEXIBILITY.
Section 9010(b) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment
Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8110(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking “2026” and inserting
“2031”; and
(2) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking “2026” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 9009. BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
Section 9011(f)(1) of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8111(f)(1)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 9010. CARBON UTILIZATION AND BIOGAS EDUCATION PROGRAM.
Section 9014 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8115) is repealed.
SEC. 9011. STUDY ON EFFECTS OF SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATIONS ON
COVERED FARMLAND.
Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of
2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101-8115) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
“SEC. 9015. STUDY ON EFFECTS OF SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATIONS ON
COVERED FARMLAND.
“(a) In General.—The Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Energy, shall conduct a study on the effects of
solar panel installations on the conversion of covered
farmland out of agricultural production in accordance with
this section.
“(b) Content.—In conducting the study under this section,
the Secretary shall—
“(1) analyze the economic effects of solar panel
installations on covered farmland, including the effects on—
“(A) crop yields;
“(B) land values, including adjacent properties;
“(C) land access and tenure;
“(D) local economies; and
“(E) food security;
“(2) investigate impacts of solar panel installation,
operation, and decommissioning on covered farmland, and
suggest best practices to protect—
“(A) soil health;
“(B) water resources;
“(C) wildlife;
“(D) vegetation;
“(E) water drainage; and
“(F) air quality;
“(3) assess the impacts of shared solar energy and
agricultural production on covered farmland, including best
practices to—
“(A) maintain or increase agricultural production;
“(B) increase agricultural resilience;
“(C) retain covered farmland;
“(D) increase economic opportunities in farming and rural
communities, including new revenue streams and job creation;
“(E) reduce nonfarmer ownership of covered farmland; and
“(F) enhance biodiversity;
“(4) assess the types of agricultural land best suited and
worst suited for shared solar energy and agricultural
production;
“(5) study the compatibility of different species of
livestock with different solar panel system designs,
including—
“(A) the optimal height of and distance between solar
panels for livestock grazing and shade for livestock;
“(B) manure management considerations;
“(C) fencing requirements; and
“(D) other animal-handling considerations;
“(6) study the compatibility of different crop types with
different solar panel system designs, including—
“(A) the optimal height of and distance between solar
panels for plant shading and farm equipment use; and
“(B) the impact on crop yield;
“(7) evaluate the degree to which existing Federal, State,
or local tax incentives result in the development of covered
farmland under study;
“(8) recommend effective incentives that could shift solar
panel installations toward the built environment, brownfield
sites, and other contaminated sites;
“(9) evaluate the effectiveness of programs administered
by the Federal Government related to solar energy development
that—
“(A) result in the development of contaminated lands, the
built environment, and other preferred sites; and
“(B) discourage solar panel installations that would
convert covered farmland out of agricultural production; and
“(10) estimate the loss of agricultural production on
covered farmland due to solar panel installations.
“(c) Consultation With Relevant Stakeholders.—In addition
to consultation with the Secretary of Energy, while
conducting the study under this section, the Secretary shall
consult with—
“(1) farmers;
“(2) ranchers;
“(3) landowners;
“(4) agricultural organizations;
“(5) State departments of agriculture and energy;
“(6) units of local government;
“(7) conservation organizations;
“(8) land-grant colleges and universities (as defined in
section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103));
and
“(9) solar developers.
“(d) Report.—Within 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Energy and
Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a written report
on the findings of the study and recommendations under this
section.
“(e) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Covered farmland.—The term `covered farmland'
includes—
“(A) farmland, as defined in section 1540(c)(1) of the
Farmland Protection Policy Act (7 U.S.C. 4201(c)(1)); and
“(B) nonindustrial private forest land, as defined in
section 201(a)(18) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3801(a)(18)).
“(2) Brownfield site.—The term `brownfield site' has the
meaning given that term in section 101(39) of the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601(39)).
“(3) Secretary.—The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.”.
SEC. 9012. LIMITATION ON USDA FUNDING FOR GROUND-MOUNTED
SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS.
Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of
2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101-8115) is further amended by adding at the
end the following:
“SEC. 9016. LIMITATION ON USDA FUNDING FOR GROUND-MOUNTED
SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS.
“(a) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Covered farmland.—The term `covered farmland'
includes—
“(A) farmland, as defined in section 1540(c)(1) of the
Farmland Protection Policy Act (7 U.S.C. 4201(c)(1)); and
“(B) nonindustrial private forest land, as defined in
section 201(a)(18) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3801(a)(18)).
“(2) Conversion.—The term `conversion' means, with
respect to covered farmland, any activity that results in the
covered farmland failing to meet the requirements of a State
(as
defined in section 343 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991)) for agricultural production,
activity, or use or timber harvest.
“(3) Secretary.—The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
“(b) In General.—The Secretary may not provide financial
assistance for a project that would result in the conversion
of covered farmland for solar energy production.
“(c) Exception.—Subsection (b) shall not apply to a
project if the project—
“(1) results in the conversion of less than 5 acres of
covered farmland; or
“(2) results in the conversion of less than 50 acres of
covered farmland with—
“(A) the majority of the energy produced being for on-farm
use; and
“(B) receipt of a resolution of approval or support, or
other similar instrument, from each county and municipality
in which the project is sited.
“(d) Covered Farmland Protection.—
“(1) Farmland conservation plan required.—A person who
has applied to the Secretary for financial assistance for a
project to which subsection (c)(2) applies shall—
“(A) develop a farmland conservation plan for the project
to—
“(i) implement best practices to protect future soil
health and productivity, and mitigate soil erosion,
compaction, and other effects of solar energy production
during construction, operation, and decommissioning; and
“(ii) remediate and restore the soil health of the
farmland to that of the farmland before the solar energy
production project construction; and
“(B) ensure that sufficient funds, as determined by the
Secretary, are provided for the decommissioning of the solar
energy production system and the remediation and restoration
of covered farmland to carry out the farmland conservation
plan described in subparagraph (A).
“(2) Obligation and disbursement of funds.—The Secretary
may obligate financial assistance for a project described in
paragraph (1), but shall not disburse the financial
assistance until the Secretary has determined that the
applicant for the financial assistance has complied with
paragraph (1).
“(3) Farmland conservation plan implementation.—A person
referred to in paragraph (1) shall carry out—
“(A) the provisions of the plan that are described in
paragraph (1)(A)(i), on the receipt by the project of
financial assistance from the Secretary and for the duration
of solar energy production under the project; and
“(B) the provisions of the plan that are described in
paragraph (1)(A)(ii), on the cessation of solar energy
production under the project.
“(4) Compliance.—A person who fails to comply with
paragraph (3) with respect to a project shall repay to the
Secretary the full amount of the financial assistance
provided by the Secretary to the person for the project.
“(e) Additional Limitations.—The Secretary may not
provide financial assistance for a project that procures a
solar energy component (as defined in section 45x(c)(3) of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) produced, manufactured, or
assembled—
“(1) in a foreign country of concern (as defined in
section 10638(2) of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C.
19237(2))); or
“(2) by—
“(A) an entity domiciled or controlled by such a foreign
country; or
“(B) a foreign entity of concern (as defined in section
10638(3) of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. 19237(3))).”.
SEC. 9013. SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUELS STRATEGY.
The Secretary shall establish a Departmentwide strategy to
advance the production of sustainable aviation fuels by—
(1) facilitating the collaboration between relevant
Department mission areas to encourage the advancement of the
sustainable aviation fuels supply chain, including
utilization of agricultural crops grown for sustainable
aviation fuels production;
(2) identifying opportunities to maximize sustainable
aviation fuels development, deployment, and
commercialization;
(3) leveraging the capabilities of America's farmers,
ranchers, foresters, and producers to capture opportunities
in the sustainable aviation fuels market;
(4) supporting rural economic development through
sustainable aviation fuels production; and
(5) promoting public-private partnerships for the
development, deployment, and commercialization of sustainable
aviation fuels.
SEC. 9014. LEVERAGING EFFICIENCY AWARENESS FOR PUMPING
SYSTEMS.
(a) Findings.—Congress finds the following:
(1) There are over 600,000 pumping systems used for
irrigation on agricultural land in the United States, many of
which still rely on fossil fuels.
(2) Improving the efficiency of agricultural irrigation
pumping systems can save up to 22,000,000,000 kilowatt hours
of energy per year and eliminate 8,300,000 metric tons of
carbon emissions annually.
(3) Energy savings from electrifying agricultural
irrigation pumping systems can save farmers and ranchers more
than $1,800,000,000 annually in energy costs.
(4) Pumping systems play a central role in the watering of
livestock and the management of animal waste in every State.
(5) Pumping systems are a critical component of the
Nation's $2,300,000,000 aquaculture industry.
(6) Improving the efficiency of pumping systems used in
raising livestock and fish can significantly reduce energy
use, save producers millions of dollars annually, and provide
meaningful reductions in carbon emissions.
(7) Agricultural irrigation pumping systems utilizing
plastic piping can provide significant drought relief
benefits, dramatically reducing water losses from evaporation
and seepage; agriculture uses 37 percent of the Nation's
surface and ground water, 30 percent of which is lost to
seepage and evaporation.
(8) Reducing the friction in piping used for agricultural
irrigation and livestock watering can provide meaningful
energy and cost savings; there are potentially 2,500 kWh of
energy savings for every 10 miles of plastic piping utilized
in delivering water for crops and livestock.
(9) Solar pumping systems can play an important role in
protecting riparian habitat and improving water quality in
streams, rivers, lakes, and estuaries through providing
alternative watering options for livestock.
(b) Information on Energy-Efficient Pumping Systems.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary, in consultation
with pumping system experts, in order to educate farmers on
the benefits of energy-efficient pumping systems, shall
develop and make publicly available on the website of the
Department easily accessible information on cost savings,
energy savings, water conservation, and carbon emissions
reductions that can be realized through the use of energy-
efficient pumping systems.
(2) Contents.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall include information on—
(A) pumps, pipes, motors, drives, and controls that can
provide energy savings and cost savings, conserve water, and
reduce carbon emissions; and
(B) Department programs that provide farmers resources for
acquiring energy-efficient pumping systems and drought
management infrastructure, including the environmental
quality incentives program, the Rural Energy for America
Program, and the conservation stewardship program.
(c) Energy Efficiency Preassessment Tool.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary, in consultation
with pumping system experts, in order to raise awareness of
the benefits of energy-efficient pumping systems and increase
participation in Department programs that promote energy
efficiency, shall develop and make publicly available on the
website of the Department a user-friendly tool to—
(A) assist farmers in making a preliminary assessment of
the energy efficiency of existing pumping systems; and
(B) provide an estimate of potential energy savings, cost
savings, and carbon emissions reductions that may be realized
through pumping system improvements.
(2) Requirements.—
(A) Ease of use.—The Secretary shall ensure that the tool
made available under paragraph (1) provides a user with
projected energy savings, projected cost savings, and
projected carbon emissions reductions through the input by
the user of the following data relating to an existing
pumping system:
(i) Pump type.
(ii) Flow rating and actual flow.
(iii) Pressure rating and actual pressure.
(iv) Speed rating and actual speed.
(B) Considerations.—The Secretary shall ensure that the
tool made available under paragraph (1)—
(i) in assessing the energy efficiency of a pumping system,
takes into consideration pumps, pipes, motors, drives, and
controls associated with the pumping system; and
(ii) in projecting the energy savings, cost savings, and
carbon emissions reductions that may be realized through
pumping system improvements, takes into consideration the
cost of electricity and the profile of the existing pumping
system.
(d) Energy Auditor Education.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary, in consultation
with pumping system experts, in order to increase the
effectiveness of Department of Agriculture energy efficiency
programs, shall establish a process to educate persons
performing energy efficiency audits for the Department of
Agriculture on energy use and energy efficiency in pumping
systems.
(2) Implementation.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall consider the use of existing education and
training programs focused on energy use and energy efficiency
in pumping systems.
(e) Conservation Stewardship Program Activities.—Section
1240I(2)(B)(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3839aa-21(2)(B)(i)) is amended by inserting “and energy-
efficient pumping systems” before “, as determined”.
(f) Definition of Pumping System.—In this section, the
term “pumping system” means any pumps, pipes, motors,
drives, and controls used to move water and other fluids on
farms, ranches, and aquaculture operations.
SEC. 9015. ADDING WASTE ENERGY RECOVERY TO THE RURAL ENERGY
FOR AMERICA PROGRAM.
Section 9001(15)(A) of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101(15)(A)) is amended by
striking “or hydroelectric” and inserting “hydroelectric,
or waste energy recovery”.
TITLE X—HORTICULTURE, MARKETING, AND REGULATORY REFORM
Subtitle A—Horticulture
SEC. 10001. SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANTS.
Section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of
2004 (7 U.S.C. 1621 note; Public Law 108-465) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph
(1)—
(A) by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”; and
(B) by striking “specialty crops, including—” and
inserting “specialty crops through priorities established
annually by State program administrators in consultation with
specialty crop producers and producer groups, including—”;
and
(2) by striking subsection (e), and inserting the
following:
“(e) Plan Requirements.—The State plan shall identify the
lead agency charged with the responsibility of carrying out
the plan and indicate—
“(1) how the grant funds will be utilized to enhance the
competitiveness of specialty crops; and
“(2) how outreach to, and consultation with, specialty
crop producers and producer groups will be achieved.”.
SEC. 10002. SPECIALTY CROPS MARKET NEWS ALLOCATION.
Section 10107(b) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 1622b(b)) is amended by striking “2023”
and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 10003. OFFICE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE AND INNOVATIVE
PRODUCTION.
Section 222 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization
Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6923) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(3)—
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting
“production” after “emerging agricultural”;
(B) in subparagraph (D)—
(i) by inserting “controlled-environment agriculture,
including” before “hydroponic”; and
(ii) by striking “and” at the end;
(C) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (H);
and
(D) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:
“(E) using the resources of the Department and of State,
Tribal, and local agencies to provide technical assistance
for business incorporation, navigating local zoning, and
managing farm tract numbers for smaller, noncontiguous
parcels to growers implementing activities described in this
paragraph;
“(F) using the resources of the Department and of State,
Tribal, and local agencies to promote conservation techniques
unique to urban agriculture and innovative production,
including techniques that address stormwater runoff and the
impacted nature of urban land and the subsurface of the land;
“(G) assisting urban and innovative producers in
navigating Federal, State, Tribal, and local policies and
regulations that impact business or operations; and”;
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (5)(B), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”; and
(B) in paragraph (7)(A), by striking “the date that is 5
years after the date on which the members are appointed under
paragraph (2)(B)” and inserting “September 30, 2031”;
(3) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
“(c) Grants and Cooperative Agreements.—
“(1) Grants.—
“(A) In general.—The Director shall award competitive
grants to support the development of urban and innovative
agricultural production and technical or financial assistance
to producers.
“(B) Subgrants.—An eligible entity may use funds from a
grant under subparagraph (A) to provide subgrants to urban
and innovative producers to support the growth of the farm or
farm business of the urban and innovative producers.
“(C) Eligible entities.—An entity eligible to receive a
grant under subparagraph (A) is—
“(i) a nonprofit organization;
“(ii) a unit of local government;
“(iii) a Tribal organization;
“(iv) an agricultural cooperative or other agricultural
business entity or a producer network or association; or
“(v) a school that serves any of grades kindergarten
through grade 12.
“(2) Cooperative agreements.—
“(A) In general.—The Director may enter into cooperative
agreements with eligible entities to support the development
of urban and innovative agricultural production.
“(B) Eligible entities.—An entity eligible to enter into
cooperative agreements under subparagraph (A) is—
“(i) a nonprofit organization;
“(ii) a unit of local government;
“(iii) a Tribal organization; or
“(iv) an agricultural cooperative or other agricultural
business entity or a producer network or association.”;
(4) in subsection (d)—
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking “Pilot”;
(B) by striking “pilot” each place it appears in
paragraphs (1) and (2);
(C) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking “Not later than 1
year after the date of enactment of this section, the
Secretary shall establish a pilot program for not fewer than
5 years that” and inserting “The Secretary shall continue
to implement a program that”;
(D) in paragraph (1)(C), in the matter preceding clause
(i), by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”; and
(E) in paragraph (2)—
(i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting “and construct at-
scale composting, food-to-feed, or anaerobic digestion food
waste-to-energy projects” before the period at the end; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B)—
(I) in the subparagraph heading, by striking “PILOT”;
(II) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting
“Tribal governments,” after “local governments,”;
(III) by redesignating clauses (vi) through (viii) as
clauses (vii) through (ix), respectively; and
(IV) by inserting after clause (v) the following:
“(vi) develop food waste-to-energy operations;”; and
(5) in subsection (e), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 10004. NATIONAL PLANT DIAGNOSTICS NETWORK.
Section 12203(c)(5) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of
2018 (7 U.S.C. 8914(c)(5)) is amended by striking “2023”
and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 10005. HEMP PRODUCTION.
(a) State and Tribal Plans.—Section 297B of the
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1639p) is
amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (2)—
(i) in subparagraph (A)—
(I) by redesignating clauses (ii) through (vii) as clauses
(iii) through (viii), respectively;
(II) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
“(ii) a procedure under which a hemp producer shall be
required to designate the type of production of the hemp
producer as—
“(I) only industrial hemp; or
“(II) hemp grown for any purpose other than industrial
hemp;”;
(III) in clause (iii), as redesignated by clause (i) of
this subparagraph—
(aa) by inserting “except as provided in subparagraph
(B)(i),” before “a procedure”; and
(bb) by striking “delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol
concentration” and inserting “total tetrahydrocannabinol
concentration (including tetrahydrocannabinolic acid)”; and
(IV) in clause (viii), as redesignated by clause (i) of
this subparagraph, by striking “clauses (i) through (vi)”
and inserting “clauses (i) through (vii)”; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking “include any other
practice” and inserting the following: “include—
“(i) notwithstanding subparagraph (A)(iii), a procedure
for the use of visual inspections, performance-based sampling
methodologies, certified seed, or a similar procedure when
developing sampling plans for any producer who elects to be
designated as a producer of only industrial hemp under
subparagraph (A)(ii)(I);
“(ii) notwithstanding subsection (e)(3)(B)(i), a procedure
for eliminating the 10-year period of ineligibility following
the date of conviction for a felony related to a controlled
substance for producers who elect to be designated as
producers of only industrial hemp under subparagraph (A)(ii);
and
“(iii) any other practice”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Inspection of industrial hemp producers.—
“(A) In general.—If a State or Tribal plan referred to in
paragraph (1) includes procedures for reducing or eliminating
sampling or testing requirements under paragraph (2)(B)(i)
for a producer of industrial hemp, the State or Indian tribe
shall require the producer to provide documentation that
demonstrates a clear intent to produce, and use in-field
practices consistent with production of, only industrial
hemp, such as a seed tag, sales contract, Farm Service Agency
report, harvest technique, or harvest inspection.
“(B) Testing.—If a producer fails to provide the
documentation required under subparagraph (A), the State or
Indian tribe involved shall require the producer to conduct
the testing described in paragraph (2)(A)(iii).”;
(2) in subsection (e)(2)(A)(iii), by striking “delta-9”
and all that follows through “percent” and inserting the
following: “total tetrahydrocannabinol concentration
(including tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) of not more than 0.3
percent in the plant”; and
(3) in subsection (e)(3)—
(A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
“(A) Reporting.—
“(i) In general.—In the case of a State department of
agriculture or a Tribal Government with respect to which a
State or Tribal plan is approved under subsection (b), such
State department of agriculture or Tribal Government (as
applicable) shall immediately report a hemp producer to the
Attorney General and, as applicable, the chief law
enforcement officer of the State or Indian tribe, if the
State department of agriculture or Tribal Government (as
applicable) determines that the hemp producer has—
“(I) violated the State or Tribal plan with a culpable
mental state greater than negligence; or
“(II) violated the State or Tribal plan by producing a
crop that is inconsistent with the designation of only
industrial hemp under subsection (a)(2)(A)(ii).
“(ii) Exception.—Paragraph (1) shall not apply with
respect to—
“(I) a violation described in subclause (I) of clause (i);
or
“(II) the production of a crop inconsistent with its
designation, as described in subclause (II) of such
clause.”;
(B) in subparagraph (B), by amending clause (ii) to read as
follows:
“(ii) Exception.—Clause (i) shall not apply to any person
growing hemp that designates the type of production as only
industrial hemp under subsection (a)(2)(A)(ii) if—
“(I) the State or Tribal plan approved under subsection
(b) includes a procedure described in subsection
(a)(2)(B)(ii); or
“(II) the plan established by the Secretary under section
297C includes a procedure described in subsection
(a)(2)(B)(ii) of such section.”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(D) Production inconsistent with industrial hemp
designation.—Any person who knowingly produces a crop that
is inconsistent with the designation of only industrial hemp
under subsection (a)(2)(A)(ii) shall be ineligible to
participate in the program established under this section for
a period of 5 years beginning on the date of the
violation.”.
(b) Department of Agriculture.—Section 297C of the
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1639q) is
amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (2)—
(i) by striking “paragraph (1) shall” and all that
follows through “practice to maintain” and inserting the
following: “paragraph (1)—
“(A) shall include—
“(i) a practice to maintain”;
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by redesignating clauses (i) and
(ii) as subclauses (I) and (II), respectively, and moving the
margins of such subclauses (as so redesignated) two ems to
the right;
(iii) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (E) as
clauses (iii) through (vi), respectively, and moving the
margins of such clauses (as so redesignated) two ems to the
right;
(iv) by inserting after clause (i) (as designated by clause
(i) of this subparagraph) the following:
“(ii) a procedure under which the Secretary shall require
a hemp producer to designate the type of production of the
hemp producer as—
“(I) only industrial hemp; or
“(II) hemp grown for any purpose other than industrial
hemp;”;
(v) in clause (iii) (as redesignated by clause (iii) of
this subparagraph)—
(I) by inserting “except as provided in subparagraph
(B)(i),” before “a procedure”; and
(II) by striking “delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol
concentration” and inserting “total tetrahydrocannabinol
concentration (including tetrahydrocannabinolic acid)”;
(vi) in clause (v) (as redesignated by clause (iii) of this
subparagraph), by inserting “and” after the semicolon at
the end;
(vii) by striking subparagraph (F); and
(viii) by adding at the end the following:
“(B) may include—
“(i) notwithstanding subparagraph (A)(iii), a procedure
for the use of visual inspections, performance-based sampling
methodologies, certified seed, or a similar procedure when
developing sampling plans for any producer who elects to be
designated as a producer of only industrial hemp under
subparagraph (A)(ii);
“(ii) notwithstanding section 297B(e)(3)(B)(i), a
procedure for eliminating the 10-year period of ineligibility
following the date of conviction for a felony related to a
controlled substance for producers who elect to be designated
as producers of only industrial hemp under subparagraph
(A)(ii); and
“(iii) such other practices or procedures as the Secretary
considers to be appropriate, to the extent that the practice
or procedure is consistent with this subtitle.”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Inspections of industrial hemp producers.—
“(A) In general.—If a plan referred to in paragraph (1)
includes procedures for reducing or eliminating sampling or
testing requirements under paragraph (2)(B)(i) for a producer
of only industrial hemp, the Secretary shall require the
producer to provide documentation that demonstrates a clear
intent to produce, and use in-field practices consistent with
production of, industrial hemp, such as a seed tag, sales
contract, Farm Service Agency report, harvest technique, or
harvest inspection.
“(B) Testing.—If a producer fails to provide the
appropriate documentation required under subparagraph (A),
the Secretary shall require the producer to conduct the
testing described in paragraph (2)(A)(iii).”; and
(2) in subsection (d)(2)—
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking “and” at the end;
(B) in subparagraph (C)—
(i) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as clauses (ii)
and (iii), respectively;
(ii) by inserting before clause (ii) (as so redesignated),
the following:
“(i) the designation of the type of production of the hemp
producers under section 297B(a)(2)(A)(ii) or under subsection
(a)(2)(A)(ii) of this section;”; and
(iii) in clause (iii), (as so redesignated), by striking
the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(D) the laboratory certificate of analysis for hemp
disposed of under section 297B(a)(2)(A)(iv) or subsection
(a)(2)(A)(iv) of this section.”.
(c) Regulations and Guidelines; Effect on Other Law.—
Section 297D of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7
U.S.C. 1639r) is amended—
(1) in the section heading, by striking “regulations and
guidelines” and inserting “administration, regulations, and
guidelines”; and
(2) in subsection (a)—
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking “PROMULGATION
OF REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES” and inserting
“ADMINISTRATION, REGULATIONS, AND GUIDELINES”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Laboratory accreditation.—The Secretary, in
consultation with the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement
Administration, shall establish a process by which the
Department of Agriculture can issue certificates of
accreditation to laboratories for the purposes of testing
hemp in accordance with this subtitle.”.
SEC. 10006. PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE INTRA-ORGANIZATIONAL
MOVEMENT OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED
MICROORGANISMS BY CERTAIN AUTHORIZED PARTIES.
Subtitle A of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7711 et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 420A. PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE INTRA-ORGANIZATIONAL
MOVEMENT OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED
MICROORGANISMS BY CERTAIN AUTHORIZED PARTIES.
“(a) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Covered microorganism.—The term `covered
microorganism'—
“(A) means a genetically engineered microorganism that is
a plant pest or may pose a plant pest risk; and
“(B) does not include listed agents or toxins (as defined
in section 212(l) of the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection
Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8401(l))).
“(2) Covered unauthorized release.—The term `covered
unauthorized release' means an unauthorized release of a
covered microorganism, including such a release that a
responsible party suspects took place.
“(3) Pilot program.—The term `pilot program' means the
pilot program established under subsection (b).
“(4) Plant pest risk.—The term `plant pest risk' has the
meaning given such term in section 340.3 of title 7, Code of
Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).
“(5) Responsible party.—The term `responsible party'
means a partnership, corporation, association, joint venture,
or other legal entity that—
“(A) has a physical address in the United States;
“(B) is not owned by or otherwise affiliated with the
government of a country of concern (as defined in section
10638 of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. 19237));
“(C) has more than 1 responsible party biocontainment
facility;
“(D) employs quality control personnel that are capable of
overseeing the movement and control of covered
microorganisms;
“(E) has, in each of the 3 years preceding enrollment in
the pilot program, moved plant pests pursuant to permits
granted by the Secretary under this Act;
“(F) has the ability and resources to ensure compliance
with the requirements under subsection (e) for the duration
of the pilot program;
“(G) has implemented the precautions specified in
subsection (e) to prevent the unauthorized release of covered
microorganisms; and
“(H) has not, during the 5-year period preceding the date
on which the relevant application is submitted under
subsection (c)—
“(i) caused an unauthorized release of a plant pest;
“(ii) materially failed to comply with a permit granted by
the Secretary for the interstate movement of plant pests; or
“(iii) violated any provision of this section (including
regulations promulgated thereunder).
“(6) Responsible party biocontainment facility.—The term
`responsible party biocontainment facility'—
“(A) means a physical structure or portion thereof,
constructed and maintained in order to contain plant pests,
that is under the control of, or operated by, a responsible
party within the contiguous United States; and
“(B) includes sites under the control of, or operated by,
any parent organization, subsidiary, or affiliate of the
responsible party.
“(b) Establishment.—Not later than 100 days after the
date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall
establish a pilot program under which the Secretary shall
authorize not more than 75 responsible parties—
“(1) to move covered microorganisms in interstate commerce
between responsible party biocontainment facilities without a
permit; and
“(2) to maintain control over and dispose of such covered
microorganisms.
“(c) Application.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall accept applications
from responsible parties for enrollment in the pilot program
during a 45-day application period, beginning on the date on
which the pilot program is established under subsection (b),
using a web-based application process established by the
Secretary.
“(2) Contents.—An application submitted by a responsible
party for enrollment in the pilot program shall include the
following:
“(A) The name and contact information of the responsible
party and any agent of the responsible party that will be
involved in the movement of a covered microorganism.
“(B) The methods by which a covered microorganism will be
moved and the measures taken to ensure that there is no
unauthorized release of the covered microorganism.
“(C) The manner in which a shipping container, packaging
material, or any other material accompanying the covered
microorganism will be disposed of to prevent the unauthorized
release of a covered microorganism.
“(D) A list of responsible party biocontainment facilities
to which the responsible party intends to move covered
microorganisms.
“(E) A list of the predominant covered microorganism
chassis strains that, at the time of the application, the
responsible party intends to move.
“(F) A sworn certification that the responsible party
meets each criterion specified in subsection (a)(5).
“(3) Supplemental applications.—
“(A) In general.—A responsible party may submit a
supplemental application to the Secretary to update a list
under subparagraph (D) or (E) of paragraph (2) at any time
during such enrollment. The Secretary shall make a
determination with respect to such supplemental application
not later than 30 days after the date on which such
supplemental application is submitted to the Secretary.
“(B) Denials.—The Secretary may only deny a supplemental
application if the Secretary has made the determination set
forth in subsection (d)(2)(B). A denial of a supplemental
application shall be subject to appeal in accordance with the
terms specified in subsection (d)(3).
“(d) Selection Process.—
“(1) Timing.—The Secretary shall—
“(A) evaluate applications received under subsection
(c)(1) in the order in which the applications are received;
and
“(B) approve or deny all applications received during the
period described in that subsection not later than 45 days
after the end of that period.
“(2) Denial.—The Secretary shall deny an application
received under subsection (c)(1) if—
“(A) the Secretary has already selected 75 responsible
parties for enrollment in the pilot program; or
“(B) the Secretary determines that the responsible party
submitting the application does not meet each criterion
specified in subsection (a)(5).
“(3) Appeal.—
“(A) In general.—A responsible party seeking to enroll in
the pilot program whose application has been denied under
paragraph (2) may submit to the Secretary a written appeal
within—
“(i) the 10-day period beginning on the date on which the
responsible party receives written notification of the
denial; or
“(ii) a longer period, if the responsible party makes a
request for additional time to submit such appeal and the
Secretary grants such request.
“(B) Decision.—The Secretary shall, within a reasonably
prompt period, grant or deny an appeal under subparagraph (A)
in writing, which shall include the reasons for the decision.
“(e) Requirements.—A responsible party shall, as a
condition of enrollment in the pilot program, agree to—
“(1) maintain, move, and dispose of covered microorganisms
in a manner that prevents unauthorized release, spread,
dispersal, or persistence of those covered microorganisms in
the environment;
“(2) unless otherwise authorized under a permit under this
Act, only move a covered microorganism between sites that are
responsible party biocontainment facilities;
“(3) maintain, move, and dispose of each covered
microorganism separately from other organisms;
“(4) ensure that each covered microorganism is maintained,
moved, and disposed of in a manner commensurate with the
plant pest risk posed by that covered microorganism;
“(5) use, at a minimum, a package for movement—
“(A) that consists of a securely sealed inner and outer
container, each of which is an effective barrier to the
escape or unauthorized dissemination of the covered
microorganism;
“(B) the inner container of which—
“(i) contains all of the applicable covered microorganism;
and
“(ii) is cushioned and sealed in such a manner as to
remain sealed during any shock, impact, or change in
pressure; and
“(C) the outer container of which is rigid and strong
enough to withstand typical shipping conditions (such as
dropping, stacking, and impact from other freight) without
opening;
“(6) on request, grant the Secretary access—
“(A) to sample materials associated with the interstate
movement of covered microorganisms under the pilot program;
“(B) to observe and inspect the interstate movement of
those covered microorganisms; and
“(C) to audit records of the activities of the responsible
party under the pilot program;
“(7) maintain detailed and accurate records of all
activities carried out under the pilot program to demonstrate
compliance with the applicable requirements;
“(8) on request, grant the Secretary access to each
responsible party biocontainment facility for inspection in
relation to a responsible party's enrollment in the pilot
program; and
“(9) comply with any additional requirement for the
containment of covered microorganisms in interstate commerce
that the Secretary may require if—
“(A) the Secretary determines that such an additional
requirement is reasonable; and
“(B) the sole purpose of such additional requirement is to
avoid a covered unauthorized release.
“(f) Prohibition on Certain Preferences.—In carrying out
the pilot program, the Secretary shall take no action or
promulgate any regulation that—
“(1) treats genetically engineered covered microorganisms
less favorably than nongenetically engineered covered
microorganisms; or
“(2) limits the quantity or type of covered microorganisms
that may be moved under the pilot program between responsible
party biocontainment facilities.
“(g) Reporting by Responsible Parties.—A responsible
party shall submit to the Secretary a quarterly report that
describes the activities of the responsible party under the
pilot program during the period covered by the report,
including—
“(1) a description of each covered microorganism moved in
interstate commerce, including—
“(A) the 1 or more countries or localities at which the
covered microorganism was collected, developed, manufactured,
reared, cultivated, or cultured, as applicable;
“(B) the genus, species, and any relevant subspecies and
common name information of the covered microorganism; and
“(C) when applicable, a brief description of the genetic
modifications made in the microorganism, including—
“(i) the intended phenotype that the 1 or more
modifications are expected to confer;
“(ii) any targeted deletions, insertions, or base pair
substitutions; and
“(iii) the genetic elements used in imparting the
modification, including the name, donor organism, and a brief
description of the function;
“(2) each method by which the covered microorganism was
moved in interstate commerce;
“(3) the quantity of the covered microorganism moved in
interstate commerce; and
“(4) the specific responsible party biocontainment
facilities between which the covered microorganism was moved
in interstate commerce.
“(h) Unauthorized Release.—In the case of a covered
unauthorized release, a responsible party shall—
“(1) contact the applicable office within the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service within 48 hours of discovery
of the covered unauthorized release; and
“(2) submit to the Secretary a statement of facts
pertaining to such release, in writing, not later than 5
business days after the date of that discovery.
“(i) Disenrollment From Pilot Program.—
“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall terminate the
enrollment of a responsible party in the pilot program if the
Secretary has a sound factual basis to determine that—
“(A) the responsible party no longer meets the eligibility
criteria of a responsible party described in subsection
(a)(5);
“(B) the responsible party has materially failed to comply
with the requirements under subsection (e); or
“(C) as a result of a failure by a responsible party under
subparagraph (B), the responsible party caused a covered
unauthorized release during the pilot program.
“(2) Disenrollment decision.—If the Secretary terminates
the enrollment of a responsible party under paragraph (1),
the Secretary shall submit that decision in writing to the
responsible party.
“(3) Appeal.—The appeal process described in subsection
(d)(3) shall apply in the case of a responsible party that
seeks to appeal a termination of enrollment under paragraph
(1).
“(j) Termination.—The pilot program shall terminate on
the date that is 3 years after the date on which the
Secretary completes the application selection process under
subsection (d)(1)(B).
“(k) Report.—Not later than 6 months after the date of
termination of the pilot program described in subsection (j),
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that
describes—
“(1) the activities carried out under the pilot program,
including—
“(A) the quantities and identities of covered
microorganisms that were moved; and
“(B) a description of any unauthorized release of covered
microorganisms that were moved, including a description of
the cause and consequence of any unauthorized release; and
“(2) recommendations on—
“(A) whether the pilot program should become a permanent
program; and
“(B) whether, as a permanent program, changes should be
made to the criteria for a responsible party under subsection
(a)(5) or to the requirements under subsection (e).”.
Subtitle B—Marketing
SEC. 10101. MARKETING ORDERS.
Section 8e(a) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act (7 U.S.C.
608e-1(a)), reenacted with amendments by the Agricultural
Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, is amended—
(1) by inserting “mandarin oranges,” after “oranges,”;
(2) by inserting “almonds,” after “onions,”; and
(3) by striking “, other than dates for processing,” each
place it appears.
SEC. 10102. LOCAL AGRICULTURE MARKET PROGRAM.
Section 210A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7
U.S.C. 1627c) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (5) through (13) as
paragraphs (6) through (14), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
“(5) Food hub.—The term `food hub' means a business or
organization that actively manages the aggregation,
distribution, and marketing of source-identified food
products to multiple buyers from multiple producers, who are
primarily local and regional producers, to strengthen the
ability of such producers to satisfy local and regional
wholesale, retail, and institutional demands.”;
(2) in subsection (b)(4), by inserting “, regional food
chain coordination,” after “collaboration”;
(3) in subsection (c)(4), by striking “stakeholders” and
inserting “stakeholders before and after providing grants
under the program”;
(4) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”;
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) in subparagraph (I), by striking “or”;
(ii) in subparagraph (J)(ii), by striking the period at the
end and inserting “; or”; and
(iii) by inserting at the end the following:
“(K) to support the purchase of special purpose
equipment.”; and
(C) in paragraph (6)—
(i) in subparagraph (B)—
(I) by redesignating clauses (vii) and (viii) as clauses
(viii) and (ix), respectively; and
(II) by inserting after clause (vi) the following:
“(vii) a food hub;”;
(ii) in subparagraph (C)—
(I) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking
“applications that” and inserting “applications, outreach,
and technical assistance that would”;
(II) in clause (i), by striking “or” at the end;
(III) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii);
(IV) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
“(ii) provide greater geographic balance relative to the
benefits of the Program; or”; and
(V) in clause (iii) (as so redesignated), by striking “are
used” and inserting “be used”;
(iii) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) and (E) as
subparagraphs (E) and (F), respectively; and
(iv) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:
“(D) Simplified applications.—
“(i) In general.—The Secretary shall establish a
simplified application form for eligible entities described
in subparagraph (B) that—
“(I) request less than $100,000; and
“(II) choose from the project categories described in
clause (ii), which shall include a specific, limited set of
key activities with predefined requirements established by
the Secretary.
“(ii) Project categories.—The Secretary shall establish a
simplified application form for the following project
categories but may include additional project categories as
necessary:
“(I) Direct-to-consumer projects.—In the case of a
direct-to-consumer project, an application form described in
clause (i) may be available for the following categories of
projects:
“(aa) An outreach and promotion project.
“(bb) A project to provide funding for farmers market
manager staff time.
“(cc) A project to provide vendor training.
“(dd) A planning and design project.
“(ee) A data collection and evaluation project.
“(II) Local and regional food markets and enterprise
projects.—In the case of a local and regional food market
and enterprise project, an application form described in
clause (i) may be available for the following categories of
projects:
“(aa) A food hub feasibility study project.
“(bb) A project to provide funding for regional food chain
coordination staff time.
“(cc) A project to provide technical assistance.
“(dd) A data collection and evaluation project.
“(ee) A project to support the purchase of special purpose
equipment.”;
(5) in subsection (e)(2)(A), by striking “2019 through
2023” and all that follows through the period at the end and
inserting the following: “2026 through 2031 to support
partnerships—
“(i) to plan a local or regional food system;
“(ii) to implement a local or regional food system plan;
“(iii) to develop and implement a regional food chain
coordination project; and
“(iv) to develop and implement a regional outreach,
technical assistance, and evaluation project.”;
(6) in subsection (f)(1)—
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “subsection (d); or”
and inserting “subsection (d)(5);”;
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C);
and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
“(B) are eligible to submit an application in accordance
with subsection (d)(6)(D); or”; and
(7) in subsection (i)(3)(B)—
(A) by striking “Of the funds” and inserting the
following:
“(i) In general.—Of the funds”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(ii) Simplified applications.—Of the funds made
available for grants under subsection (d)(6) for a fiscal
year, not less than 10 percent, and not more than 50 percent,
shall be used to provide grants to eligible entities that
submit an application in accordance with subsection
(d)(6)(D).”.
SEC. 10103. ACER ACCESS AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
Section 12306 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C.
1632c) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections
(f) and (g), respectively;
(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
“(e) Consultations.—
“(1) In general.—Beginning with the first request for
applications under this section that occurs at least 1 year
after the date of enactment of this Act, not later than 6
months before such a request for applications, the Secretary
shall solicit input from maple syrup industry stakeholders
with respect to the research and education priorities of the
maple syrup industry.
“(2) Consideration.—The Secretary shall consider the
information provided through the consultation required under
paragraph (1) when making grants under this section.”; and
(3) in subsection (g), as so redesignated, by striking
“2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 10104. ORGANIC PRODUCTION AND MARKET DATA INITIATIVE.
Section 7407 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 5925c) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking “and” at the end;
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and
inserting “; and”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(4) collect and publish cost-of-production data for
organic milk, through support from regional and national
programs, including regularly reported data related to—
“(A) the costs of major organic feedstuffs, including—
“(i) the prices for major organic feedstuffs produced
domestically;
“(ii) the prices for imported major organic feedstuffs;
and
“(iii) all other costs relating to the production of
organic milk;
“(B) the establishment of an Organic All Milk Prices
Survey, which shall be analogous to the existing All Milk
Prices Survey conducted by the National Agricultural
Statistics Service, to gather and report monthly data about
the amounts organic dairy farmers are being paid for organic
milk and prices received for organic dairy cows, including—
“(i) national data; and
“(ii) data relating to, at a minimum, the 6 regions with
the greatest quantity of organic dairy production; and
“(C) periodic organic milk reporting under which the
Secretary, using data collected by the National Agricultural
Statistics Service, the Economic Research Service, or the
Agricultural Marketing Service, publishes new periodic
reports that include, or add to existing periodic reports
relating to, data for organic milk, which shall be equivalent
to data reported for conventionally produced milk.”; and
(2) in subsection (d)(2), by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 10105. ORGANIC CERTIFICATION.
(a) Reports.—Section 2122(d)(1) of the Organic Foods
Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6521(d)(1)) is amended by
striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
(b) Organic Technical Assistance.—The Organic Foods
Production Act of 1990 is amended by inserting after section
2122A (7 U.S.C. 6521a) the following:
“SEC. 2122B. ORGANIC TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
“(a) In General.—In carrying out this title, the
Secretary may provide technical assistance, outreach, and
education to support organic production through existing
programs implemented by a covered agency.
“(b) Covered Agency.—For the purposes of this section,
the term `covered agency' means—
“(1) the Agricultural Marketing Service;
“(2) the Agricultural Research Service;
“(3) the National Institute of Food and Agriculture;
“(4) the Farm Service Agency;
“(5) the Risk Management Agency;
“(6) the Natural Resources Conservation Service;
“(7) the Rural Business-Cooperative Service;
“(8) the Food and Nutrition Service; and
“(9) other agencies, as determined by the Secretary.”.
(c) Funding.—Section 2123(b)(6) of the Organic Foods
Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6522(b)(6)) is amended by
striking “for fiscal year 2023” and inserting “for each of
fiscal years 2023 through 2031”.
SEC. 10106. REPORT ON PROCUREMENT.
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of
the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that
examines—
(1) the process by which domestic commodities or products
(as defined in section 220.16 of title 7, Code of Federal
Regulations (or any successor regulation)) are procured by
the Secretary, including the solicitation process used to
procure such commodities or products;
(2) barriers to entry into such procurement process that
are for nontraditional, culturally relevant, or local and
regional commodities or products;
(3) the diet quality and accessibility of commodities or
products that are so procured; and
(4) the Secretary's recommendations for administrative,
regulatory, and legislative changes to improve such
procurement process.
SEC. 10107. DEFINITIONS OF RISK TO ORGANIC INTEGRITY AND
OVERSIGHT PROTOCOLS.
Section 2103 of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7
U.S.C. 6502) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (20) through (22) as
paragraphs (22) through (24), respectively;
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (16) through (19) as
paragraphs (17) through (20), respectively;
(3) by inserting after paragraph (15) the following:
“(16) Oversight protocols.—The term `oversight protocols'
means the regulations, policies, and procedures issued by the
Secretary under the authorities provided in sections 2104,
2107, 2114, 2115, 2116, and 2120.”; and
(4) by inserting after paragraph (20), as so redesignated,
the following:
“(21) Risk to organic integrity.—The term `risk to
organic integrity' means the likelihood that a product
marketed as organically produced is, or contains, an
agricultural product that was not produced using a system of
organic farming in compliance with this title, not processed
in compliance with this title, or both.”.
SEC. 10108. MODERNIZATION OF INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS.
Paragraph (5) of section 2107(a) of the Organic Foods
Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6506(a)) is amended to read
as follows:
“(5) provide for annual inspections by the certifying
agent of each farm and handling operation that has been
certified under this title, which inspections shall be—
“(A) in the case of a farm or handling operation site
located outside of the United States, conducted on-site;
“(B) in the case of a farm or handling operation site
located in the United States, conducted on-site once every
three years with intervening annual inspections being
conducted on-site or virtually based on the farm's or
handling operation's risk to organic integrity, as determined
by the Secretary; and
“(C) in the case of a handling operation that acquires but
does not physically receive, process, package, or store
organic products, conducted through inspection methods,
including virtual methods, that provide sufficient assurance
of compliance, as determined by the Secretary;”.
SEC. 10109. STUDY AND REFORM OF NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM
OVERSIGHT PROTOCOLS.
The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et
seq.), as amended by section 10105, is further amended by
inserting after section 2122B (as added by such section
10105) the following:
“SEC. 2122C. STUDY AND REFORM OF NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM
OVERSIGHT PROTOCOLS.
“(a) Study.—Not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall conduct a
comprehensive study for
the purpose of determining whether the establishment of
oversight protocols based on risk to organic integrity and
the implementation of related reforms are necessary and
appropriate.
“(b) Elements.—
“(1) In general.—In conducting the study under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall examine the feasibility,
opportunities, and implications of implementing oversight
protocols that—
“(A) are based on risk to organic integrity;
“(B) include differential treatment of non-compliance that
increases the risk to organic integrity versus non-compliance
that does not;
“(C) adopt standardized organic plans under section 2114
aligned with the risk to organic integrity;
“(D) include a multi-tiered approach to certification
aligned with the risk to organic integrity and the scale of
the organic operation; and
“(E) provide increased guidance and interpretations of
standards and criteria established under this title given by
the National Organic Program to certifying agents and to
certified organic farms and handling operations.
“(2) Consideration of relevant factors.—In administering
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, with respect to certified
organic farms, certified organic handling operations, and
certifying agents, take into account—
“(A) the scope of certification or accreditation of each
entity;
“(B) the scale and complexity of each entity;
“(C) the domestic or international location of each
entity;
“(D) the history of compliance of each entity; and
“(E) other relevant factors.
“(c) Report.—Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees, and make publicly
available on the websites of the Department of Agriculture, a
report describing the findings of the study conducted under
subsection (a).
“(d) Consultation.—In conducting the study under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with—
“(1) the National Organic Standards Board;
“(2) certifying agents;
“(3) certified organic farms and handling operations;
“(4) organic consumers; and
“(5) other relevant organic stakeholders.
“(e) Authority to Establish Additional Terms and
Conditions.—
“(1) Issuance of regulations.—Based on the findings
described in the report under subsection (c), and after
consultation with the appropriate congressional committees,
the Secretary may issue regulations to establish or modify
oversight protocols under this title that the Secretary
determines are necessary and appropriate, provided such
regulations maintain strong organic integrity, support a
resilient domestic organic sector, and are consistent with
the requirements of this title.
“(2) Reducing oversight costs; prioritization.—In issuing
the regulations under paragraph (1), the Secretary may seek
to—
“(A) reduce oversight costs and administrative burdens for
certified organic farms, certified organic handling
operations, and certifying agents that present a lower risk
to organic integrity; or
“(B) prioritize oversight resources for activities that
present a higher risk to organic integrity.
“(f) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.—In
this section, the term `appropriate congressional committees'
means—
“(1) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives; and
“(2) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
of the Senate.
“(g) Rule of Construction.—Nothing in this section shall
be construed to limit the Secretary's authority to enforce
compliance with this title to protect organic integrity.”.
Subtitle C—Regulatory Reform
PART I—FEDERAL INSECTICIDE, FUNGICIDE, AND RODENTICIDE ACT
SEC. 10201. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN SUBSTANCES.
(a) Definitions.—Section 2 of the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136) is amended—
(1) by amending subsection (v) to read as follows:
“(v) Plant Regulator.—
“(1) In general.—The term `plant regulator' means any
substance or mixture of substances intended, through
physiological action, for accelerating or retarding the rate
of growth or rate of maturation, or for otherwise altering
the behavior of plants or the produce thereof.
“(2) Exclusions.—Such term shall not include—
“(A) substances to the extent that they are—
“(i) intended to be produced and used within a plant; or
“(ii) intended as plant nutrients, trace elements,
nutritional chemicals, plant inoculants, soil amendments, or
vitamin hormone products; or
“(B) plant biostimulants that—
“(i) have a low-risk profile in relation to humans and
other organisms, as determined by the Agency; and
“(ii) are of biological origin or include chemical
compounds that are synthetically derived, but structurally-
similar and functionally identical to, substances of
biological origin.”;
(2) in subsection (hh)—
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking “or”;
(B) in paragraph (3)—
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
“substances.” and inserting “substances”; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B)—
(I) by striking “volatilization urease” and inserting
“volatilization, or urease”;
(II) by striking the period at the end and inserting a
semicolon; and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
“(4) a plant biostimulant; or
“(5) a nutritional chemical.”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(pp) Plant Biostimulant.—The term `plant biostimulant'
means any substance or mixture of substances that, when
applied to seeds, plants, the rhizosphere, or soil or other
growth media, acts to support a plant's natural nutrition
processes independently of the nutrient content of that
substance or mixture of substances, and that thereby
improves—
“(1) nutrient availability, uptake, or use efficiency;
“(2) tolerance to abiotic stress; or
“(3) consequent growth, development, quality, or yield.
“(qq) Nutritional Chemical.—The term `nutritional
chemical' means any substance or mixture of substances that
interacts with plant nutrients in a manner that improves
nutrient availability or aids the plant in acquiring or
utilizing plant nutrients.
“(rr) Vitamin Hormone Product.—The term `vitamin hormone
product' means a product that—
“(1) consists of a mixture of plant hormones, plant
nutrients, plant inoculants, soil amendments, trace elements,
nutritional chemicals, plant biostimulants, or vitamins that
is intended for the improvement, maintenance, survival,
health, and propagation of plants;
“(2) is nontoxic and nonpoisonous in the undiluted
packaged concentrations of the product; and
“(3) is not intended for use on food crop sites and is
labeled accordingly.
“(ss) Plant-incorporated Protectant.—
“(1) In general.—The term `plant-incorporated protectant'
means a pesticide that is—
“(A) intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or
mitigating a pest; and
“(B) a substance or mixture of substances intended to be
produced and used within a living plant, or in the produce
thereof, and the genetic material necessary for its
production.
“(2) Inclusions.—Such term includes any inert ingredient
(as defined in section 174.3 of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations (or any successor regulation)).”.
(b) Exemption From Regulation.—Section 25(b) of the
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C.
136w(b)) is amended to read as follows:
“(b) Exemption of Pesticides.—
“(1) Exemption by rule.—The Administrator may exempt from
the requirements of this Act by regulation any pesticide
which the Administrator determines either—
“(A) to be adequately regulated by another Federal agency;
or
“(B) to be of a character which is unnecessary to be
subject to this Act in order to carry out the purposes of
this Act.
“(2) Exemption for certain plant-incorporated
protectants.—
“(A) Exemption.—
“(i) In general.—Upon the issuance of guidance as
described in subparagraph (B), plant-incorporated protectants
resulting from endogenous genetic material found within or
that could arise from the plant's gene pool are exempt from
the requirements of this Act.
“(ii) Exception.—A specific plant-incorporated protectant
arising from endogenous genetic material found within or that
could arise from the plant's gene pool shall not be exempt
from the requirements of this Act if the Administrator
determines that such plant-incorporated protectant is of a
character which is necessary to be subject to this Act in
order to carry out the purposes of this Act.
“(B) Guidance.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of
2026, the Administrator shall issue guidance for the
implementation of subparagraph (A). The Administrator may
update such guidance, as the Administrator determines to be
appropriate.
“(C) Order.—
“(i) In general.—If the Administrator makes a
determination described in subparagraph (A)(ii) with respect
to a plant-incorporated protectant, the Administrator shall
issue an order explaining the basis for such determination,
which may be issued directly to any person who owns,
controls, or has custody of such plant-incorporated
protectant or published in the Federal Register.
“(ii) Effect of order.—After receipt or publication of an
order described in clause (i), the plant-incorporated
protectant described in the order will no longer be exempt
from the requirements of this Act.
“(D) Tolerance exemption.—The residue of a plant-
incorporated protectant that is exempt under subparagraph
(A)(i) shall be exempt from the requirement for a tolerance
under section 408 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
(21 U.S.C. 346a) unless, and until such time as, the
Administrator issues or publishes an order under subparagraph
(C)(i).”.
(c) Conforming Amendments.—Section 17(c) of the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C.
136o(c)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)—
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
“(as defined in section 174.3 of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations (or any successor regulation))”;
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking “or” at the end;
(C) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end
and inserting “; or”; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
“(D) that plant-incorporated protectant is exempt under
section 25(b)(2) or part 174 of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations (or any successor regulation).”; and
(2) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking “(as defined in
section 174.3 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or
any successor regulation))”.
SEC. 10202. COORDINATION.
Section 3 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136a) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
“(i) Coordination.—
“(1) Risk mitigation measures.—If any risk mitigation
measures are required for any pesticide registered under this
Act, the Administrator shall—
“(A) develop such measures in coordination with the
Secretary of Agriculture; and
“(B) conduct, and publish in the docket, with the
corresponding action, an economic analysis determining the
cost of implementation of such measures.
“(2) Data and information.—
“(A) Coordination of data and information.—With regard to
the registration or registration review of a pesticide under
this Act and for making a determination under section 408 of
the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 346a)
with respect to any action that impacts the sale,
distribution, or use of a pesticide, the Administrator shall
coordinate with the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through
the Director of the Office of Pest Management Policy, so that
the Administrator has for the Administrator's use and
consideration for such processes—
“(i) agronomic use data from—
“(I) the Department of Agriculture; and
“(II) industry; and
“(ii) any information relating to the availability and
economic viability of alternatives to such pesticide.
“(B) Data and information.—When issuing any decision
resulting from the processes referred to in subparagraph (A),
the Administrator shall publish—
“(i) a description of the use by the Administrator of any
data or information provided by the Secretary of Agriculture
under subparagraph (A); and
“(ii) the determination of the Administrator on whether to
use such data or information, including, as applicable, the
reasons that the data or information was not used.
“(3) Reasonable and prudent actions and measures.—For
implementation of reasonable and prudent actions and measures
with respect to the use of a pesticide registered under this
Act, the Administrator shall coordinate with the Secretary of
Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary
of Commerce—
“(A) to review the development of any such actions and
measures that are a result of consultations relating to
actions under this Act;
“(B) to fully consider the risks and benefits of any such
actions and measures in a manner consistent with practices
established to evaluate the risks and benefits of a pesticide
registered under this Act; and
“(C) to provide feedback to the Secretary of the Interior
and the Secretary of Commerce on decisions relating to any
such actions and measures that may affect end users of a
pesticide registered under this Act.
“(4) Waiver.—The coordination requirements imposed by
this subsection may be waived or modified for a specific
action to the extent agreed upon by the Administrator, the
Secretary of Agriculture, and the registrant so long as such
agreement is published by the Administrator in the docket for
the corresponding action.”.
SEC. 10203. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.
Section 3(c)(11) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136a(c)(11)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (B)—
(A) by striking “The Administrator shall” and inserting
the following:
“(i) In general.—The Administrator shall”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(ii) Participation.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall
include the Director of the Office of Pest Management Policy
in all meetings of the interagency working group.”;
(2) in subparagraph (D)—
(A) in clause (iv)—
(i) by striking “every 180 days thereafter” and inserting
“each year thereafter”; and
(ii) by striking “during the 5-year period beginning on
that date”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(v) Availability.—All reports required under this
subparagraph shall be published on the website of the
Environmental Protection Agency.”; and
(3) by amending subparagraph (E) to read as follows:
“(E) Consultation.—
“(i) Working group with private sector.—In carrying out
the duties under this paragraph, the working group shall, as
appropriate—
“(I) consult, including through public meetings, with
representatives of interested industry stakeholders and
nongovernmental organizations not less than once every year;
and
“(II) take into consideration factors, such as actual and
potential differences in interest between, and the views of,
those stakeholders and organizations.
“(ii) Administrator with working group.—Before the
Administrator implements any policy, strategy, workplan, or
pilot program regarding the application of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) to the processes
for the registration or registration review of a pesticide
under this Act, the Administrator shall—
“(I) consult with the covered agencies on the policy,
strategy, workplan, or pilot program and take into
consideration input received; and
“(II) publish the input received from the covered agencies
in the docket with the corresponding policy, strategy,
workplan, or pilot program.”.
SEC. 10204. REGISTRATION REVIEW.
(a) Extension of Deadline.—Section 3(g)(1)(A)(iii) of the
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C.
136a(g)(1)(A)(iii)) is amended—
(1) in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking
“the registration review of” and inserting “the interim
registration review decision of”; and
(2) in subclause (I), by striking “2022” and inserting
“2031”.
(b) Interim Registration Review Decision Requirements.—
Section 3(g)(1)(A) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136a(g)(1)(A)) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
“(vi) Interim registration review decision requirements.—
“(I) Requirements.—Any covered interim registration
review decision shall include, where applicable, measures to
reduce the effects of the applicable pesticide on—
“(aa) species listed under the Endangered Species Act of
1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); or
“(bb) any designated critical habitat.
“(II) Consultation.—In developing measures described in
subclause (I), the Administrator shall take into account the
input received from the Secretary of Agriculture and other
members of the interagency working group established under
subsection (c)(11).
“(III) Covered interim registration review decision.—In
this subsection, the term `covered interim registration
review decision' means an interim registration review
decision—
“(aa) that is associated with an initial registration
review described in clause (iii);
“(bb) that is noticed in the Federal Register during the
period beginning on the date of enactment of this clause and
ending on October 1, 2031; and
“(cc) for which the Administrator has not, as of the date
on which the decision is noticed in the Federal Register,
made effects determinations or completed any necessary
consultation under section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(2)).”.
(c) Conforming Repeal.—Section 711 of the Pesticide
Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (title VI of division HH
of Public Law 117-328) is repealed.
SEC. 10205. UNIFORMITY OF PESTICIDE LABELING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) In General.—Section 24(b) of the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136v(b)) shall be
applied to require uniformity in pesticide labeling
nationally, and to prohibit any State, instrumentality, or
political subdivision thereof, or a court from directly or
indirectly imposing or continuing in effect any requirements
for, or penalize or hold liable, any entity for failing to
comply with requirements that would require labeling or
packaging that is in addition to or different from the
labeling or packaging approved by the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency (referred to in this section
as the “Administrator”) under such Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et
seq.), including any requirements relating to warnings on
such labeling or packaging, provided that the entity is not
in material violation of subparagraph (M), (Q), or (R) of
section 12(a)(2) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 136j(a)(2)), for which
the entity has been penalized pursuant to section 14 of such
Act (7 U.S.C. 136l).
(b) Rule of Construction.—Nothing in this section shall be
construed to alter or diminish the authority of States under
subsections (a) and (c) of section 24 of the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136v).
SEC. 10206. AUTHORITY OF STATES.
Section 24 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136v) is amended—
(1) in the section heading, by inserting “and localities”
after “states”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(d) Local Regulation.—A political subdivision of a State
shall not impose, or continue in effect, any requirement
relating to the sale, distribution, labeling, application, or
use of any pesticide or device that is subject to
regulation—
“(1) by a State pursuant to this section; or
“(2) by the Administrator under this Act.”.
SEC. 10207. LAWFUL USE OF AUTHORIZED PESTICIDES.
Section 3(f) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136a(f)) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
“(6) Lawful use of registered pesticides.—Notwithstanding
any other provision of law, the use, application, or
discharge of a registered pesticide consistent with its
labeling approved under this Act shall be permitted and
considered lawful, without further permitting or approval
requirements.”.
PART II—OTHER REGULATORY REFORM PROVISIONS
SEC. 10211. MULTIPLE CROP AND PESTICIDE USE SURVEY.
Section 10109(b) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
(Public Law 115-334; 132 Stat. 4906) is amended to read as
follows:
“(b) Administration.—
“(1) Submission.—The Secretary shall submit to the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and
make publicly available, the survey described in subsection
(a).
“(2) Commercial data.—The Secretary, acting through the
Director of the Office of Pest Management Policy, shall
obtain commercial data on pesticide use to inform the conduct
of, and enhance the results of, the survey described in
subsection (a).
“(3) Rulemaking procedure.—The administration of this
section shall be made without regard to chapter 35 of title
44, United States Code (commonly known as the Paperwork
Reduction Act).”.
SEC. 10212. SAFE HARBOR FOR CERTAIN DISCHARGES OF WILDLAND
FIRE CHEMICALS.
(a) In General.—Subject to subsection (b), no court may
enjoin under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) a covered entity from conducting an
aerial application of a covered fire retardant and water
enhancer for wildfire suppression, control, or prevention
activities that results in a discharge, if such aerial
application is conducted in accordance with the requirements
of the Federal Facility Compliance Agreement between the
Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Forest Service,
as agreed to on February 16, 2023.
(b) Period of Application.—Subsection (a) shall apply to
any aerial application described in such subsection that is
conducted before the effective date of a permit issued by the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency or a
State, as applicable, under section 402 of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1342) that authorizes the
discharge, from such aerial application, of a covered fire
retardant and water enhancer for wildfire suppression,
control, or prevention activities.
(c) Effect.—Nothing in this section affects the authority
of any court under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
with respect to any discharge resulting from an aerial
application not conducted in accordance with the requirements
described in subsection (a).
(d) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Covered entity.—The term “covered entity” means—
(A) any Federal agency, agency of a State or political
subdivision thereof, or Tribal agency authorized by law to
conduct an aerial application of fire retardants and water
enhancers for wildfire suppression, control, or prevention
activities; and
(B) any contractor, subcontractor, or other agent of an
agency described in subparagraph (A).
(2) Covered fire retardant and water enhancer.—The term
“covered fire retardant and water enhancer” means a fire
retardant and water enhancer that—
(A) has been evaluated, qualified, and approved by the
Secretary; and
(B) appears on the most current Forest Service Qualified
Products List.
(3) Discharge; state.—The terms “discharge” and
“State” have the meanings given those terms in section 502
of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1362).
(e) Sunset.—This section shall cease to be effective on
the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this
section.
SEC. 10213. OFFICE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY POLICY.
Subtitle A of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization
Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6912 et seq.) is amended by inserting
after section 220 (7 U.S.C. 6920) the following:
“SEC. 220A. OFFICE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY POLICY.
“(a) In General.—The Secretary shall establish in the
Department an Office of Biotechnology Policy to provide for
the effective coordination of policies and activities within
the Department of Agriculture related to biotechnology,
biomanufacturing, synthetic biology, and related emerging
technologies, while taking into account the effects of
regulatory actions of other government agencies.
“(b) Director.—The Office of Biotechnology Policy shall
be under the direction of a Director appointed by the
Secretary, who shall report directly to the Secretary or a
designee of the Secretary.
“(c) Duties.—The Director of the Office of Biotechnology
Policy shall—
“(1) develop and coordinate Department policy on
biotechnology and related topics;
“(2) coordinate activities and services of the Department
on biotechnology and related topics, including—
“(A) research and development;
“(B) extension and education;
“(C) communication;
“(D) regulation and labeling; and
“(E) commercialization, use, and trade;
“(3) assist other offices and agencies of the Department
in fulfilling their responsibilities related to biotechnology
under applicable Federal law; and
“(4) perform such other functions as may be required under
Federal law or prescribed by the Secretary.
“(d) Interagency Coordination.—In carrying out the duties
under subsection (c), the Director of the Office of
Biotechnology Policy shall provide leadership to ensure
coordination of interagency activities with the Environmental
Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, and
other Federal and State agencies.
“(e) Outreach.—The Director of the Office of
Biotechnology Policy shall consult with biotechnology
developers, academics, agricultural producers, and other
entities that may be affected by biotechnology-related
activities or actions of the Department or other Federal and
State agencies as necessary in carrying out the Office's
responsibilities under this section.
“(f) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.”.
TITLE XI—CROP INSURANCE
SEC. 11001. SPECIALTY CROP ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
(a) In General.—Section 505 of the Federal Crop Insurance
Act (7 U.S.C. 1505) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in paragraph (2)—
(i) by redesignating subparagraphs (E), (F), and (G) as
subparagraphs (F), (G), and (H), respectively;
(ii) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:
“(E) The Chairperson of the Specialty Crop Advisory
Committee established by subsection (f).”; and
(iii) in subparagraph (H), as so redesignated, by striking
“specialty crop” and inserting “livestock”;
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking “subparagraphs (E), (F),
and (G) of paragraph (2)” and inserting “subparagraphs (F),
(G), and (H) of paragraph (2) and the members of the
Specialty Crop Advisory Committee described in subsection
(f)(2)”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(f) Specialty Crop Advisory Committee.—
“(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall—
“(A) establish a Specialty Crop Advisory Committee (in
this subsection referred to as `the Committee'); and
“(B) appoint to the Committee in accordance with paragraph
(2) the initial members that will assist the Corporation in
the research, creation, and improvement of policies or plans
of insurance for specialty crops.
“(2) Composition.—
“(A) Chairperson.—The Chairperson of the Committee shall
be an individual with experience in crop insurance and the
unique nature of the specialty crop industry.
“(B) Members.—The Committee shall consist of—
“(i) individuals with an understanding of the production
methods, markets, and risks (including losses due to weather,
trade damages, and supply chain disruptions) unique to
specialty crop production;
“(ii) not less than 5 producers and not more than 10 total
members; and
“(iii) not less than 1 producer from each of the West,
Midwest, South, and Northeast regions of the United States
(as identified by the Bureau of the Census).
“(3) Duties.—The Committee established by this subsection
shall—
“(A) advise the Manager of the Corporation on issues
relating to specialty crop insurance policies;
“(B) provide input, through the Chairperson of the
Committee, to the Board on decisions relating to specialty
crop insurance policies;
“(C) review available educational programs and make
recommendations to the Manager of the Corporation on how to
enhance the effectiveness of such programs for specialty crop
producers;
“(D) provide recommendations to the Manager of the
Corporation regarding the presentation of policies to the
Board required by section 508(a)(6);
“(E) advise the Manager of the Corporation on entering
into partnerships to carry out subsections (d) and (e)(2)(B)
of section 522; and
“(F) meet not less than 2 times each year to carry out
these duties.”.
(b) Specialty Crops Coordinator.—Section 507(g)(2) of the
Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1507(g)(2)) is amended
to read as follows:
“(2) Responsibilities.—
“(A) In general.—The Specialty Crops Coordinator shall
have primary responsibility for addressing the needs of
specialty crop producers, and for providing information and
advice, in connection with the activities of the Corporation
to improve and expand the insurance program for specialty
crops.
“(B) Other duties.—In carrying out this paragraph, the
Specialty Crops Coordinator shall—
“(i) act as the liaison of the Corporation with
representatives of specialty crop producers and the Specialty
Crop Advisory Committee; and
“(ii) assist the Corporation with the knowledge,
expertise, and familiarity of the producers with risk
management and production issues pertaining to specialty
crops.”.
(c) Annual Review of New and Specialty Crops.—Section
508(a)(6)(A) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C.
1508(a)(6)(A)) is amended by inserting “(in consultation
with the Specialty Crop Advisory Committee)” after
“Corporation”.
SEC. 11002. IDENTIFICATION OF HOLDERS OF SUBSTANTIAL
INTERESTS.
Section 506(m) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C.
1506(m)) is amended—
(1) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
“(3) Identification of holders of substantial interests.—
“(A) In general.—The Manager of the Corporation may
require each policyholder to provide to the Manager, at such
times and in such manner as prescribed by the Manager, the
name of each individual or other entity that acquires or
holds a substantial beneficial interest in such policyholder.
“(B) Extension available.—
“(i) In general.—In the case of a policyholder that does
not provide the information required pursuant to subparagraph
(A) to the Manager at the time prescribed by the Manager, the
Manager shall allow such policyholder to provide to the
Manager such information at any time during the applicable
crop year.
“(ii) Exception.—Clause (i) shall not apply to a
policyholder that an approved insurance provider determines—
“(I) would receive disproportionate benefits under a crop
insurance program as a result of failing to provide the
information required pursuant to subparagraph (A) to the
Manager at the time prescribed by the Manager; or
“(II) failed to provide such information to avoid an
obligation or requirement under any State or Federal law.”;
and
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking “5 percent” and
inserting “10 percent”.
SEC. 11003. ACTUARIAL SOUNDNESS OF CERTAIN NEW PRODUCTS.
Section 506(n) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C.
1506(n)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(4) Actuarial soundness of certain new products.—The
Corporation shall—
“(A) review each policy or product developed under section
508(h) periodically for actuarial soundness; and
“(B) take such actions, in consultation with persons
described in paragraph (1)(A) of such section, as are
necessary to improve the actuarial soundness of such policies
and products.”.
SEC. 11004. COVERAGE OF REVENUE LOSSES.
Section 508(a)(1) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7
U.S.C. 1508(a)(1)) is amended, in the second sentence, by
inserting “or a decline in the market price of the insured
commodity, so long as such decline was not directly caused by
the producer (as determined by the Secretary)” before the
period at the end.
SEC. 11005. LIMITATION ON FARM PROGRAM PARTICIPATION.
(a) In General.—The Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C.
1501 et seq.) is amended—
(1) in section 508(c)(4)(C)(iv) in the heading, by striking
“crops and”; and
(2) in section 508B(f), by striking “Effective beginning
with the 2019 crop year” and inserting “Effective for the
2019 through 2025 crop years”.
(b) Conforming Amendment.—Section 1115 of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9015) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
“(j) Limitation.—Beginning with the 2026 crop year, in
the case of a farm for which a producer obtains coverage
under the Stacked Income Protection Plan for upland cotton
under section 508B of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7
U.S.C. 1508b) for a crop year, such farm shall not be
eligible to receive payments for seed cotton for such crop
year under—
“(1) price loss coverage under section 1116; or
“(2) agriculture risk coverage under section 1117.”.
SEC. 11006. LIMITATION ON INTEREST ACCRUAL.
Section 508(d) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C.
1508(d)) is amended by inserting at the end the following new
paragraph:
“(5) Limitation on interest accrual.—Effective beginning
with the 2026 reinsurance year, in the case of a producer
that is delinquent in paying a premium or administrative fee,
an approved insurance provider may charge such producer with
respect to such delinquency an amount less than or equal to 1
percent of the simple interest of the amount for which such
producer is delinquent, for each month (not to exceed 60
consecutive months) the producer is so delinquent.”.
SEC. 11007. CROP INSURANCE SUPPORT FOR BEGINNING AND VETERAN
FARMERS AND RANCHERS.
(a) Definition of Veteran Farmer or Rancher.—Section
502(b)(14)(B) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C.
1502(b)(14)(B)) is amended—
(1) in clause (ii), by striking “5 years” and inserting
“10 years”; and
(2) in clause (iii), by striking “5-year” and inserting
“10-year”.
(b) Increase in Assistance.—Section 508(e)(9) of the
Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(e)) is amended by
inserting “or veteran farmer or rancher” after “beginning
farmer or rancher” each place it appears.
SEC. 11008. MARKETABILITY.
Section 508(h)(4) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7
U.S.C. 1508(h)(4)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A), by amending clause (iii) to read
as follows:
“(iii) Application.—
“(I) In general.—Except as provided in subclause (II),
this subparagraph shall apply with respect to a proposal only
during the period preceding any approval of the proposal by
the Board.
“(II) Exception.—An approved insurance provider that
submits a letter of support for a concept proposal, a policy,
or plan of insurance shall—
“(aa) not be considered the public for purposes of clause
(ii);
“(bb) have access to data and other product development
information submitted to the Board during its review under
this subsection; and
“(cc) be subject to the confidentiality requirements as
applicable to the Board pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii).”;
(2) in subparagraph (D), by adding at the end the
following:
“(iv) Marketability deadline.—Any new policy, plan of
insurance, or other material approved by the Board under this
subsection during a reinsurance year and after the Standard
Reinsurance Agreement closing date of July 1 shall not be
implemented for such reinsurance year unless at least 90 days
prior to the sales closing date for such policy, plan of
insurance, or other material, the Board makes available to
the approved insurance providers all necessary, as determined
by the Board, handbooks, training materials, and other
resources associated with such policy, plan of insurance, or
other material.”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(F) Marketability determination.—
“(i) Submission to the board.—Prior to the approval of a
product, any approved insurance provider that submitted a
letter of support for the product shall provide information
and analysis to the Board on the marketability of such
product.
“(ii) Deemed marketable.—In reviewing a policy, plan of
insurance, or other material submitted to the Board under
this subsection, such product shall be deemed marketable in
accordance with paragraph (3)(A)(ii)(I) if at least one
approved insurance provider, in its submission pursuant to
clause (i), expresses support for such policy, plan, or
material.
“(iii) Evaluation by the board.—In evaluating whether a
product is marketable in accordance with paragraph
(3)(A)(ii)(I), the Board shall take into consideration any
information and analysis submitted pursuant to clause (ii).
“(iv) AIP participation.—The Board shall not require the
submission of a letter of support from an approved insurance
provider in order to review and approve any policy, plan of
insurance, or other material submitted pursuant to this
subsection.”.
SEC. 11009. REIMBURSEMENT RATES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE AND
OPERATING COSTS.
Section 508(k)(4) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7
U.S.C. 1508(k)(4)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A)—
(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking “not
exceed”;
(B) in clause (i)—
(i) by inserting “not exceed” before “for the”; and
(ii) by striking “and” after the semicolon;
(C) in clause (ii)—
(i) by striking “and subsequent” and inserting “through
2026”;
(ii) by inserting “not exceed” before “for each”; and
(iii) by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
“(iii) for each of the 2027 and subsequent reinsurance
years, be determined in accordance with subparagraph (F).”;
and
(2) by amending subparagraph (F) to read as follows:
“(F) Reimbursement rates for reinsurance year 2027 and
subsequent reinsurance years.—Notwithstanding subparagraphs
(A), (B), (C), and (E), for each of the 2027 and subsequent
reinsurance years, the rate established by the Board to
reimburse approved insurance providers and agents for the
administrative and operating costs of the providers and
agents with respect to each policy made available under this
Act shall be equal to the rate applicable to the policy in
effect for the 2026 reinsurance year.”.
SEC. 11010. QUALITY LOSS ADJUSTMENT COVERAGE.
Section 508(m)(3) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7
U.S.C. 1508(m)(3)) is amended—
(1) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the
following:
“(A) Periodic review.—Beginning in calendar year 2027 and
once every 5 years thereafter, the Corporation shall contract
with a qualified person to conduct a review, which shall be
completed within 1 year of initiation, of the quality loss
adjustment procedures of the Corporation.”;
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking “Effective beginning
not later than the 2004 reinsurance year, based on the
review, the Corporation” and inserting “Based on each
review conducted under subparagraph (A), the Corporation”;
(3) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C);
(4) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
“(B) Stakeholder engagement.—Each review under
subparagraph (A) shall include engagement from regionally
diverse industry stakeholders for each agricultural commodity
for which a quality loss adjustment is offered.”; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
“(D) Report.—On the completion of each review under
subparagraph (A), the Corporation shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives a report that describes—
“(i) the findings from that review;
“(ii) the changes to the quality loss adjustment
procedures;
“(iii) the stakeholder engagement for that review
conducted pursuant to subparagraph (B); and
“(iv) plans for establishing specific quality loss
adjustment procedures for unique regions, as determined by
the Secretary.”.
SEC. 11011. PILOT PROGRAM TO REVIEW EFFECTIVENESS OF COVERAGE
PENALTY.
The Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) is
further amended by inserting after section 508D the
following:
“SEC. 508E. PILOT PROGRAM TO REVIEW EFFECTIVENESS OF
COVERAGE PENALTY.
“(a) In General.—Effective beginning with the 2027 crop
year, the Risk Management Agency and the Corporation shall
establish a pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness of
the reduction in benefits applied to corn and other crops, as
determined by the Corporation, planted during the late
planting period (as defined in section 457.8 of title 7, Code
of Federal Regulations (or successor regulation)).
“(b) Location and Duration of Pilot.—The pilot program
established under subsection (a) shall—
“(1) be conducted in not less than 10 counties located
within or adjacent to the North Plains Groundwater
Conservation District or the Panhandle Groundwater
Conservation District in the State of Texas; and
“(2) operate for a period of not less than 4 crop years.
“(c) Evaluation.—In carrying out the pilot program
established under subsection (a), the Risk Management Agency
and the Corporation shall—
“(1) suspend any reduction to the insurance guarantee
applied to an insurance policy for a crop that is planted
during the late planting period;
“(2) gather and analyze data to determine if the number of
days beyond the final plant date in which a crop was planted
during the late planting period correlates with a decrease in
crop yields; and
“(3) determine if planting a crop after the final plant
date results in reduced usage of irrigation from the Ogallala
Aquifer.
“(d) Report Required.—Not later than 90 days after the
last day of crop year 2031, the Risk Management Agency and
the Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture
of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Agriculture, Forestry, and Nutrition of the Senate a report
that includes—
“(1) a summary of the results of the pilot program
established under subsection (a);
“(2) an analysis of the correlation between planting date
and final yields; and
“(3) any changes to existing policies that the Corporation
intends to make as a result of the information obtained
during the pilot program.
“(e) Partnerships.—Of the amounts made available in
section 522(e)(2)(A)(ii), the Corporation may use not more
than $200,000 to enter into a partnership or cooperative
agreement with a nonprofit organization, State agency, or
public university that is familiar with agricultural
production in the region described in subsection (b)(1) to
conduct the research and evaluation required under paragraphs
(2) and (3) of subsection (c).”.
SEC. 11012. WHOLE FARM IMPROVEMENTS.
Section 522(c)(7)(E) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7
U.S.C. 1522(c)(7)(E)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
“(iii) Additional review.—Not later than 12 months after
the date of enactment of this clause and annually thereafter,
the Corporation shall—
“(I) review any limitations on insurable revenue
(including the overall limitation and limitations specific to
animals, animal products, greenhouse and nursery, and
aquaculture) to ensure such limitations are adequate to cover
the financial risks associated with the production of high-
value agricultural products; and
“(II) submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that includes
a summary of the most recent review conducted and any
expected changes to the policy for the following reinsurance
year.”.
SEC. 11013. PROGRAM COMPLIANCE AND INTEGRITY.
(a) In General.—
Section 515(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C.
1515(b)) is amended—
(1) in the subsection heading, by inserting “, Response,
and Final Determination” after “Notification”;
(2) in paragraph (1), by striking “shall notify in
writing” and inserting “shall, through an initial finding
in writing, notify (unless such notification is pursuant to
the responsibilities to conduct reviews and make
corrections)”;
(3) in paragraph (2)—
(A) in the heading, by striking “Time for notification”
and inserting “Required timing”;
(B) by striking “Notice” and inserting the following:
“(A) Initial finding.—Notice”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(B) Response.—During the 90-day period beginning on the
date the Corporation notifies an approved insurance provider
through an initial finding under paragraph (1), such approved
insurance provider may appeal such initial finding in
writing.
“(C) Final finding.—Not later than 90 days after the date
on which an approved insurance provider appeals pursuant to
subparagraph (B), the Corporation shall issue a final finding
in writing to such approved insurance provider.
“(D) Request for final administrative determination.—An
approved insurance provider shall have not more than 90 days
after the receipt of the Corporation's final finding under
subparagraph (C) to request, in writing, a final
administrative determination, if such approved insurance
provider has reason to believe that the Corporation's final
finding under subparagraph (C) is not in accordance with—
“(i) the applicable laws, regulations, custom, or practice
of the crop insurance industry; or
“(ii) the approved policy and procedure of the
Corporation.
“(E) Final determination.—The Corporation shall have not
more than 90 days after the receipt of a request for a final
administrative determination under subparagraph (D) to
provide such final administrative determination, unless
substantial new information, as determined by the
Corporation, is provided by the approved insurance provider.
“(F) Appeal to civilian board of contract appeals.—An
approved insurance provider shall have not more than 90 days
after receipt of a final administrative determination
provided pursuant to subparagraph (E) to appeal such
determination to the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.”;
and
(4) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
“(3) Effect of failure to timely notify.—
“(A) In general.—Except as provided in subparagraph (B),
failure of the Corporation to comply with the requirements
under paragraph (2) shall relieve the approved insurance
provider from the debt owed to the Corporation.
“(B) Exception.—Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any
matters referred to the Office of the Inspector General or
the Department of Justice.”.
(b) Procedures for Responding to Certain Inquiries.—
Section 506(r)(1) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C.
1506(r)(1)) is amended by inserting “binding” before
“final agency determination”.
SEC. 11014. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES.
(a) Expansion of Revenue Policies.—Section 522(c) of the
Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
“(20) Expansion of revenue policies.—
“(A) In general.—The Corporation shall carry out research
and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts
with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and
development, to expand the availability of policies that
provide coverage against losses of revenue for—
“(i) oilseeds, including camelina, carinata, and
pennycress;
“(ii) alfalfa;
“(iii) pulse crops (including dry edible beans);
“(iv) sugarbeets;
“(v) sugarcane;
“(vi) blueberries; and
“(vii) other crops for which only individual yield-based
insurance policies are available.
“(B) Availability of policy.—Notwithstanding the last
sentence of section 508(a)(1), and section 508(a)(2), the
Corporation shall make a policy described in subparagraph (A)
available if the requirements of section 508(h) are met.
“(C) Determination of projected price.—In developing a
policy described in subparagraph (A), the Corporation may
utilize alternative methods of determining a projected price
for a crop, including the correlation of actual prices
received for such crop to the futures markets prices of other
commodities.
“(D) Pricing library.—In developing a policy described in
subparagraph (A), the Corporation shall determine the
feasibility of creating a pricing library for agents and
approved insurance providers using data from alternative
sources, as determined by the Secretary.
“(E) Discount factor.—For purposes of developing a policy
described in subparagraph (A), the Corporation shall
determine the feasibility of—
“(i) establishing a State or regional discount factor as
an endorsement policy to provide coverage against losses of
revenue due to quality discounts in soybeans; and
“(ii) an alternative to applying the term `zero-market
value' in the case of an available salvage market.
“(F) Report.—Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation shall submit to
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of
the Senate a report that describes—
“(i) the crops for which research and development has been
carried out under subparagraph (A);
“(ii) the results of the research and development carried
out under subparagraph (A);
“(iii) any recommendations with respect to those results;
and
“(iv) additional crops for which research and development
under this paragraph is planned to be carried out.”.
(b) Wine Grape Losses Due to Smoke Exposure.—Section
522(c) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c))
is further amended by adding at the end the following:
“(21) Wine grape losses due to smoke exposure.—
“(A) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation shall carry
out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or
more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out
research and development, regarding a policy to insure wine
grapes (including wine grapes produced in the States of
California, Oregon, and Washington) against losses due to
wildfire smoke exposure.
“(B) Availability of policy.—Notwithstanding the last
sentence of section 508(a)(1), and section 508(a)(2), not
later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this
paragraph, the Corporation shall make available a policy
described in subparagraph (A) if the requirements of section
508(h) are met.
“(C) Report.—Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation shall submit to
the Committees on Appropriations and Agriculture of the House
of Representatives and the Committees on Appropriations and
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report
that includes—
“(i) the results of the research carried out under
subparagraph (A);
“(ii) a description of the policies made available under
this paragraph; and
“(iii) the feasibility of a product that allows producers
of wine grapes to claim an indemnity through post-harvest,
post-vinification testing, if such testing demonstrates smoke
damage that was not detectable prior to harvest.”.
(c) Mushrooms.—Section 522(c) of the Federal Crop
Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)) is further amended by adding
at the end the following:
“(22) Mushrooms.—
“(A) In general.—The Corporation shall carry out research
and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts
with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and
development, regarding a policy to insure—
“(i) the production of mushroom growing media; and
“(ii) the production of mushrooms.
“(B) Availability of policy.—Notwithstanding the second
sentence of section 508(a)(1), and section 508(a)(2), the
Corporation shall make a policy described in subparagraph (A)
available if the requirements of section 508(h) are met.
“(C) Research and development.—Research and development
described in subparagraph (A) shall evaluate the
effectiveness of policies described in that subparagraph,
including policies that—
“(i) are based on the risk of—
“(I) pests, including mushroom phorid flies and sciarid
flies;
“(II) fungal pathogens; and
“(III) viral pathogens;
“(ii) consider other causes of loss applicable to mushroom
compost and mushroom production, such as—
“(I) loss of electricity due to weather; and
“(II) loss of growing media due to excessive 5-year, 10-
year, or 20-year rainfall events;
“(iii) consider appropriate best practices to minimize the
risk of loss;
“(iv) consider whether to provide coverage for mushrooms
under 1 policy or to provide coverage for various phases of
production;
“(v) have streamlined reporting and paperwork requirements
that take into account short propagation schedules, variable
crop years, and the variety of mushrooms that may be produced
in a single facility; and
“(vi) provide protection for revenue losses.
“(D) Report.—Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation shall submit to
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of
the Senate a report that describes—
“(i) the results of the research and development carried
out under subparagraph (A); and
“(ii) any recommendations with respect to those
results.”.
(d) Study on Hurricane Insurance.—Section 522(c) of the
Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)) is further
amended by adding at the end the following:
“(23) Standalone policy for hurricanes and tropical
storms.—
“(A) In general.—The Corporation shall carry out research
and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts
with 1 or more qualified persons to conduct a study to
determine the feasibility of offering insurance against
tropical storms and hurricanes made available regardless of
an underlying crop insurance policy (or lack thereof).
“(B) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation shall submit to
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of
the Senate a report that describes the results of the study
conducted under subparagraph (A).”.
(e) Frost or Cold Weather Insurance.—Section 522(c) of the
Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)) is further
amended by adding at the end the following:
“(24) Frost or cold weather insurance.—
“(A) In general.—The Corporation shall carry out research
and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts
with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and
development, regarding an index-based policy to insure crops
(including table grapes, wine grapes, juice grapes, tomatoes,
peppers, sugarcane, strawberries, melons, citrus, peaches,
blueberries, and any other crop) on a nationally available
basis against losses due to a frost or cold weather event.
“(B) Research and development.—Research and development
under subparagraph (A) shall—
“(i) evaluate the effectiveness of risk management tools,
such as the use of an index, with respect to low frequency
and catastrophic loss weather events; and
“(ii) result in a policy that provides protection for at
least 1 of the following:
“(I) Production loss.
“(II) Revenue loss.
“(C) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation shall submit to
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of
the Senate a report that describes—
“(i) the results of the research and development carried
out under subparagraph (A); and
“(ii) any recommendations with respect to those
results.”.
(f) Study of Inclusion of Certain Oilseed Crops Under
Double and Rotational Cropping Policies.—Section 522(c) of
the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)) is further
amended by adding at the end the following:
“(25) Double cropping and rotational cropping of certain
oilseed crops.—
“(A) Definition of covered oilseed crops.—In this
paragraph, the term `covered oilseed crops' means rapeseed,
canola, camelina, and other oilseed crops, as determined by
the Corporation.
“(B) Research and development.—The Corporation shall
carry out research and development, or offer to enter into 1
or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry
out research and development, with respect to insurance
policies for covered oilseed crops under double cropping and
rotational cropping practices.
“(C) Requirements.—The research and development carried
out pursuant to subparagraph (B) shall be conducted in
consultation with stakeholders to evaluate—
“(i) the factors impacting availability and cost of crop
insurance when incorporating covered oilseed crops into
double cropping and rotational cropping policies; and
“(ii) the potential risk management benefits associated
with incorporating covered oilseed crops into double cropping
and rotational cropping policies, specifically with respect
to winter-planted covered oilseed crops, including risk
management benefits to soil health, biodiversity, and the
profitability of farming operations.
“(D) Emphasis.—In awarding contracts under subparagraph
(B), the Corporation may give priority to awarding contracts
to qualified persons that—
“(i) have previous research experience with covered
oilseed crops; and
“(ii) have access to a facility with the capacity to carry
out the applicable research.
“(E) Report.—Not later than 13 months after the date of
enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation shall submit to
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of
the Senate a report that describes—
“(i) the results of the research and development carried
out under subparagraph (B); and
“(ii) any recommendations with respect to those
results.”.
(g) Harvest Incentives.—Section 522(c) of the Federal Crop
Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)) is further amended by adding
at the end the following:
“(26) Harvest incentives.—
“(A) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation shall carry
out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or
more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out
research and development, regarding harvest incentives for
policies that provide coverage against losses of revenue.
“(B) Availability of policy.—Notwithstanding the last
sentence of section 508(a)(1), and section 508(a)(2), not
later than 24 months after the date of the enactment of this
paragraph, the Corporation shall make available a policy
described in subparagraph (A) if the requirements of section
508(h) are met.
“(C) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation shall submit to
the Committees on Appropriations and Agriculture of the House
of Representatives and the Committees on Appropriations and
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report
that includes—
“(i) the results of the research carried out under
subparagraph (A); and
“(ii) a description of the policies made available under
this paragraph.”.
(h) Prevented Planting.—Section 522(c) of the Federal Crop
Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)) is further amended by adding
at the end the following:
“(27) Prevented planting.—
“(A) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation shall carry
out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or
more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out
research and development, regarding prevented planting
coverage for insurance policies for specialty crops that are
not planted on a perennial basis.
“(B) Report.—Not later than 18 months after the date of
the enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation shall submit
to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate a report that includes—
“(i) the results of the research carried out under
subparagraph (A); and
“(ii) any recommendations with respect to those
results.”.
(i) Policy for Swine Producers for Catastrophic Events.—
Section 522(c) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C.
1522(c)) is further amended by adding at the end the
following:
“(28) Policy for swine producers for catastrophic
events.—
“(A) In general.—For purposes of updating any conclusions
contained in the final report for the study on swine
catastrophic disease published by the Risk Management Agency
in 2015, the Corporation shall carry out research and
development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with
1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and
development, regarding a policy to insure swine producers
with respect to financial losses due to a catastrophic event.
“(B) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation shall submit to
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of
the Senate a report that describes the results of the
research and development carried out under subparagraph
(A).”.
SEC. 11015. REPORT ON STANDARD REINSURANCE AGREEMENT.
(a) In General.—Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Federal Crop Insurance
Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report
on the Standard Reinsurance Agreement that includes an
analysis of any modifications to such Agreement that are
necessary to expand the availability of policies and plans of
insurance that meet the risk management needs of agricultural
producers, States, regions, and commodities.
(b) Contents.—The analysis required under subsection (a)
shall—
(1) take into account the requirements under section
508(k)(8)(F) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C.
1508(k)(8)(F)) related to budget neutrality of the Standard
Reinsurance Agreement; and
(2) include an analysis of—
(A) any benefit related to establishing—
(i) at least one additional reinsurance fund for States
that have experienced consistently high loss ratios; and
(ii) at least one additional reinsurance fund to provide
alternative risk-sharing terms for approved insurance
providers that sell insurance contracts offering area plan
coverage;
(B) with respect to any funds reimbursed for administrative
and operating costs under section 507(c) of the Federal Crop
Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1507(c)), the best method for
ensuring that approved insurance providers obligate such
funds for—
(i) the delivery of risk management tools to producers; and
(ii) agent workforce assistance for producers, in an amount
that is not less than the historical percentage of such
reimbursement; and
(C) with respect to each policy and plan of insurance,
compensation amounts for agents that—
(i) are consistent with historical norms; and
(ii) provide a reasonable return considering workload and
the critical service across programs that the agents provide.
(c) Consultation.—In carrying out the analysis required
under subsection (a), the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation
shall consult with—
(1) representatives of producers—
(A) from each State and region; and
(B) with respect to each commodity;
(2) representatives of agents and approved insurance
providers;
(3) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives; and
(4) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
of the Senate.
SEC. 11016. HURRICANE INSURANCE PROTECTION-WIND INDEX REPORT.
(a) In General.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Federal Crop Insurance
Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report
on the hurricane insurance protection-wind index that
includes an analysis of any events in the 5-year period
preceding the date of the enactment of this section that
caused an outage of a weather radio station operated by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(b) Contents.—The analysis required under subsection (a)
shall include—
(1) data on events where a producer lost crop insurance
coverage as a result of an outage of a weather radio station
operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration that occurred during the period described in
subsection (a) and the cause of such outage; and
(2) a contingency plan that evaluates the feasibility of
obtaining data from land-grant colleges and universities (as
defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7
U.S.C. 3103)) or other third-party sources, as determined by
the Secretary.
(c) Consultation.—In carrying out the analysis required
under subsection (a), the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation
shall consult with the Administrator of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration.
SEC. 11017. RISK MANAGEMENT STUDY FOR LAMB.
(a) In General.—The Secretary shall conduct a study that
includes an analysis of any modifications to existing
livestock protection and risk management programs that may
enhance risk management protection to domestic lamb
producers.
(b) Content.—In conducting the study under this section,
the Secretary shall take into account the various factors
affecting risk management, including—
(1) market access;
(2) sources of feed;
(3) costs of, and fluctuation of costs of, feed;
(4) imports;
(5) consumer demand and trends;
(6) labor costs; and
(7) availability and accuracy of market data.
(c) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate a report on the findings of the study under this
section.
(d) Definition.—In this section, the term “existing
livestock protection and risk management programs”
includes—
(1) dairy margin coverage;
(2) livestock risk protection; and
(3) any other program designed to protect producers from
market volatility, as determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 11018. STUDY ON LIVESTOCK RISK PROTECTION POLICY WITH
RESPECT TO PRODUCERS OF FEEDER CATTLE AFFECTED
BY ADVERSE WEATHER EVENTS.
(a) In General.—The Secretary shall conduct a study on
potential modifications to the livestock risk protection
policy offered under section 523(b) of the Federal Crop
Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1523(b)) to improve the flexibility
of such policy with respect to producers of feeder cattle
affected by adverse weather events, as determined by the
Secretary, including drought and wildfires.
(b) Contents.—In conducting the study under this section,
the Secretary shall, with respect to producers of feeder
cattle, evaluate—
(1) any impact drought, wildfire, and other adverse weather
events have on decisions made by such producers related to
the marketing of feeder cattle;
(2) in the case an adverse weather event occurs more than
60 days prior to the end date of a specific coverage
endorsement under the livestock risk protection policy
described in subsection (a), whether the requirements or
endorsement structures of such policy (as in effect on the
date of enactment of this section) cause such producers not
to market feeder cattle so as to avoid a penalty under such
policy;
(3) any option to provide additional flexibility or an
exemption to such producers that market feeder cattle more
than 60 days prior to such end date due to an adverse weather
event; and
(4) any other recommendation to improve the effectiveness
of such policy for such producers.
(c) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate a report describing the findings of the study.
TITLE XII—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Subtitle A—Livestock and Other Animals
PART I—ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION
SEC. 12001. ANIMAL DISEASE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT.
(a) NADPRP Program Activities.—Section 10409A(b)(2) of the
Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8308A(b)(2)) is
amended—
(1) in subparagraph (F)—
(A) by striking “including training additional emergency
response personnel.” and inserting the following:
“including—
“(i) training additional emergency response personnel;
and”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(ii) improving animal disease traceability.”; and
(2) in subparagraph (I), by inserting before the period at
the end the following: “, including activities approved by
the Secretary as of the date of the enactment of the Farm,
Food, and National Security Act of 2026”.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.—
(1) National animal health laboratory.—Section
10409A(d)(2)(A) of the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C.
8308a(d)(2)(A)) is amended by striking “2019 through 2023”
and inserting “2027 through 2031”.
(2) National animal disease preparedness and response
program; national animal vaccine and veterinary
countermeasures bank.—Section 10409A(d)(2)(B) of the Animal
Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8308a(d)(2)(B)) is amended by
striking “2019 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through
2031”.
(3) Administrative costs.—Section 10409A(d)(3)(B) of the
Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8308a(d)(3)(B)) is
amended—
(A) by striking “carry out the National Animal Disease
Preparedness and Response Program under subsection (b)” and
inserting “carry out the National Animal Health Laboratory
Network under subsection (a) and the National Animal Disease
Preparedness and Response Program under subsection (b)”; and
(B) by striking “10 percent” and inserting “15
percent”.
(4) Availability and purpose of funding.—Section
10409A(e)(1) of the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C.
8308a(e)(1)) is amended by striking “2019 through 2023” and
inserting “2027 through 2031”.
SEC. 12002. CATTLE FEVER TICK ERADICATION PROGRAM REVIEW AND
REPORT.
(a) Program Review.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall offer to
enter into a contract with a covered institution under which
the covered institution shall conduct a review of the
Program.
(2) Review elements.—The review conducted pursuant to
paragraph (1) shall include an evaluation of—
(A) the effectiveness of the Program with respect to
preventing and reducing the spread of tick-borne illnesses in
cattle, including a review of places from which the cattle
fever tick has been eradicated and the resulting economic
impact;
(B) with respect to cattle producers—
(i) the benefits of the Program; and
(ii) the burden of compliance with the Program;
(C) the treatment protocols developed and implemented under
the Program; and
(D) the Federal and State funds allocated to support the
Program for the most recent fiscal year, including the funds
allocated to each research project associated with the
Program.
(b) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date on which
the Secretary and a covered institution enter into a contract
pursuant to subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall submit to
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of
the Senate a report that includes—
(1) the results of the review conducted pursuant to
subsection (a); and
(2) recommendations for improvements to the Program,
including recommendations for reducing the burden of
compliance with the Program with respect to cattle producers.
(c) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Covered institution.—The term “covered institution”
means—
(A) a land-grant college or university (as defined in
section 1404(13) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C.
3103(13))); or
(B) a non-land-grant college of agriculture (as defined in
section 1404(14) of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C.
3103(14))).
(2) Program.—The term “Program” means the Cattle Fever
Tick Eradication Program carried out by the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service of the Department in coordination
with the Texas Animal Health Commission.
(d) Funding.—The Secretary shall use funds made available
for the agricultural and food policy research centers under
section 1419A of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3155) to
carry out this section.
SEC. 12003. ADDITIONAL TRAINING FACILITIES FOR NATIONAL
DETECTOR DOG TRAINING CENTER.
The Beagle Brigade Act of 2023 (Public Law 118-191) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL TRAINING FACILITIES.
“(a) In General.—In addition to the Center established
under section 2(a), the Secretary may—
“(1) establish other dog training facilities, which shall
have the same duties as are specified in section 2(b) for the
Center; and
“(2) enter into a cooperative agreement with the
department of agriculture of a State (or political
subdivision thereof) to establish an off-site training
program for the purpose of providing training and technical
assistance in the training of dogs, as described in section
2(b).
“(b) Considerations.—When determining the need for
additional training facilities under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall consider—
“(1) the location of international ports of entry;
“(2) the volume of international passengers and cargo; and
“(3) regional agricultural production trends and
associated pest and disease threats.”.
SEC. 12004. REGIONALIZATION, ZONING, AND COMPARTMENTALIZATION
AGREEMENTS.
(a) In General.—Section 10405 of the Animal Health
Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8304) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
“(d) Engagement With Key Export Markets.—To reduce the
impact of animal disease outbreaks on United States exports,
the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Under Secretary of
Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, and
the Administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service,
in consultation with the United States Trade Representative,
is authorized to negotiate in advance, to the extent
practicable, regionalization, zoning, compartmentalization,
and other agreements regarding outbreaks of known animal
disease threats of trade significance with the governments of
countries with export markets for livestock animals or animal
products from the United States.”.
(b) Rule of Construction.—Nothing in this section may be
construed—
(1) to limit the ability of the United States Trade
Representative to negotiate trade agreements; or
(2) to require the United States Trade Representative to
condition other trade agreements on the inclusion of language
relating to reducing the impact of animal disease outbreaks
on United States exports, as described in subsection (d) of
section 10405 of the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C.
8304) (as inserted by subsection (a)(2)).
SEC. 12005. IMPORTATION OF LIVE DOGS.
(a) In General.—The Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C.
8301 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 10404 (7
U.S.C. 8303) the following:
“SEC. 10404A. IMPORTATION OF LIVE DOGS.
“(a) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Compensation.—The term `compensation' means any act,
consideration, or thing of value received by a person
directly, including cash or noncash benefits, cost-avoidance,
obtaining positive or avoiding negative publicity, an
exchange of services, or maintaining a license issued under
any local, State, or Federal government authority.
“(2) Importer.—The term `importer' means any person who
transports or causes the transportation of a dog into the
United States from a foreign country.
“(3) Import transporter.—The term `import transporter'
means any person or entity that—
“(A) receives an imported dog from any importer, dealer,
research facility, exhibitor, operator of an auction sale, or
department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States
or of any State or local government; and
“(B) receives compensation for moving such dog in
commerce.
“(4) Transfer.—The term `transfer' means a change of
ownership or control of an imported dog to another person,
including by sale, adoption, exchange, or donation.
“(b) Requirements.—
“(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), no
person shall import a dog into the United States unless prior
to transport to the United States, the Secretary receives
electronic documentation necessary, as determined by the
Secretary, to demonstrate that the dog—
“(A) is in good health;
“(B) has received all necessary vaccinations and internal
and external parasite treatment, and demonstrated negative
test results, as required by the Secretary and evidenced by a
certificate that—
“(i) is issued by a licensed veterinarian accredited by a
competent veterinary authority recognized by the Secretary;
and
“(ii) is endorsed by that authority in a manner
representing that the veterinarian issuing the certificate
was authorized to do so;
“(C) is officially identified by a permanent method
approved by the Secretary; and
“(D) in the case that the dog is intended for transfer—
“(i) is at least 6 months old; and
“(ii) is accompanied by an import permit issued by the
Secretary under this Act.
“(2) Exceptions.—The Secretary, by regulation, shall
provide an exception to any requirement under this Act in any
case in which a dog is imported for purposes of transfer—
“(A) as a personal pet of United States origin returning
to the United States;
“(B) as a United States military working dog or contracted
working dog supporting a military mission or tasking;
“(C) for research purposes;
“(D) for veterinary treatment which is paid for by the
importer, subject to the condition that the dog—
“(i) is taken directly to a veterinary facility for
treatment with appropriate quarantine until the dog meets the
criteria described in paragraph (1); and
“(ii) is then exported to its country of origin; or
“(E) in the case of a dog that is less than 6 months old,
for lawful importation into the State of Hawaii from the
British Isles, Australia, Guam, or New Zealand in compliance
with the regulations of the State of Hawaii and the other
requirements of this section, if the dog is not transported
out of the State of Hawaii for transfer at less than 6 months
of age.
“(c) Implementation and Regulations.—Not later than 18
months after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and
National Security Act of 2026, the Secretary, in consultation
with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the
Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security,
and the Secretary of Transportation, shall promulgate such
regulations as the Secretary determines necessary to
implement and enforce this section, including regulations—
“(1) to facilitate electronic submission and interagency
sharing of all documentation required prior to the
importation of a dog into the United States under subsection
(b)(1);
“(2) to establish any necessary post-arrival verification
processes for imported dogs;
“(3) to ensure the denial of entry into the United States
of any dog attempted to be imported into the United States in
violation of subsection (b)(1);
“(4) to provide that each importer, import transporter,
intermediate handler, or carrier receiving a certificate of
veterinary inspection required under this section shall
submit a copy of the certificate to the Secretary, who shall,
upon receipt—
“(A) record and maintain the information in a centralized
database; and
“(B) upon request by a State veterinarian, share the
information with such State veterinarian not later than 3
days after such request is received by the Secretary;
“(5) to require the Secretary to annually aggregate and
publicly report the data submitted under paragraph (4),
including information on the countries of origin of the
imported dogs and the purposes for the importation of such
dogs; and
“(6) to determine and establish such fees for the
verification of documentation and issuance of permits
required under subsection (b)(1) as may be necessary to fund
the implementation and enforcement of this section.
“(d) Rule of Construction.—Nothing in subsection (c)(5)
shall be construed as limiting the availability of funding
made available under section 10417 to carry out this section.
“(e) Enforcement.—
“(1) Authority.—The Secretary shall have the authority
granted under section 10414 to enforce this section.
“(2) Penalties.—An importer or import transporter that
fails to comply with this section shall—
“(A) be subject to penalties under section 10414; and
“(B) provide, as the Secretary may determine, at the
expense of the importer or import transporter, for—
“(i) the care (including appropriate veterinary care),
forfeiture, quarantine, and removal from the United States of
each applicable dog; and
“(ii) the return of each applicable dog to its place of
export, with due care for the welfare of each applicable
dog.”.
(b) Transition Period.—
(1) In general.—During the transition period, regulations
promulgated under section 18 of the Animal Welfare Act (7
U.S.C. 2148) (as in effect on the day before the date of
enactment of this Act) shall continue to apply to the extent
that such regulations do not conflict with section 10404A of
the Animal Health Protection Act (as inserted by subsection
(a)).
(2) Transition period defined.—In this subsection, the
term “transition period” means the period beginning on the
date of enactment of this Act and ending on the date on which
final regulations are promulgated under such section 10404A.
(c) Conforming Amendment.—Section 18 of the Animal Welfare
Act (7 U.S.C. 2148) is repealed.
SEC. 12006. ENSURING THE FREE MOVEMENT OF LIVESTOCK-DERIVED
PRODUCTS IN INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
(a) Purpose.—The purpose of this section is to—
(1) protect the free movement in interstate commerce of
products derived from covered livestock;
(2) encourage a national market of such products;
(3) ensure that producers of covered livestock are not
subject to a patchwork of State laws restricting access to a
national market; and
(4) ensure that the United States continues to uphold its
international trade obligations.
(b) In General.—Producers of covered livestock have a
Federal right to raise and market their covered livestock in
interstate commerce and therefore no State or subdivision
thereof may enact or enforce, directly or indirectly, a
condition or standard on the production of covered livestock
other than for covered livestock physically raised in such
State or subdivision.
(c) Protecting Interstate Commerce.—Producers of covered
livestock have a Federal right to raise and market their
covered livestock in interstate commerce and therefore no
State or subdivision thereof may enact or enforce, directly
or indirectly, as a condition for sale or consumption, any
condition or standard of production on products derived from
covered livestock not physically raised in such State or
subdivision that is in addition to, or different from, the
conditions or standards of production in the State in which
the production occurs.
(d) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Covered livestock.—The term “covered livestock”—
(A) means any domestic animal raised for the purpose of—
(i) slaughter for human consumption; or
(ii) producing products manufactured for human consumption
which are derived from the processing of milk, including
fluid milk products; and
(B) does not include domestic animals raised for the
primary purpose of egg production.
(2) Production.—The term “production”—
(A) means the raising (including breeding) of covered
livestock; and
(B) does not include the movement, harvesting, or further
processing of covered livestock.
SEC. 12007. REPORT ON SUPPORT FOR LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY
PRODUCERS DURING A FOREIGN ANIMAL DISEASE
OUTBREAK.
(a) In General.—Not later than 6 months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and
the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate a report on the Department's preparedness to support
livestock producers and poultry growers facing economic
losses in the event of an outbreak of a foreign animal
disease.
(b) Contents.—The report submitted under subsection (a)
shall include, with respect to the Department's ability to
protect producers and growers from significant economic
losses as a result of a foreign animal disease—
(1) an assessment of—
(A) existing Federal programs, including catastrophic risk
management tools, indemnity, direct payments, biosecurity
assistance, and herd buyouts; and
(B) the Department's capacity to utilize such programs to
provide benefits to producers and growers experiencing
economic losses as a result of having to sell livestock and
poultry at a reduced price, having to quarantine, treat,
destroy, or dispose of animals, having to implement
additional biosecurity measures or as a result of
catastrophic market conditions;
(2) a determination of gaps that exist in the Department's
ability to provide economic support for producers and growers
suffering such losses; and
(3) recommendations of the Secretary for modifications to
Federal law (including regulations) relating to protecting
producers and growers from significant economic losses
related to a foreign animal disease outbreak.
(c) Provision of Information.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, for purposes of facilitating the
preparation of the report submitted under subsection (a), the
relevant Department officials described in paragraph (2)
shall inform the Secretary of the information described in
subsection (b).
(2) Relevant department officials described.—The relevant
Department officials described in this paragraph are the
following:
(A) The Under Secretary for Farm Production and
Conservation.
(B) The Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer
Services.
(C) The Under Secretary for Rural Development.
(D) The Under Secretary for Food Safety.
(E) The Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory
Programs.
(F) The Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural
Affairs.
(G) Other officials, as specified by the Secretary.
SEC. 12008. PROTECTION OF GREYHOUNDS.
(a) In General.—The Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 30. PROTECTION OF GREYHOUNDS.
“(a) In General.—It shall be unlawful—
“(1) for any person to knowingly engage in commercial
greyhound racing in which any greyhound is moved in
interstate or foreign commerce;
“(2) to conduct any commercial greyhound racing or racing
meeting where any form of betting or wagering on the speed or
ability of greyhounds occurs;
“(3) to engage in or facilitate simulcast betting or
wagering on greyhound races in interstate or foreign
commerce; and
“(4) for any person to knowingly sell, buy, possess,
train, transport, deliver, or receive any greyhound for
purposes of having the greyhound participate in commercial
greyhound racing.
“(b) Investigations.—The Secretary, or any other person
authorized by the Secretary, shall make such investigations
as the Secretary determines necessary to determine whether
any person has violated or is violating any provision of this
section. The Secretary may obtain the assistance of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of the
Treasury, or other law enforcement agencies of the United
States, and State and local governmental agencies, in the
conduct of such investigations, under cooperative agreements
with such agencies.
“(c) Penalties.—Any person who violates any of paragraphs
(1) through (5) of subsection (a) shall be fined under this
Act, imprisoned for not more than 7 years, or both, for each
such violation. Each instance of a violation of any such
paragraph shall be considered a single violation.
“(d) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Commercial greyhound racing.—The term `commercial
greyhound racing' means any event involving the participation
of greyhounds in which betting or wagering on the speed or
ability of such greyhounds occurs.
“(2) Simulcast.—The term `simulcast' means the
simultaneous audio or visual transmission from one location
of foreign or domestic greyhound races taking place at a
different location and gambling on the results of such
races.”.
(b) Applicability.—The amendments made by this section
shall apply with respect to conduct occurring on or after
October 1, 2027.
(c) Rule of Construction.—Nothing in this section, or the
amendments made by this section, shall be construed—
(1) to preempt any State law prohibiting gambling or
protecting the welfare of animals; or
(2) to alter, limit, or extend the relationship between the
Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 (15 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.)
as it relates to horse racing and other Federal laws in
effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 12009. ANIMAL FIGHTING.
Section 26 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2156) is
amended—
(1) by striking the section designation and all that
follows through “It shall be unlawful” in subsection (a)(2)
and inserting the following:
“SEC. 26. SPONSORING OR EXHIBITING AN ANIMAL IN, ATTENDING,
CAUSING AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS NOT ATTAINED THE
AGE OF 16 TO ATTEND, OR GAMBLING ON, AN ANIMAL
FIGHTING VENTURE.
“(a) Sponsoring or Exhibiting.—
“(1) In general.—It shall be unlawful for any person to
knowingly sponsor or exhibit an animal in an animal fighting
venture.
“(2) Attending or causing an individual who has not
attained the age of 16 to attend.—It shall be unlawful”;
and
(2) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Animal venture gambling.—It shall be unlawful for
any person to gamble on an animal fighting venture, including
an in-person or broadcast event.”.
PART II—MEAT AND POULTRY PROCESSING AND INSPECTION
SEC. 12111. AMPLIFYING PROCESSING OF LIVESTOCK IN THE UNITED
STATES (A-PLUS).
(a) In General.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall revise section
201.67 of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect
on January 1, 2024, to specify that—
(1) market agencies may have an ownership interest in,
finance, or participate in the management or operation of, a
packer, so long as such packer—
(A) with respect to cattle and sheep, has a cumulative
slaughter capacity of less than—
(i) 2,000 animals per day; or
(ii) 700,000 animals per year; and
(B) with respect to hogs, has a cumulative slaughter
capacity of less than—
(i) 10,000 animals per day; or
(ii) 3,000,000 animals per year; and
(2) market agencies that have an ownership interest in,
finance, or participate in the management or operation of, a
packer shall disclose to sellers of livestock the existence
of such ownership interest, financial relationship, or
participation.
(b) Savings Clause.—Nothing in this section shall be
interpreted as a limitation on the authority of the Secretary
to adopt or enforce rules or regulations under the Packers
and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) related to
the protection of producers, competition, market integrity,
or the prevention of conflicts of interest.
SEC. 12112. HAZARD ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINT
GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES FOR SMALL AND VERY SMALL
POULTRY AND MEAT ESTABLISHMENTS.
(a) Meat Establishments.—The Federal Meat Inspection Act
is amended by inserting after section 25 (21 U.S.C. 625) the
following:
“SEC. 26. SMALL AND VERY SMALL ESTABLISHMENT GUIDANCE AND
RESOURCES.
“(a) Studies; Model Plans.—Not later than 18 months after
the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary
shall, to the maximum extent practicable, make publicly
available—
“(1) a list of scientific studies (which the Secretary
shall update as necessary) for use by small establishments
and very small establishments in developing a Hazard Analysis
and Critical Control Points plan;
“(2) guidelines relating to best practices and techniques
by small establishments and very small establishments in the
production of raw or further processed meat and meat food
products; and
“(3) scale-appropriate model Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Points plans for small establishments and very small
establishments, including model plans for—
“(A) slaughter-only establishments;
“(B) processing-only establishments; and
“(C) slaughter and processing establishments.
“(b) Guidance.—Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall publish a
guidance document, after notice and an opportunity for public
comment, providing information on the requirements that need
to be met for small establishments and very small
establishments to develop, pursuant to this Act, a Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control Points plan.
“(c) Data Confidentiality.—In carrying out this section,
the Secretary shall not publish confidential business
information of any meat processing establishment, including a
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points plan of a meat
processing establishment.
“(d) Small Establishment and Very Small Establishment
Defined.—In this section, the terms `small establishment'
and `very small establishment' have the meanings given the
terms `smaller establishment' and `very small establishment',
respectively, in the final rule entitled `Pathogen Reduction;
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems'
(61 Fed. Reg. 38806 (July 25, 1996)) (or successor
regulations).”.
(b) Poultry Establishments.—The Poultry Products
Inspection Act is amended by inserting after section 14 (21
U.S.C. 463) the following:
“SEC. 14A. SMALL AND VERY SMALL ESTABLISHMENT GUIDANCE AND
RESOURCES.
“(a) Studies; Model Plans.—Not later than 18 months after
the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall,
to the maximum extent practicable, make publicly available—
“(1) a list of scientific studies (which the Secretary
shall update as necessary) for use by small establishments
and very small establishments in developing a Hazard Analysis
and Critical Control Points plan;
“(2) guidelines relating to best practices and techniques
used by small establishments and very small establishments in
the production of raw or further processed poultry products;
and
“(3) scale-appropriate model Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Points plans for small establishments and very small
establishments, including model plans for—
“(A) slaughter-only establishments;
“(B) processing-only establishments; and
“(C) slaughter and processing establishments.
“(b) Guidance.—Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall publish a
guidance document, after notice and an opportunity for public
comment, providing information on the requirements that need
to be met for small establishments and very small
establishments to develop a Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Points plan pursuant to this Act.
“(c) Data Confidentiality.—In carrying out this section,
the Secretary shall not publish confidential business
information of any poultry processing establishment,
including a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points plan
of a poultry processing establishment.
“(d) Small Establishment and Very Small Establishment
Defined.—In this section, the terms `small establishment'
and `very small establishment' have the meanings given the
terms `smaller establishment' and `very small establishment',
respectively, in the final rule entitled `Pathogen Reduction;
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems'
(61 Fed. Reg. 38806 (July 25, 1996)) (or successor
regulations).”.
SEC. 12113. OUTREACH ON COOPERATIVE INTERSTATE SHIPMENT.
(a) Meat.—Section 501 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act
(21 U.S.C. 683) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
“(k) Federal Outreach.—In each of fiscal years 2027
through 2031, the Secretary shall conduct outreach to States
that—
“(1) have a State meat inspection program in effect
pursuant to section 301; and
“(2) do not have a selected establishment.”.
(b) Poultry.—Section 31 of the Poultry Products Inspection
Act (21 U.S.C. 472) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
“(j) Federal Outreach.—In each of fiscal years 2027
through 2031, the Secretary shall conduct outreach to States
that—
“(1) have a State poultry product inspection program in
effect pursuant to section 5; and
“(2) do not have a selected establishment.”.
(c) Report.—At the conclusion of each of fiscal years 2027
through 2031, the Secretary shall submit a report detailing
the activities and results of the outreach conducted during
that fiscal year under subsection (k) of section 501 of the
Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 683) and subsection
(j) of section 31 of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21
U.S.C. 472), as added by subsections (a) and (b), to—
(1) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives;
(2) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
of the Senate;
(3) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives; and
(4) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
SEC. 12114. PILOT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT CUSTOM SLAUGHTER
ESTABLISHMENTS.
(a) In General.—
(1) State operated pilot program.—Upon the receipt of an
application from a custom exempt facility and subject to the
requirements specified in subsection (c), a State department
of agriculture may operate a pilot program to allow such
custom facility to sell slaughtered meat and meat food
products (referred to in this section as “meat products”)
directly to consumers within the State in which the facility
is located in accordance with the pilot program.
(2) Lack of a state pilot program.—If a State department
of agriculture does not elect to operate a pilot program, the
Secretary shall, upon request from a custom exempt facility
in such a State, operate a pilot program administered by the
Secretary for that State in accordance with this section.
(b) Allowable Number of Facilities.—
(1) Initial approval.—Except as provided in paragraph
(2)—
(A) a State department of agriculture may approve not more
than 5 facilities in such State for participation in a pilot
program established under subsection (a)(1); and
(B) the Secretary may approve not more than 10 facilities
to participate in all pilot programs established under
subsection (a)(2).
(2) Subsequent approval of facilities.—Not less than 2
years after the establishment of a pilot program, a State
department of agriculture or the Secretary may, if no product
produced at a facility that was initially approved under
paragraph (1) for participation in such pilot program has
been subject to an emergency action under subsection (f)
during the 2-year period following such establishment,
approve—
(A) in the case of a State department of agriculture, not
more than 5 additional facilities in the respective State;
and
(B) in the case of the Secretary, not more than 10
additional facilities in all States.
(c) Pilot Program Requirements.—A pilot program
established under this section shall, at a minimum, require—
(1) that meat products sold under the pilot program are—
(A) sold directly to consumers within the State from—
(i) the owner of the animals from which such meat products
are derived; or
(ii) the custom exempt facility at which the meat products
were processed;
(B) not eligible for re-sale; and
(C) clearly labeled to indicate—
(i) the name and address of the facility at which the meat
products were processed;
(ii) the name and address of the owner of the animals from
which such meat products are derived;
(iii) the location where animals from which such meat
products are derived were raised;
(iv) the date of slaughter of such animals and the period
of time over which the owner raised such animals;
(v) that such meat products were not subject to Federal
inspection; and
(vi) that such meat products shall not be resold;
(2) that custom exempt facilities participating in the
pilot program comply with—
(A) Public Law 85-765 (7 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.; commonly
known as the “Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1958”);
(B) applicable State and local laws;
(C) section 23(d) of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21
U.S.C. 623(d)); and
(D) Federal regulations pertaining to—
(i) sanitation standards and record-keeping requirements
for custom exempt facilities; and
(ii) the handling and disposition of specified risk
materials;
(3) that custom exempt facilities participating in the
pilot program be subject to onsite inspection by the
Secretary to ensure compliance with the requirements
specified in paragraphs (1) and (2); and
(4) that custom exempt facilities participating in the
pilot program be subject to onsite inspection at least
annually by the local authority responsible for restaurant
inspections or the State department of agriculture.
(d) Implementation.—Not later than 90 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue, and
make publicly available, guidance for participation in a
pilot program established pursuant to this section.
(e) Ineligibility.—An establishment subject to inspection
by the Secretary under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21
U.S.C. 601 et seq.) or operating pursuant to a State meat
inspection program authorized under section 301 of the
Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 661) shall not be
eligible to participate in a pilot program established
pursuant to this section.
(f) Authority for Emergency Action.—If the Secretary has
credible evidence that a meat product produced at a custom
exempt facility participating in a pilot program established
pursuant to this section is adulterated, the Secretary—
(1) shall, pursuant to the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21
U.S.C. 601 et seq.), take such actions as may be necessary to
address the risk to public health posed by such products; and
(2) may terminate the participation of a custom exempt
facility in a pilot program established pursuant to this
section.
(g) Report Required.—
(1) Reports by state departments of agriculture to
secretary.—Beginning September 30, 2026, and each fiscal
year thereafter until September 30, 2031, each State
department of agriculture operating a pilot program pursuant
to this section shall submit to the Secretary a report
detailing, with respect to each such pilot program within the
relevant State for the preceding fiscal year—
(A) the number and location of persons or custom exempt
facilities selling meat products under each such pilot
program;
(B) the outcomes of each such pilot program;
(C) any instances in which a meat product was subject to an
emergency action under subsection (f); and
(D) aggregated data on the volume of meat being processed
under such pilot program.
(2) Report by secretary to congress.—Not later than 2
years after initiating a pilot program under this section,
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report
detailing—
(A) the information received from participating State
departments of agriculture under paragraph (1); and
(B) for any custom exempt facilities participating in a
pilot program established by the Secretary pursuant to
subsection (a)(2)—
(i) the number and location of persons or custom exempt
facilities selling products pursuant to such pilot program;
(ii) the outcomes of such pilot program; and
(iii) any instances in which a meat product was subject to
an emergency action under subsection (f).
(h) Custom Exempt Facility Defined.—In this section, the
term “custom exempt facility” means an establishment
engaged in the slaughter of animals and the preparation of
the carcasses, parts thereof, meat, and meat food products
for commerce that is not subject to the Federal inspection
requirements under title I of the Federal Meat Inspection Act
(21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).
(i) Sunset.—A State and the Secretary may not operate a
pilot program under this section on or after September 30,
2031, and no facility that is exempt from inspection under
the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)
pursuant to this section shall be exempt from that inspection
on or after September 30, 2031.
Subtitle B—Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994
SEC. 12201. OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY.
Section 221 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization
Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6922) is amended—
(1) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (7), by striking “and” at the end;
(B) by redesignating paragraph (8) as paragraph (9); and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
“(8) conducting annual cross-sector crisis simulation
exercises related to a food-related emergency or disruption;
and”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(f) Detailees.—The Secretary may detail employees of the
Department of Agriculture to, and accept employees detailed
from, the intelligence community (as defined in section 3 of
the National Security Act of 1947) to assist in carrying out
the duties of the Office of Homeland Security.
“(g) Risk Assessments and Reports.—
“(1) Risk assessments.—Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security
Act of 2026, and not less than every 2 years thereafter, the
Secretary shall conduct an assessment of risks and security
vulnerabilities to the food and agriculture critical
infrastructure sector, including—
“(A) naturally occurring, unintentional, or intentional
threats, including chemical, biological, cybersecurity, or
bioterrorism attacks;
“(B) influence of state-owned enterprise;
“(C) control of and access to agricultural data;
“(D) foreign acquisition of intellectual property,
agricultural assets, and land;
“(E) agricultural input shortages and dependence on
foreign-sourced inputs;
“(F) supply chain and trade disruptions;
“(G) science and technology cooperation;
“(H) unequal investments in research, development, and
commercialization;
“(I) incongruent regulatory policies; and
“(J) any other vulnerabilities identified by the
Secretary.
“(2) Briefing and report.—
“(A) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the
completion of a risk assessment under paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall provide a briefing on the results of the risk
assessment and submit to the Committee on Agriculture and the
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report that includes—
“(i) an assessment of any gaps or limitations in national
security efforts related to the food and agriculture critical
infrastructure sector;
“(ii) any actions taken by the Secretary to address any
gaps or limitations identified under clause (i), including
through interagency coordination, threat information sharing,
and stakeholder outreach;
“(iii) any recommendations for administrative, regulatory,
or legislative actions that can be taken to reduce any gaps
or limitations identified under clause (i), including—
“(I) recommendations to reduce the dependence on foreign-
source inputs necessary for the food and agriculture critical
infrastructure sector; and
“(II) recommendations to address the cybersecurity threats
to, and security vulnerabilities in, the food and agriculture
critical infrastructure sector; and
“(iv) resources the Secretary requires to address current
and future national security vulnerabilities related to the
food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector.
“(B) Exemption from access to congressionally mandated
reports act.—A report required under subparagraph (A) shall
be exempt from the requirements of the Access to
Congressionally Mandated Reports Act (subtitle D of title VII
of Public Law 117-263; 136 Stat. 3677).”.
SEC. 12202. OFFICE OF PARTNERSHIPS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
Section 226B(f)(3)(B) of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6934(f)(3)(B)) is
amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 12203. BURDEN OF PROOF FOR NATIONAL APPEALS DIVISION
HEARINGS.
Section 277(c)(4) of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6997(c)(4)) is amended
to read as follows:
“(4) Burden of proof.—The agency shall bear the burden of
proving by substantial evidence that the adverse decision of
the agency was valid.”.
SEC. 12204. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.
Section 296(b) of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
“(11) The authority of the Secretary to carry out the
amendments made to this title by the Farm, Food, and National
Security Act of 2026.”.
SEC. 12205. FUNCTIONS OF THE OFFICE OF TRIBAL RELATIONS.
Section 309 of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and
Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7
U.S.C. 6921) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) by striking “shall advise” and all that follows
through the period at the end and inserting “shall—”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(1) advise the Secretary on policies related to Indian
tribes;
“(2) oversee—
“(A) each self-determination contract (as defined in
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)) entered into between the
Secretary and a tribal organization; and
“(B) each self-governance compact (as defined in section
401 of such Act (25 U.S.C. 5361)) entered into between the
Secretary and an Indian tribe; and
“(3) carry out such other functions as the Secretary
considers appropriate.”; and
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking “this subsection”
and inserting “this section”.
Subtitle C—National Security
SEC. 12301. AGRICULTURAL FOREIGN INVESTMENT DISCLOSURE
IMPROVEMENTS.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) AFIDA.—The term “AFIDA” means the Agricultural
Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3501 et
seq.).
(2) FPAC-BC.—The term “FPAC-BC” means the Farm
Production and Conservation Business Center of the Department
of Agriculture.
(b) MOU With CFIUS.—Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall enter into 1 or
more memoranda of understanding with the Committee on Foreign
Investment in the United States under which the Secretary
shall provide the Committee with all relevant information
relating to reports on foreign ownership of United States
agricultural land submitted to the Secretary under section 2
of AFIDA (7 U.S.C. 3501), including information on—
(1) each report submitted to the Secretary; and
(2) with respect to each such report, the identity of the
foreign persons included in the report and the date of
submission.
(c) AFIDA Handbook Updates.—
(1) First update.—Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall—
(A) update the most recent version of the Farm Service
Agency handbook titled “Foreign Investment Disclosure” as
determined necessary by the Secretary for the effective
implementation of AFIDA; and
(B) incorporate in such update the recommendations made by
the report of the Government Accountability Office titled
“Foreign Investments in U.S. Agricultural Land: Enhancing
Efforts to Collect, Track, and Share Key Information Could
Better Identify National Security Risks” and dated January
18, 2024.
(2) Subsequent updates.—After updating the handbook
described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) under that
paragraph, the Secretary shall carry out an update of that
handbook every 10 years thereafter, including by
incorporating any recommendations of the Government
Accountability Office.
(d) Civil Penalties.—Section 3 of the Agricultural Foreign
Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3502) is
amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c);
(2) by striking the section designation and heading and all
that follows through “Any such civil penalty shall be
recoverable” and inserting the following:
“SEC. 3. CIVIL PENALTIES.
“(a) In General.—A person shall be subject to a civil
penalty imposed by the Secretary if the Secretary determines
that the person—
“(1) has failed to submit a report in accordance with the
provisions of section 2; or
“(2) has knowingly submitted a report under section 2
that—
“(A) does not contain all the information required to be
in such report; or
“(B) contains information that is misleading or false.
“(b) Civil Action.—Any civil penalty imposed by the
Secretary under subsection (a) shall be recoverable”; and
(3) in subsection (c) (as so redesignated)—
(A) by striking the subsection designation and all that
follows through “The amount” and inserting the following:
“(c) Amount of Penalty.—The amount”;
(B) by striking “of this section”; and
(C) by striking “shall not exceed 25 percent” and
inserting “for violations under subsection (a)(1) shall not
exceed 25 percent, and for violations under subsection (a)(2)
shall be not less than 5 percent, but not more than 25
percent,”.
(e) Public Disclosure of Enforcement Actions.—Section 3 of
the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7
U.S.C. 3502) (as amended by subsection (b)) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
“(d) Public Disclosure of Enforcement Actions.—The
Secretary shall publicly disclose the name of each person who
paid to the Secretary a civil penalty imposed under
subsection (a), including, if applicable, after the
completion of an appeal of a civil penalty.”.
(f) Publication of Reporting Requirements.—Section 3 of
the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7
U.S.C. 3502) (as amended by subsection (c)) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
“(e) Outreach.—Using existing resources and efforts to
the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall carry out
a nationwide outreach program directed primarily toward
landlords, operators, owners, persons, producers, and tenants
(as those terms are defined in section 718.2 of title 7, Code
of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment
of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026)) of
agricultural land and county property appraiser offices, land
appraisal companies, and real estate auction companies to
increase public awareness and provide education regarding the
reporting requirements under this Act.”.
SEC. 12302. REPORT ON AGRICULTURAL LAND PURCHASING ACTIVITIES
IN THE UNITED STATES BY COUNTRIES DESIGNATED AS
STATE SPONSORS OF TERRORISM AND CERTAIN OTHER
COUNTRIES.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Agricultural land.—The term “agricultural land” has
the meaning given the term in section 9 of the Agricultural
Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3508).
(2) Appropriate committees of congress.—The term
“appropriate committees of Congress” means—
(A) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Intelligence of the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives;
(E) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives; and
(F) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the
House of Representatives.
(3) Covered foreign country.—The term “covered foreign
country” means a foreign country of concern (as defined in
section 10638 of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. 19237)).
(4) Covered foreign person.—The term “covered foreign
person” means a foreign person (as defined in section 9 of
the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7
U.S.C. 3508)) that is a citizen of, or headquartered in, as
applicable, a covered foreign country.
(5) State.—The term “State” has the meaning given the
term in section 9 of the Agricultural Foreign Investment
Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3508).
(6) State sponsor of terrorism.—The term “state sponsor
of terrorism” means a country the government of which the
Secretary of State has determined has repeatedly provided
support for acts of international terrorism, for purposes
of—
(A) section 1754(c)(1)(A)(i) of the Export Control Reform
Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4813(c)(1)(A)(i));
(B) section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2371);
(C) section 40(d) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C.
2780(d)); or
(D) any other provision of law.
(b) Report.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary
of Agriculture, in coordination with the Secretary of
Homeland Security and the head of any other appropriate
Federal agency, shall submit to the appropriate committees of
Congress a report describing the national security risks of
the purchase and management of agricultural land by covered
foreign persons.
(2) Contents.—A report submitted under paragraph (1) shall
include the following with respect to the year covered by the
report:
(A) A description of—
(i) the number of acres of agricultural land owned, leased,
or managed by covered foreign persons, organized by State;
and
(ii) for each State, the percentage of land owned or
managed by covered foreign persons compared to the total
acreage of the State.
(B) An analysis of the possible threat to food security,
food safety, biosecurity, or environmental protection due to
the ownership of agricultural land by each covered foreign
country through covered foreign persons.
(C) An analysis of the annual and total cost of support for
agricultural land owned by covered foreign persons through
farm programs administered by the Farm Service Agency.
(D) An analysis of the use of agricultural land for
industrial espionage or intellectual property transfer by
covered foreign persons.
(E) An analysis of the potential use by covered foreign
persons of agricultural land in close proximity to
manufacturing facilities, water sources, and other critical
infrastructure to monitor, interrupt, or disrupt activities
critical to the national and economic security of the United
States.
(F) An analysis of other threats to the agricultural
industry or national security of the United States due to the
ownership of agricultural land by covered foreign persons.
(3) Unclassified form.—A report submitted under this
subsection shall—
(A) be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a
classified annex; and
(B) be consistent with the protection of intelligence
sources and methods.
SEC. 12303. INVESTIGATIVE ACTIONS.
(a) Investigative Actions.—Section 4 of the Agricultural
Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3503) is
amended to read as follows:
“SEC. 4. INVESTIGATIVE ACTIONS.
“(a) In General.—The Secretary shall appoint an employee
in the Senior Executive Service (as described in section 3131
of title 5, United States Code) of the Department of
Agriculture to serve as Chief of Operations of Investigative
Actions (referred to in this section as the `Chief of
Operations'), who shall hire, appoint, and maintain
additional employees to monitor compliance with the
provisions of this Act.
“(b) Chief of Operations.—The Chief of Operations may
serve in such position simultaneously with a concurrent
position within the Department of Agriculture.
“(c) Security.—The Secretary shall—
“(1) provide classified storage, meeting, and other
spaces, as necessary, for personnel of the Chief of
Operations; and
“(2) assist such personnel in obtaining security
clearances.
“(d) Duties.—The Chief of Operations shall—
“(1) monitor compliance with this Act;
“(2) refer noncompliance with this Act to the Secretary,
the Farm Service Agency, and any other appropriate authority;
“(3) conduct investigations, in coordination with the
Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of the
Treasury, the National Security Council, and State and local
law enforcement agencies, on malign efforts—
“(A) to steal agricultural knowledge and technology; or
“(B) to disrupt the United States agricultural base;
“(4) conduct an annual audit of the database developed
under section 12304(b) of the Farm, Food, and National
Security Act of 2026;
“(5) seek to enter into memoranda of agreement and
memoranda of understanding with the Federal agencies
described in paragraph (3)—
“(A) to ensure compliance with this Act; and
“(B) to prevent the malign efforts described in that
paragraph;
“(6) refer to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the
United States transactions that—
“(A) raise potential national security concerns; and
“(B) result in agricultural land acquisition by a foreign
person that is a citizen of, or headquartered in, as
applicable, a foreign entity of concern; and
“(7) publish annual reports that summarize the information
contained in every report received by the Secretary under
section 2 during the period covered by the report.
“(e) Administration.—The Chief of Operations shall report
to—
“(1) the Secretary; or
“(2) if delegated by the Secretary, to—
“(A) the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency; or
“(B) the Director of the Department of Agriculture Office
of Homeland Security.”.
(b) Definition of Foreign Entity of Concern.—Section 9 of
the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7
U.S.C. 3508) is amended—
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
“For purposes of this Act—” and inserting “In this
Act:”;
(2) in each of paragraphs (1) through (6)—
(A) by striking “the term” and inserting “The term”;
and
(B) by inserting a paragraph heading, the text of which
comprises the term defined in that paragraph;
(3) in each of paragraphs (1) through (4), by striking the
semicolon and inserting a period;
(4) in paragraph (5), by striking “; and” and inserting a
period;
(5) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (6) as
paragraphs (3), (4), (6), (7), and (8), respectively;
(6) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
“(2) Foreign entity of concern.—The term `foreign entity
of concern' has the meaning given the term in section 9901 of
the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 4651).”;
and
(7) by inserting after paragraph (4) (as so redesignated)
the following:
“(5) Malign effort.—The term `malign effort' means any
hostile effort undertaken by, at the direction of, on behalf
of, or with the substantial support of the government of a
foreign entity of concern.”.
SEC. 12304. DIGITIZATION AND CONSOLIDATION OF FOREIGN LAND
OWNERSHIP DATA COLLECTION AND PUBLICATION.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Agricultural land.—The term “agricultural land” has
the meaning given the term in section 781.2 of title 7, Code
of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment
of this Act).
(2) Database.—The term “database” means the database
developed under subsection (c).
(3) Foreign person.—The term “foreign person” has the
meaning given the term in section 9 of the Agricultural
Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3508).
(b) Database.—Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a database
of agricultural land owned by foreign persons, using data
that are collected pursuant to the Agricultural Foreign
Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
(c) Contents.—Each entry in the database for each
registration or updated registration of agricultural land
owned or leased by a foreign person shall include pertinent
information, as determined by the Secretary, in the
applicable filing, except it shall not publicly disclose the
name of the filer and the purchase or lease price of such
transaction for a period of at least 30 days following such
filing.
(d) Audit.—Not later than 180 days after the database is
operational, and annually thereafter, the Chief of Operations
for Investigative Actions appointed under section 4 of the
Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (as
amended by section 12303(a)) shall—
(1) conduct an audit of the database; and
(2) submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a
report—
(A) evaluating the accuracy of the database; and
(B) describing recommendations for improving compliance
with the reporting required under the Agricultural Foreign
Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
(e) Repeal.—Section 773 of division A of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328) is repealed.
SEC. 12305. CFIUS CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL LAND
TRANSACTIONS.
(a) Inclusion of the Secretary of Agriculture on the
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.—
Section 721(k) of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50
U.S.C. 4565(k)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
“(8) Inclusion of the secretary of agriculture.—The
Secretary of Agriculture shall be a member of the Committee
with respect to a covered transaction that involves—
“(A) agricultural land;
“(B) agriculture biotechnology; or
“(C) the agriculture industry, including agricultural
transportation, storage, and processing.”.
(b) Consideration of Certain Agricultural Land
Transactions.—Section 721(b)(1) of the Defense Production
Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4565(b)(1)) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
“(I) Consideration of certain agricultural land
transactions.—
“(i) In general.—After receiving notification from the
Secretary of Agriculture of a reportable agricultural land
transaction, the Committee shall determine—
“(I) whether the transaction is a covered transaction; and
“(II) if the Committee determines that the transaction is
a covered transaction, whether the Committee should initiate
a review pursuant to subparagraph (D), or take another action
authorized under this section, with respect to the reportable
agricultural land transaction.
“(ii) Reportable agricultural land transaction.—In this
subparagraph, the term `reportable agricultural land
transaction' means a transaction—
“(I) that the Secretary of Agriculture has reason to
believe is a covered transaction, based on
information from or in cooperation with the intelligence
community;
“(II) that involves the acquisition of an interest in
agricultural land by a foreign person of the People's
Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,
the Russian Federation, or the Islamic Republic of Iran; and
“(III) with respect to which a person is required to
submit a report to the Secretary of Agriculture under section
2(a) of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of
“(iii) Sunset.—The requirements under this subparagraph
shall terminate, with respect to a foreign person of the
respective foreign country, on the date that the People's
Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,
the Russian Federation, or the Islamic Republic of Iran, as
the case may be, is removed from the list of foreign
adversaries in section 791.4 of title 15, Code of Federal
Regulations.”.
Subtitle D—Other Miscellaneous Provisions
SEC. 12401. COMMISSION ON FARM TRANSITIONS—NEEDS FOR 2050.
Section 12609 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
(Public Law 115-334; 132 Stat. 5009) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking “There is established”
and inserting “Not later than 60 days after the date of the
enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of
2026, the Secretary shall establish”;
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting “and
Recommendations” after “Study”;
(B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting “,
and make recommendations relating to,” after “study on”;
(C) in paragraph (1)—
(i) in subparagraph (B), by inserting “and timely” after
“affordable”; and
(ii) by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting the
following:
“(D) apprenticeships, mentoring programs, business
training, and technical assistance programs;”;
(D) in paragraph (3)—
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
“existing and new Federal tax policies” and inserting
“existing and new State and Federal policies, including tax
policies”; and
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by inserting “or impede” after
“facilitate”;
(E) in paragraph (4), by striking “and” at the end;
(F) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and
inserting a semicolon; and
(G) by adding at the end the following:
“(6) heirs' property and succession of agricultural land;
“(7) any unique barriers faced by historically underserved
and women farmers and ranchers in the ability to transfer,
inherit, or purchase agricultural assets, including land; and
“(8) leasing and ownership trends, including leasing and
ownership trends by foreign persons or entities.”;
(3) in subsection (f), by striking “1 year after the date
of enactment of this Act” and inserting “2 years after the
date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security
Act of 2026”;
(4) by amending subsection (l) to read as follows:
“(l) Federal Advisory Committees.—Sections 1008 and 1013
of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to the
Commission or any proceeding of the Commission.”; and
(5) in subsection (m), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 12402. REPORT ON PERSONNEL.
Section 12506 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
(Public Law 115-334) is amended by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 12403. IMPROVEMENTS TO UNITED STATES DROUGHT MONITOR.
Section 12512(d)(2) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of
2018 (7 U.S.C. 5856(d)(2)) is amended by striking “2023”
and inserting “2031”.
SEC. 12404. REPORTS ON LAND ACCESS AND FARMLAND OWNERSHIP
DATA COLLECTION.
Section 12607 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7
U.S.C. 2204i) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting
“and not less frequently than once every 2 years
thereafter,” before “the Secretary of Agriculture”;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking “and” at the end;
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and
inserting “; and”; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
“(4) a catalog of existing Federal, State, or private
programs that facilitate access to land, capital, and
markets, including programs providing assistance relating
to—
“(A) acquiring of real property (including air rights,
water rights, and other interests therein), including closing
costs;
“(B) subsidizing interest rates and mortgage principal
amounts for intended beneficiaries;
“(C) providing down payment assistance to decrease farm
mortgages;
“(D) securing clear title on heirs' property farmland;
“(E) conducting surveys and assessments of agricultural
land;
“(F) improving or remediating land, water, and soil;
“(G) constructing or repairing infrastructure;
“(H) supporting land use planning;
“(I) acquiring legal or financial planning assistance;
“(J) carrying out Tribal consultation;
“(K) supporting acquisition of a Department of Agriculture
farm number; and
“(L) any other activities as determined by the
Secretary.”; and
(2) in subsection (c), by striking “2023” and inserting
“2031”.
SEC. 12405. INCREASING TRANSPARENCY REGARDING DETENTION OF
IMPORTED PLANTS.
(a) In General.—Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination
with the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, shall
issue guidance to clarify the process by which an importer of
plants that have been denied entry into the United States and
detained under the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C.
3371 et seq.) may obtain additional information on such
denial and detention.
(b) Information Provided.—The process referred to in
subsection (a) shall ensure that the Secretary shall provide
to an importer described in such subsection, upon the
detention of any plants of such importer, the following
information:
(1) The specific reasons for which the detention of the
plants was initiated, including the date on which the plants
were presented to the Secretary for examination.
(2) The anticipated length of the detention of such plants.
(3) The nature of the tests or inquiries to be conducted on
the plants, which the importer shall be able to replicate.
(4) The nature of any information that, if supplied to the
Secretary, would accelerate the disposition of the detention.
SEC. 12406. ENHANCEMENT OF PET PROTECTIONS.
(a) Report.—Not later than 2 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act (or later, if the Secretary determines
appropriate after taking into consideration any ongoing
programmatic review of the Animal Care program of the Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service), the Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report with
respect to companion animals that—
(1) evaluates the enforcement of standards under, and
requirements of, the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et
seq.) by the Secretary for both effectiveness and efficiency;
(2) evaluates the efforts by the Secretary to educate and
advise dealers of all standards under, and requirements of,
such Act;
(3) evaluates the capacity of the Secretary to enforce the
standards established by such Act;
(4) makes recommendations for the improvement of—
(A) all standards (including animal welfare standards)
under, and requirements of, such Act; and
(B) education efforts of the Secretary with respect to such
standards and requirements; and
(5) considers the impact and associated costs of any
recommended improvements or amendments to the standards
under, and requirements of, such Act.
(b) Veterinary Care.—
(1) In general.—Section 13(a)(2)(A) of the Animal Welfare
Act (7 U.S.C. 2143(a)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting “(which
shall include visual dental examinations, whenever
practicable)” after “adequate veterinary care”.
(2) Technical amendment.—Section 13 of the Animal Welfare
Act (7 U.S.C. 2143) is amended by redesignating the second
subsection (f) (prohibiting delivery of certain animals
without certificate of inspection), subsection (g), and
subsection (h) as subsections (g) through (i), respectively.
SEC. 12407. PROTECTING ANIMALS WITH SHELTER.
Section 12502(b)(8) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of
2018 (Public Law 115-334) is amended by striking “2023” and
inserting “2031”.
SEC. 12408. REPORT ON AVAILABLE ASSISTANCE TO AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT HAVE
SUFFERED ECONOMIC LOSSES DUE TO THE FAILURE OF
MEXICO TO DELIVER WATER.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a
report that lists all existing authorities of the Secretary
and programs within the Department that are or could be made
available to provide assistance to agricultural producers in
the State of Texas that have suffered economic losses due to
the failure of Mexico to deliver water to the United States
in accordance with the Treaty Relating to the Utilization of
Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio
Grande signed at Washington on February 3, 1944, and the
Supplementary Protocol signed at Washington November 14,
SEC. 12409. QUALIFIED RENEWABLE BIOMASS.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Agency action.—The term “agency action” has the
meaning given the term in section 551 of title 5, United
States Code.
(2) Qualified renewable biomass.—
(A) In general.—The term “qualified renewable biomass”
means—
(i) forest products manufacturing bioenergy feedstocks,
including from—
(I) forest products manufacturing residuals, including
spent pulping liquors, pulping by-products, bark, woody
manufacturing residuals, paper recycling residuals,
wastewater and process water treatment plant residuals, and
anaerobic digester biogas;
(II) harvest residues, including portions of harvested
trees that are too small or of too poor quality to be
utilized for wood products or paper products;
(III) downed wood from extreme weather events and natural
disasters, nonhazardous landscape or right-of-way trimmings
and municipal trimmings, and plant material removed for
purposes of invasive or noxious plant species control;
(IV) biowaste, including landfill gas; and
(V) non-chemically treated used wood products, such as
crates or pallets; and
(ii) forest biomass derived from residues created as a by-
product of timber harvesting, including treetops, tree limbs,
and bark, but excluding stumps, roots, and round wood
suitable for industrial purposes.
(B) Exclusion.—Such term does not include paper of a type
that is commonly recycled.
(b) In General.—
(1) Consideration as renewable energy source.—With respect
to any agency action of the Department related to qualified
renewable biomass, the Secretary shall consider qualified
renewable biomass to be a renewable energy source and assign
it (and a facility, to the extent it uses qualified renewable
biomass as fuel) a greenhouse gas emission rate, and a carbon
intensity, of not greater than zero, if the use of such
qualified renewable biomass as fuel does not cause the
conversion of forests to non-forest use.
(2) Petitions.—Not later than 1 year after receiving a
petition requesting a change to a rule, policy, or program of
the Department in order to comply with the requirements of
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall take such action as may be
necessary to comply with such requirements with respect to
such rule, policy, or program.
(c) Guidance.—
(1) Establishment.—Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish
guidance for purposes of carrying out subsection (b).
(2) Modification.—The Secretary may periodically update
the guidance established under paragraph (1) as the Secretary
may determine necessary.
(3) Consultation.—In carrying out this subsection, the
Secretary shall consult with—
(A) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency;
(B) the Secretary of Energy; and
(C) any other relevant entities, as determined by the
Secretary.
SEC. 12410. WHOLE MILK UNDER THE SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM.
Section 9(a)(2) of the Richard B. Russell National School
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(a)(2)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding clause
(i), by striking “Act—” and inserting “Act and breakfasts
served by schools participating in the school breakfast
program under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966
(42 U.S.C. 1773)—”;
(2) in subparagraph (C), by inserting “or the school
breakfast program under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act
of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773)” after “Act”; and
(3) in subparagraph (D), by striking “section 210.10” and
inserting “sections 210.10 and 220.8”.
SEC. 12411. SPOTTED LANTERNFLY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.
(a) In General.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall carry
out a national campaign to increase the awareness and
knowledge of the public with respect to spotted lanternflies.
(b) Required Activities.—In carrying out the national
campaign under this section, the Secretary shall—
(1) place public service announcements on television,
radio, and billboards in areas of high incidence of spotted
lanternflies that—
(A) inform individuals of the fact that spotted
lanternflies are an invasive pest that threaten local
agriculture; and
(B) encourage individuals to kill any spotted lanternflies
that such individuals encounter; and
(2) use such other awareness tools as the Secretary
determines appropriate to provide the information described
in paragraph (1).
SEC. 12412. RIO GRANDE VALLEY AGRICULTURAL WATER INTERAGENCY
WORKING GROUP.
(a) Establishment.—The Secretary, in coordination with the
heads of the agencies described in subsection (c), shall
establish an interagency working group to coordinate a whole-
of-government strategy to protect the economic interests of
United States agricultural producers impacted by water
deliveries under the 1944 Water Treaty.
(b) Duties.—The Working Group shall—
(1) analyze the economic impact of water delivery deficits
under the 1944 Water Treaty on the United States agricultural
sector in the area affected by such water delivery deficits,
including specific assessments of damages to perennial crops;
(2) develop and implement a multi-agency strategy to—
(A) secure annual and predictable water deliveries in
accordance with the 1944 Water Treaty through the coordinated
use of Federal diplomatic and operational authorities;
(B) enhance the resilience of the domestic agricultural
water supply through improved conservation and
infrastructure;
(C) assess trade-related mechanisms available to address
agricultural supply chain disruptions caused by such water
delivery deficits;
(D) ensure that water resources and infrastructure in South
Texas are efficiently managed and operational for the
beneficial use of agricultural producers and municipal users;
and
(E) support Federal officials in securing annual and
predictable water deliveries in accordance with the 1944
Water Treaty;
(3) facilitate coordination among Federal agencies and with
the State of Texas to align diplomatic, trade, and
infrastructure efforts with the critical needs of the
agricultural community in South Texas; and
(4) provide a forum for public engagement and transparency
regarding—
(A) the status of water deliveries from Mexico under the
1944 Water Treaty; and
(B) the findings of the Working Group and the strategy
developed under paragraph (2).
(c) Composition.—The Working Group shall be composed of—
(1) the Secretary of Agriculture (who shall serve as
Chair);
(2) the Secretary of State;
(3) the Secretary of the Interior;
(4) the Commissioner of the United States Section of the
International Boundary and Water Commission, United States
and Mexico;
(5) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency;
(6) the United States Trade Representative;
(7) the Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and
(8) the Assistant to the President of the United States for
National Security Affairs.
(d) Meetings.—
(1) Frequency.—The Working Group shall meet not less
frequently than annually.
(2) Public access.—The Working Group shall—
(A) hold the meetings described in paragraph (1) in a
manner open to the public; and
(B) provide an opportunity for interested stakeholders,
including agricultural producers and irrigation districts, to
provide oral and written comments to the Working Group.
(e) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Working
Group shall submit to the Committees on Agriculture,
Appropriations, Foreign Affairs, and Ways and Means of the
House of Representatives, and the Committees on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry, Appropriations, Energy and Natural
Resources, Foreign Relations, and Finance of the Senate, a
report describing—
(1) the findings resulting from the analysis under
subsection (b)(1);
(2) the status of diplomatic and operational efforts to
secure compliance with the annual water delivery requirements
of the 1944 Water Treaty;
(3) an assessment of potential trade or administrative
actions to secure long term water reliability under treaties
with Mexico; and
(4) recommendations for projects, resources, and
legislative authorities needed to fully implement the
strategy developed under subsection (b)(2).
(f) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) 1944 water treaty.—The term “1944 Water Treaty”
means the Treaty Relating to the Utilization of Waters of the
Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande signed at
Washington on February 3, 1944, and the Supplementary
Protocol signed at Washington November 14, 1944.
(2) Working group.—The term “Working Group” means the
interagency working group established under subsection (a).
SEC. 12413. COST-SHARE GRANTS FOR ROLLOVER PROTECTION
STRUCTURES.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Approved rollover protection structure.—The term
“approved rollover protection structure” means a rollover
protection structure that the Program Administrator
determines—
(A) may be installed on eligible equipment;
(B) includes a seatbelt; and
(C) meets or exceeds the rollover protection structure
standards.
(2) Eligible entity.—The term “eligible entity” means,
as determined by the Secretary—
(A) an agricultural producer; and
(B) an eligible school.
(3) Eligible equipment.—The term “eligible equipment”
means an agricultural tractor that the Program Administrator
determines to be eligible for installation of an approved
rollover protection structure.
(4) Eligible school.—The term “eligible school” means—
(A) a vocational school that provides agricultural
instruction or training;
(B) an institution of higher education (as defined in
section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1002)) that provides direct, practical agricultural
instruction or training; and
(C) a public or private secondary school (as defined in
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 8107)) the curriculum of which includes an
agricultural instruction or training component.
(5) Program administrator.—The term “Program
Administrator” means the organization selected by the
Secretary under subsection (c)(1)(B).
(6) Rollover protection structure standards.—The term
“rollover protection structure standards” includes the
following:
(A) The SAE J2194 and SAE J1194 standards issued by the
Society of Automotive Engineers (and successor standards).
(B) Any other relevant national or international rollover
protection structure manufacturing or testing standards.
(b) Cost-share Grants.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary shall award grants to
eligible entities for the cost of purchasing, transporting,
and installing on eligible equipment approved rollover
protection structures.
(2) Limitations.—
(A) In general.—Except as provided in subparagraph (B),
the amount of a grant under this section shall equal 70
percent of the costs of the eligible entity to purchase,
transport, and install the approved rollover protection
structure.
(B) Exception.—If, for an eligible entity that is the
recipient of a grant under this section, the costs to
purchase, transport, and install an approved rollover
structure (as documented by the eligible entity) exceed $500,
the amount of the grant shall be increased to cover an
increased percentage (as determined by the Secretary) of such
costs.
(c) Administration.—
(1) Program administrator.—The Secretary shall—
(A) seek competitive bids from nongovernmental
organizations seeking to serve as the Program Administrator
under this section;
(B) select 1 organization from among the organizations that
submit bids under subparagraph (A); and
(C) enter into a cooperative agreement with that
organization to carry out the activities described in
paragraph (2).
(2) Duties.—The Program Administrator shall—
(A) identify—
(i) approved rollover protection structures; and
(ii) eligible equipment;
(B) administer the application process under subsection
(d); and
(C) establish and administer a public website and phone
hotline with information necessary—
(i) to inform eligible entities, as described in subsection
(a)(2), of the grant opportunities made available by this
Act, and
(ii) to administer the application process under subsection
(d).
(d) Applications.—
(1) In general.—To apply for a grant under this section,
an eligible entity shall submit to the Program Administrator
an application, including documentation of the cost described
in subsection (b)(2)(A).
(2) Approval or denial.—On receipt of an application under
paragraph (1), the Program Administrator shall—
(A) determine—
(i) whether the applicant is eligible for a grant under
this section; and
(ii) the amount of a grant under this section for which the
applicant is eligible; and
(B) submit to the Secretary a notification of the
determinations under subparagraph (A).
(e) Disbursement.—On receipt of a notification under
subsection (d)(2)(B), if an applicant is eligible for a grant
under this section, the Secretary shall disburse to the
eligible entity the amount of the grant described in
subsection (d)(2)(A)(ii).
(f) Funding.—
(1) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $725,000 for
each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
(2) Allocation.—Of the amounts made available to carry out
this section for each fiscal year—
(A) the Secretary shall use 70 percent of such amounts for
grants under this section; and
(B) the Secretary shall transfer to the Program
Administrator—
(i) 15 percent of such amounts for the promotion of, and
upgrades to the website referred to in subsection (c)(2)(C);
and
(ii) 15 percent of such amounts for the telephone hotline
referred to in such subsection.
The Acting CHAIR. No further amendment to the bill, as amended, shall be in order except those printed in part B of House Report 119-628 and amendments en bloc described in section 3 of House Resolution 1224.
be offered only in the order printed in the report, by the Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to an amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question.
Agriculture or his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting of amendments printed in part B of House Report 119-628 not earlier disposed of. Amendments en bloc shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Agriculture or their designees, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question.
{time} 2340
Amendments En Bloc No. 1 Offered by Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 1224, I offer amendments en bloc.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendments en bloc.
Amendments en bloc No. 1 consisting of amendment Nos. 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 19, 23, 25, 32, 34, 35, 37, 40, 43, 44, 48, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, and 57, printed in part B of House Report 119-628, offered by Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania:
AMENDMENT NO. 6 OFFERED BY MR. CRANE OF ARIZONA
At the end of Part I of subtitle D of title VIII, add the
following:
SEC. 8409. KAIBAB NATIONAL FOREST RESTORATION.
(a) In General.—Notwithstanding any requirement for a
Presidential emergency, disaster declaration, or any other
prerequisite for the use of the authority described in this
subsection, the Secretary is authorized to use emergency
acquisition flexibilities under part 18 of title 48, Code of
Federal Regulations (and any successor regulations), in
contracting for the following services within the covered
area:
(1) Forest management or restoration activities carried out
in response to the White Sage Fire.
(2) Rebuilding, planning, development, and design of
structures affected by the White Sage Fire.
(3) Improvements to the grounds and structures.
(4) Recovery efforts.
(b) Process for Other Services.—Unless otherwise provided
by law or regulation, the authority granted under subsection
(a) does not apply to contracts for services other than those
described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (a).
(c) Report.—Not later than 180 days after the Secretary
begins to use the authorization under subsection (a), and
every 180 days thereafter until the date that is 180 days
after the date described in subsection (e), the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate a report on all expenditures
related to the recovery efforts for the White Sage Fire,
including the following:
(1) The expected cost of recovery efforts.
(2) Cost expenditures.
(3) Cost overruns.
(4) Identification of contractors preforming the work
associated with the recovery from the White Sage Fire.
(5) Any affiliations or conflicts of interest between the
contractor and the contracting office at the Kaibab National
Forest or the Forest Service.
(6) Any waste fraud and abuse detected during the recovery
efforts.
(7) Any contracts that came in under expected expenses.
(8) An estimated time of completion for all projects and
full recovery efforts related to the White Sage Fire.
(9) If an extension is needed to this authority to complete
projects associated with the White Sage Fire.
(d) Extension.—If, after the date of the enactment of this
section, a new wildfire ignites within the covered area and
impacts recovery efforts related to the White Sage Fire, the
Secretary may request a 12-month extension of the authority
granted under subsection (a), subject to congressional
approval.
(e) Expiration.—The authority granted under subsection (a)
shall expire on the date that is the earlier of the
following:
(1) 5 years after the date of the enactment of this
section.
(2) Recovery efforts within the covered area are complete.
(f) Covered Area Defined.—The term “covered area” means
the areas within Kaibab National Forest impacted by the White
Sage Fire.
AMENDMENT NO. 9 OFFERED BY MS. DAVIDS OF KANSAS
Page 282, after line 3, insert the following:
(a) Definition of State.—Section 501 of the Agricultural
Credit Act of 1987 (7 U.S.C. 5101) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
“(e) Definition of State.—In this title, the term `State'
has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Animal
Welfare Act, and includes any Indian tribe (as defined in
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act).”.
Page 282, line 4, strike “(a)” and insert “(b)”.
Page 282, line 18, strike “(b)” and insert “(c)”.
AMENDMENT NO. 10 OFFERED BY MS. ELFRETH OF MARYLAND
At the end of subtitle F of title VII, add the following:
SEC. . SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO THE IMPORTANCE OF
COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO THE UNITED SATES
AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY.
It is the Sense of Congress that—
(1) institutions of higher education that offer two-year
degree programs, such as junior or community colleges (as
defined in section 312 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1058)), are at the forefront of agricultural
workforce development and education opportunities, especially
in the conservation space;
(2) such programs have a proven record of success in
developing a skilled workforce for agriculture, providing
landowners the resources and expertise necessary to reduce
erosion and damage, improve long-term sustainability, and
solve land management problems, which all ultimately improve
agricultural productivity; and
(3) investing in agricultural programs at two-year degree
programs at institutions of higher education is crucial to
the success of the United States agriculture industry,
economy, and environment.
AMENDMENT NO. 11 OFFERED BY MR. EZELL OF MISSISSIPPI
At the end of part II of subtitle D of title VIII, add the
following:
SEC. 8421. TIMBER PRODUCTION EXPANSION GUARANTEED LOAN
PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Eligible entity.—The term “eligible entity” means an
individual or entity that owns or operates a sawmill or other
wood-processing facility located in a rural area (as defined
in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a))) of the United States.
(2) Eligible federal land.—The term “eligible Federal
land” means any unit of Federal land, including Indian
forest land or rangeland, that has been identified by the
Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of the
Interior, as high or very high
priority for ecological restoration involving vegetation
removal under subsection (b).
(3) Program.—The term “Program” means the Timber
Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program of the
Department of Agriculture.
(4) Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
(b) Identification of Eligible Federal Land.—Not later
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and not
less frequently than once every 5 years thereafter, the
Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of the
Interior, shall—
(1) review Federal land under the jurisdiction of the
Secretary or the Secretary of the Interior; and
(2) identify units of Federal land that, as determined by
the Secretaries, are high or very high priority for
ecological restoration involving vegetation removal.
(c) Loan Guarantees.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary, in coordination with the
Secretary of the Interior, shall provide loan guarantees
under the Program to eligible entities seeking to establish,
reopen, retrofit, expand, or improve a sawmill or other wood-
processing facility located within a 250-mile radius of, a
unit of eligible Federal land, if the presence of a sawmill
or other wood-processing facility would, or does,
substantially decrease the cost of conducting ecological
restoration projects involving vegetation removal on the
eligible Federal land, as determined by the Secretary, in
coordination with the Secretary of the Interior.
(2) Conditions.—A loan guarantee under the Program shall
be provided in accordance with such conditions as the
Secretary determines to be necessary.
(3) Maximum amount.—The Secretary may provide a total of
not more than $220,000,000 in loan guarantees under the
Program.
AMENDMENT NO. 12 OFFERED BY MRS. FEDORCHAK OF NORTH DAKOTA
Add at the end of title I the following:
SEC. 1__. STUDY ON STORAGE FACILITY LOANS FOR ON-FARM
FERTILIZER STORAGE.
(a) In General.—The Secretary shall conduct a study on the
feasibility to provide storage facility loans to producers to
construct or maintain facilities for on-farm fertilizer
storage.
(b) Contents.—In conducting the study under this section,
the Secretary shall include data, as of the date of enactment
of this section, on—
(1) the market for on-farm fertilizer storage facilities,
including—
(A) the number of farms in the United States equipped with
on-farm fertilizer storage facilities; and
(B) the overall availability of, and producer demand for,
on-farm fertilizer storage facilities;
(2) producer access to financing for the construction or
maintenance of on-farm fertilizer storage facilities; and
(3) storage facility loan rates and terms provided by
commercial lending institutions in comparison to storage
facility loan rates and terms provided by the Secretary.
(c) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate a report on the findings of the study under this
section.
amendment no. 13 offered by mr. fong of california
Add at the end of title VIII the following:
Subtitle G—Save Our Sequoias
SEC. 8701. SHORT TITLE; DEFINITIONS.
(a) Short Title.—This subtitle may be cited as the “Save
Our Sequoias Act”.
(b) Definitions.—In this subtitle:
(1) Assessment.—The term “Assessment” means the Giant
Sequoia Health and Resiliency Assessment required by section
(2) Coalition.—The term “Coalition” means the Giant
Sequoia Lands Coalition codified under section 8703(a).
(3) Collaborative process.—The term “collaborative
process” means a collaborative process as described in
section 4003(b)(2) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act
of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303(b)(2)).
(4) Covered national forest system lands.—The term
“covered National Forest System lands” means the proclaimed
National Forest System lands reserved or withdrawn from the
public domain of the United States covering the Sequoia
National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument, Sierra
National Forest, and Tahoe National Forest.
(5) Covered public lands.—The term “covered public
lands” means—
(A) the Case Mountain Extensive Recreation Management Area
in California managed by the Bureau of Land Management; and
(B) Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Park, and
Yosemite National Park in California managed by the National
Park Service.
(6) Giant sequoia.—The term “giant sequoia” means a tree
of the species Sequoiadendron giganteum.
(7) Protection project.—The term “Protection Project”
means a Giant Sequoia Protection Project carried out under
section 8705.
(8) Reforestation.—The term “reforestation” means the
act of renewing tree cover, taking into consideration species
composition and resilience, by establishing young trees
through—
(A) natural regeneration;
(B) natural regeneration with site preparation and
vegetation competition control; or
(C) planting or direct seeding.
(9) Rehabilitation.—The term “rehabilitation” means any
action taken during the 5-year period beginning on the last
day of a wildland fire to repair or improve fire-impacted
lands which are unlikely to recover to management-approved
conditions.
(10) Relevant congressional committees.—The term
“relevant Congressional Committees” means—
(A) the Committees on Natural Resources, Agriculture, and
Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committees on Energy and Natural Resources,
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Appropriations of
the Senate.
(11) Responsible official.—The term “responsible
official” means an employee of the Department of the
Interior or Forest Service who has the authority to make and
implement a decision on a proposed action.
(12) Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(13) Secretary concerned.—The term “Secretary concerned”
means—
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to covered
National Forest System lands, or their designee; and
(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to covered
public lands, or their designee.
(14) Strategy.—The term “Strategy” means the Giant
Sequoia Reforestation and Rehabilitation Strategy established
under section 8706.
(15) Strike team.—The term “Strike Team” means a Giant
Sequoia Strike Team established under section 8707.
(16) Tribe.—The term “Tribe” means the Tule River Indian
Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, California.
SEC. 8702. SHARED STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENT FOR GIANT SEQUOIAS.
(a) In General.—Not later than 90 days after receiving a
request from the Governor of the State of California or the
Tribe, the Secretary shall enter into or expand an existing
shared stewardship agreement or enter into a similar
agreement with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Governor of
the State of California, and the Tribe to jointly carry out
the short-term and long-term management and conservation of
giant sequoias.
(b) Participation.—
(1) In general.—If the Secretary has not received a
request from the Governor of the State of California or the
Tribe under subsection (a) before the date that is 90 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
enter into the agreement under subsection (a) and jointly
implement such agreement with the Secretary of Agriculture.
(2) Future participation.—If the Secretary receives a
request from the Governor of the State of California or the
Tribe any time after entering into the agreement with the
Secretary of Agriculture under paragraph (1), the Secretary
shall accept the Governor of the State of California or the
Tribe as a party to such agreement.
SEC. 8703. GIANT SEQUOIA LANDS COALITION.
(a) Codification.—The Coalition is the entity established
under the charter titled “Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition
Charter” (or successor charter) signed during the period
beginning June 2, 2022 and ending August 2, 2022 by each of
the following:
(1) The National Park Service, representing Sequoia and
Kings Canyon National Parks.
(2) The National Park Service, representing Yosemite
National Park.
(3) The Forest Service, representing Sequoia National
Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument.
(4) The Forest Service, representing Sierra National
Forest.
(5) The Forest Service, representing Tahoe National Forest.
(6) The Bureau of Land Management, representing Case
Mountain Extensive Recreation Management Area.
(7) The Tribe, representing the Tule River Indian
Reservation.
(8) The State of California, representing Calaveras Big
Trees State Park.
(9) The State of California, representing Mountain Home
Demonstration State Forest.
(10) The University of California, Berkeley, representing
Whitaker's Research Forest.
(11) The County of Tulare, California, representing Balch
Park.
(b) Duties.—In addition to the duties specified in the
charter referenced in subsection (a), the Coalition shall—
(1) produce the Assessment under section 8704;
(2) observe implementation, and provide policy
recommendations to the Secretary concerned, with respect to—
(A) Protection Projects carried out under section 8705; and
(B) the Strategy established under section 8706;
(3) facilitate collaboration and coordination on Protection
Projects, particularly projects that cross jurisdictional
boundaries;
(4) facilitate information sharing, including best
available science as described in section 8704(d) and mapping
resources; and
(5) support the development and dissemination of
educational materials and programs that inform the public
about the threats to the health and resiliency of giant
sequoia groves and actions being taken to reduce the risk to
such groves from high-severity wildfire, insects, and
drought.
(c) Administrative Support, Technical Services, and Staff
Support.—The Secretary shall make personnel of the
Department of the Interior available to the Coalition for
administrative support, technical services, development and
dissemination of educational materials, and staff support
that the Secretary determines necessary to carry out this
section.
(d) Public Meeting Requirement.—
(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the
Coalition shall provide for public observation at no less
than one meeting annually.
(2) Closed sessions.—The Coalition may close portions of a
meeting as provided in paragraph (1) to the public only when
discussion will involve—
(A) sensitive law enforcement, security, or emergency
response matters, the public disclosure of which would
compromise public safety; or
(B) confidential commercial information, private property
information, or landowner information.
SEC. 8704. GIANT SEQUOIA HEALTH AND RESILIENCY ASSESSMENT.
(a) In General.—Not later than 6 months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Coalition shall submit to the
relevant Congressional Committees a Giant Sequoia Health and
Resiliency Assessment that, based on the best available
science—
(1) identifies—
(A) each giant sequoia grove that has experienced a—
(i) stand-replacing disturbance; or
(ii) disturbance but continues to have living giant
sequoias within the grove, including identifying the tree
mortality and regeneration of giant sequoias within such
grove;
(B) each giant sequoia grove that is at high risk of
experiencing a stand-replacing disturbance;
(C) lands—
(i) contiguous or adjacent to giant sequoia groves that are
at risk of experiencing high-severity wildfires that could
adversely impact such giant sequoia groves; or
(ii) in which the placement of fuel breaks could reduce the
risk of high-severity wildfires that could adversely impact
giant sequoia groves; and
(D) each giant sequoia grove that has experienced a
disturbance and is unlikely to naturally regenerate and is in
need of reforestation;
(2) analyzes the resiliency of each giant sequoia grove to
threats, such as—
(A) high-severity wildfire;
(B) insects, including beetle kill; and
(C) drought;
(3) examines how historical, Tribal, or current approaches
to wildland fire suppression and forest management activities
across various jurisdictions have impacted the health and
resiliency of giant sequoia groves with respect to—
(A) high-severity wildfires;
(B) insects, including beetle kill; and
(C) drought; and
(4) includes program and policy recommendations that
address—
(A) options to enhance communication, coordination, and
collaboration, particularly for cross-boundary projects, to
improve the health and resiliency of giant sequoias; and
(B) research gaps that should be addressed to improve the
best available science on the giant sequoias.
(b) Annual Updates.—Not later than 1 year after the
submission of the Assessment under subsection (a), and
annually thereafter, the Coalition shall submit an updated
Assessment to the relevant Congressional Committees that—
(1) includes any new data, information, or best available
science that has changed or become available since the
previous Assessment was submitted;
(2) with respect to Protection Projects—
(A) includes information on the number of Protection
Projects initiated the previous year and the estimated
timeline for completing those projects;
(B) includes information on the number of Protection
Projects planned in the upcoming year and the estimated
timeline for completing those projects;
(C) provides status updates and long-term monitoring
reports on giant sequoia groves after the completion of
Protection Projects; and
(D) if the Secretary concerned failed to reduce hazardous
fuels in at least 3 giant sequoia groves in the previous
year, a written explanation that includes—
(i) a detailed explanation of what impediments resulted in
failing to reduce hazardous fuels in at least 3 giant sequoia
groves; and
(ii) a detailed explanation of what actions the Secretary
concerned is taking to ensure that hazardous fuels are
reduced in at least 3 giant sequoia groves the following
year; and
(3) with respect to reforestation and rehabilitation of
giant sequoias—
(A) contains updates on the implementation of the Strategy
under section 8706, including grove-level data on
reforestation and rehabilitation activities; and
(B) provides status updates and monitoring reports on giant
sequoia groves that have experienced reforestation or
rehabilitation as part of the Strategy under section 8706.
(c) Dashboard.—
(1) Requirement to maintain.—The Coalition shall create
and maintain a website that—
(A) publishes the Assessment, annual updates to the
Assessment, and other educational materials developed by the
Coalition;
(B) contains searchable information about individual giant
sequoia groves, including the—
(i) resiliency of such groves to threats described in
paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a);
(ii) Protection Projects that have been proposed,
initiated, or completed in such groves; and
(iii) reforestation and rehabilitation activities that have
been proposed, initiated, or completed in such groves; and
(C) maintains a searchable database to track—
(i) the status of Federal environmental reviews and
authorizations for specific Protection Projects and
reforestation and rehabilitation activities; and
(ii) the projected cost of Protection Projects and
reforestation and rehabilitation activities.
(2) Searchable database.—The Coalition shall include
information on the status of Protection Projects in the
searchable database created under paragraph (1)(C),
including—
(A) a comprehensive permitting timetable;
(B) the status of the compliance of each lead agency,
cooperating agency, and participating agency with the
permitting timetable;
(C) any modifications of the permitting timetable required
under subparagraph (A), including an explanation as to why
the permitting timetable was modified; and
(D) information about project-related public meetings,
public hearings, and public comment periods, which shall be
presented in English and the predominant language of the
community or communities most affected by the project, as
that information becomes available.
(d) Best Available Science.—In utilizing the best
available science for the Assessment, the Coalition shall
include—
(1) data and peer-reviewed research from academic
institutions with a demonstrated history of studying giant
sequoias and with experience analyzing distinct management
strategies to improve giant sequoia resiliency;
(2) traditional ecological knowledge from the Tribe related
to improving the health and resiliency of giant sequoia
groves; and
(3) data from Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments
or agencies, and other interested stakeholders with a
demonstrated history of studying giant sequoias and with
experience analyzing distinct management strategies to
improve giant sequoia resiliency.
(e) Technology Improvements.—In carrying out this section,
the Secretary may enter into memorandums of understanding or
agreements with other Federal agencies or departments, State
or local governments, Tribal governments, private entities,
or academic institutions to improve, with respect to the
Assessment, the use and integration of—
(1) advanced remote sensing and geospatial technologies;
(2) statistical modeling and analysis; or
(3) any other technology the Secretary determines will
benefit the quality of information used in the Assessment.
(f) Planning.—The Coalition shall make information from
this Assessment available to the Secretary concerned and
State of California to integrate into the—
(1) State of California's Wildfire and Forest Resilience
Action Plan;
(2) Forest Service's 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy (or
successor plan); and
(3) Department of the Interior's Wildfire Risk Five-Year
Monitoring, Maintenance, and Treatment Plan (or successor
plan).
(g) Relation to the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969.—The development and submission of the Assessment under
subsection (a) shall not be subject to the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
SEC. 8705. GIANT SEQUOIA EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
(a) Emergency Response to Protect Giant Sequoias.—
(1) In general.—
(A) Emergency determination.—Congress determines that—
(i) an emergency exists on covered public lands and covered
National Forest System lands that makes it necessary to carry
out Protection Projects that take needed actions to respond
to the threat of wildfires, insects, and drought to giant
sequoias; and
(ii) Protection Projects are necessary to control the
immediate impacts of the emergency described in clause (i)
and are needed to mitigate harm to life, property, or
important natural or cultural resources on covered public
lands and covered National Forest System lands.
(B) Application.—The emergency determination established
under subparagraph (A) shall apply to all covered public
lands and covered National Forest System lands.
(C) Expiration.—The emergency determination established
under subparagraph (A) shall expire on the date that is 7
years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) Implementation.—While the emergency determination
established under paragraph (1) is in effect, the following
shall apply:
(A) The Secretary concerned, acting through a responsible
official, shall carry out Protection Projects on covered
public lands and covered National Forest System lands in
accordance with this section, all applicable land management
plans, and the
laws (including regulations) applicable to the Secretary
concerned.
(B) A responsible official shall carry out Protection
Projects in accordance with the following, as applicable:
(i) Section 220.4(b) of title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations (as in effect July 21, 2022), with respect to
covered National Forest System lands.
(ii) Section 46.150 of title 43, Code of Federal
Regulations (as in effect October 12, 2022), with respect to
covered public lands.
(iii) Section 402.05 of title 50, Code of Federal
Regulations (as in effect July 21, 2022), with respect to
covered National Forest System lands and covered public
lands.
(iv) Section 800.12 of title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations (as in effect July 21, 2022), with respect to
covered National Forest System lands and covered public
lands.
(C) The rules established under subsections (d) and (e) of
section 40807 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
(16 U.S.C. 6592c(d), (e)) shall apply with respect to
Protection Projects by substituting “Protection Projects”
for “authorized emergency action under this section” each
place it appears in such subsections.
(D) Protection Projects shall be subject to the
requirements of section 106 of the Healthy Forests
Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6516).
(3) Protection projects.—The responsible official shall
carry out the following forest management activities as
Protection Projects under the emergency determination under
this section:
(A) Conducting hazardous fuels management, including
mechanical thinning, mastication, and prescribed burning.
(B) Removing hazard trees, dead trees, or dying trees, as
determined by the responsible official.
(C) Removing trees to address overstocking or crowding in a
forest stand, consistent with the appropriate basal area of
the forest stand and the best available science, as
determined by the responsible official.
(D) Activities to address insects, disease, invasive
species, and vegetative encroachment of a giant sequoia
grove.
(E) Any combination of activities described in this
paragraph.
(4) Requirements.—
(A) In general.—Protection Projects carried out under
paragraph (3) and reforestation and rehabilitation activities
carried out under this subtitle that are described by
subparagraph (C) are categorically excluded from the
preparation of an environmental assessment or an
environmental impact statement under section 102 of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332).
(B) Availability.—The Secretary concerned shall use the
categorical exclusion established under subparagraph (A) in
accordance with this section.
(C) Requirements.—A Protection Project or reforestation or
rehabilitation activity is described by this subparagraph if
such Protection Project or reforestation or rehabilitation
activity—
(i) covers an area of no more than—
(I) 2,000 acres within giant sequoia groves; and
(II) 3,000 acres on lands identified under section
8704(a)(1)(C); and
(ii) occurs on Federal land or non-Federal land with the
consent of the non-Federal landowner.
(D) Extraordinary circumstances.—The extraordinary
circumstances procedures under provisions (e) through (g) of
section 1b.3 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, shall
apply to a Protection Project or reforestation or
rehabilitation activity that is categorically excluded under
subparagraph (A).
(E) Use of other authorities.—To the maximum extent
practicable, the Secretary concerned shall use the
authorities provided under this section in combination with
other authorities to carry out Protection Projects,
including—
(i) good neighbor agreements entered into under section
8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a) (as
amended by this Act); and
(ii) stewardship contracting projects entered into under
section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
(16 U.S.C. 6591c) (as amended by this Act).
(F) Savings clause.—With respect to joint Protection
Projects and reforestation and rehabilitation activities
involving the Tribe, nothing in this section shall be
construed to add any additional regulatory requirements onto
the Tribe.
(b) Implementation.—To the maximum extent practicable, the
Secretary concerned shall reduce hazardous fuels in no fewer
than 3 giant sequoia groves each year.
(c) Public Notice.—The Secretary concerned shall provide
notice of each Protection Project on a publicly available
website maintained by the Secretary concerned.
SEC. 8706. GIANT SEQUOIA REFORESTATION AND REHABILITATION
STRATEGY.
(a) Reforestation and Rehabilitation Strategy.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 6 months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation
with the Coalition, shall develop and implement a strategy,
to be known as the Giant Sequoia Reforestation and
Rehabilitation Strategy, to enhance the reforestation and
rehabilitation of giant sequoia groves that—
(A) identifies giant sequoia groves in need of
reforestation or rehabilitation, giving highest priority to
groves identified under section 8704(a)(1)(A)(i);
(B) creates a priority list of reforestation and
rehabilitation activities;
(C) identifies and addresses—
(i) barriers to reforestation or rehabilitation,
including—
(I) regulatory and funding barriers;
(II) seedling shortages or related nursery infrastructure
capacity constraints;
(III) labor and workforce shortages;
(IV) technology and science gaps; and
(V) site preparation challenges;
(ii) potential public-private partnership opportunities to
complete high-priority reforestation or rehabilitation
projects;
(iii) a timeline for addressing the backlog of
reforestation for giant sequoias in the 10-year period after
the agreement is entered into under section 8702; and
(iv) strategies to ensure genetic diversity across giant
sequoia groves; and
(D) includes program and policy recommendations needed to
improve the efficiency or effectiveness of the Strategy.
(2) Assessment.—The Secretary may incorporate the Strategy
into the Assessment under section 8704.
(b) Priority Reforestation Projects Amendment.—Section
3(e)(4)(C)(ii)(I) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable
Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C.
1601(e)(4)(C)(ii)(I)) is amended—
(1) in item (bb), by striking “and”;
(2) in item (cc), by striking the period and inserting “;
and”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(dd) shall include reforestation and rehabilitation
activities conducted under section 8706 of the Save Our
Sequoias Act.”.
SEC. 8707. GIANT SEQUOIA STRIKE TEAMS.
(a) Giant Sequoia Strike Teams.—
(1) Establishment.—The Secretary concerned shall each
establish a Giant Sequoia Strike Team to assist the Secretary
concerned with the implementation of—
(A) primarily, section 8705; and
(B) secondarily, section 8706.
(2) Duties.—Each Strike Team shall—
(A) assist the Secretary concerned with any reviews,
including analysis under the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), consultations under
division A of subtitle III of title 54, United States Code
(commonly referred to as the National Historic Preservation
Act), and consultations under the Endangered Species Act of
1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
(B) implement any necessary site preparation work in
advance of or as part of a Protection Project or
reforestation or rehabilitation activity;
(C) implement Protection Projects under section 8705; and
(D) implement reforestation or rehabilitation activities
under section 8706.
(3) Members.—The Secretary concerned may appoint no more
than 10 individuals each to serve on a Strike Team comprised
of—
(A) employees of the Department of the Interior;
(B) employees of the Forest Service;
(C) private contractors from any nonprofit organization,
State government, Tribal Government, local government,
academic institution, or private organization; and
(D) volunteers from any nonprofit organization, State
government, Tribal Government, local government, academic
institution, or private organization.
SEC. 8708. GIANT SEQUOIA COLLABORATIVE RESTORATION GRANTS.
(a) In General.—The Secretary, in consultation with the
parties to the agreement under section 8702, shall establish
a program or expand an existing program to award grants to
eligible entities to advance, facilitate, or improve giant
sequoia health and resiliency.
(b) Eligible Entity.—The Secretary may award grants under
this section to any nonprofit organization, Tribal
Government, local government, academic institution, or
private organization to help advance, facilitate, or improve
giant sequoia health and resiliency.
(c) Priority.—In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that—
(1) primarily, are likely to have the greatest impact on
giant sequoia health and resiliency; and
(2) secondarily—
(A) are small businesses or Tribal entities, particularly
in rural areas; and
(B) create or support jobs, particularly in rural areas.
(d) Use of Grant Funds.—Funds from grants awarded under
this section shall be used to—
(1) create, expand, or develop markets for hazardous fuels
removed under section 8705, including markets for biomass and
biochar;
(2) facilitate hazardous fuel removal under section 8705,
including by reducing the cost of transporting hazardous
fuels removed as part of a Protection Project;
(3) expand, enhance, develop, or create facilities or land
that can store or process hazardous fuels removed under
section 8705;
(4) establish, develop, expand, enhance, or improve nursery
capacity or infrastructure necessary to facilitate the
Strategy established under section 8706; or
(5) support Tribal management and conservation of giant
sequoias, including funding for Tribal historic preservation
officers.
SEC. 8709. GIANT SEQUOIA INSECT MONITORING AND TECHNOLOGY.
(a) In General.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall—
(1) develop and implement a strategy for monitoring insects
in giant sequoia groves with a high-risk or previous history
of insect infestations; and
(2) seek to enter into public-private partnerships to
deploy technology to assist in the short-term and long-term
monitoring of giant sequoia groves with current or potential
insect infestations.
(b) Report.—Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall submit a
report to the relevant Congressional Committees that
contains—
(1) the strategy required under subsection (a)(1);
(2) an update on the effectiveness of the monitoring
program in preventing or addressing insect infestations in
giant sequoia groves; and
(3) program and policy recommendations to further address—
(A) research gaps regarding giant sequoia resiliency to
insects; and
(B) opportunities to improve the resiliency of giant
sequoias to insects.
SEC. 8710. STEWARDSHIP CONTRACTING FOR GIANT SEQUOIAS.
(a) National Park Service.—Section 604 of the Healthy
Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c) is
amended—
(1) by amending subsection (a)(2) to read as follows:
“(2) Director.—The term `Director' means the Director of
the Bureau of Land Management with respect to Bureau of Land
Management lands and the Director of the National Park
Service with respect to lands within Kings Canyon National
Park, Sequoia National Park, and Yosemite National Park.”;
and
(2) in subsection (b), by striking “national forests and
the public lands” and inserting “national forests, public
lands, and lands within Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia
National Park, and Yosemite National Park”.
(b) Giant Sequoia Stewardship Contracts.—Section 604(c) of
the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C.
6591c(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(8) Promoting the health and resiliency of giant
sequoias.”.
(c) Stewardship Contracting in Certain National Parks.—
Stewardship contracting projects occurring in Kings Canyon
National Park, Sequoia National Park, and Yosemite National
Park shall be carried out in accordance with the laws
(including regulations) applicable to the National Park
Service, including section 100753 of title 54, United States
Code.
SEC. 8711. GIANT SEQUOIA EMERGENCY PROTECTION PROGRAM AND
FUND.
(a) In General.—Chapter 1011 of title 54, United States
Code, is amended by inserting at the end the following:
“Sec. 101123. Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program and
Fund
“(a) Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program.—The
National Park Foundation, in coordination with the National
Forest Foundation and the Foundation for America's Public
Lands, shall design and implement a comprehensive program to
assist and promote philanthropic programs of support that
benefit—
“(1) primarily, the management and conservation of giant
sequoias on covered public lands and covered National Forest
System lands to promote resiliency to wildfires, insects, and
drought; and
“(2) secondarily, the reforestation of giant sequoias on
covered public lands and covered National Forest System lands
impacted by wildfire.
“(b) Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Fund.—
“(1) In general.—The National Park Foundation, in
coordination with the National Forest Foundation and the
Foundation for America's Public Lands, shall establish a
joint special account to be known as the Giant Sequoia
Emergency Protection Fund (referred to in this section as
`the Fund'), to be administered in support of the program
established under subsection (a).
“(2) Funds for giant sequoia emergency protection.—The
Fund shall consist of any gifts, devises, or bequests that
are provided to the National Park Foundation, National Forest
Foundation, or Foundation for America's Public Lands for the
purpose described in paragraph (1).
“(3) Use of funds.—Subject to the availability of
appropriations made in advance for such purpose, funds shall
be available to the National Park Foundation, National Forest
Foundation, and Foundation for America's Public Lands,
subject to paragraph (4), for projects and activities
approved by the Director of the National Park Service, Chief
of the Forest Service, or Director of the Bureau of Land
Management as appropriate, or their designees, to—
“(A) primarily, support the management and conservation of
giant sequoias on covered public lands and covered National
Forest System lands to promote resiliency to wildfires,
insects, and drought; and
“(B) secondarily, support the reforestation of giant
sequoias on covered public lands and covered National Forest
System lands impacted by wildfire.
“(4) Tribal support.—Of the funds provided to the
National Park Foundation, National Forest Foundation, and
Foundation for America's Public Lands under paragraph (3),
not less than 15 percent of such funds shall be used to
support Tribal management and conservation of giant sequoias
including funding for Tribal historic preservation officers.
“(c) Summary.—Beginning 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the National Park Foundation, National
Forest Foundation, and Foundation for America's Public Lands
shall include with their annual reports a summary of the
status of the program and Fund created under this section
that includes—
“(1) a statement of the amounts deposited in the Fund
during the fiscal year;
“(2) the amount of the balance remaining in the Fund at
the end of the fiscal year; and
“(3) a description of the program and projects funded
during the fiscal year.
“(d) Definitions.—In this section, the terms `covered
public lands' and `covered National Forest System lands' have
the meaning given such terms in section 1(b) of the Save Our
Sequoias Act.
“(e) Termination of Effectiveness.—The authority provided
by this section shall terminate 7 years after the date of
enactment of the Save Our Sequoias Act.”.
(b) Conforming Amendment.—The table of sections for
chapter 1011 of title 54, United States Code, is amended by
inserting at the end the following:
“101123. Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program and Fund.”.
Amendment No. 17 Offered by Mr. GOSAR of Arizona
Page 523, after line 5, insert the following:
SEC. 76__. LIMITATION ON CERTAIN RESEARCH INVOLVING DOGS AND
CATS.
(a) Limitation on REE Research Portfolio.—The Secretary,
acting through the Under Secretary for Research, Education,
and Economics, shall ensure that none of the research,
education, or extension activities carried out or funded
under the jurisdiction of the Research, Education, and
Economics mission area involve domestic dogs (Canis
familiaris) or domestic cats (Felis catus) in which the
animals are subjected to pain or distress that is not
alleviated with appropriate sedation, analgesia, or
anesthesia, consistent with pain categories established by
the Secretary pursuant to the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C.
2131 et seq.) and described in paragraphs (5) through (7) of
section 2.36(b) of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (as
in effect on the date of enactment of this Act).
(b) Exception.—Subsection (a) shall not apply to research
related to the training and use of dogs for the purpose of
safeguarding domestic agricultural and natural resources from
foreign and invasive pests and diseases, including activities
authorized under the Beagle Brigade Act of 2023 (Public Law
118-191).
(c) Waiver Authority.—The Under Secretary for Research,
Education, and Economics, and the Under Secretary alone, may
waive the prohibition under subsection (a) on a case-by-case
basis if the Under Secretary determines that—
(1) the research is necessary to protect national security,
animal and crop health, or public health, safety, or welfare;
and
(2) no reasonable alternative methods exist that would
achieve the same scientific objective without the use of
procedures described in subsection (a).
(d) Congressional Notification.—Not later than 30 days
before granting a waiver under subsection (c), the Under
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a written notification
that includes—
(1) a detailed justification for the waiver, including the
specific national security or public health need;
(2) a description of the research to be conducted,
including the number and species of animals involved;
(3) the projected cost to taxpayers;
(4) an explanation of why alternatives are not feasible;
and
(5) the expected duration of the waiver.
Amendment No. 19 Offered by Mr. GRAY of California
Page 669, line 20, strike “and” at the end.
Page 669, after line 20, insert the following:
(2) in subsection (c)—
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and moving the
margins of such subparagraphs (as so redesignated) two ems to
the right;
(B) by striking “Notwithstanding” and inserting “(1) in
general.—Notwithstanding”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(2) No cost-sharing or matching requirements.—The
Secretary may not impose any cost-sharing or matching
requirement on any award or sub-award made using funds made
available to carry out this section.”.
Page 669, line 21, strike “(2)” and insert “(3)”.
Amendment No. 23 Offered by Mr. HILL of Arkansas
Page 475, line 13, strike “Section 7522” and insert the
following:
(a) In General.—Section 7522
Page 476, after line 19, add the following:
(b) Farmer Assistance, Resilience, and Mental Health
Evaluation Research Study.—
(1) Study.—Not later than 2 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, in coordination
with the regional lead institutions of the Farm and
Ranch Stress Assistance Network established under section
7522 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7
U.S.C. 5936), submit to Congress a report that contains—
(A) an assessment on the availability and usage of mental
health care, including tele-mental health services, by
agricultural professionals, including—
(i) the incidence and prevalence of common mental health
conditions, such as depression, anxiety disorders, trauma-
and stressor- related disorder (including adjustment
disorders), or suicidal ideation, among agricultural
professionals;
(ii) the incidence and prevalence of agricultural
professionals seeking treatment for mental health conditions,
including counseling, psychotherapy, or support groups in
traditional mental health care settings;
(iii) the incidence and prevalence of agricultural
professionals seeking treatment for mental health conditions
including counseling, psychotherapy, or support groups via
tele-mental health care;
(iv) the availability of traditional mental health care
settings and treatment in rural areas, including counseling,
psychotherapy, or support groups;
(v) the availability of tele-mental health care treatment
in rural areas, including counseling, psychotherapy, or
support groups; and
(B) the Secretary's recommendations to improve the uptake,
effectiveness, and deployment of, and access to, traditional
mental health services and tele-mental health services among
agricultural professionals in rural areas.
(2) Coordination.—In preparing the report under paragraph
(1), the Secretary may consult with the following:
(A) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
(B) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
(C) State departments of agriculture.
(D) Cooperative extension services (as defined in section
1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and
Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103)).
(E) Within the Department—
(i) the Economic Research Service; and
(ii) the Office of Rural Development, including the Rural
Health Liaison.
(3) Definitions.—In this subsection:
(A) The term “farmer” means an individual whose primary
occupation is the planting and cultivation of crops or other
agricultural products.
(B) The term “rancher” means an individual whose primary
occupation is the rearing and care of animals for
agricultural purposes.
(C) The term “agricultural professional” means a farmer
or a rancher.
(D) The term “mental health condition” means a condition
commonly affecting individuals as prescribed by clinical
guidance or consensus, including conditions listed in the
most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders, or another source, as determined
appropriate by the Secretary.
(E) The term “tele-mental health care” means mental
health care that is furnished by a mental health care
provider primarily through the use of a phone, the internet,
or videoconferencing.
Amendment No. 25 Offered by Mr. LANGWORTHY of New York
Page 707, line 22, strike “and inserting `2031' ” and
insert “and inserting `2031, to remain available until
expended' ”.
Amendment No. 32 Offered by Mr. MANNION of New york
Page 32, line 23, strike “and”.
Page 32, after line 23, insert the following (and
redesignate the subsequent subparagraph accordingly):
(K) immersive technologies; and
amendment no. 34 offered by mrs. miller-meeks
At the end of title XII, add the following:
Subtitle E—United States Grain Standards Reauthorization
SEC. 12501. DECLARATION OF POLICY.
Section 2(b) of the United States Grain Standards Act (7
U.S.C. 74(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking “and” at the end;
(2) in paragraph (3)(F), by striking the period at the end
and inserting “; and”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(4) that the Secretary shall prioritize the adoption of
improved grain grading technology to provide for efficient,
accurate, and consistent grading of grain.”.
SEC. 12502. OFFICIAL INSPECTION AUTHORITY AND FUNDING.
Section 7 of the United States Grain Standards Act (7
U.S.C. 79) is amended—
(1) in subsection (e), by adding at the end the following:
“(5) The Secretary may provide that domestic non-export
grain loaded or unloaded into or out of a rail car, barge,
truck, or other container, at an export port location, shall
be inspected in the manner provided in this subsection or
subsection (f), as the Secretary determines will best meet
the objectives of this Act.”;
(2) in subsection (g)(2), by striking “fund created” and
inserting “trust fund created”; and
(3) in subsection (j)—
(A) in paragraph (1)(C), by striking “fund which” and
inserting “trust fund which”;
(B) in paragraph (3)—
(i) by striking “fund created” and inserting “trust fund
created”; and
(ii) by striking “credited to the fund” and inserting
“credited to the trust fund account”; and
(C) in paragraph (5), by striking “2025” and inserting
“2033”.
SEC. 12503. WEIGHING AUTHORITY.
Section 7A of the United States Grain Standards Act (7
U.S.C. 79a) is amended—
(1) in subsection (c)(2), by striking “State agency” and
inserting “State agency or official agency”; and
(2) in subsection (l)—
(A) in paragraph (1)(C), by striking “fund created” and
inserting “trust fund created”;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking “fund created” and
inserting “trust fund created”; and
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking “2025” and inserting
“2033”.
SEC. 12504. TESTING OF EQUIPMENT.
Section 7B(a) of the United States Grain Standards Act (7
U.S.C. 79b(a)) is amended by striking “fund created” and
inserting “trust fund created”.
SEC. 12505. LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPERVISORY
COSTS.
Section 7D of the United States Grain Standards Act (7
U.S.C. 79d) is amended—
(1) by striking “activities)” and inserting “activities,
equipment, and development of technology)”; and
(2) by striking “2025” and inserting “2033”.
SEC. 12506. GENERAL AUTHORITIES.
Section 16 of the United States Grain Standards Act (7
U.S.C. 87e) is amended—
(1) in subsection (e), by striking “Department of
Agriculture” and inserting “Department of Agriculture and
official agencies”; and
(2) in subsection (j), by striking “fund created” and
inserting “trust fund created”.
SEC. 12507. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS.
Section 17A(e) of the United States Grain Standards Act (7
U.S.C. 87f-1(e)) is amended by striking “fund described”
and inserting “trust fund described”.
SEC. 12508. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
Section 17B(e) of the United States Grain Standards Act (7
U.S.C. 87f-2(e)) is amended—
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
“The Secretary may, to the extent determined appropriate by
the Secretary” and inserting “On December 1 of each year,
the Secretary shall”;
(2) in paragraph (1), by striking “and” at the end;
(3) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
(4) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
“(2) an analysis of any and all existing deficiencies in
the technology evaluation process and recommendations to
advance the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of grain
grading and minimize costs imposed on the Federal Government
and the grain export industry; and”.
SEC. 12509. FUNDING.
Section 19 of the United States Grain Standards Act (7
U.S.C. 87h) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking “2021 through 2025”
and inserting “2026 through 2033”; and
(2) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by striking “other services”
and inserting “other services (excluding grading services
performed under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946)”.
SEC. 12510. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
Section 21 of the United States Grain Standards Act (7
U.S.C. 87j) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:
“Notwithstanding the previous sentence, if the Secretary
does not make a new appointment upon the completion of a term
of an existing member (including such existing member's
second successive term), then such existing member shall
continue to serve until such appointment is made.”; and
(2) in subsection (e), by striking “2025” and inserting
“2033”.
amendment no. 35 offered by mr. min of california
Add at the end of title VIII the following:
SEC. 8__. SHRUBLAND WILDFIRE MITIGATION STUDY.
(a) Study.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a study to
evaluate the effectiveness of wildfire mitigation methods
available to the Forest Service as a means of reducing the
risk of wildfire in covered ecosystems and the severity of
damages from such wildfire in communities within or adjacent
to covered ecosystems.
(2) Elements.—In carrying out the study under paragraph
(1), the Secretary shall, with respect to covered
ecosystems—
(A) evaluate the effectiveness and longevity of—
(i) hazardous fuels management activities, including fuel
modification through the use of strategic fuel breaks; and
(ii) practices for maintaining the health of native
ecosystems, including—
(I) mitigating the development and spread of invasive
species, including invasive weeds, grasses, and other
vegetation; or
(II) improving the establishment of native shrub and
associated species on lands affected by wildfire;
(B) evaluate the effectiveness of policies and protocols of
the Forest Service with respect to limiting unintentional
ember ignitions attributable to the public or man-made
structures, including electrical infrastructure;
(C) study the conditions (including weather, seasonality,
and topography) under which each wildfire mitigation method
evaluated under the study is most and least effective in
reducing the risk of wildland fire;
(D) identify administrative, operational, and budgetary
factors that impede the ability of wildland fire managers and
wildland firefighters to implement wildfire mitigation
methods evaluated under the study; and
(E) evaluate the effectiveness of partnerships between the
Forest Service and non-Federal entities in reducing the
vulnerability of homes, roadways, and other high-risk
structures to ember ignition.
(3) Coordination; consultation.—
(A) Interagency coordination.—In carrying out the study
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, to the extent
practicable and to avoid the duplication of research
activities of the Federal Government, act in coordination
with—
(i) entities within the Forest Service with expertise in
wildfire risk reduction and ecology in covered ecosystems,
including the Shrub Sciences Laboratory and the Maintaining
Resilient Dryland Ecosystems program; and
(ii) the heads of Federal agencies conducting wildfire
mitigation methods or hazardous fuels management activities
in covered ecosystems, including the Secretary of the
Interior.
(B) Consultation.—In carrying out the study under
paragraph (1), the Secretary may, and is encouraged to,
solicit consultation from non-Federal public and private
entities with relevant expertise in wildfire mitigation
methods in covered ecosystems, as determined by the
Secretary.
(b) Report.—Not later than 90 days after the date on which
the study under subsection (a)(1) is complete, the Secretary
shall submit to the relevant Congressional committees, and
make publicly available, a report that includes—
(1) a summary of the results of the study;
(2) based on the results of the study, identification by
the Secretary of—
(A) best practices for land managers in reducing the risk
of wildfire in covered ecosystems; and
(B) any areas implicated by the study that merit further
research;
(3) a comparison of the polices and protocols of the Forest
Service with respect to reducing the risk of wildfire in
covered ecosystems and the best practices identified under
paragraph (2)(A); and
(4) an evaluation by the Secretary of opportunities to
improve coordination between the Forest Service and non-
Federal entities on activities to improve wildfire resilience
in covered ecosystems and reduce risks of harm from wildfire
to the built environment, particularly in the wildland-urban
interface.
(c) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Covered ecosystems.—The term “covered ecosystems”
means shrubland ecosystems, including—
(A) chaparral;
(B) coastal sage scrub;
(C) sagebrush;
(D) shrub-steppe;
(E) xeric shrubland; and
(F) any other dryland shrub ecosystem in which wildfire
management presents a significant challenge, as determined by
the Secretary.
(2) Hazardous fuels management activity.—The term
“hazardous fuels management activity” means an activity to
manage vegetation to reduce the risk of wildfire.
(3) Relevant congressional committees.—The term “relevant
Congressional committees” means—
(A) the committees on Appropriations, Natural Resources,
and Agriculture of the House of Representatives; and
(B) the committees on Appropriations, Energy and Natural
Resources, and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate.
(4) Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary
of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest
Service.
(5) Wildfire mitigation method.—The term “wildfire
mitigation method” means an activity, including a hazardous
fuels management activity, undertaken to prevent the ignition
of a wildfire or reduce the severity and negative effects of
a wildfire.
(6) Wildland-urban interface.—The term “wildland-urban
interface” has the meaning given such term in section 101 of
the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511).
amendment no. 37 offered by mr. mullin of california
At the end of title IX, add the following:
SEC. . STUDY ON UTILIZATION OF SECOND-USE BATTERIES FOR
AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES.
Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of
2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101-8115) is further amended by adding at the
end the following:
“SEC. 9017. STUDY ON UTILIZATION OF SECOND-USE BATTERIES FOR
AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES.
“(a) In General.—The Secretary of Agriculture, in
consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall conduct a
study on the feasibility, costs, benefits, and barriers to
the deployment of second-use electric drive vehicle batteries
on farms and ranches.
“(b) Content.—In conducting the study under this section,
the Secretary shall—
“(1) assess the potential of second-use electric vehicle
battery systems to support agricultural applications during
power outages;
“(2) investigate the availability and projected supply of
retired electric vehicle batteries suitable for stationary
agricultural applications;
“(3) analyze the cost-effectiveness of second-use systems
relative to new battery storage systems for agricultural
producers;
“(4) review applicable safety standards and liability
considerations;
“(5) review the adequacy of Federal programs to support
the deployment; and
“(6) provide recommendations for Federal actions,
including potential grant or cost-share programs, to
accelerate deployment of such technologies in rural
communities.
“(d) Report.—Within 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Energy and
Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a written report
on the findings of the study and recommendations under this
section.
“(e) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Electric drive vehicle.—The term `electric drive
vehicle' has the meaning given such term in section 641(b)(3)
of the United States Energy Storage Competitiveness Act of
“(2) Second-use battery.—The term `second-use battery'
means a rechargeable electrochemical energy storage system
that—
“(A) was originally manufactured for use in a different
application and retired from the use;
“(B) retains adequate energy capacity at the time of
installation in a new application.”.
amendment no. 40 offered by mr. ogles of tennessee
Add at the end of subtitle D of title XII the following:
SEC. 12. REPORT ON BARRIERS TO ACCESSING FEDERAL PROGRAMS.
(a) Report.—Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall—
(1) submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
report on—
(A) barriers to organic farms taking part in Federal
programs made available under this Act;
(B) what steps the Department can take without
congressional action to remove such barriers; and
(C) what congressional action is needed to remove barriers
the Department is unable to remove; and
(2) make publicly available the report described in
paragraph (1).
(b) Appropriate Congressional Committee Defined.—In this
section, the term “appropriate congressional committee”
means—
(1) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
of the Senate.
amendment no. 43 offered by mr. schmidt of kansas
Page 518, strike lines 5 and 6 and insert the following:
“(D) Department of health and human services.—
“(i) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of
2026, the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human
Services (referred to in this paragraph as the `Secretaries')
shall coordinate the activities under paragraph (1) through
the establishment of memoranda of understanding or other
appropriate interagency agreements. Such a memorandum or such
an agreement shall require the use of a competitive, merit-
reviewed process as appropriate. Activities may include
components proposed by Federal agencies, institutions of
higher education, nonprofit organizations, industry, and
other entities deemed appropriate under the memorandum or
agreement.
“(ii) Coordination.—In carrying out the activities under
paragraph (1), the Secretaries may—
“(I) conduct collaborative research in a variety of focus
areas related to enhancing the capacity of domestic producers
to increase production of those crops which are appropriate
for natural color additives, including—
“(aa) which crops are most effectively used in the
reliable production of natural color additives;
“(bb) genetics of such crops;
“(cc) ways to address barriers to production at scale,
including pest and disease pressure, harvesting technologies,
and other such areas; and
“(dd) infrastructure needs relevant to such production and
processing, such as juicing or extraction facilities;
“(II) promote collaboration and information sharing with
stakeholders;
“(III) promote collaboration and open, community-based
development between—
“(aa) Federal agencies;
“(bb) institutions of higher education;
“(cc) nonprofit institutions;
“(dd) industry partners; and
“(ee) other entities deemed appropriate under the
memorandum or agreement involved;
“(IV) support research infrastructure, including new
facilities and equipment, and workforce development as the
Secretaries deem necessary;
“(V) conduct collaborative research, development, and
demonstration of methods and technologies;
“(VI) conduct research on economic impact on the supply
chain to transition to natural colors; and
“(VII) facilitate relations between public and private
entities to carry on the activities of this clause upon the
termination of any agreement established under this
subparagraph.
“(iii) Agreements.—In carrying out the activities under
this subparagraph, the Secretaries are authorized to—
“(I) carry out reimbursable agreements between the
Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, and
other entities in order to maximize the effectiveness of
research and development; and
“(II) collaborate with other Federal agencies, as
appropriate.
“(E) Other federal agencies.—In addition to the memoranda
of understanding with
amendment no. 44 offered by ms. scholten of michigan
Page 445, line 21, strike the close quotation mark and the
semicolon at the end.
Page 445, after line 21, insert the following:
“(26) Biological pest control.—Research and extension
grants may be made under this section for the purposes of
supporting research, development, or education materials,
information, and outreach programs regarding biological pest
control to limit crop damage and food-borne illnesses.”.
amendment no. 48 offered by mrs. spartz of indiana
At the end of title XII add the following:
SEC. 12__. TRANSPARENCY OF RECORDS OF COMMODITY BOARDS.
Section 501 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and
Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7401) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (f) as
subsections (e) through (g);
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
“(d) Transparency of Records of Commodity Boards.—
“(1) In general.—For each order issued by the Secretary
under a commodity promotion law, the Secretary shall publish
on the website of the Department of Agriculture the following
information:
“(A) The reports of audits submitted by each commodity
board to the Secretary for each fiscal year pursuant to
section 515(g)(2).
“(B) The activities and budgets of each commodity board
approved by the Secretary for each fiscal year.
“(C) The results of each periodic independent evaluation
described in subsection (c).
“(2) Publication timeline.—In carrying out paragraph (1),
the Secretary shall—
“(A) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment
of this subsection, publish the information described in such
paragraph with respect to the 5 full fiscal years preceding
such date of enactment; and
“(B) not later than 365 days after the end of any
subsequent fiscal year, publish the information described in
such paragraph with respect to such fiscal year.”; and
(3) in subsection (f)(4) (as so redesignated), by striking
“subsection (f)” and inserting “subsection (g)”.
amendment no. 52 offered by mr. steube of florida
Insert the following at the end of title XII:
SEC. XX. HONEY STANDARDS AND DEFINITIONS.
Section 203(h)(6) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946
(7 U.S.C. 1622(h)(6)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
“(A) Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment
of this subparagraph, the Secretary shall initiate
consultation with the Commissioner of the Food and Drug
Administration and the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection to develop a detailed and harmonized
Federal definition for honey that promotes honesty and fair
dealing in the interest of consumers and the honey market,
and ensures consistency in labeling and enforcement under the
respective authorities of each agency.
“(B) The consultation required under subparagraph (A)
shall be conducted in coordination with domestic honey
producer associations and land-grant colleges and
universities (as defined in section 1404 of the National
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of
1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103)) with demonstrated expertise in honey
authenticity, quality, and related testing.
“(C) The harmonized definition developed under this
paragraph shall be used, as appropriate, to support
enforcement under applicable Federal law administered by the
Secretary, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, and the
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including
laws relating to adulteration, misbranding, false or
misleading labeling, import declarations, country-of-origin
claims, and customs fraud.
“(D) The Secretary shall cease consultation under this
paragraph if the Commissioner of the Food and Drug
Administration otherwise publishes a standard of identity for
honey under section 401 of the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 341).”.
amendment no. 53 offered by ms. tenney of new york
Page 523, after line 5, insert the following:
SEC. 76__. REPORT ON NATIONAL GRAPE PRODUCTION.
The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the
National Agricultural Statistics Service, shall—
(1) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act—
(A) conduct a survey on grape production in each State,
including—
(i) total acreage; and
(ii) production, utilization, and acreage by type, variety,
county, and year planted; and
(B) make publicly available on the website of the National
Agricultural Statistics Service the results of such survey,
including the data from such survey; and
(2) not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of
this Act, and annually thereafter for 3 years, for each of
the 5 States with the highest grape production, as determined
based on the survey required under paragraph (1), conduct a
survey in the State, and make the results available, in
accordance with such paragraph.
amendment no. 54 offered by ms. tokuda of hawaii
At the end of title I add the following:
SEC. __. ELECTRONIC FORMS FOR COVERED DISASTER ASSISTANCE
PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.—As soon as practicable after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, in addition
to paper forms, make available on the website of the
Department of Agriculture electronic forms that enable
producers to enroll in a covered disaster assistance program
online.
(b) Covered Disaster Assistance Program Defined.—In this
section, the term “covered disaster assistance program”
means—
(1) each program under section 1501 of the Agricultural Act
of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081); and
(2) the emergency conservation program under title IV of
the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.).
amendment no. 55 offered by mr. vasquez of new mexico
Page 71, line 8, strike “(3)” and insert “(4)”.
Page 71, line 16, strike the closing quotation mark and the
final period at the end.
Page 71, after line 16, insert the following:
“(3) Farmer-to-farmer network.—The term `farmer-to-farmer
network' means any affiliation or association of farmers that
share information, technical assistance, or any other type of
mutually beneficial support.”.
Page 77, strike lines 16 through 19 and insert the
following:
(1) in paragraph (1)—
(A) by striking “each of the programs specified in section
1241” and inserting “conservation programs administered by
the Secretary”; and
(B) by inserting “and for the purpose of carrying out
subsection (l)” before the period at the end;
Page 91, after line 14, insert the following:
(i) Provision of Assistance to Farmer-to-farmer Networks.—
Section 1242 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3842) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
“(l) Provision of Assistance to Farmer-to-farmer
Networks.—
“(1) Purposes.—The purposes of this subsection are—
“(A) to build capacity for farmer-to-farmer networks,
connect farmers with mentors or group learning opportunities,
and support goal setting to increase long-term adoption of
consistent, science-based, site-specific practices designed
to achieve conservation objectives on land active in
agricultural, forestry, or related uses;
“(B) to increase the provision of technical assistance
that meets the specific needs of, and is accessible to,
farmers, ranchers, and forest owners using different farming
models, practices, and scales;
“(C) to establish and steward farmer-to-farmer networks;
and
“(D) to establish reporting requirements for activities
carried out under this subsection.
“(2) Cooperative agreements.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary may enter into cooperative
agreements with eligible entities to carry out the purposes
described in paragraph (1).
“(B) Eligible entities.—An entity eligible to enter into
a cooperative agreement with the Secretary under subparagraph
(A) is—
“(i) a nonprofit entity described in section 501(c)(3) of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation
under section 501(a) of that Code;
“(ii) a farmer-to-farmer network;
“(iii) an Indian Tribe or a Tribal organization (as such
term is defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination
and Education Assistance Act);
“(iv) a unit of local government (including a conservation
district and a conservation district association);
“(v) an institution of higher education;
“(vi) a State; and
“(vii) any other entity designated by the Secretary.
“(C) Prioritization.—In selecting eligible entities with
which to enter into cooperative agreements under subparagraph
(A), the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities
that seek to meet the specific needs of, and are accessible
to—
“(i) historically underserved farmers, ranchers, and
forest owners, including limited-resource farmers, ranchers,
and forest owners (as determined by the Secretary); or
“(ii) farmers, ranchers, and forest owners operating in
high-poverty areas (as determined by the Secretary).
“(3) Responsibilities of providers of assistance to
farmer-to-farmer networks.—
“(A) In general.—If an eligible entity provides
assistance to establish a farmer-to-farmer network using
assistance provided through a cooperative agreement under
paragraph (2), the eligible entity shall be responsible for
not less than 2 of the following actions:
“(i) Facilitating and increasing farmer access to farmer-
to-farmer networks.
“(ii) Facilitating mentor and mentee matchmaking among
farmers.
“(iii) Coordinating training and resources to build the
skills of farmer-to-farmer network leaders and participants
for effective education, grassroots-based learning, and
cross-training with respect to the facilitation of,
information about, and other skills with respect to building
effective farmer-to-farmer networks.
“(iv) Maintaining and promulgating a list of relevant
entities, associations, and individuals that are supporting,
or have an interest in supporting, farmer-to-farmer networks.
“(v) Administering subawards to increase farmer access to
farmer-to-farmer assistance in accordance with paragraph (4).
“(vi) Other actions determined appropriate by the
Secretary.
“(B) Language assistance.—If an eligible entity provides
assistance described in subparagraph (A) to a non-English
speaking farmer, rancher, or forest owner, the eligible
entity shall, to the greatest extent practicable, provide
that assistance in the native language of the farmer,
rancher, or forest owner.
“(C) Reporting.—An eligible entity that enters into a
cooperative agreement under paragraph (2) shall annually
submit to the Secretary a report describing—
“(i) the conservation activities carried out under the
cooperative agreement; and
“(ii) any subawards administered pursuant to subparagraph
(A)(v).
“(4) Subawards.—
“(A) In general.—If an eligible entity awards a subaward
pursuant to paragraph (3)(A)(v) to an eligible subawardee
described in subparagraph (B), the eligible subawardee shall
use that award—
“(i) to plan and conduct events, and identify and develop
innovative activities, to support building capacity for
farmer-to-farmer networks, connecting farmers with mentors or
group learning opportunities, and supporting goal setting to
increase long-term adoption of consistent, science-based,
site-specific conservation objectives on land active in
agricultural, forestry, or related uses; and
“(ii) to compensate participants in the events and
activities described in clause (i) at market rates.
“(B) Eligible subawardees.—An entity eligible for a
subaward under paragraph (3)(A)(v) is—
“(i) a nonprofit entity described in section 501(c)(3) of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation
under section 501(a) of that Code;
“(ii) a farmer-to-farmer network;
“(iii) an Indian Tribe or a Tribal organization (as such
term is defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination
and Education Assistance Act);
“(iv) a unit of local government (including a conservation
district and a conservation district association);
“(v) an institution of higher education;
“(vi) an individual; and
“(vii) any other entity designated by the Secretary.
“(C) Requirements.—The Secretary, in conjunction with the
Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, shall
establish any necessary additional requirements for subawards
under paragraph (3)(A)(v).
“(5) Reporting.—Not later than 4 years after the date of
enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to
the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of
the Senate a report describing the status of activities
funded under this subsection, including—
“(A) funding awarded;
“(B) the results of the activities, including, if
feasible, conservation practice adoption outcomes; and
“(C) if applicable, outreach activities the Secretary has
considered incorporating into other conservation technical
assistance efforts as a result of the program established
under this subsection.”.
amendment no. 56 offered by mr. westerman of arkansas
Page 595, line 14, insert before the semicolon “or
biostimulant facilities using sawmill derived residuals”.
Page 601, line 2, strike “biochar” and insert “biochar
or biostimulants”.
amendment no. 57 offered by mr. whitesides of california
Page 568, line 7, strike “(c)” and insert “(d)”.
Page 568, after line 6, insert the following:
(c) Practices; Technology.—To the extent practicable, the
Secretary shall employ fuels management practices and work to
develop technologies in order to more effectively carry out
the requirements under subsection (a)(1)(A).
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) and the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Craig) each will control 10 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Thompson for yielding and for his excellent work on this farm bill.
Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment that is included in the amendments en bloc and also in support of the underlying bill text. My amendment would add biostimulants to the farm bill's demonstration project.
Trees are amazing organisms. They are made up of over 1,000 natural chemical compounds that include biostimulants. Like biochar, biostimulants have been used by farmers for decades but offer potentially new and exciting applications. Further research into these two areas can create a win-win for our fire-prone, overgrown national forests and for farmers across the country.
biostimulants offer the promise of a market-based solution that would make removal of low-value materials from our national forests more economical, while making our farmland more productive.
biostimulants could become a $5 billion global market. By adding biostimulants to the biochar demonstration project, my amendment will provide more science and understanding that can support farmers, create jobs, and reduce the risks of catastrophic wildfire.
demonstration projects across the country and by incentivizing new research into biostimulants.
Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote “yes” on this amendment.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate that we were able to work on a bipartisan basis here tonight on these amendments en bloc. It keeps us from having to be here even further into the night. I wish that this process overall was as collaborative on the underlying bill.
For example, we supported the addition of the Fedorchak amendment No. 12. However, this amendment does nothing to address the very real problems that family farmers are facing.
this study even necessary and timely. Due to the President's trade war against the world and his actual war against Iran, farmers have experienced skyrocketing fertilizer prices in addition to other input costs.
better prepared themselves for the price shocks that they are now feeling. They could have invested in fertilizer storage facilities on their farms so that they would have had someplace to store their prepurchased fertilizer needs ahead of these price spikes.
farmers had already locked in their fertilizer needs, but we know now that that was radically incorrect. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, only 67 percent of farmers in the Midwest knew that their fertilizer needs had already been covered, and this was the high watermark for the country. In the South, less than 20 percent have their needs already covered.
now with these costs, but it could lay the groundwork to help farmers prepare for the next thing that perhaps this administration does.
Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Chairman, I have no problem with these amendments en bloc. What I have a problem with is all of the amendments that were blocked by this Republican majority.
Mr. Chairman, 362 amendments were offered to this farm bill by Republicans and Democrats, and 305 of those amendments were blocked. They were
blocked. Bipartisan amendments were blocked 80 percent of the time. Democratic amendments were blocked 92 percent of the time, and Republican amendments were blocked 70 percent of the time.
leadership block their own amendments. I mean, it is ridiculous. This is an important bill. It is midnight, and we are on the floor debating the farm bill, a 5-year authorization. This is shameful.
Republicans because, what, you don't want to deal with them, you don't want to debate them, or it is inconvenient to debate more amendments at midnight? That is ridiculous.
The chairman of the committee may be proud of this bill. That is what he says. I am ashamed that we are bringing a bill like this to the floor—a bill of this significance and a bill that, quite frankly, is going to have an adverse impact on my constituents.
Please don't sugarcoat the SNAP cuts. Millions of people have already lost their SNAP benefits, and the worst hasn't even happened yet. We are going to increase hunger in America. That is not going to make America healthy again by making America hungry again.
amendments—Democratic amendments, bipartisan amendments, and Republican amendments—this process stinks.
Again, I urge my colleagues to vote “no” on this flawed farm bill. Let's start all over again. Let's do this the right way. Let's debate it in the light of day so the American people know what the hell we are doing here.
Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 strengthens SNAP by cracking down on criminals who swipe benefits from EBT cards; increasing access to SNAP nutrition center programs, specifically adding protein to those opportunities; and making SNAP online purchasing a permanent option nationwide, which is a tremendous service for perhaps older adults and people living with disabilities who are not able to get to the grocery store. Many of these vendors are not charging for the shipping. That is something they will do for free.
So yes, I am rather proud of this. Would I sooner be doing this bill? I think my good friends on the Agriculture Committee have heard my golden rule. I would sooner not do anything after 11 o'clock or midnight, but that is the hand we were dealt here. Quite frankly, our farmers need it, and they need it now. This was the hand we were dealt for time, so this is when we are getting it done.
Mr. Chairman, in closing, let me just say a few words, and then I will yield back for the gentlewoman to do the same.
It is kind of interesting. I am hearing good things about bipartisanship in this en bloc. This en bloc is about half of the amendments that we have on the Farm, Food, and National Security Act. Just a few minutes ago, I heard there was completely no bipartisanship, and now I am hearing good things about bipartisanship.
Again, there must be a different definition for “bipartisanship” than the one that I normally follow.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 2350
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chairman, better late than never bipartisanship. We are happy to agree to these amendments en bloc, and I would be proud to support it.
the lack of fact-based—it is not that Republicans cut the dollar amount of SNAP per day for eligible individuals, they have just cut people from the program entirely. Republicans have shoved costs on to several States across this country that are just not going to be able to absorb those costs, and we know and CBO expects, that those States are going to have to kick people off the program.
We worked together to make this a little more efficient. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendments en bloc offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).
The en bloc amendments were agreed to.
Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Baumgartner
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 1 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 163, after line 4, insert the following:
(c) Inclusion of Columbia Basin Project Area.—The
Secretary shall include in the Wester Waters Region Critical
Conservation Area designated under section 1271F of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871f) the project area of
the Columbia Basin project authorized by the first section of
the Act of May 27, 1937 (chapter 269, 50 Stat. 208; 57 Stat.
14).
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baumgartner) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.
Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, my amendment would include the Columbia Basin project in the Western Waters Regional Conservation Area.
This area here would be included in this larger green area.
Let's start with the facts. The Columbia Basin Project spans nearly 1.1 million acres in central Washington, one of the most productive agriculture regions in the United States.
But here is the gap: Nearly 400,000 acres of land is in a conservation crisis. Farmers are basically out of water now. They are pumping from dry wells. Inclusion of this area as a critical conservation area will make this area eligible for Federal conservation efforts to make sure it is properly irrigated, and before our local family farms run out of time and water.
Of course, this underlying bill I hope is a bipartisan effort. I think it is. The original effort of the Columbia Basin Project was certainly a bipartisan effort, and it is good to give praise where praise is due. One of America's greatest Presidents, Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt, actually initiated the Columbia Basin Project, and it was wonderful at a time when America could get big things done to help make the desert bloom, and we need to do that again.
This amendment helps in part do that.
discretion to prioritize conservation investments. This amendment simply ensures the Columbia Basin is given due consideration for programs like the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
It is not a mandate. It is not a change in water rights. It is not a new bureaucracy.
Columbia Basin Project land-area will provide fertile ground to build irrigation and water conservation projects.
structures to help farmers to use it more efficiently, improve soil health, and bring more of this land into productive, stable use.
should be, and it is something Republicans and Democrats I think share together, we need to work with the lands and work on projects like this.
This is a practical amendment. It is a profarmer amendment, and it is a smart use of water policy for the future.
Mr. Chair, I urge adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chair, the Columbia Basin Project is a federally authorized project managed by the Bureau of Reclamation, part of the Department of the Interior.
of
supplying water for irrigation and producing power. There are secondary benefits, such as aiding flood control and providing recreation opportunities.
designated by the Department of Agriculture as a critical conservation area whose primary purpose is to address insufficient water and habitat.
USDA assistance, then I would be happy to work with him when NRCS completes its review of CCAs every 5 years.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for offering the amendment.
critical this amendment is. Water is life giving. Water is about being able to, obviously, provide for food.
will be included in the Western Waters Regional Conservation Area. Including this area within that designation would allow for more opportunities for conservation activities in this region.
Mr. Chair, I support this amendment, and I urge a “yes” vote.
Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.
this underlying farm bill is certainly going to be a highlight of that great work.
in this august Chamber with so many talented Republicans and Democratic colleagues.
There are two written things in this Chamber. One is the statement “In God We Trust.” The other is the quote by the good Representative from Massachusetts, Daniel Webster, which is above your head.
Mr. Chair, I will just close by reading a portion of that statement. I think about that frequently when we vote here. I don't think, frankly, all the time that everything we vote on rises to fulfill this statement that is listed in this Chamber but as the great Daniel Webster said: Let us develop the resources of our land and call upon their powers so that we in our time may do something that will be remembered.
Democrats to develop the Columbia Basin Project, they did something that called forth the powers of the land, something that was remembered and benefited many future generations.
in our water conservation efforts we are doing something that will benefit future generations.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chair, as I expressed in my earlier remarks, I continue to oppose this amendment, and I urge all Members to oppose this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baumgartner).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Bentz
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 2 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. BENTZ. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Add at the end of subtitle D of title XII the following new
section:
SEC. 12__. RENEWABLE BIOMASS DEFINITION.
Section 211(o)(1)(I) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C.
7545(o)(1)(I)) is amended—
(1) by amending clause (ii) to read as follows:
“(ii) Materials generated from forest products
manufacturing and wood products manufacturing, including wood
residuals, paper residuals, sawdust, wood, wood chips,
shavings, bark, sanderdust, and trimmings.”;
(2) by amending clause (iv) to read as follows:
“(vi) Trees, shrubs, and parts of trees or shrubs,
including slash and storm debris, from—
“(I) non-Federal land;
“(II) National Forest System land;
“(III) public lands (as defined in section 103 of the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C.
1702)); or
“(IV) land belonging to an Indian tribe or an Indian
individual, that is held in trust by the United States or
subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the
United States.”; and
(3) by amending clause (v) to read as follows:
“(v) Vegetation obtained from—
“(I) within 100 feet of a building, public infrastructure,
or other area regularly occupied by people; or
“(II) within the wildland-urban interface (as defined in
section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
(16 U.S.C. 6512)).”.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Bentz) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.
Mr. BENTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, I rise to offer my amendment designated Bentz No. 2 which modestly expands the definition of “renewable biomass” under the Renewable Fuel Standard so that it includes materials generated in the manufacture of forest products, such as mill residuals, wood chips, bark sawdust, and shavings.
to include as renewal biomass, trees, shrubs, and slash from our Federal forests, Tribal forests, non-Federal land, and public lands, rather than being limited to a small part of these lands. This amendment would allow materials from these sources to be economically used for domestic biofuel production.
and title IX, energy. Consistent with these titles, this amendment will incentivize removal of excess fuel from our forests, thus reducing fire risk and improving forest health, and it will make possible the productive use of what otherwise would be considered waste.
{time} 0000
lands in only two ways: either as merchantable sawtimber with commercial value or as waste with no value whatsoever. This policy ignores an entire category of low-value woody material that could be removed from Federal forests, including slash, limbs, storm debris, thinning materials, small diameter trees, and other byproducts that do not fit neatly into traditional lumber markets but still carry real economic value. This amendment would help realize on that value.
Mr. Chairman, my amendment is a practical fix. It treats Federal forest material as an opportunity, not a liability. It creates value where Federal policy currently perpetuates waste, and it provides land managers, mills, and rural communities with another tool to make Federal forests healthier, more productive, and less dangerous.
Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chair, wildfires are a significant threat to rural communities, and I support efforts to bring down the cost of forest treatments that would help protect these communities.
in order to disguise the fact that it would expand the renewable food standards definition to every single tree across our public lands. It is not limited to the wildland-urban interface where thinning would have the most impact. There are no limits on this, not for protected wilderness, beloved recreation areas, or old growth. It does not matter if the tree is cut down as part of a responsible forest restoration project or a clear-cut.
This proposal is reckless and would endanger our public lands.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BENTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman).
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my friend from Oregon, Mr. Bentz', amendment. This may be the most simple, straight-to-the- point, easy-to-understand amendment. It does one thing: It corrects the definition of woody biomass.
Mr. Chairman, this amendment clarifies that woody biomass is biomass that comes from wood. Yes, Mr. Chair, you heard that right. Woody biomass is biomass that comes from wood, and this amendment would fix that definition.
Mr. Chairman, only in the Federal Government would this clarification be required. For the love of trees everywhere and for basic human understanding, I encourage everyone to support this amendment.
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BENTZ. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott).
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I thank Mr. Bentz and Mr. Westerman for their work on this issue. It is a very simple proposal and I think the most important thing for the forestry industry. The forestry industry is not healthy right now. It doesn't matter if its the logger or the person who drives the truck or the person who actually owns the land with the trees on it. It creates value from what otherwise would be waste.
It is a good amendment. It is a simple amendment. I encourage the adoption of it.
Again, I thank Mr. Bentz and Mr. Westerman for their work on this issue.
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BENTZ. Mr. Chair, I am prepared to close.
Mr. Chairman, this is an excellent bill, and we need it in Oregon. We have 30 million acres of trees. We absolutely need what this bill would provide.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chair, I urge all Members to oppose this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Bentz).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Oregon will be postponed.
Amendment No. 3 Offered by Ms. Brown
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 3 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chair, I rise as the designee of Ms. Brownley, and I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Strike section 2201 and insert the following:
SEC. 2201. DEFINITIONS.
Section 1240A(6) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3839aa-1(6)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by inserting “, including
composting practices” before the semicolon at the end; and
(2) in subparagraph (B)(v), by inserting “(including the
adoption of precision agriculture practices and the
acquisition of precision agriculture technology)” after
“planning”.
Page 44, after line 6, insert the following:
SEC. 22__. CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES DEFINED.
Section 1240I(2)(B)(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16
U.S.C. 3839aa-21(2)(B)(i)) is amended by inserting “,
composting practices” after “agriculture drainage
management systems”.
Page 71, after line 3, insert the following:
(e) Conservation Standards and Requirements.—Section
1241(j) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(j))
is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new
paragraph:
“(2) Composting as conservation practice and activity.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary shall by regulation
provide that composting is a conservation practice and a
conservation activity for the purposes of this title.
“(B) Composting defined.—
“(i) In general.—For the purposes of this paragraph, the
term `composting' means—
“(I) an activity (including an activity that does not
require the use of a composting facility) to produce compost
from organic waste that is—
“(aa) generated on a farm; or
“(bb) brought to a farm from a nearby community and used
to produce compost on that farm; and
“(II) the use and active management of compost on a farm,
in accordance with any applicable Federal, State, or local
law, to improve water retention and soil health.
“(ii) Determination of nearby communities.—The Secretary,
in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, shall issue regulations for determining
whether a community is nearby for purposes of clause (i)(I),
which shall ensure that bringing organic waste from the
community to the farm to produce compost results in a net
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.”.
Page 89, line 16, strike the closing quotation mark and the
final period at the end.
Page 89, after line 16, insert the following:
“(7) Development of composting practice standard.—In
addition to conducting a review under this subsection of any
composting facility practice standard established before the
date of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall
establish a composting practice standard under the process
developed under paragraph (3).”.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Brown) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Ohio.
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
practice standard, but assistance under this standard is limited to the construction of a structure to facilitate composting.
practice standard that is not tied to a structure but simply on activities to produce composts from organic waste.
practice standard and has provisions to address greenhouse gas emissions.
participate in and benefit from conservation programs, regardless of whether they build a structure. This could also reduce food waste, and I support the amendment.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from California, who offered this amendment.
science, technology, and innovation throughout the programs has been a priority for me as this bill has been developed.
update the practice standards on a recurring basis, along with a robust public process to gather input requests and suggestions.
the construction of a structure to facilitate the composting process, this amendment goes beyond that to create a new standard for the production and/or use of composts.
programs or in need of a separate standard, I am going to support this amendment today.
Mr. Chair, once again, I encourage the adoption of this amendment into the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Chair, I am prepared to close.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Brown).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Carbajal
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 4 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. CARBAJAL
Add at the end of title I the following:
SEC. 1__. DAIRY BUSINESS INNOVATION INITIATIVES.
Section 12513 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7
U.S.C. 1632d) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b), by striking “3” and inserting
“4”; and
(2) in subsection (g)(1)(A), by striking “3” and
inserting “4”.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to encourage every Member of this Chamber to support my dairy business innovation initiative amendment.
the development, production, marketing, and distribution of dairy products. They provide technical assistance to dairy businesses directly or through industry experts and research institutions.
selection process to the University of Tennessee; the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets; and the University of Wisconsin.
{time} 0010
Coast Coalition-Dairy Business Innovation Initiative, DBII, at Fresno State University, which serves California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and 135 grantees from 34 congressional districts.
appropriations have consistently directed the majority of funds to be equally distributed between the three original initiatives outside of the Pacific Coast Coalition's region.
in milk production, number one in butter, number one in milk powder, number one in ice cream, and number two in cheese, with over 140 manufacturing facilities.
29 percent of all milk in the U.S. and 45 percent of total exports, they still do not get an equal amount of funding.
are four regionally located initiatives and ensure that each of these initiatives is accounted for when funding is administered—just achieving parity.
between the four initiatives, which has historically not been the case since the inception of the Pacific Coast Coalition.
Mr. Chair, I ask this body to join me in passing my amendment to ensure more equitable distribution between the four dairy business innovation initiatives, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, even though I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate my good friend from California, Salud Carbajal, for bringing this amendment forward that aligns the underlying statute with current practice at the USDA. This is another great bipartisan improvement to this farm bill.
and development, production, marketing, and distribution of the products.
play an important role in supporting the profitability of our Nation's dairy producers.
California, Tennessee, Vermont, and Wisconsin. This amendment allows the statute of DBII to bring certainty to all four centers.
Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for speaking on the merits of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 5 Offered by Mrs. Hayes
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 5 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Chair, as the designee for Mr. Cleaver, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Add at the end of title IX the following new section:
SEC. 9__. TREE PLANTING GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.—Not later than 90 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a
program under which the Secretary may award grants to
eligible entities to facilitate covered projects in
accordance with this section.
(b) Consultation.—In carrying out the Program, the
Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of Energy.
(c) Applications.—To receive a grant under the Program, an
eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application
at such time, in such form, and containing such information
as the Secretary may require, including the following:
(1) A description of how the proposed covered project will
reduce residential energy consumption.
(2) An estimate of the expected reduction in residential
energy consumption to be achieved by the covered project.
(3) A description of the total eligible costs of the
project and other sources of funding for the covered project.
(4) A description of anticipated community engagement in
the covered project.
(5) A description of the tree species to be planted under
the covered project and the suitability of such species to
the local environment.
(d) Priority.—In awarding grants under the Program, the
Secretary shall give priority to covered projects that—
(1) provide the largest potential reduction in residential
energy consumption for households with a high energy burden;
(2) provide maximum amounts of—
(A) shade during periods when residences are exposed to the
most sun intensity; and
(B) wind protection during periods when residences are
exposed to the most wind intensity;
(3) are located in a neighborhood with a low percentage of
tree canopy cover;
(4) are located in a neighborhood with a high percentage of
senior citizens or children;
(5) are located in an area where the average annual income
is below the regional median;
(6) will collaboratively engage community members to be
affected by the tree planting; and
(7) will employ local residents as a substantial percentage
of the workforce of the covered project, with a focus on
local residents who are unemployed or underemployed.
(e) Tree Planting Goals.—Subject to the availability of
appropriations, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent
practicable, award grants under the Program in a manner that
facilitates the planting of at least 300,000 trees each year.
(f) Federal Share.—The Federal share of the cost of a
covered project assisted by a grant awarded under the Program
shall be 90 percent.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out the Program, $50,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030.
(h) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Covered project.—The term “covered project” means a
tree planting project carried out to reduce residential
energy consumption.
(2) Eligible cost.—The term “eligible cost” means, with
respect to a covered project—
(A) the cost of carrying out the project, including—
(i) planning and design activities;
(ii) establishing nurseries to supply trees;
(iii) purchasing trees; and
(iv) preparing sites and planting trees;
(B) the cost of maintaining and monitoring planted trees
for a period of not more than 3 years;
(C) the cost of training activities; and
(D) any other cost determined appropriate by the Secretary.
(3) Eligible entity.—The term “eligible entity” means
each of the following:
(A) A State government entity.
(B) A local government entity.
(C) An Indian Tribe.
(D) A nonprofit organization.
(E) A retail power provider.
(4) Energy burden.—The term “energy burden” means the
percentage of household income spent on residential energy
bills.
(5) Indian tribe.—The term “Indian Tribe” has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(6) Local government entity.—The term “local government
entity” means any municipal government or county government
entity with jurisdiction over local land use decisions.
(7) Nonprofit organization.—The term “nonprofit
organization” means an organization described in section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt
from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.
(8) Program.—The term “Program” means the program
established under subsection (a).
(9) Retail power provider.—The term “retail power
provider” means any entity authorized under State or Federal
law to generate, distribute, or provide retail electricity,
natural gas, or fuel oil service.
(10) Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Hayes) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Connecticut.
Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment, which is based on the bipartisan TREES Act.
especially since a single tree can reduce energy costs of homes by 8 to 12 percent.
That is why Democrats provided $1.5 billion for the Urban and Community Forestry Program at the Forest Service in the Inflation Reduction Act.
continue, so they rescinded the remaining money in H.R. 1, along with the $187 billion in SNAP funding.
percent cost share, however, while the program established by Representative Cleaver's amendment would provide up to 90 percent.
Mr. Chairman, I support this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment, although I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut for representing the gentleman from Missouri on his amendment that he has offered.
establish a tree-planting grant program that results in a reduction of residential energy consumption. It is simple: More trees make for more livable and enjoyable communities.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Chairman, I urge all Members to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Missouri and the gentlewoman from Connecticut serving as his proxy for bringing this amendment this evening, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Hayes).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 7 Offered by Mr. Crawford
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 7 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 367, line 16, strike the close quotation marks and the
following period.
Page 367, after line 16, insert the following:
“(G) Continuity of essential circuit rider activities.—
Activities carried out under this subparagraph that are
necessary to prevent imminent harm to life or property may
continue during a lapse in appropriations, using unobligated
balances previously appropriated under the heading `Rural
Water and Waste Disposal Program Account'.”.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Crawford) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Chairman, I rise today on behalf of rural communities in support of my amendment, which clarifies that USDA Circuit Rider program activities that are necessary to prevent imminent harm to life or property shall be treated as excepted activities during government shutdowns.
provides necessary technical expertise and training to rural communities. The technical expertise is critical to communities to operate safe and clean drinking water systems and helps ensure compliance with clean water regulations.
every day, helping communities with water system compliance, operations, management, and training.
deemed essential because of the critical role it plays to prevent imminent harm to life and property, until the most recent shutdown in October.
water sector, providing immediate assistance during system failures, water quality violations, natural disasters, and other emergencies, often as the only available technical resource.
the Circuit Rider program will continue to be funded and operational. Even during a government shutdown, folks in rural communities continue to need safe and clean drinking water.
Mr. Chair, for that reason, I strongly urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, even though I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentlewoman from Connecticut is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this amendment. USDA technical assistance for rural water systems is key to maintaining their safety and effectiveness.
the Circuit Rider program would be available to rural communities that rely on it during government shutdowns.
regulatory compliance, water quality, and infrastructure maintenance to ensure sustainable service.
Mr. Chair, I support this amendment, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it, as well. I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 0020
Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Chair, I urge passage of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Chair, I urge all Members to support Mr. Crawford's amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Crawford).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 8 Offered by Mr. Crawford
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 8 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of subtitle A of title IV, add the following:
SEC. 4114. SNAP ELIGIBLE HOT ROTISSERIE CHICKEN.
Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7
U.S.C. 2012(k)(1)) is amended—
(1) by inserting “hot rotisserie chicken and” before
“those authorized”;
(2) by striking “clauses” and inserting “paragraphs”;
and
(3) by striking “of this subsection”.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Crawford) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Chair, I rise today to introduce my bipartisan hot rotisserie chicken amendment No. 8 to H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.
eligible for SNAP recipients to purchase. By expanding access to hot rotisserie chicken, we are providing families with a high quality, nutrient-dense protein source.
established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is a step toward Making America Healthy Again.
accept SNAP and is often around $5 or $6. That is a great bargain, Mr. Chair, considering the multiple meals you can get from one chicken. Plus, there is no financial burden on the taxpayer associated with this amendment.
chicken, which is simply refrigerated hot chicken. This requirement not only degrades quality but also wastes energy and adds unnecessary cost. Additionally, some Americans lack easy access to reheating methods, making it difficult for them to warm and consume the cold rotisserie chicken.
the opportunity to use it as a meal or as an ingredient in countless recipes such as chicken salad, enchiladas, soups, and casseroles, and the list goes on.
Arkansas have pending waiver requests at the USDA to allow their States to make hot rotisserie chicken SNAP eligible. Their leadership demonstrates the growing recognition that this amendment is not only practical and targeted, but essential to our constituents.
effective and make a positive impact on the American family with this sensible, targeted addition.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Connecticut is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Chair, while I agree with the premise of this amendment, I am not interested in picking winners and losers. The Hot Foods Act addresses this issue the right way by ensuring that all foods that are hot at the point of sale can be purchased with SNAP benefits, including not just precooked rotisserie chicken, but hot sandwiches, soups, and much more.
opening up SNAP to restaurants. This fix should be allowed to all hot foods. I will be opposing this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to vote “no” as well.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson), who is the distinguished chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I thank my good friend from Arkansas for raising this issue.
option for families. SNAP was designed by Congress to purchase food at eligible retailers to be cooked and prepared at home, meaning hot prepared foods are not eligible for purchase at this point. I have concerns about the unintended consequences that may arise should Congress begin to chip away piecemeal like that the ban on hot food in SNAP without considering the broader ramifications, particularly for program integrity.
food item, presents a slippery slope and deserves careful consideration and debate about the purchase of SNAP.
Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Chair, I urge all Members to oppose this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Crawford).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arkansas will be postponed.
Amendment No. 14 Offered by Ms. Perez
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 14 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Ms. PEREZ. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of title IV add the following:
SEC. __. FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES CATEGORIZATION.
(a) In General.—The Secretary of Agriculture, in
coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
shall develop a low-risk classification for fresh fruits,
vegetables, and other foods that are typically consumed raw
or with minimal processing, and update relevant nutrition and
food safety and preparation regulations and guidelines for
child care providers in accordance with the classification
under this section.
(b) Classification.—In developing the classification under
this section, the Secretaries shall consider—
(1) the limited risks of food-born illness and negative
health impacts associated with handling and preparing fresh
fruits, vegetables, and other foods that are typically
consumed raw or with minimal processing;
(2) best practices to minimize food safety risks without
obstructing access to low-risk foods as defined under the
classification under this section, including but not limited
to access to a handwashing sink; and
(3) existing barriers that privilege packaged, processed
foods over fresh fruits, vegetables, and other foods that are
typically consumed raw or with minimal processing.
(c) Implementation.—The Secretaries shall ensure the
effective coordination of policies and activities within the
Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and
Human Services related to nutrition and food safety and
preparation in child care facilities to ensure State
regulations that impact such activities reflect the
classification under this section and protect child care
providers from any penalties as a result of providing
children foods in compliance with this section.
(d) Compliance.—States that fail to comply with the
policies and activities described in subsection (c) may have
funds withheld.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Perez) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Washington.
Ms. PEREZ. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, today I rise in support of my amendment to direct the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to develop a low-risk classification for healthy fresh fruits and vegetables and other fruits that are typically consumed raw.
I would like to tell the body a little bit about how this came to be. I have a 4-year-old. I was touring a daycare, like many in our State, and a daycare worker came up to me. She asked me: Hey, Congress lady, why can I legally open a bag of chips for the toddlers, but I can't peel a banana?
This was perplexing and annoying to me. I dug into this, and I kept asking questions. What I heard from regulators and licensers over and over and over was that this woman was stupid, that her boss had lied to her, and that she just didn't understand the rules.
deep in the bowels of the 1,200 pages of documents a licensed daycare provider has to follow in my State is the number of sinks they would need per exterior linear wall foot. I am not kidding.
legally peel a banana, because peeling a banana apparently is considered food
preparation, but opening a bag of chips is not.
Cheetos over a banana. That is what has happened through a lack of respect and regard for people who actually work in childcare, through, candidly, an establishment that is so old that they don't have kids in daycare or so rich that they had nannies instead of ordinary daycare.
me, and for helping me to find a way to legitimize fresh fruits and vegetables in daycare centers again. What this does is it directs the Secretary of Ag to develop a list of food.
peeling a banana. Let's have a different classification. Let's post these on a website somewhere, and let's say that States who are taking money for childcare will not negatively impact the licenses of daycare centers based on their provision of these foods to children given a handwashing sink is available.
that I have heard from people across the country. This is not an issue just in my State. This is across the country where legislation has not paid attention or genuflection to people actually doing the work of taking care of children who have mistaken following a checklist with care for children.
Those are not the same things. We need to empower the people who are actually doing the work. We need to bring down the cost of childcare, and that is what this legislation does.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, while I appreciate my colleague's interest in ensuring children in childcare have access to healthy and fresh foods whenever possible, this amendment, unfortunately, as written, could wind up doing more harm than good.
supply of programs, high costs to families, and low wages for providers.
Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, only 15 percent of federally eligible children currently receive subsidies under the childcare and development fund, and many more don't even qualify for the fund who actually need the assistance.
That is why I introduced, with the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Lee) the Childcare for Working Families Act which would make historic investments in childcare to raise the pay and improve access to families.
the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Agriculture to “update relevant nutrition and food safety and preparation regulations and guidelines” that are related to nutrition and food safety preparation in childcare facilities.
{time} 0030
State and local food safety guidelines. If States don't conform their childcare regulations to whatever the Secretaries deem appropriate, they could lose funding which, as I indicated, is already inadequate.
Secretaries could propose under the amendment. States could be punished if they do not adopt the same standards as mandated by the Secretaries.
to an administration which has already shown its willingness to cancel or freeze funding for social service programs in Democratic States.
For these reasons, Mr. Chairman, I oppose the amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PEREZ. Mr. Chairman, I think we all agree that childcare is underfunded. What we don't agree about here is the question of whether and how to appropriately fund it and who is the one who decides where those dollars should go.
speaking with, they would have had to install six more sinks to comply with the regulations as written.
How much money do you think that takes? Do you think that is going to make daycare stretch further and provide daycare to more families?
No, these rules were not written—they were not perfect. We should not treat legislation as if it is manifest from God in a perfect form on our notebooks.
where you do the dishes to do the dishes, to do the dishes. It is never done, and you have to keep going back to the people who are actually doing the implementation of it to understand if it is being implemented and if it is the point of the legislation.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
they come up with will be better than what they have already come up with. This could be worse, could be better. The problem is, if you don't actually comply, you could lose your funding. I think that would be a step backward, so I would hope we would oppose the amendment as it is written.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for bringing forward this commonsense amendment. We are talking about archaic regulations. We are not talking about payments or anything like that. We are talking about peeling a banana, preparing an apple slice, or preparing a carrot. We want kids to eat healthy versus prepackaged, processed foods.
HHS, the childcare regulators, work together to ensure that childcare regulations governing the preparation and handling of low-risk fruits and vegetables do not present unnecessary red tape for providers.
I appreciate the gentlewoman and encourage a “yes” vote.
Ms. PEREZ. Mr. Chairman, States that choose to negatively impact the licenses of daycare providers based on their provision of a peeled banana to a child, I think we ought to consider whether or not that is the best place for us to be spending our limited Federal resources. I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, the assumption is that regulations that these Secretaries will get together and provide will be better than what is already there. We don't know what they are going to come up with. We do know, however, that if the State, if the local people don't comply exactly with those regulations, they are going to lose funding. There is broad discretion on the Secretaries, and as I have said, these Secretaries have been known to cancel programs in Democratic States. I don't think that broad discretion is appropriate. I would hope we would defeat the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Perez).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 15 Offered by Mr. Gosar
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 15 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Add at the end of subtitle D of title XII the following new
section:
SEC. 12__. REPORT ON ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCERS IN ARIZONA FOR CERTAIN LOSSES.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a
report that lists all existing authorities of the Secretary
and programs within the Department that are or could be made
available to provide assistance to agricultural producers in
the State of Arizona that have suffered economic losses due
to the delivery of Colorado River waters to Mexico while
Mexico failed to deliver water to the United States in
accordance with the Treaty Relating to the Utilization of
Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio
Grande signed at Washington on February 3, 1944, and the
Supplementary Protocol signed at Washington November 14,
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7567 the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, and in particular, my amendment No. 15, to ensure Arizona farmers are not left behind.
The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the desert southwest. In my State, it sustains families, small agricultural businesses, and entire rural communities. Yet, today, the lifeline is under growing strain, not just from drought, but from broken commitments.
deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the United States. The deadline passed in October of 2025, and once again, Mexico failed to meet its obligation. Meanwhile, Arizona continues to deliver water in good faith.
That imbalance has real consequences. It means lost crops, lost income, and increased uncertainty for hardworking producers already operating on razor-thin margins.
My amendment is straightforward. It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide Congress with a full accounting of the tools and programs available to assist Arizona producers impacted by those losses, just as this base bill already does for Texas.
noncompliance, we must do it comprehensively and fairly. This is about accountability. It is about preparedness. It is about standing with American farmers when they are forced to shoulder burdens not of their own making.
I urge my colleagues to support this amendment No. 15 and pass the farm bill. I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Minnesota is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman's amendment would require the Secretary of Agriculture to produce a report on ways to help Arizona, one of seven States in the Colorado River basin, due to a lack of water.
its water allotment through the 1944 Water Treaty, it is Arizona producers who should receive extra financial assistance.
rightly complained that Mexico has not met its obligations under that treaty, but it is Texas producers who suffered as a result. If the gentleman believes that the Colorado River Basin States also experienced some loss, why restrict his amendment only to Arizona?
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson), the chairman of the full committee.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Arizona, a good friend, Congressman Gosar, for offering this amendment, and President Trump for a successful negotiation with Mexico regarding their water treaty obligations.
the many programs out there to help the losses due to a lack of water, and this amendment is a great way to do so. I support this amendment, and I urge a “yes” vote.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to oppose this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, if the gentlewoman would have known, Arizona is the terminal ending out of Mexico of getting—they have to take the cuts. We have taken several cuts, and there are plenty members from the other basin States, but they can actually look at those as well.
Colorado River, taking cuts. I would ask everybody to vote for my amendment and to vote for the farm bill. I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).
The amendment was agreed to.
{time} 0040
Amendment No. 16 Offered by Mr. Gosar
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 16 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of title I add the following:
SEC. __. REVISION OF EVIDENCE STANDARDS FOR LIVESTOCK
INDEMNITY PAYMENTS FOR LOSSES BY MEXICAN
WOLVES.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall accept proof of death that does
not rely predominately on subcutaneous hemorrhaging when
determining livestock depredation losses by Mexican wolves
under paragraph (1)(A) of section 1501(b) of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(b)).
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, and in strong support of my amendment No. 16 to restore fairness for ranchers in Arizona and across the Southwest.
the Mexican wolf. They have understood the balance between conservation and livelihoods, but what they cannot accept is a Federal standard that makes it nearly impossible to receive compensation when their cattle are killed.
Inspection Service, ranchers must prove depredation primarily through subcutaneous hemorrhaging, which is blood that forms under the skin. In the harsh desert climate, where heat and scavengers can quickly degrade a carcass, that standard is often unrealistic and unworkable.
confirm depredation. My amendment simply restores that commonsense approach. It ensures that ranchers are not denied reimbursement because of overly narrow and impractical rules.
This is about fairness. It is about recognizing real-world conditions on the ground. It is about standing with men and women who feed this country.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, No. 16, and pass the farm bill.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Minnesota is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, this amendment forces USDA to revise the existing APHIS Evidence Standards for livestock depredations by Mexican wolves.
bruising, which is, of course, clear physical evidence that the animal was attacked while alive rather than simply picked at by scavengers after it died for unrelated reasons.
determinations in instances where there
may be little to no evidence of subcutaneous hemorrhaging.
killed by Mexican gray wolves, but there are just a handful of those wolves left who still call the United States home.
because you wouldn't need to observe the primary indicator of a live attack.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I will address the gentlewoman first.
George W. Bush and Obama and at the beginning of Biden's term. If the Democrats disagreed, did they disagree with Obama's agricultural policy, as well?
Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson), the full committee chairman.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Arizona for offering this amendment.
of preparing for this farm bill. Actually, it was the president of the Arizona Farm Bureau who brought it to my attention.
tremendous damage. Ensuring that our livestock producers are able to more accurately receive an indemnification of livestock depredations by Mexican wolves is yet another step to continue to provide producers with the most adequate coverage possible.
Program will no doubt help more accurately determine depredations for unfortunate losses.
Mr. Chair, I support this amendment, and I urge a “yes” vote.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I urge all Members to oppose this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, once again, I am only asking for fairness because what we see on the ground is that there were other ways of looking at this. They are not asking for handouts. They are just wanting to be treated fairly.
Mr. Chair, I ask for my amendment to be adopted as well as the farm bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 18 Offered by Mr. Gosar
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 18 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of subtitle F of title VII, add the following:
SEC. . LIMITATION ON CERTAIN RESEARCH IN COUNTRIES OF
CONCERN.
(a) Limitation on Foreign Research.—The Secretary, acting
through the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and
Economics, shall prohibit research, education, or extension
activities involving vertebrate animals carried out or funded
under the jurisdiction of the Research, Education, and
Economics mission area from being conducted in, or performed
in collaboration with, the People's Republic of China, the
Russian Federation or other foreign countries of concern (as
defined in section 10638(2) of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (42 3
U.S.C. 19237(2)).
(b) Waiver Authority.—The Under Secretary for Research,
Education, and Economics (and no other Federal official) may
waive the prohibition under subsection (a) on a case-by-case
basis if the Under Secretary determines that the research is
necessary to protect national security, animal and crop
health, or public health, safety, or welfare.
(c) Congressional Notification.—Not later than 30 days
before granting a waiver under subsection (b), the Under
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a written notification
that includes—
(1) a detailed justification for the waiver, including the
specific national security or public health need;
(2) a description of the research to be conducted,
including the location, collaborators, and number and species
of animals involved;
(3) the projected cost to taxpayers; and
(4) the expected duration of the waiver.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, and in support of my amendment No. 18.
dollars by restricting USDA funding for animal research conducted in adversarial nations like China and Russia, countries that pose clear risks to our national security.
unaccountable research conducted overseas. Despite these lessons, Federal dollars are continuing to flow to foreign labs, including collaborations tied to entities associated with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
consequences or justification. It prohibits USDA funding for such research unless there is a compelling national security or public and animal health need and requires Congress to be notified in advance.
This is about accountability. It is about safeguarding taxpayer dollars. It is about ensuring American resources are not used in frivolous ways that could undermine our own safety.
Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment No. 18 and pass the farm bill.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 0050
Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Hawaii is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, though I understand wholeheartedly my colleague's position on this topic, I must oppose this amendment. The United States benefits from broad animal disease monitoring networks that extend worldwide.
prepare for and mitigate new and emerging pathogens that would affect livestock here in America.
we remove ourselves from collaborative efforts doesn't mean the research stops. We simply remove ourselves from receiving any of the benefits that shared research could yield.
research in those countries, and I would ask my colleagues: Do we really want to limit education that could prevent the next outbreak of a zoonotic disease, even if the education is in a country of concern? I, for one, am not eager to see another pandemic threaten the United States and understand the devastating risks if we are isolated and alone against these threats.
Mr. Chairman, I humbly oppose this amendment and strongly encourage my colleagues to vote “no.”
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chair, obviously the gentlewoman is not understanding the amendment.
justification. Yes, you can share information, but you also have to have the parameters. I am a dentist, so I understand these things. You have to have the parameters and safety aspects, which were not followed in the Wuhan COVID-19 situation.
Mr. Chair, with that, you need the proper protocols and the proper aspects. It still allows for the public financing of doing that, but it has to be justified.
That is what we want: accountability and transparency.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman
from Arizona for bringing forward this amendment. I think it is really important to understand what is and what is not in this amendment.
with adversarial nations, such as China and Russia, really is a critical step in ensuring the security of our U.S. research infrastructure. It is even more important when doing so prevents unnecessary research on vertebrate species.
administration to prevent this type of work, while still allowing for narrow waiver authority in the case of unavoidable research in the name of national security.
Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Chairman, I continue to urge all Members to oppose this amendment. Again, while I understand the perspectives and the points of view of the majority, again, eliminating ourselves from the opportunity to engage in shared research to the benefit of the health and wellness and the lives of all American people, we cannot support this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, once again, affording this type of legislation is about affording COVID or the Wuhan virus or anything else that may come about this, so we have to make sure that we are accountable to the scientific methodology, to the patients, to the public, and to the citizens of this country.
accountability. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 20 Offered by Mr. Grothman
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 20 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of subtitle A, of title IV, add the following:
SEC. 4114. FOODS ELIGIBLE FOR PURCHASE WITH SNAP BENEFITS.
Not later than 120 days after the conclusion of the all
demonstration projects carried out by the Secretary of
Agriculture regarding the statutory definition of food
eligible for purchase by recipients of supplemental nutrition
assistance program (SNAP) benefits, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives, and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate, a report on the feasibility,
implementation, and effectiveness of such projects, including
recommendations to the Congress for legislative changes to
such definition.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Chairman, my amendment will help to continue to strengthen the recent SNAP reforms by requiring a report on the SNAP- eligible food pilot programs and directing the Department of Agriculture to provide Congress with recommendations on potential updates to the definition of “eligible foods” under the program.
SNAP is one of the largest nutrition programs in the country. It is intended to help low-income Americans put food on the table, and it plays an essential role in supporting families in need. At the same time, it is funded by taxpayers, and we have a responsibility to ensure that it is working as intended.
taken steps to strengthen the connection between Federal nutrition programs and improved health outcomes. This is part of the MAHA movement.
results of SNAP pilot programs and make informed, data-driven decisions about the program's future.
being used within SNAP, particularly regarding which types of foods are eligible for purchase. It is something I hear about every time I go to the grocery store. Through recent reforms, Congress authorized pilot programs allowing States to test ways to better align SNAP purchases with healthier food options.
report back to Congress on the feasibility, implementation, and effectiveness of these pilot programs, along with recommendations for any necessary statutory changes. It takes a measured approach: gathering the facts first and allowing Congress to make thoughtful decisions based on real-world results.
better nutrition, and ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
Mr. Chairman, I look forward to it leading to a thinner, healthier America. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentlewoman from Hawaii is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Chair, I support promoting healthier diets and lifestyles for all Americans, but I have serious concerns with any policy that would make life more difficult for Americans who are already struggling to make ends meet. For many, like my constituents, who live in food deserts, we shouldn't make a program that is supposed to provide relief too confusing and too frustrating for anyone to want to participate in or be able to participate in.
Americans. USDA research has shown that SNAP participants purchase foods at rates similar to nonparticipants. Despite this, USDA has now approved 22 different State waivers, each of which have different restrictions on what can be purchased with SNAP through restriction pilot programs.
One restricts soda and candy. One restricts soda and energy drinks. One restricts soda, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts. Another one restricts candy, candy-coated items, gum, licorice, mints, fruit leathers, sweetened baking chocolate, fruit or nuts with any sugar or honey added, granola bars—unless they include flour—and some types of popcorn if it has sugar in it like kettle corn, are excluded.
That is just way too confusing for too many people. Better ways to address diet-related chronic disease include investing in fruit and vegetable incentives like GusNIP and nutrition education programs.
States, including mine, provides grants to State and local organizations in all States and territories to teach people how to stretch their SNAP dollars, cook healthy meals, and lead active lifestyles, was eliminated in the big, ugly bill.
nonexistent SNAP-Ed program to evaluate their effectiveness. The study proposed in this amendment can provide valuable data about the lack of effectiveness of the waivers, though it is certainly not going to be making up for the loss of SNAP-Ed. I cannot emphasize enough that we must seek to restore the funding to this essential program.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. Does the gentleman from Wisconsin ask unanimous consent to reclaim his time?
Mr. GROTHMAN. Yes.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized.
There was no objection.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Chairman, just one follow-up there on that. We talk about making life easier. Life is easier if you don't become diabetic. Life is easier if you are thinner. As a result, the overall effect of this amendment will make life easier for people. You have to remember that a lot of this food that is bought on food stamps is going to wind up on the table of young
children, so we particularly want to look out for them.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I thank the gentleman for bringing forward this amendment. I think it is important for Congress to get more information from USDA and States on the pilot projects that restrict SNAP purchases, as it is this body who ultimately decides what changes, if any, are made permanently at the Federal level.
I have looked warily at USDA offering all of these waivers. Today, 22 States have been approved by USDA to test the ban. I appreciate my colleague from Hawaii really laying out just the confusion and chaos.
the ban on the purchase of certain food and beverages with SNAP benefits. I think they missed the mark because the average SNAP beneficiary uses at least three forms of payment and plenty of their own cash or a check or a debit card to satisfy that sweet tooth that I find most families have. That is sad.
have feedback. However, only 10 of those waivers are in effect, with the remainder to be in later this year in 2027, early 2028.
receives a robust evaluation of the pilots, along with recommendations from the USDA regarding changes to the Federal definition of “eligible foods” because, frankly, that is our job under Article I to determine that.
Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the gentleman's amendment.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Chairman, I have no objection to this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin will be postponed.
Amendment No. 21 Offered by Ms. Hageman
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Schmidt). It is now in order to consider amendment No. 21 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Chairman, as the designee of Ms. Hageman, I rise to speak in support of the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of subtitle E of title VIII, add the following:
SEC. 8513. ELIGIBILITY OF NATIONAL GRASSLANDS FOR GRAZING
LEASES AND PERMITS.
(a) In General.—Section 402(a) of the Federal Land Policy
and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1752(a)) is amended by
striking “lands within National Forests in the sixteen
contiguous Western States” and inserting “National Forest
System (as defined in section 11(a) of the Forest and
Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C.
1609(a))) land”.
(b) Effect.—Nothing in the amendment made by subsection
(a) modifies or affects—
(1) the applicability to national grasslands of any
provision of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) other than section 402 of that
Act (43 U.S.C. 1752);
(2) title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7
U.S.C. 1010 et seq.); or
(3) section 11 of the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of
1978 (43 U.S.C. 1907).
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.
{time} 0100
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer amendment No. 21 to the farm bill, which would put ranchers with permits to graze on national grasslands in parity with those grazing on other Federal lands.
authorizes grazing permits for 10 years on national forests and Bureau of Land Management lands with renewal eligibility subject to continued compliance.
Farm Tenant Act and authorized for 10 years but is not protected and recognized as an official use similar to FLPMA.
guaranteed permit renewals and have experienced unnecessary hurdles with the USDA in obtaining these renewals.
president of the National Association of National Grasslands, spoke to the challenges these ranchers face. He stated that the exclusion of national grasslands under FLPMA creates two classes of permits with the grasslands having fewer rights. He testified that the lack of assurance leads to real world harms, pointing to the loss of AUMs on multiple grasslands across several States.
U.S. Forest Service testimony also recognized the disparity of policy for livestock grazing permits and leases between national forests and national grasslands.
certainty and security for ranchers, including the right to 10-year permits, first priority for receipt of new permits, and more.
Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Hawaii is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
renewals to the national grasslands, eliminating environmental review, public participation, and Tribal consultation in the management of our public lands.
Our national grasslands are extraordinarily precious ecosystems. Sixty-two percent of similar landscapes have already been lost globally.
they undergo fulsome analysis to prioritize their restoration and long- term conservation.
when agencies fail to complete the NEPA on time. In a time when the Forest Service has lost more than 15 percent of its staff due to forced retirements and DOGE-ing, this is the wrong approach.
amendment would incentivize the Trump administration to keep cutting staff and degrade these landscapes, which are our national heritage. I must oppose this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for offering this amendment.
supporting producers, particularly in the West. While the framework for grazing permits on Federal lands is provided through the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the law references lands within national forests, rather than the broader National Forest System.
grasslands is similar to and more consistent with such renewals on other forest land. It is an efficiency measure, as well. I support this amendment, and I urge a “yes” vote.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Chairman, I urge all Members to support amendment No. 21 to support grazers on our national grasslands. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Chairman, I urge all Members to oppose this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 22 Offered by Mr. Grothman
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 22 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Chair, as the designee of Ms. Hageman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of part I of subtitle A of title XII, add the
following:
SEC. 12010 REPEAL OF FINAL RULE ON USE OF ELECTRONIC
IDENTIFICATION EARTAGS AS OFFICIAL
IDENTIFICATION IN CATTLE AND BISON.
(a) Nullification.—The final rule of the Department titled
“Use of Electronic Identification Eartags as Official
Identification in Cattle and Bison” and issued on May 9,
2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 39540) shall have no force or effect.
(b) Prohibition.—The Secretary may not take any action to
propose, finalize, implement, administer, or enforce any rule
substantially similar to the rule described in subsection
(a).
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer amendment 22 to the farm bill, which repeals and prohibits future implementation of the electronic identification, or EID, ear tag rule.
issued the Animal Disease Traceability Rule, which allowed the use of ear tags, brands, and tattoos for livestock identification in interstate commerce.
for cattle and bison moving interstate, despite overwhelming opposition to such efforts.
Ranchers and producers are opposed for a multitude of reasons. The rule is the product of a flawed rulemaking. APHIS did not conduct a federalism analysis, even though States have identification regulations and laws. It did not conduct an adequate small business analysis, even though APHIS admitted the rule would burden small operators. APHIS intentionally undercounted the cost of the rule, basing it just on the cost of the EID tags and not an entire EID system.
the Animal Health Protection Act does not authorize APHIS to create or enforce.
an underfunded mandate. Since the demand for EID tags is driven not by actual market demand but by government mandate, ranchers are facing tag shortages, harming their ability to comply with the rule.
then this mandate is cost prohibitive for producers, which jeopardizes their future operations and risks additional vertical integration in the increasingly consolidated food supply chain.
their herds based on information collected through the EID system, concerns which APHIS never adequately addressed in the rule.
ranchers are still facing EID tag shortages. The cost of EID tags on the private market increased because of its fallout—all this harm for a regulation that is not needed as the U.S. already had a well- functioning animal disease traceability system. APHIS even conceded in the rulemaking that foreign animal disease had largely been excluded from the country.
for their business and herds voluntarily when it makes sense for them, not at the behest of a Federal agency.
Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, animal disease traceability is an extremely important aspect of protecting our domestic livestock herds and our foreign trade markets.
and EID tags with dairy cattle due to the ongoing outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza.
no cost to producers, and the rule this amendment seeks to repeal has been in effect for more than 18 months already with no negative consequences.
improve animal disease traceability are hampered. For this reason I must respectfully oppose the gentlewoman from Wyoming's amendment offered by my good friend from Wisconsin, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Chair, I urge all my colleagues to support amendment No. 22 and finally end the EID ear tag mandate on America's ranchers.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Tokuda), the ranking member of the Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology Subcommittee.
Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment, which would send us backwards when it comes to animal disease tracing and herd management.
empower veterinarians and animal health experts from APHIS to traffic potential outbreaks.
implementation of unique identification of animals and premises, which is essential for tracing origin and destination of all livestock, and in particular, food-producing animals in order to protect the Nation's livestock industry and public health.
{time} 0110
National Milk Producers Federation, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, and the American Veterinary Medicine Association.
affect additional species and the New World screwworm is again threatening American cattle herds, we should not take tools out of the USDA's toolbox to prevent the spread of disease.
I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose this measure, Mr. Chair, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I couldn't agree with the gentlewoman more. We have seen significant examples of how important these EID tags have been in tracking the highly pathogenic avian influenza as it has gotten into our dairy cows in different parts of the country.
She referenced the New World screwworm. That is a huge threat to the United States. Thankfully, so far we have successfully avoided that with the building of the different production facilities for sterile flies, which is really the proven solution or remedy to that.
this amendment, I encourage all Members to oppose it, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes appeared to have it.
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin will be postponed.
Amendment No. 24 Offered by Ms. Craig
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 24 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, as the designee of Ms. Houlahan, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 645, line 18, strike “and”.
Page 645, after line 18, insert the following:
(3) in subsection (d)(2)(A), by striking “$250,000,000”
and inserting “$400,000,000”; and
Page 645, line 19, strike “(3)” and insert “(4)”.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Craig) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Minnesota.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, rise in support of this amendment. The Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Assistance Program is a popular and successful program at USDA to support new and emerging technologies for biobased products. This means innovation here at home, and it means opening up new markets to our farmers.
higher loan guarantees for this program to support a wider variety of projects.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for her amendment and for the ranking member representing her this evening.
Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program to $400 million. This mandatory funded program, last funded in 2020, has a large unobligated balance, and raising the loan caps will ensure needed projects get funded.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I urge all Members to support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Craig).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 26 Offered by Mr. Latta
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 26 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of subtitle D of title XII, add the following:
SEC. __. PRECISION AGRICULTURE SATELLITE CONNECTIVITY.
(a) Review.—The Commission shall—
(1) review the rules of the Commission relating to fixed
satellite service, mobile satellite service, and earth
exploration satellite service to determine if there are rule
changes that the Commission could implement under existing
authority to promote precision agriculture; and
(2) if the Commission determines under paragraph (1) that
there are rule changes that the Commission could implement,
develop recommendations for how to implement the changes.
(b) Report.—Not later than 15 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a report on the results of the
review conducted under subsection (a), including any
recommendations developed under paragraph (2) of such
subsection.
(c) Commission Defined.—In this section, the term
“Commission” means the Federal Communications Commission.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment, which I am pleased to lead with the gentlewoman from Illinois' Second Congressional District.
have lacked access to fast broadband connections. Reliable internet access is more than just being able to stream your favorite TV shows and movies. It is the crucial link that connects us all.
Our people, Nation, and economy run on reliable internet connections. Agriculture producers in Ohio and across America also know that reliable broadband connections are essential to their operations. After all, it helps deploy technologies that increase their productivity, produce higher yields, and minimize operating costs.
smarter decisions on how to optimize inputs and whether and when to plant or harvest. When terrestrial or cellular networks are not available, satellite broadband steps in to make these technologies work.
that improve precision agriculture. Earth-imaging satellites also provide important information that helps farmers and ranchers identify visual trends that may require immediate attention.
amendment would require the FCC to review its current satellite rules to determine if rural changes can be made to promote precision agriculture.
at their disposal to help them to increase productivity while minimizing costs. This amendment is an excellent step forward in that mission.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for bringing up this amendment. The bill this amendment is based on has already passed the House by voice vote and now sits idly in the Senate.
Mr. Chair, I urge all Members to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the overall bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta).
The amendment was agreed to.
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider Amendment No. 27 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Amendment No. 28 Offered by Mrs. Luna
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 28 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mrs. LUNA. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Strike section 10205 (relating to uniformity of pesticide
labeling).
Strike section 10206 (relating to authority of States).
Strike section 10207 (relating to lawful use of authorized
pesticides).
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Luna) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.
Mrs. LUNA. Mr. Chair, I rise to support this amendment. As you know, I never thought I would have to be debating liability protections for pesticide companies, yet here I am today.
I would like to share some statistics with you. A major study found that pesticide mixtures increased childhood leukemia by 23 percent, brain cancer by 36 percent, and overall childhood cancer by 30 percent.
{time} 0120
SNAP and EBT, are being fed massively processed foods that are increasing their cancer risk, not to mention, as a whole, I think this is something that we should all get behind. We do not want to ever provide or be on the side of cancer-causing anything.
are linked to a higher risk of leukemia in children. These chemicals are known to cross the placenta and impact fetal development.
found constant and consistent links between pesticide exposures and leukemia, brain cancers, and rare childhood cancers.
Member of Congress who was just elected in Georgia who said he suffered from thyroid cancer, and he thought it was due to an environmental factor.
The point is that this should not be partisan. It is about the American people and protecting them.
but I was also called a damn liar for defending my position, which is far from the truth. The fact is that I am not getting paid special interest money. I am trying to fight for my district and, I think, for the well-being of a majority of Americans. The fact is that there is far too much special interest money going into policies like these. While people claim that they are not in opposition, if you pull FEC reporting, of which we have screenshots of all of that, it says quite otherwise.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for both supporting this amendment, which I also supported, and speaking in favor of it.
attention in the past year, as is appropriate when the Federal Government considers overriding States' rights.
Monday. A dominant pesticide manufacturer just announced a possible settlement of $7.25 billion. President Trump has invoked national security powers to mandate the production of glyphosate.
both sides of the aisle. Yet, the Republican majority insisted at every turn on including these provisions in what should be a bipartisan farm bill that delivers for farmers and families.
This amendment is not extreme. It would not ban pesticides or require any additional regulatory burden on the manufacturers. Quite literally, it would preserve the status quo and allow the Supreme Court to examine this issue separately and the complicated legal issues at its core.
poisonous provision that would waive all other laws for registered pesticides, including the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act.
use but does not include any requirements to guard against contamination of our air and water supply.
Let's be clear: The Clean Water Act already includes a broad exemption for agricultural stormwater runoff because Congress knew that some amount of pesticide runoff was inevitable.
of pesticides that enter our waterways, as the Sixth Circuit decided in 2009.
and invested citizens on the outside whose relentless efforts are why this amendment was even allowed to be debated today.
Mr. Chairman, I thank Representative Luna for her tireless efforts on this front, and I hope my colleagues will heed her example and vote for this amendment. I urge all Members to support this.
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chair, as we listen to this debate, and no doubt as text messages and other things have been sent out about this piece of legislation, what I want the MAHA movement to know is that this has nothing to do with the actual pesticide in the jug— absolutely nothing. This is uniformity of pesticide labeling requirements.
requiring that Florida would have one set of labels and Georgia would have another. We are simply saying that when the EPA says this is the appropriate label and the proper label to put the warnings on the chemical, that is going to be uniform throughout the States.
municipality to come up with their own labeling requirement. This is simply not feasible from the standpoint of the companies in actually getting a product to the consumer, like I just bought to kill the fire ants in my yard.
Again, Mr. Chair, I just want the people to know—especially the MAHA people who have been texting and calling—about the misrepresentation of this amendment. It has absolutely nothing to do with the pesticide in the jug. It is uniformity of pesticide labeling that they are trying to take away with this amendment.
I represent Georgia. We are close to the Florida line. If the EPA says the label is good, I don't see why every State and municipality should have to have another label that would simply raise the price for the American consumer. Again, we are not talking about the pesticide in the jug, as has been misrepresented to American citizens and especially to the MAHA movement. We are talking about just the label on the jug. There is no liability shield for the pesticide in the jug.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LUNA. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire how much time is remaining.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman has 30 seconds.
Mrs. LUNA. Mr. Chairman, I would like to clarify that section 10205 blocks States and local governments from requiring any warnings beyond what the EPA provides. As far as I am concerned, if someone is trying to give something to my kid that causes cancer, I would hope to heck that Congress would block that.
Mr. Chairman, I will end by saying that I take zero money from pesticide liability and manufacturers, and my colleague takes $124,000 from them. I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, again, this is uniformity of pesticide labeling. It has nothing to do with the actual chemical or the pesticide in the jug.
Mr. Chairman, I yield the remainder of my time to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson), the chairman of the committee.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire how much time is remaining.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman has 2\1/4\ minutes remaining.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I find it sad that we enter into cheap shots regarding organizations that, when they see something that you are working hard on behalf of the American farmer, and they want to make a legal, ethical donation, they can do that. That tells me that
regulatory reforms that are critical for securing access to well- regulated pesticide tools for a variety of crop production and public health needs.
concerns, such as making sure it is crystal clear that the EPA can still respond quickly to new scientific findings and that existing State authorities are maintained.
EPA is the authoritative voice for making safety findings related to pesticides communicated through legal, binding labels while retaining States' authority for the sale, use, and distribution of crop protections.
I don't know if Maine and Florida have toxicologists on staff. I would tell you that I am absolutely confident that less than half of the States have the qualified individuals in order to put forward labeling.
The gentleman from Georgia is right. This is about a labeling bill and making sure that we are—and, by the way, the States can weigh in with the EPA. They just have to go through the EPA if they have special circumstances for labeling.
EPA—this includes States' ability to not register a product at all within the jurisdiction. Regulatory certainty in making sure that there is a clear science-based regulatory system that is rooted in scientific review from the EPA, not courtroom science that overrides Federal findings, is what producers need.
clarify existing statutes to reaffirm the State labeling laws, such as California Proposition 65, which has already been found to be in violation of the Constitution when applied to products containing glyphosate, which are not allowed under the existing law because trial lawyers have scrambled to find every possible loophole in Federal law.
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relationship with the EPA as co-regulators on pesticide products with clarity that they are able to submit.
Mr. Chair, I encourage the defeat of this amendment, and I thank the gentleman from Georgia for managing it.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Luna).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes appeared to have it.
Mrs. LUNA. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Florida will be postponed.
Amendment No. 29 Offered by Ms. Mace
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 29 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Ms. MACE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Add at the end of subtitle D of title XII the following new
section:
SEC. 12__. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF SEAFOOD IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
(a) In General.—Subtitle A of the Department of
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6912 et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 224B. OFFICE OF SEAFOOD.
“(a) Establishment.—The Secretary shall establish for the
Department an Office of Seafood to provide leadership,
expertise, management, and advice to the Secretary of
Agriculture on matters impacting the seafood industry.
“(b) Duties.—The Office of Seafood shall be additionally
responsible for—
“(1) coordinating across the Department to ensure
fishermen are integrated into Department programs; and
“(2) working alongside appropriate counterparts of the
Department of Commerce and other Federal departments and
agencies to revitalize the American seafood industry.”.
(b) Technical Correction.—Subtitle A of the Department of
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6912 et
seq.), as amended by subsection (a), is further amended by
redesignating section 225 (relating to the Food Access
Liaison) as section 224A.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Ms. Mace) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from South Carolina.
Ms. MACE. Mr. Chair, if you visit South Carolina's Lowcountry, you will understand commercial shrimping and fishing are not just the backbone of our coastal communities but a part of our heritage and our way of life. You will find shrimp festivals, oyster roasts, and Lowcountry boils nearly every weekend during the season.
from McClellanville to Mount Pleasant to Beaufort to Bluffton to Hilton Head and Hilton Head Island, Mr. Chair, you will see thousands show up to bless the fleet of shrimp boats when they head out to begin their season.
Across the State of South Carolina, Mr. Chair, you will see communities, neighbors, and families come together around locally caught seafood and see people come from thousands of miles away just to taste it.
However, Mr. Chair, talk to any shrimper or fisherman in this country, and you will know that the commercial fishing and shrimping industries are struggling. For too long, the USDA has ignored our shrimpers and our fishermen, the farmers of the sea, who put nutritious, fresh seafood on our tables at dinner.
he has recognized the importance of revitalizing our domestic seafood industry. Last April he issued an executive order titled Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.
Secretary's office to ensure the voices of our seafood harvesters are heard.
first-ever Office of Seafood within the Department of Agriculture. This gives our shrimpers and our fishermen a seat at the table.
the USDA, ensuring our commercial shrimpers and fishermen as well as our fish processors, are integrated into USDA programs.
the Department of Commerce, the U.S. Trade Representative, NOAA, and other Federal agencies and departments to revitalize the American seafood industry.
local seafood on our plates deserve this. This amendment would deliver it.
and I urge all Members to support our domestic seafood industry by voting in favor of this amendment.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, even though I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentlewoman from Maine is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from South Carolina for introducing this amendment and wholeheartedly support it. An Office of Seafood will be an important resource for coordination across the aquaculture sector.
are an important part of our economy, our culture, and the communities that we all live in. I am lucky enough to live in the heart of lobster harvesting territory, so I know firsthand how important the fisheries are to our State and to everybody who hopefully will come to visit our State and enjoy our delicious seafood.
talk about how he did a lot of listening tours and traveled around the country, and I was very privileged to have him come and visit in the State of Maine. While he was there we made sure, even though it was an agriculture listening tour—because the office of aquaculture
farmer, that he ate some of our delicious seafood, that included scallops, oysters, maybe a little bit of lobster, and I think even a bit of seaweed he managed to choke down, and we were appreciative of him trying all of the many seafood in our State.
Committee and getting to know the USDA, knowing that aquaculture resides there, there are fishery issues that come up there, and fishermen often don't get the same opportunity to utilize the resources as farmers do.
play in producing American food, and we appreciate them so much, but sometimes we forget that fishermen need to have access to many of the same resources. Fish is an important part of our diet. We should eat more of it, and we should certainly eat more domestically produced and harvested seafood.
a central source of outreach and information that focuses on the seafood industry.
create working relationships within the USDA and across the seafood sector. I have heard from many people in the seafood industry and the fishermen ever since this was originally announced by the USDA and Secretary Rollins, encouraging me to support this, to do anything I could to make sure that this was a stable entity within the USDA. So I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this amendment and talk about the importance of making sure it is permanent and our fishermen continue to have this access.
Mr. Chair, I support this amendment to create this additional office, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MACE. Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairwoman for yielding. I thank my good friend from Maine who has the best tasting kelp I have ever had. It was delicious along with everything else.
month to better support and serve our seafood industry, helping to enable the administration's America first seafood strategy.
American seafood is a vital part of the U.S. food supply. I think it is a vital part of American agriculture. Codifying this office will ensure that this support continues for years to come by providing dedicated resources, time, and coordination for the industry.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote “yes” on the amendment.
Ms. MACE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Ms. Mace).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 30 Offered by Ms. Mace
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 30 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Ms. MACE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of title XII, add the following:
SEC. . DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS AND GRANTS FOR
COMMERCIAL FISHING AND FISH PROCESSING
BUSINESSES.
(a) Definitions of Farmer and Farming.—Section 343(a) of
the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.
1991(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking “farming.” and
inserting “farming, commercial fishing, or fish
processing.”;
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking “farming.” and
inserting “farming, commercial fishing, and fish
processing.”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(14) Commercial fishing.—The term `commercial fishing'
means fishing (as defined in section 3 of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C.
1802)) in which the fish harvested, either in whole or in
part, are intended to enter commerce or enter commerce
through sale, barter, or trade.
“(15) Commercial fishing vessel.—The term `commercial
fishing vessel' means a fishing vessel and a fish processing
vessel (as those terms are defined in section 2101 of title
46, United States Code).
“(16) Fish.—The term `fish' has the meaning given the
term in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code.
“(17) Fish processing.—The term `fish processing' means
the processing of fish for commercial use or consumption.
“(18) Fish processing facility.—The term `fish processing
facility' means a facility or vessel, boat, ship, or other
craft used or equipped for fish processing.”.
(b) Farm Ownership Loans.—
(1) Eligibility.—Section 302(a) of such Act (7 U.S.C.
1922(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Eligibility of wild-caught fish and shellfish.—
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, for purposes
of direct and guaranteed farm loans under this subtitle—
“(A) the terms `farmer' and `rancher' shall include an
individual or entity engaged in commercial fishing or fish
processing; and
“(B) the terms `farm' and `ranch' shall include—
“(i) a commercial fishing vessel; and
“(ii) a fish processing facility.”.
(2) Purposes.—Section 303(a) of such Act (7 U.S.C.
1923(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Commercial fishery participants; fish processors.—
“(A) Commercial fishery participants.—An individual or
entity engaged in commercial fishing may only use a direct or
guaranteed loan under this subtitle for—
“(i) acquiring a commercial fishing permit;
“(ii) acquiring a commercial fishing vessel; and
“(iii) making capital improvements to a commercial fishing
vessel.
“(B) Fish processors.—An individual or entity engaged in
fish processing may use a direct or guaranteed loan under
this subtitle for acquiring or making capital improvements to
a fish processing facility.”.
(c) Farm Operating Loans.—
(1) Eligibility.—Section 311(a) of such Act (7 U.S.C.
1941(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Eligibility of wild-caught fish and shellfish.—
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, for purposes
of direct and guaranteed farm loans under this subtitle—
“(A) the terms `farmer' and `rancher' shall include an
individual or entity engaged in commercial fishing or fish
processing; and
“(B) the terms `farm' and `ranch' shall include—
“(i) a commercial fishing vessel; and
“(ii) a fish processing facility.”.
(2) Purposes.—Section 312 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1942) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
“(f) Commercial Fishery Participants; Fish Processors.—
“(1) Commercial fishery participants.—An individual or
entity engaged in commercial fishing may only use a direct or
guaranteed loan under this subtitle for the costs associated
with operating and maintaining a commercial fishing vessel.
“(2) Fish processors.—An individual or entity engaged in
fish processing may use a direct or guaranteed loan under
this subtitle for the costs associated with operating and
maintaining a fish processing facility.”.
(d) Implementation and Coordination.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall take such actions
as are necessary to ensure the successful and effective
integration of individuals and entities in the commercial
fishing industry, including those engaged in commercial
fishing or fish processing (as those terms are defined in
section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development
Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a))), into each program of the Department
of Agriculture for which those individuals and entities are
made eligible under the amendments made by this section.
(2) Technical assistance and guidance.—In carrying out
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—
(A) provide outreach and technical assistance to
participants in the commercial fishing industry, including
through cooperative agreements and public-private and other
partnerships, to promote awareness of and access to relevant
programs;
(B) provide guidance and training to relevant agency
personnel of the Department, including through cooperative
agreements and public-private and other partnerships, to
ensure program services are effectively delivered to the
commercial fishing industry; and
(C) coordinate, as appropriate, with the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration and other relevant Federal and
State agencies to implement the amendments made by this
section.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Ms. Mace) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from South Carolina.
Ms. MACE. Mr. Chairman, an onslaught of substandard foreign seafood,
institutions, is being dumped into our markets, devastating our domestic seafood industry.
U.S. International Trade Commission has determined that Ecuador, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam were illegally subsidizing and dumping shrimp, imposing antidumping and countervailing duties.
unregulated fishing and employs brutal working conditions, including the use of child or forced labor. These foreign actors also don't abide by the same stringent food safety standards we have in our country, using banned antibiotics and other chemicals in their seafood.
which was contaminated with cesium-137. The foreign shrimp was literally radioactive. Mr. Chair, imagine all the contaminated foreign seafood that slips into our food supply undetected.
shrimpers and fishermen. In some parts of the country, dock prices for shrimp fell to around $1 per pound in recent years.
economic headwinds, fishermen and shrimpers are struggling not just to earn a living but to even make it to the next season.
U.S. commercial seafood landings has fallen 25 percent from 2021 to 2024. Landings by weight have fallen to their lowest levels since 1988. At the same time, our food supply has become increasingly dependent on foreign seafood. Today, foreign imports account for approximately 94 percent of total seafood consumption in America.
This is exactly why I am offering this amendment today. Our shrimpers and fishermen put food on the table, they are the farmers of sea, and it is past time we started treating them like it.
{time} 0140
and ranchers, and it is time we allowed our commercial fishermen to take part in them.
Development Act to include commercial fishing and fish processing as eligible agricultural activities for USDA programs, unlocking access to many grant, loan, and assistance programs for shrimpers and fishermen.
processors have access to USDA Farm Ownership Loans and Farm Operating Loans.
feed our families and make South Carolina's Lowcountry, and so many places across our Nation's coasts, very special.
amendment. I urge all Members to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Minnesota is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, USDA loan programs have helped thousands of farmers and ranchers access the capital they need to feed people throughout the Nation and beyond.
defined “fish processing businesses” in this amendment could lead to unintended consequences.
sticks, and 100 other nonseafood products would qualify for a USDA direct Farm Operating Loan, even if they are thousands of miles from the nearest seafood source.
assistance to close these giant loopholes, and I urge my colleagues to vote “no” on this flawed amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MACE. Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, for many of our Nation's coastal areas, fishermen represent not just a way to make a living, but they are the embodiment of the community's culture.
Although commercial fishermen catch 8.4 billion pounds of seafood each year, they do not qualify for the same access to credit as many of our Nation's other food producers due to their unique business structure.
to expand access to credit for these vital businesses that serve as a lifeblood of their coastal communities, and our ag lenders are already uniquely suited to provide this capital.
Ms. MACE. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I urge all Members to oppose the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Ms. Mace).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 31 Offered by Ms. Mace
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 31 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Ms. MACE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of part 1 of subtitle A of title XII, add the
following:
SEC. . PLACEMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN FEDERAL RESEARCH.
Section 14 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2144) is
amended to read as follows:
“SEC. 14. STANDARDS FOR FEDERAL FACILITIES.
“(a) Laboratory Animal Facilities.—Any department,
agency, or instrumentality of the United States having
laboratory animal facilities shall comply with the standards
and other requirements promulgated by the Secretary under
sections 13(a), (f), (g), and (h).
“(b) Adoption and Non-Laboratory Placement.—Any
department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States
operating as a Federal research facility shall, not later
than one year after the date of the enactment of this
subsection, promulgate standards and other requirements that,
in the determination of the department, agency, or
instrumentality, facilitates the adoption or non-laboratory
placement of any eligible animal of the facility no longer
needed for research and determined to be suitable for release
to an animal rescue organization, animal sanctuary, animal
shelter, or individual.
“(c) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Animal rescue organization.—The term `animal rescue
organization' means an organization—
“(A) described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section
501(a) of such Code; and
“(B) with the purpose of rescuing animals that are
unwanted, abandoned, or otherwise in need of placement and
finding permanent adoptive homes for such animals.
“(2) Animal sanctuary.—The term `animal sanctuary' means
an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under
section 501(a) of such Code that—
“(A) is registered with the Secretary;
“(B) operates a place of refuge—
“(i) where an unwanted, displaced, or retired animal is
provided care for the lifetime of such animal; and
“(ii) where an unescorted public visitation of such an
animal is not permitted;
“(C) does not engage in commercial trade of such an
animal;
“(D) does not breed such an animal;
“(E) does not permit direct contact between the public and
such an animal;
“(F) does not allow the use of such an animal for
performance or exhibition purposes; and
“(G) does not conduct research that pains or distresses
such an animal.
“(3) Animal shelter.—The term `animal shelter' means a
facility that accepts or seizes animals to care for such
animals, place such animals in a permanent adoptive home, or
carry out law enforcement purposes.
“(4) Eligible animal.—The term `eligible animal' means
any dog, cat, nonhuman primate, guinea pig, hamster, or
rabbit.
“(5) Suitable for release.—The term `suitable for
release' means an eligible animal that has been evaluated and
has received a certificate issued by a veterinarian licensed
to practice veterinary medicine, certifying that they
inspected the eligible animal on a specified date that is not
more than ten days before such animal is released, and when
so inspected, the eligible animal appeared free of any
infectious disease or physical abnormality which would
endanger the eligible animal, other animals, or public
health.”.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Ms. Mace) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The gentlewoman from South Carolina is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. MACE. Mr. Chairman, since I came to Congress, I have been fighting to put an end to taxpayer-funded animal cruelty.
these painful and inhumane animal experiments across the VA, Department of War, and more. Today, we seek to build on the significant progress with this amendment.
hound dog which was rescued from a government lab, our amendment would ensure the humane treatment of lab animals once they are retired.
many of them in noninvasive and nonterminal testing. Too often, when that research ends, these animals, despite being healthy, are killed simply because there is no policy in place to retire them.
Our amendment fixes that.
research facilities establish procedures to facilitate the adoption or nonlaboratory placement of dogs, cats, nonhuman primates, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits used in government labs.
rescue organizations, animal sanctuaries, and animal shelters to facilitate finding their new home or with an individual looking to adopt the animal.
This is a commonsense idea which is already working. We have already seen some Federal agencies adopt policies allowing lab animals to be retired and rehomed. Many States have adopted similar laws.
country can do so much better than euthanizing healthy, innocent animals created by God.
amendment, and I urge all Members to support this amendment. Together, we can save the lives of countless innocent dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits. I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, but I am not opposed to the amendment itself.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentlewoman from Minnesota is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this amendment to add Violet's Law to the farm bill.
home for animals once they are no longer needed for research in Federal labs.
the FDA, allow for the retirement of lab animals, but the USDA has been slow to follow.
contributed so much of their lives to advancing the cause of science would be able to live out the rest of their lives in a loving home or sanctuary.
I thank Ms. Mace for her amendment, and I urge a “yes” vote. I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MACE. Mr. Chairman, I would encourage my colleagues to support the amendment and vote for its passage. I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, ditto, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Ms. Mace).
The amendment was agreed to.
The Acting CHAIR. The Chair understands that amendment No. 33 will not be offered.
Amendment No. 36 Offered by Mr. Moore of West Virginia
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 36 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. MOORE of West Virginia. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 802, line 15, strike “ `Any person' ” and insert the
following:
“(1) In general.—Except as specified in paragraph (2),
any person”.
Page 802, after line 20, add the following:
“(2) Exception.—The penalties specified in paragraph (1)
shall not apply with respect to a violation of any of
paragraphs (1) through (5) of subsection (a) that involves
conduct occurring—
“(A) in the State of West Virginia; and
“(B) at a commercial greyhound racing track that is active
on the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National
Security Act of 2026.”.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Moore) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. MOORE of West Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment that in my view would correct what had taken place in the Agriculture Committee.
specifically, in the United States. The only problem with that, there is only one State that continues to do that, and that is the State of West Virginia.
from that track. Forty percent of the revenue-sharing from the track supports the pension funds of police and firefighters, and we have had the Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Firefighters actually come out in support of this amendment because it will decimate those pensions of our retired police and firefighters, some of whom are disabled. Those union members, who are just trying to scratch by in the State of West Virginia, are no longer going to be able to do that.
and grandfathers in the two tracks that are in West Virginia. No new tracks can open in West Virginia or any State in the country after this.
voted on this in the State of West Virginia. They have affirmatively voted on it. This question will come up again before the State legislature. Perhaps they will vote at some point not to, but we are really worried about not only those pensions but the almost 2,000 employees who are also involved in this industry. I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to amendment No. 36.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from California is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Chair, greyhound racing is cruel and inhumane, resulting in hundreds of injuries and deaths of otherwise healthy dogs. It is already prohibited in 44 States and exists in only one, West Virginia.
greyhound racing is necessary because greyhound races are still transmitted to bettors across the United States. Bets placed on these simulcast races prop up this cruel but dying industry both in the United States and abroad.
The bipartisan Greyhound Protection Act—did I say bipartisan?—has been a legislative concept since 2020, building off of the work of former Representative Tony Cardenas and now-United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz.
past 4 years, alongside my colleagues Randy Fine, Zach Nunn, and Don Davis.
of Democratic and Republican cosponsors. It is endorsed by over 250 animal protection groups, local humane societies, and community leaders.
Agriculture Committee by voice vote during the farm bill's committee markup.
has been modified to ensure it applies to greyhounds and nothing else. That change to protect sportsmen and hunting dogs was something Representative Nunn and I recognized and expressed our willingness to the Agriculture Committee on amending this language. It represents a diligently crafted compromise between animal protection groups and hunters, exactly the type of bipartisanship we come to expect from the farm bill.
Greyhound Protection Act and give a free pass for greyhound racing to continue to operate in one State in the United States.
know the Agriculture Committee's doors were open all this time, as well. While I understand the concerns surrounding the impact on a very small group of individuals, no pension solvency should hinge on a single, volatile revenue stream, particularly one tied to an inhumane industry in long-term decline.
routinely adjust revenue frameworks when phasing out activities deemed inconsistent with public values or policy priorities. West Virginia already has an alternative gaming revenue, including lottery and casino operations that can be recalibrated, if needed.
greyhounds will not continue to live lives of confinement in stacked metal cages and be subjected to predictable and preventable risk of injury and death on the track.
point, as well as the work done by myself, my colleagues, and committee staff over the last number of years. I ask my colleagues to please oppose this amendment and end the cycle of government-mandated cruelty.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MOORE of West Virginia. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to the time remaining.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from West Virginia has 3 minutes remaining.
Mr. MOORE of West Virginia. Mr. Chair, it is really a sick obsession of this town to want to control and destroy jobs in one of the poorest States in America. It really is. I will just note that this is destroying guys who have union pensions. It is against the unions to vote against this amendment. You are hurting their membership.
Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for introducing this amendment.
vote banning greyhound racing nationwide. I think a ban is heavyhanded. It sets a dangerous precedent, and it doesn't take into consideration the tracks that are currently in operation, which are basically just two in West Virginia.
which are located in West Virginia, one of the tracks being located in Mr. Moore's district.
Mr. Moore's amendment strikes a fair compromise by maintaining the ban on any future operations outside of West Virginia while preserving the tracks and associated jobs that already exist.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of the amendment.
Mr. MOORE of West Virginia. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Chair, I support unions, but this is about cruelty to animals, and we are trying to justify one good over a lot of evil. It is important that we not use this issue and call it just jobs for a very small amount of individuals, in one State in our Nation, when it comes to really protecting humane approaches to how we deal with greyhounds and animals.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MOORE of West Virginia. Mr. Chair, this amendment is in support of the unions, those union members. If you vote against this, you are against the unions. That is a fact. You are trying to take their pensions away from them. That is what you are doing. Ask the Fraternal Order of Police. Ask the firefighters union. Go ask them about that, and they will give you an answer.
That is exactly what is going on here. I am standing up for those members, standing up for the individuals who are supported by this track. Maybe someday the State of West Virginia will vote to get rid of it, but that is up to the State of West Virginia.
to end dog racing, and that is their right to do that, but this obsession with the State of West Virginia, with less than 2 million people, and what we are doing inside of our borders, I don't really get.
Just to be clear, this amendment is in support of the police. It is in support of the firefighters. You are taking away their pensions if you don't support the amendment. I think it is a pretty fair compromise, as the chairman said.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Chair, in this country, we have done a lot of inhumane things, whether it is to animals or people. We oftentimes try to justify it in one way or another, but it is hard to justify jobs over being humane. It is a matter of values, and that is really what it is about.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Moore).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from West Virginia will be postponed.
{time} 0200
Amendment No. 38 Offered by Ms. Scholten
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 38 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Chair, as the designee of Mr. Neguse, I rise to speak in support of the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 66, after line 16, insert the following:
(c) Preagreement Costs.—Section 403 of the Agricultural
Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2203) is further amended by
adding at the end the following:
“(d) Preagreement Costs.—
“(1) Definition of sponsor.—In this subsection, the term
`sponsor' means—
“(A) a State or local government; and
“(B) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25
U.S.C. 5304)).
“(2) Preagreement project costs.—Not later than 180 days
after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary
shall—
“(A) identify a list of emergency watershed protection
measures the cost of which may be incurred by a sponsor prior
to entering into an agreement with the Secretary under this
section; and
“(B) develop a procedure, including appropriate deadlines,
to be implemented at the State level, through which a sponsor
may request, for a specified natural disaster, additional
emergency watershed protection measure the cost of which may
be incurred by a sponsor prior to entering into an agreement
with the Secretary under this section.
“(3) Agreement contribution.—If the Secretary and a
sponsor enter into an agreement under this section, the
Secretary shall consider any applicable preagreement costs
incurred by the sponsor for undertaking emergency watershed
protection measures identified under paragraph (2) as meeting
part of the contribution of the sponsor toward the cost of
the project.
“(4) Assumption of risk.—A sponsor that undertakes
emergency watershed protection
measures prior to entering into an agreement with the
Secretary under this section shall assume the risk of
incurring any cost of undertaking those measures.
“(5) Effect.—Nothing in this subsection requires the
Secretary to enter into an agreement with a sponsor.”.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Scholten) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Chairman, I thank all for being here burning the midnight oil with us.
Mr. Chairman, this amendment would make it easier to carry out emergency watershed protection measures after a disaster.
high temperatures, even in the winter months, exponentially increasing wildfire risk. Wildfires do not end when the fire does. They have significant impacts on our watersheds, and emergency measures are often needed to clear out debris and protect water supplies in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.
This amendment would add the text of Mr. Neguse's bipartisan, bicameral bill, the Making Access to Cleanup Happen, or MATCH IT Act, which would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a list of approved watershed protection measures that local governments and Tribes can undertake in an emergency and establish an approval process for additional post-fire actions that might be needed. This measure would remove burdensome red tape and allow for expedited emergency response after a wildfire.
is important that we equip our communities with all the tools they need to respond as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and join me in taking action to protect our communities after a disaster.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for offering this amendment on behalf of the gentleman from Colorado.
technical assistance to eligible participants for watershed impairments after flooding, fires, or other natural disasters.
including the removal of debris from stream channels, road culverts, and bridges protecting stream banks, establishing vegetative cover on eroding lands, and repairing some conservation practices.
partner costs can be considered as part of the match if incurred prior to entering into an agreement.
Mr. Chairman, I support the amendment and urge a “yes” vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Chairman, I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle can support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Scholten).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 39 Offered by Ms. Scholten
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 39 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Chair, as the designee of Mr. Neguse, I rise to speak in support of the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 430, line 9, strike “and” at the end.
Page 430, line 13, add “and” at the end.
Page 430, after line 13, insert the following:
(E) by adding at the end the following:
“(8) Precision agriculture.—The term `precision
agriculture' means managing, tracking, or reducing crop or
livestock production inputs (including seed, feed,
fertilizer, chemicals, water, and time) at a heightened level
of spatial and temporal granularity to improve efficiencies,
reduce waste, and maintain environmental quality.”;
Page 431, strike lines 15 through 25 and insert the
following:
(A) in paragraph (2)—
(i) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows:
“(B) to overcome the long-term and high-risk technological
barriers in the development of agricultural technologies,
research tools, and qualified products and projects that
enhance export competitiveness, environmental sustainability,
water conservation, and resilience to extreme weather,
drought, infectious diseases, plant and animal pathogens, and
plant and animal pests;”;
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking “and” at the end;
(iii) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph
(E); and
(iv) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:
“(D) to enhance the role of sustainable agriculture (as
defined in section 1404) in innovative voluntary resilience
solutions in the United States through the development of
agricultural technologies that may address—
“(i) the impact of extreme weather on crop production;
“(ii) the effects of drought and the potential of building
water holding capacity in soils on crop and rangelands;
“(iii) the expansion of the potential for long-term carbon
storage through sustainable agriculture;
“(iv) increased economic and practical feasibility for
sustainable energy, including conventional and advanced
biofuels, on farms and in the agriculture industry;
“(v) increased voluntary adoption of conservation
practices that sequester carbon and build on-farm climate
resilience; and
“(vi) increased economic and practical feasibility for,
and voluntary adoption of, precision agriculture technology;
and”.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Scholten) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan.
Modification to Amendment No. 39 Offered by Ms. Scholten
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be modified in the form I have placed at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will report the modification.
The Clerk read as follows:
Strike “Page 430” each time it appears, and insert “Page
431”.
The Acting CHAIR. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The amendment is modified. The gentlewoman from Michigan is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would expand Federal support for sustainable agriculture and innovative sustainability solutions through the AGARDA program.
environmental challenges. This amendment will build upon the already proven success of this program by expanding its research to include innovative sustainability solutions.
need to increase sustainable and efficient use of water, soil, and other natural resources, and it will help farms adapt to challenges, like extreme weather event and drought.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I thank my colleagues for their interest in a program with tremendous potential to deliver solutions for our Nation's producers, the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority Program, also known as AGARDA.
AGARDA is focused on filling high-risk areas where there is high payoff potential, but the private sector is unlikely to undertake research alone.
promoting climate solutions does not fit into the underlying mission of AGARDA and takes away from its mission.
miscellaneous
inappropriate to add to this program when these activities are already well-funded.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Chairman, I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, nonetheless, will support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment, as modified, offered by the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Scholten).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes appeared to have it.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Michigan will be postponed.
It is now in order to consider amendment No. 41 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Amendment No. 42 Offered by Mr. Moylan
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 42 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Chair, as the designee of Ms. Plaskett, I rise to speak in support of the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 433, line 4, strike “Section 1477(a)(2)” and insert
the following:
(a) In General.—Section 1477(a)(2)
Page 433, after line 7, add the following:
(b) Study on Development of Aquaculture Businesses.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a
study to identify locations in the United States Virgin
Islands and Guam that are suitable for the development of
aquaculture small businesses, including an assessment of
water quality, coastal access, infrastructure needs, and
applicable environmental and regulatory requirements.
(2) Consultation.—In conducting the study under paragraph
(1), the Secretary shall consult with the Virgin Islands
Department of Planning and Natural Resources and the Guam
Department of Agriculture.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Moylan) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Guam.
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Chairman, aquaculture has the potential to transform island economics and nutrition. By encouraging small-scale and commercial aquaculture, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands could lower the cost of fresh, nutritious food, increase food self-sustainability, and drive down reliance on foreign imports.
This amendment simply directs USDA to consult with Guam and U.S. Virgin Island agencies to identify locations in the islands, our islands, that are suitable for the development of aquaculture small businesses, including water quality assessments, coastal access, infrastructure needs, and applicable environmental and regulatory requirements.
sectors, and I urge my colleagues to support the territorial aquaculture and vote “yes” on this bipartisan amendment.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentlewoman from Michigan is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, I support this amendment. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield the balance of my time.
Mr. MOYLAN. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate my colleague's support. I look forward to moving this measure forward, and I yield the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Moylan).
The amendment was agreed to.
{time} 0210
Amendment No. 45 Offered by Ms. Scholten
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 45 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Add at the end of title IV the following:
SEC. __. PROMOTING ACCESS TO LOCAL AGRICULTURE.
(a) Streamlining Applications for Farmers.—
(1) Definitions.—In this section:
(A) Covered nutrition program.—The term “covered
nutrition program” means—
(i) the supplemental nutrition assistance program
established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7
U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);
(ii) the senior farmers' market nutrition program
established under section 4402 of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3007);
(iii) the special supplemental nutrition program for women,
infants, and children established by section 17 of the Child
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), including the
farmers' market nutrition program under that program; and
(iv) the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program
established under section 4405 of the Food, Conservation, and
Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 7517), as practicable with
respect to the activities carried out by the Secretary under
paragraphs (2) and (3).
(B) Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
(2) Streamlined application process.—
(A) In general.—The Secretary shall establish a
streamlined application process—
(i) for direct marketing farmers and ranchers to apply to
be vendors under each of the covered nutrition programs; and
(ii) by—
(I) developing a single application that a direct marketing
farmer or rancher may use to apply to each of the covered
nutrition programs; or
(II) developing an information sharing system that—
(aa) shares the information of a direct marketing farmer or
rancher who is approved as an authorized vendor under a
covered nutrition program with each of the other covered
nutrition programs; and
(bb) deems that direct marketing farmer or rancher as a
prequalified eligible vendor for those other covered
nutrition programs.
(B) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the
Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of
Representatives a report describing progress made in carrying
out subparagraph (A).
(3) Streamlined processing of benefits.—The Secretary
shall establish a streamlined process for direct marketing
farmers and ranchers that are vendors under any of the
covered nutrition programs to process benefits under those
programs through the use of standardized technology, such as
a single piece of equipment or a mobile application.
(b) Support for Wireless and Mobile Equipment for Certain
Entities.—Section 7(f)(2) of the Food and Nutrition Act of
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016(f)(2)) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D);
and
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
“(C) Requirement.—The Secretary shall ensure that
equipment or systems made available to entities described in
clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (B) by a State agency or
an implementing partner of a State agency is appropriate for
the entity, including, with respect to farmers markets and
other direct-to-consumer markets, wireless or mobile
processing equipment and technology systems.”.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Scholten) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of this amendment, which would incorporate the text of my bill, the bipartisan, bicameral Promoting Access to Local Agriculture Act into the farm bill.
through critical Federal nutrition programs designed to feed communities, like SNAP and WIC. This is not because of a lack of need or demand, but rather because the system itself is too complicated to navigate.
that makes us one of the most agriculturally diverse States in the country, and these bureaucratic roadblocks mean less businesses for hardworking farmers and less fresh food on the table for families.
participate in these essential programs while also ensuring that families have better access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food.
the way that it should and advancing practical solutions that are responsive to the farmers and the families that we serve.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to it.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for bringing forward this amendment. This is a win-win for agriculture and for our neighbors in need.
farmers' markets and stands, this amendment will remove bureaucratic red tape and expand markets for our farmers and ranchers while increasing access to fresh, locally grown food for lower-income families.
Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Chair, I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle can support this important amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Scholten).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 46 Offered by Ms. Schrier
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 46 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 35, after line 12, insert the following:
(5) State acres for wildlife enhancement continuous
enrollment.—Section 1231(d)(6)(A)(i) of the Food Security
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(d)(6)(A)(i)) is amended—
(A) in subclause (II), by striking “and” at the end; and
(B) by inserting after subclause (III) the following:
“(IV) land that will be enrolled under the State acres for
wildlife enhancement initiative established by the Secretary;
and”.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Schrier) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Washington.
Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment to the Farm, Food, and National Security Act that would codify the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement, or SAFE Initiative.
Reserve Program. It helps landowners restore land that would otherwise be unproductive for agricultural purposes.
populations by restoring critical habitats and providing food sources. This is great for agricultural producers, a win for wildlife and the environment, and it allows States to work toward their high priority conservation goals.
Initiative can provide habitat for two of our native birds, the sage- grouse, and the core sharp-tailed grouse. There are fewer than 1,000 of these birds remaining, and a lot of their habitat is on private farms across our State. This program protects those species.
habitats for species like the New England cottontail, grassland birds, deer, and even pollinators.
to earn money through land that they no longer can use or they may not need.
to restore their land, which of course, benefits them financially but also protects habitat, improves soil health, limits erosion, and sequesters carbon.
their land, farmers can receive annual rental payments and additional financial assistance to establish long-term, easy-to-implement conservation practices, like increasing vegetative cover.
opportunity to diversify their income while ensuring their land can be used by future generations. It is great for the environment. It is phenomenal for our Nation's farmers, and it creates lasting State partnerships with producers.
my colleagues to support my amendment that would codify the SAFE Initiative and ensure land can be continuously enrolled in this program.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to it.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Pennsylvania is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I thank the gentlewoman for offering this amendment. Our system of voluntary, incentive-based, and locally led conservation is a proven model providing benefits to both producer and the environment.
habitat as we see in the case of the SAFE Initiative and other programs like the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program.
enrollment option, this amendment would simply codify that. As such, I support the amendment and I urge a “yes” vote.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. SCHRIER. Mr. Chair, again, I encourage my colleagues to vote to codify this SAFE Initiative program, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Schrier).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 47 Offered by Mr. Self
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 47 printed in part B of House Report 119-628.
Mr. SELF. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of subtitle A, of title IV, add the following:
SEC. 4114. FUNDING IS ZERO FOR ZERO NUTRITION OPTIONS.
(a) Amendments.—Section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of
2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012) is amended—
(1) in subsection (k) by inserting “soda,” after
“alcoholic beverages,”, and
(2) by inserting after subsection (r) the following:
“(r-1) `Soda' means a carbonated beverage that contains
more than 1 gram of added sugar, artificial sweetener, or
flavoring per serving.”.
(b) Effective Date.—This section shall take effect 180
days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1224, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Self) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. SELF. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to ensure that a program called nutrition assistance actually delivers nutrition.
soda, products with zero nutritional value and well-documented links to obesity, diabetes, and long-term health costs. That is not what this program was designed to do.
My amendment is straightforward. It adds soda to the list of ineligible SNAP items alongside alcohol and tobacco and defines soda clearly as any carbonated beverage containing more than 1 gram of added sugar, artificial sweetener, or flavoring per serving.
Now, let's address the obvious concern: choice. SNAP participants already use multiple forms of payment at checkout. This amendment does not take away anyone's ability to purchase soda. They remain fully free to do so with cash, credit, or debit. What this does is ensure that taxpayer-funded nutrition dollars are not used for products with zero nutritional value.
We already do this in WIC. We already do this with alcohol and tobacco. The authority exists. The precedent exists.
products and the healthcare costs that follow, we should at least stop financing the problem on the front end.
and aligns it with its core mission. I urge adoption of the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Minnesota is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for this amendment, and of course, all of us here support promoting healthier diets and lifestyles for all Americans, but I have serious concerns with any policy that would make life more difficult for Americans who are already struggling to make ends meet.
{time} 0220
kinds of foods and drinks from being purchased with SNAP are already creating massive confusion for participants and for retailers.
this point, although things aren't looking good. We certainly shouldn't be codifying any type of restrictions and picking winners and losers among foods without getting those results first.
be better off investing in fruit and vegetable incentives, like GusNIP, and revive SNAP-Ed, a nutrition education program that was eliminated in H.R. 1.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SELF. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).
Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Chair, we could talk at length the degree to which our welfare system allows people to buy things or use services that the average person in our society, at least if they are appropriately frugal, do not use. The easiest one that we should put an end to is this idea of unhealthy, sugary drinks.
The gentlewoman talks about making life easier. If you want to make life tougher, you give people a lot of Mountain Dew and increase the amount of obesity and increase the amount of diabetes. That is not a good thing.
money you are getting on your food stamps goes to your kids. I mean, I feel horrible if I am in a grocery store and I see somebody use food stamps for these soft drinks, and they have got little kids with them. We should just not do that.
money on this stuff, and we shouldn't be giving it to people in the welfare program.
Mr. SELF. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to the time remaining.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas has 2 minutes remaining.
Mr. SELF. Mr. Chair, I would like to address the assertion that this is too complicated to implement.
EBT systems already block thousands of ineligible items in real time. Retailers already categorize products at the UPC level. This is standard. WIC proves product-level restrictions are fully operational nationwide.
concerns. The definition of “soda” is clear and administrable. Retail systems already distinguish between eligible and noneligible goods. This is not something the store has to do.
Implementation is a logistics issue, not a policy issue.
Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Chair, I will just end with this. I want you to imagine a single mom who is on the SNAP program—remember, this is $6.20 a day—who wants to put a four-pack—remember, no one can afford six-packs anymore because everything is too expensive—wants to purchase a four-pack of soda as a treat once a week for her children. The idea that we are going to force that family, that single mom, to say, no, I can't choose to do that—we are going to take that choice away from them.
Mr. Chair, there are lots of people who live in families that need just a little bit of help right now, and it is getting worse under this administration. You cannot deny it. At the end of the day, this is one more way that we are attacking poor people in our country.
Mr. Chair, we are all for healthy, but let's not be mean at the same time.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SELF. Mr. Chair, I just want to ask one question. This amendment asks a basic question: Should a nutrition program pay for products with zero nutrition? If the answer is no, then the vote should be “yes.”
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Self).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. SELF. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will be postponed.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Grothman) having assumed the chair, Mr. Schmidt, Acting Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 7567) to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2031, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.