Sponsors (13)
The bill strengthens federal focus and USDA capacity to identify and coordinate responses to food and agriculture security threats, but it relies largely on administrative steps without guaranteed funding and raises trade, cost, privacy, and transparency concerns.
Farmers, agricultural workers, rural communities, and federal/state governments will see greater federal attention and coordination on food and agriculture security, prompting targeted risk assessments and planning to reduce disruptions to the food supply.
USDA staff and partner agencies will gain dedicated capacity (a Senior Advisor, cleared staff, and authorized detailees from defense, intelligence, and law enforcement) to improve threat detection, information sharing, and coordinated responses to security risks in agriculture.
Taxpayers, policymakers, and state governments will get regular (biennial) reporting that increases transparency about vulnerabilities and provides actionable policy and resource recommendations to address supply-chain, data, and foreign-ownership risks.
Farmers, agricultural businesses, and financial institutions may face heightened privacy and commercial-confidentiality risks because sensitive agricultural data could be collected and shared with security agencies.
Taxpayers and USDA operations could face higher costs if expanding cleared staff and creating new positions requires new appropriations or diverts existing funds from other programs.
Producers and buyers could suffer economic impacts if a national-security framing prompts restrictions on foreign investment or trade in agricultural sectors.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Requires USDA to prioritize national security, create a Senior Advisor role, allow interagency detailees, and deliver biennial assessments of food and agriculture security gaps and needs to Congress and the NSC.
Requires the Department of Agriculture to treat national security as a core priority by expanding cleared personnel, creating an Office-based Senior Advisor for National Security, authorizing detailees with defense and intelligence agencies, and delivering a biennial assessment of national-security-related gaps, actions, recommendations, and resource needs for the food and agriculture sector to Congress and the National Security Council. Also includes a non-binding Sense of Congress noting increased activity on food and agriculture security and the need for more work on emerging-technology vulnerabilities.
Introduced January 20, 2026 by Stephanie I. Bice · Last progress January 20, 2026