Sponsor
Andy Harris
Representative · R-MD
Representative · R-MD
Official title: Making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 25, 2025 by Andy Harris
The bill balances targeted operational and program supports (school meal price relief, USDA IT/fleet investments, rural financing continuity, research, and grant cost caps) and heightened Congressional oversight against targeted funding cuts and broad policy restrictions that could weaken food‑safety rulemaking, nutrition assistance, agency flexibility, and state consumer protections.
Students and families: school food authorities with solvent nonprofit meal accounts can avoid raising paid lunch prices in 2026–2027, reducing immediate out‑of‑pocket costs for many low‑ and middle‑income households.
USDA agencies and rural communities: allows transfer of unobligated funds into the USDA Working Capital Fund and authority to refresh or acquire vehicles and invest in IT/cloud/equipment to support operations and reduce long‑term operational costs (with committee notifications).
Nonprofits and grantees: caps indirect cost rates on cooperative agreements at 10%, leaving more grant dollars available for direct program activities and services.
Low‑income women, infants, and children and USDA operations: rescinds $100 million from WIC and cancels $78 million in prior‑year Working Capital Fund balances, reducing nutrition assistance resources and USDA capacity for programs and IT improvements.
Consumers and public health systems: bans or delays use of funds for certain rulemakings and blocks FDA traceability, Listeria, sodium guidance, SNAP retailer standards, and produce‑safety enforcement actions, which could slow adoption of food‑safety protections and hamper outbreak prevention/response.
Rural communities and conservation efforts: rescissions, limits on moving USDA staff across mission areas, and restrictions on reprogramming reduce agency flexibility and could constrain conservation programs (NRCS) and local service delivery.
Based on analysis of 16 sections of legislative text.
Sets limits and oversight on USDA vehicle purchases and Working Capital Fund transfers; restricts certain imports in child nutrition programs; delays a school paid-lunch pricing rule and preempts non-identical state "healthy" labeling rules during FDA compliance.
Authorizes and constrains how Agriculture Department funds may be used for vehicles, working capital transfers, and administrative IT and finance systems; sets several food and nutrition program rules including limits on imported poultry/seafood from China for child nutrition programs, temporary preemption of differing state "healthy" labeling standards during an FDA compliance period, and a short delay for a required paid-lunch pricing rule for most schools. It also directs availability of specific USDA research funds, restricts internal agency relocations within USDA, and attaches conditions to Food for Peace emergency food aid funding.