Sponsor
Andy Harris
Representative · R-MD
Representative · R-MD
Introduced May 1, 2026 by Andy Harris · Last progress June 8, 2026
The bill increases rural infrastructure and some targeted supports while preserving certain administrative authorities, but it reduces budgetary transparency and regulatory flexibility—potentially weakening food‑safety oversight, limiting state authority, and constraining funding for programs and partners.
Rural communities, small businesses, and farmers gain expanded options and funding to build broadband and local infrastructure (broadband pilot eligibility/flexibility plus Farm Credit financing for waste, telecom, and electricity projects), improving connectivity and local investment.
USDA agencies can shift unobligated balances to modernize agency IT (including cloud migration), which can improve service delivery and reduce long‑term operating costs.
Federal payroll and HR continuity preserved by keeping the National Finance Center (NFC) systems under NFC control, reducing disruption risk for federal employees and contractors.
Consumers and public health are put at risk because statutory prohibitions delay or block key food‑safety and inspection actions (delays to Listeria guidance, sodium‑reduction efforts, traceability enforcement until 2028, bans on some FSIS/horse inspection funding), weakening protections and surveillance.
Program beneficiaries and taxpayers face reduced program funding and less congressional appropriations control due to $95M cancellation, $40M rescission, and expanded authorities to transfer/retain unobligated balances (availability until expended), which can delay or cancel projects and obscure future budgets.
Broad religious‑conscience protections tied to federal funding may limit enforcement against discriminatory actions and complicate grant and contracting decisions, potentially harming recipients of federal programs.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Allows limited USDA vehicle purchases and WCF transfers with congressional approval, permanently extends a Farm Bill provision, expands cooperative bank lending for rural infrastructure, cancels $95M, and pauses FDA Listeria guidance updates.
Adds several non-substantive title headings and organizational markers for agricultural, rural development, and foreign assistance programs; permits limited USDA vehicle purchases and allows certain transfers of unobligated USDA funds into the Department’s Working Capital Fund subject to agency and congressional approvals; restricts changes to the National Finance Center and certain CFO/CIO relocations without prior notice and approval. Makes multiple substantive changes: permanently extends a prior Farm Bill provision (removes a statutory sunset), expands lending authority for a bank for cooperatives to finance rural waste, telecom, and electricity projects, cancels $95 million in a previously available unobligated balance (with emergency-designated amounts protected), provides a $2 million appropriation for a specified program, and bars the FDA from issuing or promoting new Listeria-related guidance for certain low‑risk ready‑to‑eat foods until updated science is considered. The provided text is truncated at the end, so one listed USDA reporting/implementation requirement is incomplete in the supplied summary.