Sponsor
Andy Harris
Representative · R-MD
Representative · R-MD
The bill increases funding flexibility for rural connectivity, IT modernization, and certain targeted programs while preserving payroll continuity, but it also weakens some food-safety and regulatory authorities, reduces funding available for prior programs, and shifts oversight/appropriations practices in ways that could reduce transparency and hamper protections for consumers and some program beneficiaries.
Rural communities and small businesses: expanded eligibility and funding flexibility for broadband pilots and connectivity projects, increasing opportunities for rural broadband deployment and improved internet access.
USDA agencies, state and local partners: authorization to use transferred unobligated funds to modernize IT (including cloud migration), enabling improved service delivery and potential long-term cost savings.
Federal employees and payroll stakeholders: keeps the National Finance Center (NFC) payroll and HR systems under NFC control, providing continuity of payroll services and reducing the risk of disruption to federal pay and benefits.
Consumers and public health systems: prohibits FDA rulemaking/enforcement on key food-safety initiatives (Listeria guidance, sodium reduction, traceability enforcement until 2028), delaying regulatory protections that reduce foodborne illness and chronic-disease risks.
Consumers and agricultural markets: bans funding for certain horse inspections and restricts FSIS/food rule enforcement, which could reduce oversight, increase market and safety risks, and undermine consumer confidence in inspected products.
Rural communities and program beneficiaries: cancels $95M and rescinds $40M in unobligated funds, shrinking available funding for prior programs and potentially delaying or reducing planned rural projects and services.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Allows USDA to reallocate appropriations for vehicle purchases and Working Capital Fund investments with committee approvals; makes select farm provisions permanent; expands cooperative bank lending; cancels specified balances; limits FDA Listeria guidance.
Introduced May 1, 2026 by Andy Harris · Last progress June 8, 2026
Allows the Department of Agriculture to reallocate appropriations to buy vehicles (subject to a FY2027 fleet cap tied to the Department’s FY2018 fleet) and to transfer unobligated discretionary balances into USDA’s Working Capital Fund for equipment and IT/administrative improvements, with agency-level and Appropriations Committee approvals required before obligations. Makes several programmatic and financial changes affecting USDA programs and Farm Credit authorities (including removing a sunset on a farm provision and expanding cooperative bank financing for certain rural infrastructure), cancels a specified $95 million in unobligated balances from a prior law, appropriates $2 million for a specific program, and restricts the FDA from issuing new Listeria guidance for certain low-risk ready-to-eat foods until new science is considered.