Sponsors (16)
The bill promotes rural economic growth and farm resilience by expanding and coordinating agritourism and USDA support, but it raises federal costs and shifts regulatory and compliance burdens onto small farms and nearby communities.
Rural communities and small farms will see increased visitors, local spending, and job opportunities as agritourism expands, boosting rural economic activity and helping keep some farms viable.
Small and family-run farms and agritourism operators gain stronger federal support — including a dedicated USDA official and updated enterprise programs offering technical assistance, marketing, and financial literacy — improving business capacity and resilience.
Coordination at the federal level could extend visitor-driven economic opportunities broadly across states, territories, and tribal lands, making benefits more geographically widespread.
Taxpayers and the USDA could face higher administrative costs and staffing needs to create and oversee agritourism programs and a dedicated official, increasing federal expenditures.
USDA focus or funds could be diverted toward agritourism initiatives, reducing resources available for other rural or agricultural priorities and potentially disadvantaging some existing programs.
Small operators and family farms may face increased liability, food-safety, land-use and zoning compliance burdens and related costs to adapt facilities and operations to host visitors.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates a new Agritourism Advisor position in USDA’s Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development to promote agritourism, coordinate USDA programs and outreach, and support agritourism across States, territories, DC, and Tribal lands. Declares congressional findings about the economic, educational, and community benefits of agritourism and makes technical changes relocating an existing related section and authorizing the Secretary to carry out the new provisions.
Introduced December 9, 2025 by Ronald Lee Wyden · Last progress December 9, 2025