Sponsors (4)
Creates a competitive grant program for public 2-year colleges to expand agriculture education, workforce training, research, and partnerships, authorized at $20M/year for FY2026–FY2031.
The bill directs multi-year federal funding to expand and improve agriculture workforce training and instructional capacity at community colleges—boosting student job pathways and program quality—while requiring taxpayer funding and likely benefiting better‑resourced, partnered institutions more than small or rural colleges, and not addressing long-term facility needs.
Students at 2-year public colleges gain expanded, federally funded agriculture workforce training, apprenticeships, and stronger employer-connected, industry-aligned pathways that improve job readiness and placement into agricultural careers.
Community colleges and eligible entities receive consistent federal investment ($20 million per year FY2026–FY2031) to build program capacity and strengthen agricultural education and research at the 2-year level.
Faculty at community colleges and regional centers of excellence get professional development and coordinated support to scale best practices nationally, raising instructional quality and better aligning training to employer needs.
Very low‑resourced, small, or non‑partnered colleges and the students they serve (often rural communities) may be disadvantaged because grant rules prioritize applicants with industry partnerships and require matching funds, limiting equitable access.
Taxpayers bear a new federal cost of $20 million per year for six years, increasing federal spending that could displace other priorities or require trade-offs in the budget.
Funding is concentrated on equipment and program capacity rather than campus construction or long-term facility investment, so some colleges' long-term physical infrastructure needs may remain unaddressed.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Official title: To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to authorize capacity building grants for community college agriculture and natural resources programs.
Introduced September 18, 2025 by Trent Kelly · Last progress September 18, 2025
Creates a new competitive grant program that gives public 2-year (community and junior) colleges money to expand agriculture-related education, training, research, outreach, equipment, apprenticeships, and faculty development. The Department of Agriculture must prioritize proposals that coordinate with local agricultural employers, may designate regional or national centers of excellence, and must report program evaluation results to relevant congressional committees within three years. The bill authorizes $20 million per year for FY2026–FY2031 to operate the program.