Sponsors (4)
The bill provides targeted, sustained federal support to expand community‑college agricultural workforce training and industry‑aligned apprenticeships, but funding is modest and structured in ways that may favor better‑resourced institutions and leave facility and geographic equity gaps.
Students at 2‑year public colleges will gain expanded workforce training, apprenticeships, and employer‑aligned experiential learning tied to local agriculture employers.
Community colleges and faculty will receive federal funds for equipment, professional development, and program capacity‑building to improve job‑relevant training.
State governments and institutions gain predictable federal funding authorization ($20M/year through 2031) to support sustained program development and planning.
Students and smaller or resource‑constrained community colleges—particularly in rural areas—may be disadvantaged because required matching funds and the competitive grant model favor better‑resourced institutions, risking uneven geographic distribution of programs.
Students and colleges will be limited in addressing facility shortfalls because grant funds cannot be used for building renovations or new construction, hindering program expansion in places with inadequate infrastructure.
Taxpayers will bear a recurring federal cost of $20 million per year through 2031, which is modest but limited in scale relative to national agriculture workforce needs.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced September 18, 2025 by Trent Kelly · Last progress September 18, 2025
Creates a new USDA competitive grant program to fund community and junior colleges and consortia of 2‑year public colleges for workforce training, education, research, and outreach in agriculture and related fields. The program prioritizes partnerships with local agricultural employers, allows funds for equipment, curriculum, apprenticeships, faculty development, and capacity building (but not building construction/renovation), and authorizes $20 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2031. The Secretary must evaluate the program and report back to congressional agriculture and appropriations committees within three years.