Sponsor
Glenn Thompson
Representative · R-PA
Representative · R-PA
Official title: To provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2031, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 13, 2026 by Glenn Thompson · Last progress May 19, 2026
The bill directs substantial new support and multi‑year funding to farmers, rural infrastructure, conservation, nutrition, and research—improving access to credit, broadband, and technical assistance—while creating sizable new federal spending, added administrative complexity, and tradeoffs that could favor larger operators and reduce some environmental and state regulatory safeguards.
Farmers and specialty crop producers: expanded and more-flexible financial support (larger loan caps, broader loan eligibility, refinancing options, TAP replant assistance, improved crop‑insurance options and advance payments) to help recover from disasters, invest in production, and manage risk.
Rural households and communities: increased infrastructure investment and connectivity (multi-year broadband funding, innovative broadband pilots, water/wastewater/household well grants, small-processor grants, and coordinated rural development assistance) that improves internet access, public health, and local food processing capacity.
Producers and the environment: stronger, multi-year conservation and precision‑ag incentives (including higher payment shares for precision tech, soil‑health grants, RCPP funding certainty, and NRCS practice updates) to promote efficient inputs, improved soil health, and adoption of new technologies.
Taxpayers and federal budget: the bill authorizes substantial new and extended multi‑year program funding and recurring spending across many titles, increasing federal fiscal commitments and potential budgetary pressure if not offset.
USDA, state agencies, and program applicants: the package creates many new programs, reporting requirements, disclosure rules, deadlines, and administrative authorities that will increase implementation complexity, administrative burden, and risk of delayed delivery or uneven rollout.
Small and beginning producers, small towns: incentives and subsidies for advanced technologies, loan/award structures, and procurement preferences may disproportionately benefit larger, better‑capitalized farms or well‑resourced jurisdictions, widening disparities among producers and places.
Based on analysis of 50 sections of legislative text.
Reforms and reauthorizes numerous USDA conservation, rural development, nutrition, research, forestry, crop insurance, and international food aid programs, plus new standards, oversight, and reporting requirements.
Updates and rewrites many USDA authorities across conservation, rural development, crop insurance, research, forestry, animal health, farm lending, nutrition (SNAP), and international food aid. It changes program definitions and eligibility, extends and reauthorizes funding windows for multiple programs, shifts implementation of Food for Peace from USAID to USDA, creates new certification and oversight mechanisms for conservation technical assistance, requires standards for precision agriculture and procurement, and adds reporting and accountability requirements for USDA programs. The bill combines technical fixes, regulatory reforms, new program authorities (for precision agriculture, a Specialty Crop Advisory Committee, an Ombudsman office, and forest management categorical NEPA exclusions), program expansions or clarifications (Tree Assistance Program, conservation easements, farm-ownership loan eligibility), and several multi-year reauthorizations for research, rural broadband, animal health, and grant programs. It is a broad, complex agriculture and rural policy package with many administrative and programmatic changes affecting farmers, rural communities, State agencies, and USDA operations.