Sponsors (2)
The bill directs sustained federal funding to expand paid experiential education and build agricultural and rural workforce capacity, but it increases federal spending and risks uneven access and slower local job impacts if not carefully targeted.
Schools, universities, and students receive stable federal funding ($60 million per year for FY2026–2035) to expand grants, fellowships, and partnerships in food and agricultural sciences and rural development.
Farmers, rural employers, and rural communities gain more trained professionals as the program builds workforce capacity for agriculture, rural community, and business development roles.
Students and trainees (and their educators) get paid work-based learning and teaching-enhancement opportunities in food and agricultural sciences and rural economic development, improving hands-on experience and career readiness.
Taxpayers face an increased federal cost of roughly $600 million over 10 years to fund the program, raising budget trade-off concerns and potential pressure for offsets.
Smaller colleges and community organizations in rural areas may be disadvantaged because funds and grants are likely to favor institutions with greater grant-writing and administrative capacity.
Rural employers and small businesses may not see quick local job placements if programs are not well-targeted, limiting near-term benefits for local labor markets.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds a grant priority for teaching enhancement (including paid work-based learning) in food/agricultural sciences and rural development and authorizes $60M/year for FY2026–2035.
Creates a new grant priority to support teaching enhancement projects, including paid work-based learning, that prepare more trained professionals in food and agricultural sciences and in rural economic, community, and business development. It also authorizes $60,000,000 in funding each fiscal year from 2026 through 2035 to support these grants. Also establishes an official short title for the Act. The authorization is for a multiyear program; actual spending would require later appropriations actions.
Introduced March 12, 2026 by April McClain Delaney · Last progress March 12, 2026