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Amends an existing specialty crops law to standardize and clarify terminology used in that statute. It sets the defined term “Secretary” to mean the Secretary of Agriculture and revises the definitions of “State” and “State department of agriculture,” updating cross-references so the statute consistently refers to the correct federal official and state entities. The changes are technical and administrative: they do not create new programs, change funding, or alter eligibility rules. The primary effect is clearer legal language and reduced ambiguity about which federal and state offices the law addresses.
The bill trades modest implementation costs and a risk that some state entities could lose eligibility for clearer, more consistent statutory definitions and program administration that reduce legal ambiguity for governments and agricultural stakeholders.
All Americans — and specifically State governments, State agriculture departments, farmers, and specialty-crop stakeholders — get clearer rules because the bill explicitly defines terms (e.g., 'Secretary', 'State', 'State department of agriculture'), reducing ambiguity about who has authority and who may apply for programs.
Farmers and specialty-crop stakeholders receive more consistent program administration nationwide because standardized terminology reduces inconsistent interpretations across jurisdictions.
State governments and State agencies risk losing access to certain Act benefits if the new definitions unintentionally narrow eligibility or exclude entities that previously qualified.
Legal practitioners, state agencies, and other stakeholders may face temporary confusion because editorial or numbering changes can break prior citations until crosswalks or guidance are issued.
Taxpayers may bear small administrative costs to implement the textual changes, update guidance, forms, and IT systems.
Establishes the official short title of the Act as the "Protecting Our Produce Act."
Replaces each occurrence of an unspecified term with the term “Secretary.”
Amends section 3 of the Act (7 U.S.C. 1621) to redefine paragraph (1) to specify that the term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture.
Amends section 3 of the Act to revise the definitions for “State” (now paragraph (3)) and “State department of agriculture” (now paragraph (4)).
Makes conforming textual changes in section 3 to adjust paragraph numbering and insert the revised definitions.
Directly affected parties are primarily federal and state agriculture agencies that administer and comply with the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act. State departments of agriculture and legal staff will update regulations, guidance, and paperwork to reflect the clarified terms. Specialty crop producers and related small businesses should see no change to program access or funding; the change reduces uncertainty about which office or official oversees statutory duties. Courts, auditors, and contract reviewers may benefit from clearer statutory language, lowering the risk of disputes over which entity is responsible for particular duties.
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Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced March 3, 2026 by Sanford Dixon Bishop · Last progress March 3, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House