Sponsors (10)
The bill invests federal funds to boost marketing and demand for U.S. specialty crops—benefiting growers, cooperatives, and small food businesses—while increasing recurring federal spending and imposing matching, eligibility, and administrative requirements that may strain smaller participants and exclude some private-sector partners.
U.S. specialty crop growers and related producers gain access to a $75 million per year federal marketing program to expand domestic demand for American fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other specialty crops, potentially increasing farm revenues.
Eligible cooperatives, trade associations, and small food businesses can receive grants to fund marketing campaigns, helping increase sales, market share, and visibility for domestic specialty-crop products.
Grant recipients must provide at least a 25% non‑Federal match, which can strain smaller organizations and shift limited resources away from other activities or deter applicants.
All taxpayers fund a recurring $75 million per year appropriation (plus administrative costs), increasing federal spending obligations and the fiscal footprint of agricultural marketing programs.
Compliance, monitoring, audits, and reporting requirements increase administrative burden for applicants and recipients, adding time and transaction costs that disproportionately affect small organizations and state partners.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a USDA grant program to fund domestic market development for specialty crops and authorizes $75M annually beginning FY2026, with a 25% non‑Federal match.
Creates a new USDA grant program to help develop domestic markets for U.S.-produced specialty crops. The program, run by the Agricultural Marketing Service, will award grants to eligible organizations that submit a marketing plan and certify Federal funds will supplement (not supplant) non‑Federal funds. Recipients must provide at least a 25% non‑Federal match (in‑kind allowed). The bill authorizes $75 million for each of fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter and allows the Secretary to use a portion for administrative costs. Grants may be multiyear with annual review, are subject to monitoring and evaluation (starting no later than 15 months after the first award), and can be terminated for noncompliance. Funding cannot be used for direct assistance to for‑profit corporations promoting foreign products, and stricter limits apply to certain for‑profit entities, with exceptions for cooperatives and eligible nonprofit trade groups.
Introduced August 22, 2025 by David G. Valadao · Last progress August 22, 2025