H.R. 7567 — what changed

“196A. Specialty crop emergency assistance framework

“(a) In general—The Secretary shall establish a framework to provide direct assistance to producers of specialty crops the production of which was impacted by an adverse event (including an economic crisis or market disruption), as determined by the Secretary, in accordance with this section.

“(b) Payment calculation—In determining a payment calculation for purposes of direct assistance to a producer of specialty crops under subsection (a), the Secretary shall calculate payments based on—

changed “(1) the producer’s sales of specialty crops for a calendar year that precedes the year in which the adverse event described in such subsection occurred; occurred or the average of such sales over a set of consecutive calendar years that precedes the year in which such adverse event occurred, as determined by the Secretary; multiplied by

changed “(2) a payment factor the Secretary determines, subject to the availability of appropriations, funds, to address losses of such specialty crops from such adverse event.

“(c) Special rules—Subject to subsection (d), in providing direct assistance pursuant to this section, the Secretary shall consider—

“(1) the higher value of specialty crops;

“(2) the greater input costs required to grow specialty crops; and

“(3) diverse types of legal entities and structures used by specialty crop producers.

“(d) Limitations

“(1) Total amount

changed “(A) In general—Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the total amount of payments received, directly or indirectly, by a person or legal entity (except a qualified pass-through entity) (as such terms are defined in section 1001(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(a)) 1308(a))) for any crop year under this section may not exceed the amount specified in subsection (b) of section 1001 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308), as adjusted pursuant to subsection (i) of such section 1001.

“(B) Exception—In the case of a person or legal entity with an average gross income (as calculated under section 1001D(b)(4)(B) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–3a(b)(4)(B))) for which greater than or equal to 75 percent of the average derives from farming, ranching, or silviculture activities—

“(i) subparagraph (A) shall not apply; and

“(ii) the total maximum amount of payments received, directly or indirectly, by such person or legal entity for any crop year under this section shall be set by the Secretary, except such amount may not be less than $900,000.

“(2) Notification of interests; eligibility; denials—Sections 1001A(a), 1001B, and 1001C of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–1(a); 1308–2; 1308–3) shall apply to a producer of a specialty crop under this section in the same manner as such sections apply to a person or legal entity with respect to a covered commodity, except to the extent such sections relate to the application of subsections (b) through (d) of section 1001A.”

“1502. Assistance in the form of block grants

“(a) In general—In the case additional funds made available after the date of the enactment of this section for covered losses, the Secretary may make assistance for such losses available in the form of block grants.

“(b) Covered losses—In this section, the term covered losses means losses—

“(1) of revenue, quality, or production of crops, trees, bushes, vines, poultry or livestock as a consequence of a natural disaster (as determined by the Secretary); and

“(2) for which assistance is not available pursuant to any other Federal law.”

Section 273 of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1637b) is amended—

“(C) for each manufacturer required to report under subparagraph (A) for any product, require that manufacturer to report production cost and product yield information, as determined by the Secretary, for all products processed in the same facility or facilities.”

changed “(3) Dairy product processing costs—Not later than 3 2 years after the date of enactment of this paragraph, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall publish a report containing the information obtained under subparagraph (C) of subsection (b)(1), subject to the conditions described in subsection (b)(2).”

added “(e) Regulation—Any actions taken by the Secretary under this section shall not be subject to review under Executive Order 12866 (58 Fed. Reg. 51735) or any successor order.”

Section 1201(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)) is amended—

“(20) Precision agriculture—The term precision agriculture means managing, tracking, or reducing crop or livestock production inputs, including seed, feed, fertilizer, chemicals, water, and time, at a heightened level of spatial and temporal granularity and biological targeting to improve efficiencies, reduce waste, and maintain environmental quality.

“(21) Precision agriculture technology—The term precision agriculture technology means any technology (including targeted inputs and the equipment that is necessary for the deployment of such technology) that directly contributes to a reduction in, or improved efficiency of, inputs used in crop or livestock production, including—

“(A) Global Positioning System-based or geospatial mapping technology;

“(B) satellite or aerial imagery technology;

“(C) yield monitors;

“(D) soil mapping technology;

“(E) sensors for gathering data on crop, soil, or livestock conditions;

“(F) Internet of Things and telematics technologies;

“(G) data management software and advanced analytics;

“(H) network connectivity products and solutions;

“(I) Global Positioning System guidance or auto-steer systems;

“(J) variable rate technology for applying inputs, such as section control; and

“(K) any other technology, as determined by the Secretary, that directly contributes to a reduction in, or improved efficiency of, the use of crop or livestock production inputs, which may include seed, feed, fertilizer, soil amendments, chemicals, water, and time.”

added “(30) Wildlife habitat connectivity—The term wildlife habitat connectivity means the degree to which landscape or habitat elements facilitate native species movement among seasonal habitats.”

changed “(B) Limitation—For purposes of applying the limitations in paragraph (a), (1), the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, enroll and maintain not fewer than 8,600,000 acres of land under subparagraph (A) by September 30, 2031.”

added “(A) Payments under this subtitle—Except as provided in paragraph (9), a producer shall”

removed “(A) Payments under this subtitle—A producer shall”

“(B) Conservation loan and loan guarantee program payments

“(i) In general—A producer receiving payments for practices on eligible land under the program may also receive a loan or loan guarantee under section 304 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to cover costs for the same practices on the same land.

“(ii) Notice to producer—The Secretary shall inform a producer participating in the program in writing that they may apply to receive a loan or loan guarantee under section 304 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act as it relates to costs of implementing practices under this program.”

added “(v) addresses the conservation and restoration of wildlife habitat, including wildlife habitat connectivity and wildlife migration corridors; or

added “(vi) increases carbon sequestration or reduces greenhouse gas emissions, including emissions of methane and nitrous oxide.”

removed “(v) increases carbon sequestration or reduces greenhouse gas emissions, including emissions of methane and nitrous oxide.”

“(8) Increased payments for precision agriculture practices—Notwithstanding paragraph (2), the Secretary may increase the amount that would otherwise be provided for a practice under this subsection to not more than 90 percent of the costs associated with adopting precision agriculture practices and acquiring precision agriculture technology for the purpose of implementing conservation practices.”

added “(9) Cost-share payments for grassland enrolled in the conservation reserve program

added “(A) In general—The Secretary may provide payments under the program for costs associated with planning, design, materials, equipment, installation, labor, management, maintenance, or training, for the purpose of a wildlife corridor, with respect to eligible land that is—

added “(i) enrolled in the conservation reserve program under section 1231(d)(2)(A); and

added “(ii) of ecological significance, as described in section 1231(d)(2)(B)(iii).

added “(B) Limitation—A producer shall not be eligible for payments under subparagraph (A) for a practice if the producer receives payments or other benefits for the same practice on the same land under this title.”

“(D) the adoption of precision agriculture practices or the acquisition of precision agriculture technology to achieve water conservation and energy efficiency.”

“(k) Southern Border Initiative

“(1) In general—The Secretary shall provide payments under the program to producers to implement conservation practices on covered lands of such producers that address and repair covered damage that may contribute to a natural resource concern or problem.

“(2) Contract term—In the case of a contract under the program entered into for the implementation of practices described in paragraph (1), such contract shall have a term of 1 year.

“(3) Definitions—In this subsection:

“(A) Covered damage—The term covered damage means damage to agricultural land or farming infrastructure.

“(B) Covered land—The term covered land means eligible land in a county at or near the southern border of the United States, as determined by the Secretary.”

“(1) Grants—Out of the funds made available to carry out this subchapter, the Secretary may award competitive grants that are intended to stimulate development and evaluation of new and innovative approaches to leveraging the Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production or forest resource management, through the program, including grants for the development and evaluation of new and innovative technologies that may be incorporated into conservation practice standards.”

“(VIII) perennial production systems, including agroforestry and perennial forages and grain crops; and”

“(ii) data that may be used to evaluate new and emerging technologies and recommendations for State and regional applications of such new and emerging technologies; and”

added Section 1240J(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–22(b)) is amended—

removed “(6) Minimum payment—The amount of an annual payment under the program shall be not less than $4,000.”

added “(3) Cost-share payments for grassland enrolled in the conservation reserve program

added “(A) In general—The Secretary may provide payments under the program for costs associated with planning, design, materials, equipment, installation, labor, management, maintenance, or training, for the purpose of a wildlife corridor, with respect to eligible land that is—

added “(i) enrolled in the conservation reserve program under section 1231(d)(2)(A); and

added “(ii) of ecological significance, as described in section 1231(d)(2)(B)(iii).

added “(B) Limitation—A producer shall not be eligible for payments under subparagraph (A) for a conservation activity if the producer receives payments or other benefits for the same conservation activity on the same land under this title.

added “(C) Emergency grazing and haying access preserved—No priority resource concern, practice, or incentive pertaining to restoration and enhancement of wildlife habitat connectivity and wildlife migration corridors on the acres described above will prevent or alter emergency grazing and haying access for grassland acres enrolled in the conservation reserve program.”

removed “(C) precision agriculture conservation activities.”

added “(6) Minimum payment—The amount of an annual payment under the program shall be not less than $4,000.”

added “(C) precision agriculture conservation activities.”

removed Subchapter B of chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–21 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

removed “1240L–2. State assistance for soil health

removed “(a) Definitions—In this section:

removed “(1) Eligible Indian Tribe—The term eligible Indian Tribe means an Indian Tribe that is—

removed “(A) implementing a soil health program for the area over which the Indian Tribe has jurisdiction; and

removed “(B) meeting or exceeding performance measures established by the Indian Tribe for the soil health program.

removed “(2) Eligible State—The term eligible State means a State that is—

removed “(A) implementing a soil health program for the State; and

removed “(B) meeting or exceeding performance measures established by the State for the soil health program.

removed “(3) Soil health program—The term soil health program means a program to improve soil health on agricultural land that—

removed “(A) is broadly consistent with the soil health principles of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, as determined by the Secretary; and

removed “(B) may include—

removed “(i) technical assistance;

removed “(ii) financial assistance;

removed “(iii) on-farm research and demonstration;

removed “(iv) education, outreach, and training;

removed “(v) monitoring and evaluation; or

removed “(vi) such other components as the Secretary determines appropriate.

removed “(b) Availability and purpose of grants—For fiscal years 2027 through 2031, the Secretary shall make grants to eligible States and eligible Indian Tribes for the purpose of improving soil health on agricultural lands through the implementation of State and Tribal soil health programs.

removed “(c) Applications

removed “(1) In general—To receive a grant under this section, an eligible State or eligible Indian Tribe shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such a manner, and containing such information as the Secretary shall require, which shall include—

removed “(A) a description of performance measures to be used to evaluate the State or Tribal soil health program and the results of any activities carried out using grant funds received under this section; and

removed “(B) an assurance that grant funds received under this section will supplement the expenditure of State or Tribal funds in support of soil health, rather than replace such funds.

removed “(2) Tribal option—An Indian Tribe shall have the option, at the sole discretion of the Indian Tribe, to be incorporated into the application of an eligible State.

removed “(d) Grants

removed “(1) Amount—The amount of a grant to an eligible State or eligible Indian Tribe under this section for a fiscal year may not exceed the lower of—

removed “(A) $5,000,000; or

removed “(B) as applicable—

removed “(i) 50 percent of the cost of implementing the State soil health program in the fiscal year; or

removed “(ii) 75 percent of the cost of implementing the Tribal soil health program in the fiscal year.

removed “(2) Term—A grant under this section shall be for 1 year, and may be renewed annually.

removed “(e) Audits and reviews—An eligible State or eligible Indian Tribe receiving a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary—

removed “(1) for each year for which the State or Indian Tribe receives such a grant, the results of an audit of the expenditures of the grant funds; and

removed “(2) at such intervals as the Secretary shall establish, a review and evaluation of the State or Tribal soil health program.

removed “(f) Effect of noncompliance—If the Secretary, after reasonable notice to an eligible State or eligible Indian Tribe receiving a grant under this section, finds that the State or Indian Tribe has failed to comply with the terms of the grant, the Secretary may disqualify, for 1 or more years, the State or Indian Tribe from receipt of future grants under this section.

removed “(g) Funding—Of the funds made available to carry out this subchapter, $100,000,000 shall be available in each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out this section.

removed “(h) Administration

removed “(1) Department—The Secretary may not use more than 3 percent of the funds made available to carry out this section for a fiscal year for administrative expenses.

removed “(2) States or Indian Tribes—An eligible State or eligible Indian Tribe receiving a grant under this section may not use more than 7 percent of the granted funds for a fiscal year for administrative expenses.”

“1240N. Feral swine eradication and control program

“(a) In general—The Secretary shall establish a feral swine eradication and control program (in this section referred to as the “program”) to respond to the threat feral swine pose to agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and animal health.

“(b) Duties of the Secretary—In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall—

“(1) study and assess the nature and extent of damage to the threatened areas caused by feral swine;

“(2) develop methods to eradicate or control feral swine in the threatened areas;

“(3) develop methods to restore damage caused by feral swine; and

“(4) provide financial assistance to agricultural producers in threatened areas.

“(c) Assistance—The Secretary may provide financial assistance to agricultural producers under the program to implement methods to—

“(1) eradicate or control feral swine in the threatened areas; and

“(2) restore damage caused by feral swine.

“(d) Coordination—The Secretary shall ensure that the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service coordinate for purposes of this section through State technical committees established under section 1261(a).

“(e) Cost Sharing

“(1) Federal share—The Federal share of the costs of activities under the program may not exceed 75 percent of the total costs of such activities.

“(2) In-kind contributions—The non-Federal share of the costs of activities under the program may be provided in the form of in-kind contributions of materials or services.

“(f) Threatened area defined—In this section, the term threatened area means an area of a State in which feral swine have been identified as a threat to agriculture, native ecosystems, or human and animal health, as determined by the Secretary.

“(g) Funding

“(1) Mandatory funding—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section $75,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2024, and $150,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 2031.

“(2) Distribution of funds—Of the funds made available under paragraph (1)—

“(A) 40 percent shall be allocated to the Natural Resources Conservation Service to carry out the program, including the provision of financial assistance to producers for on-farm trapping and technology related to capturing and confining feral swine; and

“(B) 60 percent shall be allocated to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to carry out the program, including the use of established, and testing of innovative, population reduction methods.

“(3) Limitation on administrative expenses—Not more than 10 percent of funds made available under this section may be used for administrative expenses of the program.

changed “(h) Coordination and cooperation with a land grant land-grant college or university

“(1) In general—The Secretary shall direct the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to enter into a contract with 1 or more land-grant colleges or universities to assist with the program in achieving its goals.

“(2) Eligible land-grant colleges and universities—A land-grant college or university is eligible to enter into a contract under paragraph (1) if such college or university—

“(A) has developed and implemented a system of evaluating damages from feral swine and effectiveness of control efforts in response to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–334);

“(B) shows evidence of a strong working relationship with Wildlife Services in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; and

“(C) has maintained a State-funded, non-Federal Wildlife Services program that has an active cooperative agreement with Wildlife Services in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service within the structure of the Land Grant University System.

“(3) Role of the land-grant college or university—A land-grant college or university that enters into a contract under paragraph (1) shall, as a condition on entering into such a contract, assist the program by acting as a strategic, neutral entity that is able to advance the program beyond the expertise of the Department to achieve the stated goals of the program by—

“(A) identifying and carrying out research on novel methods of feral swine control and land remediation;

“(B) assisting in establishing strategic areas for feral swine control based on data collected in response to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018;

“(C) coordinating and collaborating between field staff, programmatic staff, and research staff within the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; and

“(D) establishing and consulting with the Department on research goals and priorities in the program.

“(4) Funding—Funding made available under (g)(2) shall be available to fund activities under this subsection, as determined by the Secretary.

“(5) Land-grant college or university defined—In this subsection, the term land-grant college or university has the meaning given the term land-grant colleges and universities in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103).”

Section 401 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2201) is amended—

“(1) In general—With respect to a payment to an agricultural producer under subsection (a) for the repair or replacement of fencing, or for other emergency measures to rehabilitate farmland or to repair or replace a farmland or conservation structure, the Secretary shall give the agricultural producer the option of receiving—

“(A) before carrying out such replacement or rehabilitation, not more than 75 percent of the payment for such replacement or rehabilitation, which shall be based on the fair market value of the replacement or rehabilitation, as determined by the Secretary; and

“(B) before carrying out such repair, not more than 50 percent of the payment for such repair, which shall be based on the fair market value of the repair, as determined by the Secretary.”

added “(3) New or emerging technologies—Repair or replacement of fencing under this section may include updating of fencing to new or emerging technology if such updating does not increase the cost of the repair or replacement.”

“(c) Wildfires—A wildfire that causes damage with respect to which a payment may be made under subsection (a) includes any wildfire that is not caused naturally, including a wildfire that is caused by the Federal Government, if the damage is caused by the spread of the fire due to natural causes.”

“(1) Easement restoration—The Secretary is authorized to restore appropriate vegetative cover, hydrological functions, and other functions and values of the land subject to a floodplain easement acquired under subsection (a).

“(2) Easement maintenance—The Secretary is authorized to monitor, maintain, and enhance appropriate vegetative cover, hydrological restoration measures, and other restoration measures on land subject to a floodplain easement acquired under subsection (a).

“(3) Contracts and agreements—In carrying out paragraphs (1) and (2), the Secretary may—

“(A) enter into contracts with landowners; and

“(B) enter into agreements with States, nongovernmental organizations, and Indian Tribes.

“(4) Compatible use authority—The Secretary may authorize a landowner to carry out activities on land subject to a floodplain easement acquired under subsection (a) that are—

“(A) compatible uses necessary to carry out paragraph (1) or (2); or

“(B) compatible economic uses (including such activities as hunting and fishing, managed timber harvest, water management, or periodic haying or grazing) if such uses are consistent with the long-term protection of the floodplain functions and values for which the easement was acquired.”

“(c) Level of restoration—In carrying out this section, the Secretary may undertake measures that increase the level of protection above that which would be necessary to address the immediate impairment of the watershed if the Secretary determines that such restoration is in the best interest of the long-term health of the watershed and the long-term protection of the watershed from repetitive impairments.”

“(i) $2,530,000,000 for fiscal year 2027;

“(ii) $2,730,000,000 for fiscal year 2028;

“(iii) $3,130,000,000 for fiscal year 2029;

“(iv) $3,175,000,000 for fiscal year 2030; and

“(v) $3,255,000,000 for fiscal year 2031; and”

“(5) The forest conservation easement program under subtitle I, using, to the maximum extent practicable—

“(A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2027;

“(B) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2028;

“(C) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2029;

“(D) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2030; and

“(E) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2031.

“(6) The regional conservation partnership program under subtitle J, to the maximum extent practicable—

“(A) $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2027;

“(B) $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2028;

“(C) $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2029;

“(D) $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2030; and

“(E) $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2031.”

“(A) subtitle D (except for subchapter B of chapter 1 of such subtitle), subtitle H, subtitle I, or subtitle J;”

“(2) Non-Federal certifying entity—The term non-Federal certifying entity means a non-Federal entity, an Indian Tribe, or a State agency described in subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) of subsection (e)(4) that has entered into an agreement under subsection (e)(5)(D).”

“(A) ensure that persons (including commercial entities, nonprofit entities, State or local governments or agencies, and other Federal agencies) with expertise in the technical aspects of conservation planning, watershed planning, environmental engineering, conservation practice design, implementation, and evaluation, and any other technical skills determined appropriate by the Secretary, are eligible to become approved providers of the technical assistance;”

“(4) Certification—A third-party provider may be certified to provide technical assistance under this section only—

“(A) through a certification process administered by the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service;

“(B) by a non-Federal entity (other than a State agency or an Indian Tribe) approved by the Secretary under paragraph (5) to certify a third-party provider;

“(C) by an Indian Tribe approved by the Secretary under paragraph (5) to certify a third-party provider; or

“(D) by a State agency that—

“(i) has statutory authority to certify, administer, or license professionals in one or more fields of natural resources, agriculture, or engineering; and

“(ii) is approved by the Secretary under paragraph (5) to certify a third-party provider.

“(5) Non-Federal certifying entity

“(A) Establishment of approval process—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the Secretary shall establish a process to approve a non-Federal entity (including a State agency and an Indian Tribe), to become a non-Federal certifying entity.

“(B) Approval—Not later than 60 days after the date on which the Secretary receives an application by a non-Federal entity to certify third-party providers under this section, the Secretary shall make a decision on whether to approve such application.

“(C) Eligibility—In carrying out subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall take into consideration—

“(i) the ability of the applicable non-Federal entity to assess the qualifications of a third-party provider and to certify third-party providers at scale;

“(ii) the experience of the applicable non-Federal entity in working with third-party providers and eligible participants;

“(iii) the expertise of the applicable non-Federal entity in the technical skills described in paragraph (3)(A); and

“(iv) such other qualifications as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

“(D) Agreement—Upon approving an application under this paragraph, the Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the non-Federal entity to become a non-Federal certifying entity.

“(E) Duties of non-Federal certifying entities—In certifying third-party providers under this section, a non-Federal certifying entity shall—

“(i) assess the ability of a third-party provider to appropriately provide technical assistance to eligible participants for specified practices and conservation activities;

“(ii) provide training to ensure that a third-party provider is qualified to provide technical assistance upon certification by the non-Federal certifying entity; and

“(iii) submit to the Secretary, in a timely manner, information on—

“(I) each third-party provider certified by the non-Federal certifying entity, for inclusion on the registry of certified third-party providers maintained by the Secretary; and

“(II) each third-party provider the certification of which is withdrawn by the non-Federal certifying entity.

“(6) Timely decisions

“(A) Certification by Secretary—Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary receives an application from a third-party provider to be certified under the process described in paragraph (4)(A) for particular practices and conservation activities, the Secretary shall—

“(i) make a final decision with respect to such application; and

“(ii) if the final decision is to certify the third-party provider, include the name of the certified third-party provider on the registry of certified third-party providers maintained by the Secretary.

“(B) Certification by non-Federal certifying entity—Not later than 10 days after the date on which the Secretary receives a notification from a non-Federal certifying entity that a third-party provider was certified, pursuant to subparagraph (B), (C), or (D) of paragraph (4), for particular practices and conservation activities, the Secretary shall include the name of the certified third-party provider on the registry of certified third-party providers maintained by the Secretary.

“(7) Streamlined certification—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the Secretary shall establish a streamlined process for the Secretary and non-Federal certifying entities to use to certify under this section a third-party provider that has a relevant professional certification for particular practices and conservation activities, as determined by the Secretary.”

“(3) Update of certification process by the Secretary—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, and periodically thereafter, the Secretary shall—

“(A) review the certification processes under paragraphs (4)(A) and (7) of subsection (e);

“(B) make any adjustments considered necessary by the Secretary to—

“(i) increase the number of third-party providers delivering technical assistance; and

“(ii) improve the quality of technical assistance delivered by third-party providers;

“(C) conduct outreach to, and receive input on the barriers for third-party providers to become certified under this section from—

“(i) third-party providers that are, or have been, certified under this section; and

“(ii) other interested parties associated with eligible participants; and

“(D) set a target rate of utilization of third-party providers to deliver technical assistance across all conservation programs administered by the Secretary.”

“(5) Payment amount

“(A) In general—For payments provided by the Secretary under paragraph (2) or (3) of subsection (c), the Secretary shall determine payment amounts for technical assistance provided by third-party providers, which shall be at rates equivalent to, but that do not exceed, the cost to the Secretary of providing technical assistance directly to an eligible participant.

“(B) Considerations—In determining payment amounts under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall consider specialized equipment, frequency of site visits, training, travel and transportation, and such other factors as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

“(C) Exclusion—A payment provided under subsection (c)(3) shall be excluded from calculations relating to any cost-sharing requirements of the applicable conservation program under which the payment was provided.

“(6) Transparency—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, and periodically thereafter, the Secretary shall make publicly available information on—

“(A) funds obligated to third-party providers through—

“(i) contracts entered into between eligible participants and individual third-party providers; and

“(ii) agreements with public and private sector entities to secure third-party technical assistance;

“(B) the certification process under this section, including—

“(i) the number of third-party providers certified by the Secretary;

“(ii) the number of non-Federal certifying entities approved by the Secretary;

“(iii) the number of third-party providers certified by non-Federal certifying entities (other than State agencies and Indian Tribes);

“(iv) the number of third-party providers certified by Indian Tribes;

“(v) the number of third-party providers certified by State agencies; and

“(vi) the number of third-party providers certified through the streamlined certification process described in subsection (e)(7);

“(C) how third-party providers contribute to the quality and effectiveness of conservation practices implemented and adopted through conservation programs administered by the Secretary, and what improvements are needed; and

“(D) the target rate of utilization of third-party providers set under paragraph (3)(D) and how actual rate of utilization compares to the target rate.”

“(7) Soil health planning—The Secretary shall emphasize the use of third-party providers in providing technical assistance for soil health planning, including planning related to the use of cover crops, precision agriculture practices, comprehensive nutrient management planning, and other innovative plans.”

“(A) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, and at least every 5 years thereafter, complete a review of each conservation practice standard, including engineering design specifications;”

“(D) evaluate opportunities to increase flexibility in conservation practice standards in a manner that integrates new and innovative technologies that provide equivalent or improved natural resource benefits compared to the standards in effect at the time of the review;”

“(E) provide a process for public input on each conservation practice standard under such review, including a process for consideration of State and local input;

“(F) publicly post a summary of any input received under subparagraph (E) and any decisions made relating to such input; and

“(G) revise any conservation practice standard based on the results of such review, as determined appropriate by the Secretary, and publish any such revised standard.”

“(3) Process for establishment of interim and new conservation practice standards

“(A) In general—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the Secretary shall develop a streamlined process under which the Secretary shall establish interim conservation practice standards and new conservation practice standards.

“(B) Development—In developing the streamlined process under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall—

“(i) ensure that the public can engage with the Department of Agriculture, including by recommending interim conservation practice standards; and

“(ii) establish—

“(I) the types of data, metrics, and other relevant information that are necessary for the establishment of interim conservation practice standards and new conservation practice standards;

“(II) the process by which an interim conservation practice standard may become a new conservation practice standard; and

“(III) specific requirements for an expedited review of a new conservation practice for the purpose of establishing a new conservation practice standard for such practice.

“(C) Considerations—In establishing an interim conservation practice standard or a new conservation practice standard under this subsection, the Secretary shall consider—

“(i) input from State technical committees on recommendations that identify innovations or advancements in conservation practices;

“(ii) technological advancements, including advancements from projects developed under section 1240H;

“(iii) State and local input in the form of—

“(I) recommendations for interim conservation practice standards; and

“(II) partnership-led proposals for new and innovative techniques to facilitate implementing agreements and grants under this title; and

“(iv) input from native entities in the form of information relating to native traditional ecological knowledge that can inform conservation practice standards.

“(D) Innovative technology priority—In reviewing conservation practice standards under this subsection, the Secretary shall prioritize the review of interim conservation practice standards and new conservation practice standards that integrate innovative technologies, including—

“(i) precision agriculture technologies;

“(ii) biological fertilizers, biostimulants, enhanced efficiency fertilizers, and other tools determined by the Secretary to reduce nutrient loss;

“(iii) animal feed additives;

“(iv) perennial production systems, including agroforestry and perennial forages and grain crops; and

“(v) any other innovative technology, as determined by the Secretary.

“(E) Transparency—The Secretary shall make available on a public website a detailed description of the process for recommending, reviewing, and establishing interim conservation practice standards and new conservation practice standards under this paragraph.”

“(D) any other information the Secretary determines useful to improve such streamlined process for reviewing and establishing conservation practice standards.”

“(5) Office of Conservation Innovation

“(A) In general—The Secretary shall establish within the Office of the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service an Office of Conservation Innovation (referred to in this paragraph as the “Office”) which shall be under the direct supervision of the Chief.

“(B) Duties—The Office shall—

“(i) provide support to the Chief in meeting the requirements of this subsection; and

“(ii) encourage innovation in conservation practices through—

“(I) revisions of existing conservation practice standards;

“(II) recommendations of interim conservation practice standards; and

“(III) recommendations of new conservation practice standards.

“(C) Staff—The Chief shall detail to the Office not more than 6 employees of the Department of Agriculture who are technical specialists that possess an understanding of conventional, organic, and other production techniques, representing—

“(i) agronomy and agroecology (including soil health, biological nutrient sources, and compatible cover cropping systems);

“(ii) grazing lands ecology (including rangeland, pastureland, and grazed forest land);

“(iii) animal husbandry (including animal nutrition and feed management);

“(iv) water conservation, drainage water management, and irrigation engineering technology;

“(v) agricultural engineering (including animal waste management, energy, and structural measures); and

“(vi) forest ecology and agroforestry.

“(6) Funding—The Secretary shall use funding from the annual appropriations for conservation operations of the Natural Resources Conservation Service to carry out this subsection.”

“(j) NRCS direct hire authority

“(1) In general—The Secretary may appoint, without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code (other than sections 3303 and 3328 of such title), qualified candidates, as described in paragraph (2), directly to positions within the Natural Resources Conservation Service that provide technical assistance under conservation programs administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

“(2) Qualifications—Paragraph (1) applies to a candidate who—

“(A) is qualified to provide the technical assistance described in paragraph (1), as determined by the Secretary; and

“(B) meets qualification standards established by the Office of Personnel Management.”

added “(k) Addressing barriers to wildlife habitat connectivity

added “(1) In general—The Secretary shall—

added “(A) to the maximum extent practicable, fully incorporate nonstructural methods to control livestock distribution, such as virtual fencing, into the conservation practice standards; and

added “(B) provide for the appropriate range of conservation practices and resource mitigation measures available to landowners using nonstructural methods described in subparagraph (A).

added “(2) Availability of adequate technical assistance—The Secretary shall ensure that adequate technical assistance is available for the implementation of—

added “(A) nonstructural methods described in paragraph (1)(A); and

added “(B) other practices that support wildlife habitat connectivity through Federal conservation programs.”

Section 412 of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1736f) is amended—

changed “(f) Minimum levels of funding to To address child wasting

“(1) Minimum level—For each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031, in addition to amounts otherwise made available, not less than $200,000,000 of the amounts made available to carry out emergency food assistance programs under title II shall be expended for the procurement and distribution of ready-to-use therapeutic foods.

“(2) Applicability—The minimum expenditure requirement under paragraph (1) shall only apply with respect to a fiscal year if—

“(A) the most recent Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates, published annually by the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and the United Nations Children’s Fund, report a rate of children under 5 years of age affected by child wasting above 5 percent for the year covered by such report; and

“(B) the total amount made available to carry out programs under title II in the fiscal year is greater than $1,200,000,000.

“(3) Rule of construction—Nothing in this subsection may be construed to limit on the authority of the Secretary to purchase or distribute ready-to-use therapeutic foods in a fiscal year.”

“(4) Technical assistance to improve infrastructure in foreign markets for united states agricultural commodities

changed “(A) In general—As part of the program established under this subsection, the Secretary shall enter into contracts or other agreements, with eligible trade organizations or with non-profit nonprofit organizations with expertise in supply chain infrastructure, to provide needs assessments, training, and other technical assistance to enhance the capabilities of infrastructure in new and developing foreign markets, including infrastructure relating to cold chain capacity, port improvements, and other developments, to ensure that United States agricultural commodities are not damaged or lost due to deficiencies of such infrastructure.

“(B) Limitation—Of the amounts made available to carry out the program established under this subsection, not more than $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2027 and not more than $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2028 and each fiscal year thereafter may be made available to carry out this paragraph.”

“(7) Biennial report

“(A) In general—The Secretary, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, shall submit every two years to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing the competitiveness of United States specialty crops.

“(B) Elements—The report required by subparagraph (A) shall—

“(i) identify and analyze acts, policies, or practices of foreign countries that constitute significant barriers to, or distortions of, United States exports of specialty crops, including the imposition of—

“(I) tariffs (including retaliatory tariffs) or quotas (including tariff-rate quotas); and

changed “(II) non-tariff nontariff barriers, including technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, import licensing procedures, and subsidies;

“(ii) identify and analyze acts, policies, or practices of foreign countries that enhance the competitiveness of imported specialty crops with domestic specialty crop producers, including—

“(I) the subsidization of exports from the producing country; and

“(II) the impact of any lack or circumvention of labor and environmental laws in the producing country;

“(iii) identify and analyze any differences in applicable food safety regulations of foreign countries that may result in imported specialty crops posing a risk to United States consumers;

“(iv) make an estimate of the impacts on the competitiveness of United States specialty crops of any act, policy, or practice identified under clauses (i) and (ii);

“(v) assess the extent to which each act, policy, or practice identified under clauses (i) and (ii) are subject to international agreements to which the United States is a party;

“(vi) include information with respect to any action taken by the executive or legislative branches during the two years preceding submission of the report, or expected to be taken after submission of the report, to eliminate any act, policy, or practice identified under clauses (i) and (ii), including—

“(I) any action under section 301;

“(II) negotiations or consultations with foreign governments, which may include engagement through the standing committee on sanitary and phytosanitary matters established under a free trade agreement to which the United States is a party; and

“(III) action at the World Trade Organization, including dispute settlement actions, consultations, or negotiations; and

“(vii) a description of—

“(I) any funds provided under subsection (f)(3)(A)(iv) that were not obligated in the fiscal year preceding submission of the report; and

“(II) the reason such funds were not obligated.

“(C) Comment period—In preparing the report required by subparagraph (A), the Secretary, in coordination with the United States Trade Representative, shall seek and consider comments from the public and from the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables.

“(D) Form of report—The report required by subparagraph (A) shall be made available to the public in machine-readable format.

“(E) Appropriate congressional committees defined—In this paragraph, the term appropriate congressional committees means—

“(i) the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives; and

“(ii) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the Committee on Finance of the Senate.”

“(2) Funding amount—Of the funds of, or an equal value of commodities owned by, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section the following amounts, to remain available until expended:

“(A) For fiscal year 2026, $255,000,000.

“(B) For fiscal year 2027, $500,000,000.

“(C) For each of fiscal years 2028 through 2031, $533,000,000.”

“(I) $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2026;

“(II) $400,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; and

“(III) $410,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2028 through 2031.”

“(I) $34,500,000 for fiscal year 2026;

“(II) $70,500,000 for fiscal year 2027; and

“(III) $82,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2028 through 2031.”

“(I) $8,000,000 for each of fiscal year 2026 and 2027; and

“(II) $16,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2028 through 2031.”

“(I) $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; and

“(II) $18,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.”

“(2) Common name

“(A) In general—The term common name means a name that, as determined by the Secretary—

“(i) is ordinarily or customarily used for an agricultural commodity or food product;

“(ii) is typically placed on the packaging and product label of the agricultural commodity or food product;

“(iii) with respect to wine—

“(I) is—

“(aa) ordinarily or customarily used for a wine grape varietal name; or

“(bb) a traditional term or expression that is typically placed on the packaging and label of the wine; and

“(II) does not mean any appellation of origin for wine listed in subpart C of part 9 of title 27, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations); and

“(iv) the use of which is consistent with standards of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

“(B) Examples—The following names, among others, shall be considered as common names as such term is defined for purposes of carrying out subparagraph (A):

“(i) With respect to food products: american, asiago, basmati, black forest ham, blue, blue vein, bologna, bologne, bratwurst, brie, burrata, camembert, capicola and capocollo, cheddar, chevre, chorizo, colby, cottage cheese, coulommiers, cream cheese, danbo, edam, emmental, feta, fontina, gorgonzola, gouda, grana, gruyere, havarti, kielbasa, limburger and limburgo, mascarpone, monterey jack, mortadella, munster and muenster, neufchatel, parmesan, pancetta, pecorino, pepper jack, prosciutto, provolone, ricotta, romano, saint-paulin, salame, salami, samso, and swiss, tilsiter, and tomme.

“(ii) With respect to wine:

“(I) The list of grape varietal terms in section 4.91 of title 27, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation).

“(II) The grape variety designations administratively approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

“(III) The following nonvarietal descriptors: chateau, classic, clos, cream, crusted and crusting, noble, ruby, sur lie, tawny, vintage, and vintage character.

“(iii) With respect to beer: bitter, pale ale, india pale ale, mild, porter, stout, barleywine, dubbel, quadrupel, witbier, saison, biere de garde, oud red, altbier, weisse, gose, hefeweizen, dunkel, helles, rauchbier, pilsener, maerzen, schwarzbier, doppelbock, bock, kellerbier, munchener and munich style, oktoberfest, dortmunder, kolsch and koelsch, cream, grodziskie, lager.

“(C) Considerations—In making a determination under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may take into account—

“(i) competent sources, such as dictionaries, newspapers, professional journals and literature, and information posted on websites that are determined by the Secretary to be reliable in reporting market information;

“(ii) the use of the common name in a domestic, regional, or international product standard, including a standard promulgated by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, for the agricultural commodity or food product; and

“(iii) the ordinary and customary use of the common name in the production or marketing of the agricultural commodity or food product in the United States or in other countries.

“(D) Rule of construction—The enumeration of certain names under subparagraph (B) may not be construed to limit or restrict the ability of the Secretary to determine, consistent with subparagraph (A), that any other name is a common name for purposes of this section.”

“(vii) prohibits or disallows the use of a name determined or considered to be a common name pursuant to paragraph (2).”

“303. Negotiations to defend the use of common names

“(a) In general—The Secretary shall coordinate efforts with the United States Trade Representative to secure the right of United States agricultural producers, processors, and exporters to use common names for agricultural commodities or food products in foreign markets through the negotiation of bilateral, plurilateral, or multilateral agreements, memoranda of understanding, or exchanges of letters that assure the current and future use of each common name identified by the Secretary in connection with United States agricultural commodities or food products.

“(b) Briefing—The Secretary and the United States Trade Representative shall jointly provide to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Finance of the Senate, a briefing, twice annually, on efforts and successes in carrying out subsection (a).”

Section 1110 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (commonly referred to as the “Food for Progress Act of 1985”; 7 U.S.C. 1736o) is amended—

Section 3307 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 3295) is amended—

“(g) Program continuity—To assist eligible countries in the long-term development of enduring, school-based agricultural education and youth extension programs, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable—

“(1) implement the fellowship program in each participating host country for not fewer than 3 consecutive years; and

changed “(2) ensure that contracts awarded to outside organizations are multi-year.”multiyear.”

changed Title III of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–334) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:section (and by conforming the table of contents in section 1(b) accordingly):

“3313. International agriculture cultural immersion and exchange program

“(a) Definition—In this section:

“(1) Eligible candidate—The term eligible candidate means an individual that—

“(A) is between the ages of 19 and 30 years;

“(B) has demonstrated experience in agricultural sciences, food systems, and food and nutrition education;

“(C) is prepared to live in 1 or more host countries for at least 2 months or up to 6 months; and

“(D) is a resident of the United States.

“(2) Eligible country—The term eligible country means a country that has agricultural trade relations with the United States, as recognized by the Foreign Agriculture Service.

“(3) Program—The term Program means the International Agriculture Cultural Immersion and Exchange Program established under subsection (b).

“(4) Secretary—The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.

“(b) Establishment—The Secretary shall establish an international cultural immersion and exchange program, to be known as the “International Agriculture Cultural Immersion and Exchange Program”, under which the Secretary shall—

“(1) provide eligible candidates with international cultural exchange and immersion experiences focused on agricultural sciences, food systems, and food and nutrition education through placement with host families in eligible countries; and

“(2) place in the United States with host families individuals that meet the requirement of subsection (a)(1)(A) and are residents of eligible countries to experience United States agriculture, trade relations, and culture.

“(c) Purposes—The purposes of the Program are—

“(1) to develop globally minded citizens of the United States; and

“(2) to strengthen and enhance trade between eligible countries and the United States in agricultural, food, nutrition, and environmental industries.

“(d) Cooperative agreement

“(1) In general—To administer the Program, the Secretary shall enter into a cooperative agreement with a nonprofit organization that has experience in implementing international cultural exchange programs focused on agricultural sciences, food and nutrition education, and cultural understanding through placement with host families.

“(2) Priority—In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to a nonprofit organization with which the Secretary has a memorandum of understanding dated not earlier than January 1, 2019.

“(3) Matching funds—As a condition of entering into a cooperative agreement under this subsection, a nonprofit organization shall provide equal matching funds from non-Federal sources.

“(e) Authorization of appropriations—There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out this section.”

Section 3107 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1736o–1) is amended—

Section 3202 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (22 U.S.C. 2220a note; Public Law 110–246) is amended—

“(1) In general—For the period of fiscal years 2027 through 2031, the aggregate contributions of funds of the Federal Government provided to the Trust under this section shall not exceed 33 percent of the total amount of funds contributed to the Trust from all sources and for all purposes.”

changed Section 7(h)(13)(B) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016(h)(13)(B)) is amended by striking “2023” “Effective through fiscal year 2023, neither” and inserting “2031”.“Neither”.

changed Section 11 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(y) SNAP staffing flexibility

“(1) In general—Notwithstanding section 11(e)(6)(B), a State agency (as defined in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008) may, by contract with the State agency at a reasonable cost in accordance with the State agency’s standard contracting rules, hire a contractor to undertake supplemental nutrition assistance program certification or carry out any other function of the State agency under such program so long as—

“(A) the contract does not provide incentives for the agency or contractor to delay eligibility determinations or to deny eligibility for individuals otherwise eligible for supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits; and

“(B) the contractor has no direct or indirect financial interest in an approved retail store.

“(2) Use—A State agency may use the authority provided in paragraph (1) when—

“(A) the State experiences an inability to timely process supplemental nutrition assistance program applications from causes that include but are not limited to—

“(i) pandemics and other health emergencies;

“(ii) seasonal workforce cycles;

“(iii) temporary staffing shortages; and

“(iv) weather or other natural disasters;

“(B) the State’s payment error rate, as defined in section 16, is greater than or equal to 6 percent based on the most recent available Department of Agriculture data; or

“(C) the State experiences an increase in supplemental nutrition assistance program applications.

“(3) Requirements—A State agency that hires a contractor under paragraph (1) shall ensure such action—

“(A) is consistent with all principles under section 900.603 of title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations; and

“(B) is part of a blended workforce and does not supplant existing merit-based personnel in the State.

“(4) Notification—A State agency shall notify the Secretary of its intent to use the authority provided in this section and shall provide any information or data supporting State agency increases in supplemental nutrition assistance program applications or any inability to timely process such applications.

“(5) Public availability—Not later than 10 days after the date of the receipt of a notification submitted by a State agency under paragraph (4), the Secretary shall make publicly available on the website of the Department of Agriculture the notification submitted by such State agency and any accompanying information or data supporting such notification so submitted.

“(6) Program design—Any action taken by a State agency under paragraph (1) shall not be—

“(A) considered to be a major change in the operations of such State agency for purposes of section 11(a)(4) of this Act, or

“(B) subject to any requirement specified in such section.

“(7) Annual report—The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, an annual report that contains—

“(A) a description of measures taken to address increases in supplemental nutrition assistance program applications and any inability to timely process such applications;

“(B) information or data supporting State agency notifications provided pursuant to paragraph (4); and

“(C) recommendations for changes to the Secretary’s authority under this Act to assist the Secretary, States, and local governments of States in preparing for any future increases in supplemental nutrition assistance program applications or inability to timely process such applications.

“(8) Temporary staffing shortages—In cases of temporary staffing shortages, the authority provided to State agencies under paragraph (1) shall—

“(A) expire when the backlog of supplemental nutrition assistance program applications has been eliminated;

“(B) not override any collective bargaining agreement or memorandum of understanding in effect between the State and employees of the State or of a local government of such State; and

“(C) expire when the error rate, as defined in section 16, is less than 6 percent.”

changed The 2d sentence of section 9(d) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 is amended by inserting ", “, on two consecutive occasions within a 3 year period," 3-year-period,” after "does “does not meet".meet”.

Section 7 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2016) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(l) Online purchasing program

“(1) Permanent authority—Not later than 120 days after the effective date of this subsection, the Secretary shall begin transitioning the supplemental nutrition assistance program online purchasing initiative from pilot or demonstration status to permanent nationwide program operations, with the completion of the regulations marking the end of the transition.

changed “(2) Regulations—The Secretary shall issue such regulations and guidance as may be necessary to carry out paragraph (1), including provisions related to program integrity, consumer protections, and equitable access in rural areas. Such regulations shall be issued not later than 1 year 2 years after the effective date of this subsection.

“(3) Stakeholder consultation—The Secretary shall establish a formal process for consultation with State agencies, authorized retailers, electronic benefit transfer processors, consumer advocates, and other relevant stakeholders to incorporate lessons learned from online purchasing operations during the period of 2014 through 2025.

“(4) Report to Congress—Not later than 120 days after the effective date of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report describing the consultation process and recommendations received.”

added “(3) Option for purchasing through DoD Fresh—At the request of a State agency, the Secretary may allow the State agency to use not more than 20 percent of the cost of the commodities allocated to that State agency under this section to order commodities through the Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.”

Section 5 of the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 (7 U.S.C. 612c note; Public Law 93–86) is amended—

“(n) Commodity supplemental food program delivery pilot program

“(1) Purpose—The purpose of this subsection is to award grants for the operation of projects that increase the access of low-income elderly persons to commodities through home delivery or other means and to evaluate such projects.

“(2) In general—The Secretary shall award, on a competitive basis, grants directly to State agencies, or to State agencies on behalf of eligible entities, to carry out the activities described in paragraph (5).

“(3) Maximum grant award—A grant awarded to a State agency under this subsection shall not exceed—

“(A) the greater of—

“(i) the State’s commodity supplemental food program caseload at time of application multiplied by 60; or

“(ii) $10,000; or

“(B) $4,000,000;

“(4) Application—A State agency seeking a grant under this subsection shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form, at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

“(5) Grant uses—A State agency awarded a grant under this subsection shall distribute grant funds to eligible entities to operate projects that facilitate delivery of commodities to participants in the commodity supplemental food program, including with respect to costs associated with—

“(A) transportation and distribution of commodities to participants in the commodity supplemental food program, including transportation and distribution services provided by a third party;

“(B) staffing required to operate delivery services; and

“(C) outreach to participants or potential participants in the commodity supplemental food program with respect to home delivery.

“(6) Priority—A State agency awarded a grant under this subsection must prioritize eligible entities that serve participants in the commodity supplemental food program who reside in a rural area.

“(7) Report to the Secretary—Not later than 180 days after the end of the fiscal year in which a State agency is awarded a grant under this subsection and has distributed grant funds to eligible entities, and in each succeeding fiscal year until grant funds are expended, a State agency shall submit a report to the Secretary that includes—

“(A) a summary of the activities carried out under the project, including the quantity of commodities delivered, number of participants in the commodity supplemental food program served, and total number of deliveries;

“(B) an assessment of the effectiveness of the project, including a calculation of the average cost per delivery, and an evaluation of any services provided by a third party; and

“(C) best practices regarding use of home delivery to improve the effectiveness of the commodity supplemental food program.

“(8) Definitions—In this subsection:

“(A) Terms in regulations—The term State agency, local agency, and subdistributing agency have the meanings given such terms in section 247.1 of title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulations).

“(B) Eligible entity—The term eligible entity means—

changed “(i) a local agency;agency; or

changed “(ii) a subdistributing agency;agency.

“(C) Rural area—The term rural area has the meaning given such term in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)).

“(9) Authorization of appropriations—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to remain available until expended.”

changed Section 10603(b) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 612c-4(b)) 612c–4(b)) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.

Section 4208 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 2026a) is amended—

“(a) Definitions—In this section:

changed “(1) Covered dairy products—The term covered dairy products means cheese (including non-standardized cheese) that is—means—

changed “(A) made from pasteurized cow’s milk;cheese (including nonstandardized cheese) that is—

changed “(B) a good source of protein, as determined by the Secretary; and“(i) made from pasteurized cow’s milk;

changed “(C) sold as “(ii) a block, chunk, shred, slice, stick, string, or in snack-size form.good source of protein, as determined by the Secretary; and

added “(iii) sold as a block, chunk, shred, slice, stick, string or in snack-size form; and

added “(B) yogurt (or other cultured dairy product) that—

added “(i) is made from pasteurized cow’s milk;

added “(ii) is a good source of protein, as determined by the Secretary; and

added “(iii) contains limited amounts of added sugars.

“(2) Fluid milk—The term fluid milk means all varieties of pasteurized cow’s milk that—

“(A) is packaged in liquid form; and

“(B) contains vitamins A and D at levels consistent with the Food and Drug Administration, State, and local standards for fluid milk.”

“(A) be based on significant scientific agreement that is determined by evidence-based review (as defined in paragraph (8)(A));

“(B) be current at the time the report is prepared;

“(C) be derived from questions generated under paragraph (5)(E);

“(D) address high-priority areas of concern to advance health outcomes;

“(E) be designed to achieve nutritional adequacy and promote health, as specified by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, from the consumption of food, including nutrients and bioactive food components occurring naturally and in fortified foods;

“(F) include nutritional and dietary information relevant to individuals with nutrition-related common chronic diseases, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and

“(G) include recommendations that are affordable, available, and accessible for the general population.”

“(3) Frequency—The Secretaries may publish the report required under paragraph (1) more frequently than required under that paragraph if the Secretaries determine that more frequent publication is necessary to promote health, based on the updated dietary reference intake values specified by—

“(A) the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine; and

“(B) other relevant scientific advancements based on continuous monitoring of the totality of publicly available scientific evidence.

“(4) Notification of update

“(A) In general—Not later than 90 days before the Secretaries plan to update a report under paragraph (1), the Secretaries shall submit notification of that plan, in writing, to the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committees on Agriculture and Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.

“(B) Justification—The notification under subparagraph (A) shall include a justification for updating the report.

“(5) Independent advisory board

“(A) In general—Not later than 90 days after the Secretaries submit a notification under paragraph (4)(A), the Secretaries shall establish an Independent Advisory Board (referred to in this paragraph as the “Board”).

“(B) Members—The Board shall be comprised of at least 4 members and not more than 8 members, of which—

“(i) 4 shall be appointed by the Secretaries, 2 of whom shall not be Federal employees; and

changed “(ii) 1 may be appointed by each of the highest-ranking highest ranking Member of Congress on each Committee described in paragraph (4)(A) of the opposite political party of the President of the United States at the time of the appointment.

“(C) Expertise—Each member appointed to the Board shall have expertise in nutrition science or food science, including academic and applied experience.

“(D) Meetings

“(i) In general—The first meeting of the Board—

“(I) may only take place on or after the date that 4 members are appointed to the Board under subparagraph (B); and

“(II) shall take place on or after the date that is 90 days after the Secretaries submit a notification under paragraph (4)(A).

“(ii) Quorum—A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business of the Board.

“(E) Duties—Not later than 1 year after the establishment of the Board, the Board shall submit to the Secretaries and the Committees described in paragraph (4)(A) a list of scientific questions relating to the report for purposes of paragraph (2)(C).

“(F) Termination—The authority of the Board shall terminate, and the Board shall disband, immediately after carrying out subparagraph (E).

“(6) Exclusion—The information and guidelines contained in each report required under paragraph (1) shall not be based on or include topics that are not relevant to dietary guidance, as determined by the Secretaries, in consultation with the Independent Advisory Board established under paragraph (5), including taxation, social welfare policies, purchases under Federal feeding programs, food and agricultural production practices, food labeling, socioeconomic status, race, religion, ethnicity, culture, or regulations relating to nutrition.”

changed “(8) Evidence based Evidence-based review

“(A) Definition—In this paragraph, the term evidence-based review means a process under which—

“(i) the totality of the scientific evidence relevant to a question of interest is collected, analyzed, and evaluated;

“(ii) scientific studies, conclusions, and recommendations are rated, adhering strictly to standardized, generally accepted evidence-based review methods; and

changed “(iii) external peer review is conducted by non-government nongovernment experts with recognized expertise in quality of evidence evaluation.

“(B) Strength of evidence—Each guideline contained in a report published under paragraph (1) shall be assigned a rating by the Secretaries for the strength of evidence used, including to the extent by which the guideline will improve the Healthy Eating Index.

“(9) Transparency

“(A) Disclosure—Any individual appointed to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee or an Independent Advisory Board established under paragraph (5) shall—

“(i) be appointed as a special government employee;

“(ii) comply with financial disclosure requirements applicable to such a special government employee under subpart I of part 2634 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations), including the requirement to file the Office of Government Ethics Form 450 (or successor Form); and

“(iii) prior to such an appointment, provide a report to the Secretaries regarding, for the 10-year period preceding such report, any research funding or professional affiliation relating to a report under paragraph (1).

“(B) Publication—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not later than 30 days after the date on which a Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee or an Independent Advisory Board is established, the Secretaries shall make publicly available—

“(i) a summary of the financial disclosures reported by members of such Committee or Board;

“(ii) the research funding and professional affiliations reported by such members under subparagraph (A)(iii), categorized by the name of the individual; and

“(iii) a detailed plan for managing any disclosed conflicts of interest, including financial or ethical conflicts of interest, preferences, values, and beliefs.”

Section 302(b) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1922(b)) is amended—

“(ix) met any other criteria established by the Secretary; or”

Section 303 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1923) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(d) Refinancing of guaranteed loans into direct loans—Within 1 year after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”), shall promulgate regulations allowing certain loans guaranteed by the Farm Service Agency to be refinanced into direct loans issued by the Farm Service Agency, in accordance with this subsection.

“(1) Requirements

“(A) In general—A guaranteed loan may be refinanced into a direct loan pursuant to this subsection only if the Secretary determines that—

changed “(i) the guaranteed loan is distressed due to its status as a non-performing nonperforming loan that does not have a positive cash flow at rates and terms available from the lender;

“(ii) the borrower on the guaranteed loan is in monetary default and subject to liquidation or foreclosure action;

“(iii) a reasonable chance for the success of the operation financed by the guaranteed loan exists; and

“(iv) all other criteria established by the Secretary for purposes of this subsection to protect taxpayer funds and the loan programs of the Farm Service Agency have been satisfied.

“(B) Reasonable chance of success—For purposes of subparagraph (A)(iii), the Secretary may determine that a reasonable chance for the success of an operation exists if the Secretary determines that—

“(i) all relevant problems with the operation financed by the guaranteed loan—

“(I) have been identified; and

“(II) can be corrected; and

“(ii) on correction of the problems, the operation can achieve, or be returned to, a sound financial basis.

“(2) Loan programs—In making direct loans pursuant to the regulations promulgated under this subsection, the Secretary may refinance a loan guaranteed under 1 program of the Farm Service Agency into a direct loan issued under another program of the Farm Service Agency, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate and in accordance with the laws applicable to the program under which the direct loan is issued.

“(3) Refinanced guaranteed loans—A direct loan issued by the Farm Service Agency pursuant to the regulations promulgated under subsection (a) of this section shall be subject to any otherwise applicable limitation on the maximum amount of a direct loan issued by the Farm Service Agency, including, if applicable, the limitations described in sections 305 and 313.”

“(f) Cooperative agreements for heirs property resolution through direct public interest legal services

“(1) In general—The Secretary shall enter into cooperative agreements with eligible entities to provide legal or accounting services to underserved heirs, at no cost to the underserved heirs, to assist in resolving undivided ownership interests on farmland or forest land, or land transitioning to farmland or forest land, that has multiple owners. Such a cooperative agreement must be for any of the following purposes:

“(A) To assist with transitioning land to agricultural production.

“(B) To maintain land in agricultural production.

“(C) To increase access to programs administered by the Secretary through the resolution of real property claims in order to allow real property owners to meet land ownership eligibility requirements for participation in a program administered by the Secretary.

“(2) Administration of cooperative agreements

“(A) Duration

“(i) In general—A cooperative agreement under paragraph (1) shall be in effect for not more than 4 years, subject to clause (ii).

“(ii) Special rule—The Secretary may extend a cooperative agreement or re-enter into a cooperative agreement with the same or a different eligible entity to provide continued services for heirs if—

“(I) property ownership is not resolved within the initial term of the original cooperative agreement; and

“(II) the entity certifies that the entity understands that the cooperative agreement is not guaranteed to be funded for more than 4 years after the commencement of the original cooperative agreement.

“(B) Management of performance

“(i) Annual reports—An eligible entity must provide annual reports to the Secretary summarizing the progress made during each fiscal year towards achieving the goals of the cooperative agreement for the heirs for whom services are provided under the cooperative agreement.

“(ii) Information and data—The Secretary may require an eligible entity to provide the Secretary with such information or data as the Secretary deems necessary to determine that the eligible entity is making acceptable progress. The data may not include personally identifiable information.

“(iii) Effect of failure to demonstrate success—If an eligible entity providing services under such a cooperative agreement does not demonstrate success, as determined by the Secretary, in resolving or reasonably attempting to resolve the property claims of an heir, the Secretary may terminate the agreement.

“(C) Implementation—The Secretary may utilize requests for public input or the formal rulemaking process to effectuate this subsection. At a minimum, the Secretary shall make publicly available the criteria for selecting an eligible entity to enter into an agreement to provide services, the administrative and performance requirements for cooperative agreements under this subsection, as well as codify within its internal policy its implementation process.

“(D) Heirs property not in farming—On a limited basis, and when determined by the Secretary to meet the purposes of a program administered by the Secretary and to expand access to such a program, the Secretary may allow an eligible entity to provide services at no cost to an heir who is not an underserved heir if—

“(i) the land with respect to which the services are to be provided is not farmland or in agricultural production, but could be viably productive for agricultural, conservation, or forestry purposes;

“(ii) the heir satisfies all other requirements of the definition of “underserved heir”;

“(iii) the heir can provide proof to substantiate that the heir is in control of the real property; and

“(iv) the heir certifies to the Secretary that the heir intends to apply for, and make a good faith effort to enroll the land in, a program administered by the Secretary once property claims to the land are resolved through services provided under a cooperative agreement entered into under this subsection.

“(3) Definitions—In this subsection:

“(A) Eligible entity—The term eligible entity means a nonprofit organization that—

“(i) provides legal or accounting services to an underserved heir at no cost to the underserved heir to resolve property ownership issues; and

“(ii) has demonstrated experience in resolving issues related to ownership and succession on farmland or forest land that has multiple owners.

“(B) Limited resource heir—An heir shall be considered a limited resource heir for purposes of this subsection if—

“(i) the total household income of the heir is at or below the national poverty level for a family of 4, or less than 50 percent of the county median household income for the 2 immediately preceding calendar years, as determined annually using data of the Department of Commerce; or

“(ii) the property of the heir for which legal services are provided pursuant to a cooperative agreement entered into under this subsection is in a persistent poverty community, as determined annually on the basis of data from the Department of Commerce, or a socially vulnerable area, as designated by the Centers on Disease Control and Prevention.

“(C) Underserved heir—The term underserved heir means an heir with an undivided ownership interest in farmland or forest land that has multiple owners, who is—

“(i) a limited resource heir;

“(ii) a member of a socially disadvantaged group (as defined in section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990); or

“(iii) a veteran (as defined in section 101(2) of title 38, United States Code).

“(4) Annual reports to Congress—Within 1 year after the date of the enactment of this subsection, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare, make public, and submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a written report on the activities carried out under this subsection in the year covered by the report.

“(5) Limitations on authorization of appropriations—To carry out this subsection, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.”

“333E. Expedited approval pilot program

“(a) In general—Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall carry out a pilot program to establish an expedited qualification and approval process for borrowers seeking—

“(1) a direct farm ownership loan under this Act; or

changed “(2) a bridge loan guaranteed by the Secretary farm ownership loan under this Act that is serviced by a Preferred Certified Lender under section 339(d) and provided to a creditworthy borrower, as determined by the Preferred Certified Lender.

“(b) Loan assessments—In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall consider streamlining the process for making—

“(1) determinations necessary to make the certifications and assessments referred to in section 339(c)(5); and

“(2) determinations under section 360(b).

changed “(c) Rule of interpretation—This interpretation—Except as otherwise provided in subsections (a) and (b), this section shall not be interpreted to authorize the waiver or modification of any requirement, other than an application process timing requirement, imposed by or under this Act.

“(d) Report—Within 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report examining the actions undertaken under, and the results of, the pilot program.

“(e) Termination of effectiveness—The authority provided by this section shall terminate effective September 30, 2031.”

Section 3.7(f) of the Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. 2128(f)) is amended—

“(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a bank for cooperatives may make and participate in loans and commitments and provide technical and other financial assistance to cooperatives and any other public or private entity (except for the Federal Government) for the purpose of installing, maintaining, expanding, improving, or operating facilities in a rural area for the processing or disposal of waste from any source, the provision of telecommunication services, and producing electricity from any source for use or sale by the borrower.”

“4.21. Farm credit system regulation

“(a) The Farm Credit Administration shall be the sole and independent regulator of the Farm Credit System with respect to activities subject to this Act.

changed “(b) A law enacted or rule promulgated after the date of the enactment of Nothing in this section shall not be held to modify limit or supersede the exclusive affect any regulatory or other authority provided by subsection (a), except granted to the extent that the enacted law does so expressly.”Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation under this Act.

added “(c) A law enacted or rule promulgated after the date of the enactment of this section shall not be held to modify or supersede the exclusive authority provided by subsection (a), except to the extent that the enacted law does so expressly.”

“(4) The Secretary shall issue regulations consistent with this section that ensures the release of funds to each borrower.”

Section 6101(a) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (132 Stat. 4726; Public Law 115–334) is amended—

“(1) In general—The Secretary shall make grants, loans, and loan guarantees to eligible entities described in subsection (d) for the purpose of financing the construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment necessary for delivering broadband service in rural areas.”

“(A) In general—In making grants, making loans, and guaranteeing loans under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give the highest priority to applications for projects to provide broadband service to unserved rural communities that do not have any residential broadband service of at least—

“(i) a 25–Mbps downstream transmission capacity; and

“(ii) a 3–Mbps upstream transmission capacity.

“(B) Other—After giving priority to the applications described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall then give priority to applications—

“(i) for projects to provide broadband service to rural communities—

“(I) with a population of less than 10,000 inhabitants; or

“(II) in geographically underserved and distressed areas, including—

“(aa) a socially vulnerable community (as determined by the Secretary);

“(bb) a persistent poverty county (as determined by the Secretary); or

“(cc) in an economically distressed area (as determined by the Secretary);

“(ii) that were developed with the participation of, and will receive a substantial portion of the funding or in-kind assistance for the project from, 2 or more stakeholders, including—

changed “(I) State, local, and tribal Tribal governments;

“(II) nonprofit institutions;

“(III) community anchor institutions, such as—

“(aa) public libraries;

“(bb) elementary schools and secondary schools (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801));

“(cc) institutions of higher education (including 1862 Land-Grant Institutions, 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities);

“(dd) health care facilities; and

“(ee) facilities essential for local or regional commerce or for the movement of goods;

“(IV) private entities;

“(V) philanthropic organizations; and

“(VI) cooperatives; or

changed “(iii) that are submitted by an eligible entity or is owned by an entity that has provided broadband service or other utility service for at least 5 years in rural areas in the State in which the project would be carried out.”out.

added “(C) Affordability—In determining whether a household is unserved for purposes of this section, the Secretary shall consider the affordability of broadband service.”

“(iii) shall be subject to a grant agreement of not less than 10 years.”

“(C) Applications

“(i) Grant-only applications—The Secretary shall establish an application process that permits an application for a grant-only award.

“(ii) Combined applications—The Secretary shall establish an application process that—

“(I) permits a single application for a grant and a loan under title I or II, or this title, that is associated with the grant; and

“(II) provides a single decision to award the grant and the loan.”

“(4) Fees

“(A) Initial guarantee fee—The Secretary may assess an initial guarantee fee for any insured or guaranteed loan issued or modified under this section in an amount that does not exceed 3 percent of the guaranteed principal portion of the loan.

changed “(B) Periodic retention fee—The Secretary may assess a periodic retention fee for any insured or guaranteed loan issued or modified under this section in an amount that does not exceed 0.75 percent of the outstanding principal of the guarantee loan.

“(C) Disclosure—In altering any fee charged for any insured or guaranteed loan issued or modified under this section, the Secretary, not less than 30 days in advance of any fee change, shall provide a public disclosure, of the financial data, economic and behavioral assumptions, calculations, and other factors used to determine the new fee rates.”

“(B) Inclusions—An entity eligible to obtain assistance under subsection (c) may include—

“(i) a State or local government, including any agency, subdivision, instrumentality, or political subdivision of a State or local government;

“(ii) a territory or possession of the United States;

“(iii) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304));

“(iv) a cooperative or mutual organization;

“(v) an organization of 2 or more incorporated areas that have established an intermunicipal legal agreement for the purposes of delivering communication services to residents;

“(vi) a corporation; or

“(vii) a limited liability company or limited liability partnership.

“(C) Ineligible entities—An individual or legal general partnership that is formed with individuals shall not be eligible to obtain a grant, loan, or grant and loan combination under subsection (c).

“(D) Affiliated owned and operated networks—Under this subsection, the Secretary may fund the construction of networks owned and operated by an affiliate of an eligible entity receiving the grant, loan, or loan guarantee, if the eligible entity, the affiliate, or both, as determined necessary by the Secretary, furnishes adequate security for the grant, loan, or loan guarantee.”

added “(C) Affordability—In deciding whether a proposed service territory is unserved for purposes of subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall consider the affordability of broadband service in the service territory.”

“(2) Adjustments—The Secretary may adjust, through a 30-day public notice and comment period published in the Federal Register, an increase in the minimum level of broadband service under paragraph (1) of no more than 50 percent from the preceding year, if less than 95 percent of the funds of the program are obligated in the preceding 2 funding rounds.”

“(B) Broadband buildout standards defined—A project must meet the following applicable broadband standard in order to be considered for assistance;

“(i) A project with an award term of less than 8 years must provide service at 2 times the minimum broadband speed established in subsection (e)(1).

“(ii) A project with an award term of at least 8 years and less than 14 years must provide service at 5 times the minimum broadband speed established in subsection (e)(1).

“(iii) A project with an award term of 14 or more years must provide service at 10 times the minimum broadband speed established in subsection (e)(1).

“(C) Network upgrade planning—The Secretary may prioritize an applicant seeking to meet the broadband buildout standards under clause (i) or (ii) of subparagraph (B) if the applicant submits information regarding the potential for the physical infrastructure of the network to be upgraded to meet the broadband buildout standards under subparagraph (B)(iii) at the time of the application, assuming reasonable progress in relevant networking technologies.”

“(j) Authorization of appropriations—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $350,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031, to remain available until expended.”

changed Section 602(g) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb-1(g)) 950bb–1(g)) is amended by striking “2018 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through 2031”.

changed Section 603 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb-2) 950bb–2) is amended to read as follows:

“603. Innovative broadband advancement program

“(a) In general—The Secretary shall establish a program to be known as the “Innovative Broadband Advancement Program”, under which the Secretary may provide a grant, a loan, or both to an eligible entity for the purpose of demonstrating innovative broadband technologies or methods of broadband deployment that significantly decrease the cost of broadband deployment, and provide substantially faster broadband speeds than are available, in a rural area.

“(b) Terrestrial broadband demonstration projects

“(1) In general—The Secretary shall provide grants or loans to eligible entities for the purpose of deploying innovative broadband technologies to qualified consumers who subscribe to terrestrial broadband service in rural areas.

“(2) Eligibility—To be eligible to obtain assistance under this subsection for a project, an entity shall—

“(A) submit to the Secretary an application—

“(i) that describes a terrestrial broadband demonstration project designed to decrease the cost of broadband deployment, and substantially increase broadband speed to not less than the maximum broadband project agreement requirements established under section 601(e)(4), to qualified consumers in a rural area to be served by the project; and

“(ii) at such time, in such manner, and containing such other information as the Secretary may require;

“(B) demonstrate that the entity is able to carry out the project; and

“(C) agree to complete the project build-out within 5 years after the date the assistance is first provided for the project.

“(3) Prioritization—In awarding assistance under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to proposals for projects that—

“(A) involve partnerships between or among multiple entities;

“(B) would provide broadband service to the greatest number of rural entities at or above the broadband requirements referred to in paragraph (2)(A)(i);

“(C) the Secretary determines could be replicated in rural areas described in paragraph (2); and

“(D) are located in States and territories selected by the Secretary to be diverse on the basis of geography, topography, and demographics.

“(4) Qualified consumer—In this subsection, the term qualified consumer means—

“(A) an individual or member of a household who lives in a rural area;

“(B) a rural small business; or

“(C) an essential community facility, as defined pursuant to section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)).

“(5) Rural area—In this subsection, the term rural area has the meaning provided in section 601(b)(3).

“(c) Satellite broadband demonstration projects

“(1) Purpose—The purpose of this subsection is to reduce or eliminate the costs to access satellite broadband service for remote subscribers.

“(2) Definitions—In this subsection:

“(A) Eligible entity—The term eligible entity means a broadband service provider that provides Internet access directly to qualified consumers in remote areas via satellite technology.

“(B) Qualified consumer—The term qualified consumer means a consumer served by an eligible entity that receives a grant under paragraph (3), who is—

“(i) an individual or a member of a household at or below the poverty line (as defined in section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, including any revision required by such section, applicable to a family of the size involved); or

“(ii) an essential community facility, as defined pursuant to section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)).

changed “(C) Satellite broadband equipment—The term satellite broadband equipment means user terminals, wi-fi Wi-Fi routers, power supplies, mounts, and any other equipment necessary to connect a qualified consumer to satellite broadband service.

“(D) Secretary—The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service.

changed “(E) Remote—The term remote means a region classified within level 3 or level 4 of the frontier and remote zip code ZIP Code areas published by the Economic Research Service of the Department of Agriculture.

“(3) Grants to eligible entities

“(A) In general—Subject to paragraph (B), the Secretary shall make grants to eligible entities for the purpose of reducing or eliminating the cost associated with the purchase or installation, or both, of satellite broadband equipment to qualified consumers to subscribe to satellite broadband service in remote areas.

“(B) Requirements—As a condition of receiving a grant under this subsection, an eligible entity shall—

“(i) provide retail broadband service delivered via satellite technology to qualified consumers, that—

“(I) enables a qualified consumer to the service to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics, video; and

“(II) has a latency which does not exceed 250 milliseconds;

“(ii) submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such other information as the Secretary may require;

“(iii) agree to reduce or eliminate the cost associated with the purchase, installation, or both, of satellite broadband equipment for qualified consumers; and

“(iv) agree to provide qualified consumers with the reduction or elimination of that cost within 1 year of the assistance being obligated to the eligible entity.

“(C) Eligibility map of qualified consumers—Within 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall publish a map of the remote areas of qualified consumers that do not have access to terrestrial broadband service of at least—

“(i) a 25–Mbps downstream transmission capacity; and

“(ii) a 3–Mbps upstream transmission capacity.

“(d) Report—Within 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a comprehensive report to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate that shall provide the outcomes, effectiveness, and impact of the Innovative Broadband Advancement Program, including—

“(1) an assessment of the broadband infrastructure funded, including the scope, scale, nature and geographic locations of each award;

“(2) the broadband access and speeds achieved, including the download and upload speeds, latency, and overall network reliability;

“(3) any technical or logistical challenges encountered by the eligible entities; and

“(4) any recommendations for future innovative broadband deployment initiatives in rural areas.

“(e) Authorization of appropriations—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.”

changed Section 604 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb-3) 950bb–3) is amended—

“(3) provides broadband speeds not less than the broadband project agreement requirements established under section 601(e)(4)(B)(ii) to the eligible entity within the proposed eligible service area.”

changed Title VI of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb–950bb-5) 950bb–5) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“607. Rate regulation

“Nothing in this title authorizes the Secretary to regulate rates charged for broadband service.”

Section 701 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950cc) is amended—

“(B) validate the information submitted by service providers under subparagraph (A) through procedures established by the Secretary, which shall include an agency determination provided to the submitter, an opportunity of the submitter to respond, and a final non-appealable determination of the Secretary; and”

“(2) Assessment of eligibility—In making any determination to award a loan, loan guarantee, or grant for any retail broadband project provided assistance or for which assistance is sought that is administered by the Secretary, the Secretary shall confirm that each unserved rural community identified in the application is eligible for funding by—

“(A) utilizing the map created by the Federal Communications Commission under section 802(c)(1)(A) of the Communications Act of 1934 and the Deployment Locations Map established under section 60104(b) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (47 U.S.C. 1704(b));”

“(e) Broadband technical assistance program

“(1) In general—The Secretary shall make grants to private, nonprofit, or public organizations to provide or receive eligible entities broadband technical assistance and training to expand access to broadband service in rural communities through the broadband programs of the Department of Agriculture including—

“(A) preparing applications for grants, loans and loan guarantees under this section;

“(B) identifying resources to finance broadband facilities from public and private sources, including other Federal agencies;

“(C) preparing feasibility studies, financial forecasts, market surveys, environmental studies, and technical design information to support broadband services;

“(D) preparing reports and surveys necessary to support the need for broadband services, the price range, and request financial assistance;

“(E) analyzing and improving operations related to the management, including financial management, of broadband facilities and to the efficiency of the entity;

“(F) collecting broadband infrastructure data; or

“(G) assisting with other areas of need identified by the Secretary.

“(2) Eligible entities—To be eligible to obtain assistance under this subsection, an entity shall be—

changed “(A) a federally recognized tribe Tribe or tribal Tribal entity;

“(B) a State or local government, including any agency, subdivision, instrumentality, or political subdivision thereof;

“(C) a territory or possession of the United States;

“(D) an institution of higher education (including a 1862 Land-Grant Institution, 1890 Land-Grant Institution, 1994 Land-Grant Institution, Hispanic-Serving Institution, or Historically Black College or University);

“(E) a nonprofit organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;

“(F) a cooperative or mutual organization;

“(G) a corporation; or

“(H) a limited liability company or limited liability partnership.

“(3) Selection priority—In selecting recipients of grants under this paragraph, the Secretary shall give priority to organizations that have experience in providing technical assistance and training to rural entities.

“(4) National applications—The Secretary shall allow applications for grants under this paragraph from qualified organizations for the sole purpose of providing on-site community technical assistance and training on a national or multi-State regional basis.

“(f) Assistance for community broadband mapping

“(1) In general—The Secretary may make grants to eligible entities for the purpose of collecting broadband service data to assist the Secretary in—

“(A) establishing the availability of broadband service or middle mile infrastructure in a rural area;

“(B) determining the eligibility of a community for assistance under any broadband program administered by the Secretary;

“(C) undertaking a service area assessment under this section; or

“(D) collecting information to submit a challenge to the National Broadband Map created by the Federal Communications Commission pursuant to section 802(c)(1) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 642(c)(1)).

“(2) Application—To apply for a grant under this section, an entity shall submit an application which identifies—

“(A) the data collection area;

“(B) the purpose of the data collection;

“(C) the types of broadband service data to be collected;

“(D) the survey and data collection methods utilized; and

“(E) any other information the Secretary determines necessary to promote the integrity of broadband service collected under this section.

“(3) Limitation of grant amount—The amount of a grant made available under this subsection shall not exceed $50,000.

“(4) Broadband service data usage—The Secretary shall ensure that any broadband service data collected under this section is—

“(A) measured or assessed in accordance with such standards as are established by the Federal Communications Commission pursuant to section 802(a)(1)(A) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 642(a)(1)(A));

“(B) accurate and verifiable in accordance with such standards as are established by the Federal Communications Commission pursuant to section 802(a)(1)(A) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 642(a)(1)(A));

“(C) included in any broadband maps or data sets maintained by the Secretary; and

“(D) made available to the Chair of the Federal Communications Commission and the Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for inclusion in any broadband maps or data sets either may maintain.

“(5) Definitions—In this subsection:

“(A) Broadband service—The term broadband service has the same meaning given the term in section 601.

“(B) Broadband service data

“(i) In general—The term broadband service data means information related to—

“(I) the location and type of broadband service;

“(II) the location and type of broadband infrastructure;

“(III) the advertised, maximum, and average speed of broadband service;

“(IV) the average price of the most subscribed tier of broadband service;

“(V) the speed tiers of broadband service available in the area; or

“(VI) any additional metric the Secretary deems appropriate.

“(ii) Further definition—The Secretary shall further define the term broadband service area to ensure that data is measured and collected in a manner consistent with the reporting requirements under this section, and any broadband coordination or data-sharing obligations.

“(C) Eligible entity—The term eligible entity means—

“(i) a unit of local government in a rural area;

changed “(ii) a tribal government Tribal Government or unit of tribal government;Tribal Government;

“(iii) an economic development or other community organization;

“(iv) an eligible entity under title I or II that serves persons in rural areas;

“(v) an internet service provider that has not more than 100,000 subscribers; or

“(vi) any other entity eligible under a title VI program that is not an internet service provider.

“(D) Middle mile infrastructure—The term middle mile infrastructure has the meaning given the term in section 602.

“(E) Rural area—The term rural area has the meaning given the term in section 601.

“(6) Limitation on amount made available for grants—The Secretary may not expend more than 1 percent of the amounts made available under subsection (g) for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out this subsection.

“(g) Limitations on reservation of funds—Not less than 3 but not more than 5 percent of the amounts appropriated to the program to carry out title VI shall be set aside to be used for—

“(1) conducting oversight under such title;

“(2) implementing accountability measures and related activities authorized under such title; or

“(3) carrying out this section.”

Section 6407 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107a) is amended—

“(C) any Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304));

“(D) any public, quasi-public, or nonprofit entity that uses innovative financing techniques and market development tools to accelerate the deployment of energy efficiency technology; or”

“(2) Energy efficiency measures—The term energy efficiency measures means, with respect to any property service by an eligible entity—

changed “(A) a structural improvement or investment in a cost-effective, commercial technology to increase energy efficiency (including cost-effective on-or on- or off-grid renewable energy or energy storage system); and

“(B) the replacement of a manufactured housing unit or large appliance with a substantially similar manufacturing housing unit or appliance, respectively, if that replacement is a cost-effective option with respect to energy savings.”

“(1) In general—Subject to this subsection, the Secretary shall provide—

“(A) loans to eligible entities that agree to use the loan funds to make loans under subsection (d) to qualified consumers for the purpose of implementing energy efficiency measures; and

“(B) at the election of any eligible entity that receives a loan under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, a grant in accordance with paragraph (11).”

“(2) Prioritization—The Secretary shall give priority to applications from eligible entities serving at least 80 percent of their ratepayers residing in rural areas, as defined in section 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).”

“(6) Repayment

“(A) In general—Subject to subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, with respect to a loan under paragraph (1)(A)—

“(i) the term shall not exceed 20 years from the date on which the loan is closed; and

“(ii) except as provided in paragraph (8), the repayment of each advance shall be amortized for a period not to exceed 10 years.

“(B) Extensions—The Secretary may extend the term of a loan under subparagraph (A)(i), or the deadline for repayment of an advance under subparagraph (A)(ii), as the Secretary determines appropriate.”

“(9) Limitations

“(A) Special advances—All special advances shall be made under a loan described in paragraph (1) during the first 10 years of the term of the loan.

“(B) Replacement of manufactured housing units or large appliances—Not more than 10 percent of the total annual amount of budget authority for loans described in paragraph (1) may be used for the replacement of manufactured housing units or large appliances.”

“(11) Grants

“(A) In general—At the election of an eligible entity that receives a loan under this subsection, the Secretary may provide to the eligible entity a grant to pay for a portion of the costs incurred in—

“(i) making repairs to the property of a qualified consumer that facilitates the energy efficiency measures for the property financed through a loan provided to the qualified consumer under subsection (d); or

“(ii) providing technical assistance, outreach, and training.

“(B) Amount

“(i) In general—Except as provided in clause (ii), the amount of a grant provided to an eligible entity under this paragraph shall be equal to not more than 5 percent of the amount of the loan provided to the eligible entity under this subsection.

“(ii) Persistent poverty counties—The amount of a grant provided under this paragraph to an eligible entity that will use the grant to make loans under subsection (d) to qualified consumers located in a persistent poverty county (as determined by the Secretary) shall be equal to 10 percent of the amount of the loan provided to the eligible entity under this subsection.”

“(B)

“(i) may have a term and amortization schedule the length of which is the useful life of the energy efficiency measures implemented using the loan, if the loan term does not exceed 20 years; and

“(ii) shall finance energy efficiency measures for the purpose of decreasing energy usage or costs of the qualified consumer by an amount that ensures, to the maximum extent practicable, that the applicable loan term described in clause (i) will not pose an undue financial burden on the qualified consumer, as determined by the eligible entity;

“(C) shall not be used to fund purchases of, or modifications to, personal property unless the personal property—

“(i) is a manufactured housing unit or large appliance described in subsection (b)(2)(B); or

“(ii) is or becomes attached to real property as a fixture;”

“(3) Clarification of eligibility—Notwithstanding any other provision of law (including regulations), an eligible entity may make a loan under this subsection to any qualified consumer located within the service territory of the eligible entity, regardless of whether the qualified consumer is located in a rural area.”

“(3) Funding—Not less than 3 but not more than 5 percent of amounts appropriated under subsection (i) may be used to provide outreach, training, and technical assistance under this subsection.”

Section 310B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932) is amended by inserting after subsection (e) the following:

“(f) Food supply chain capacity and resilience guaranteed loans

“(1) Definition of food supply chain guaranteed loan—In this subsection, the term food supply chain guaranteed loan means a business and industry guaranteed loan that is made or guaranteed by the Secretary under subsection (a)(2)(A), including a guarantee described in subsection (a)(3).

“(2) Purpose—A food supply chain guaranteed loan may be made for the purpose of financing new investments in the start-up or expansion of projects in the United States that will increase the capacity of the food supply chain in the United States to aggregate, process, manufacture, store, transport, wholesale, or distribute food, agricultural products, or agricultural inputs.

“(3) Limitations—The maximum amount of a food supply chain guaranteed loan shall not exceed $40,000,000.

“(4) Loan guarantees in nonrural areas—The Secretary may guarantee a food supply chain guaranteed loan to an eligible entity for a facility that is not located in a rural area if—

“(A) the primary purpose of the loan guarantee is for a facility to aggregate, process, manufacture, store, transport, wholesale, or distribute food agricultural products, or agricultural inputs for agricultural producers or processors that are located within 80 miles of the facility;

“(B) the applicant demonstrates to the Secretary that the primary benefit of the loan guarantee will be to provide employment for residents of a rural area; and

“(C) the total principal amount of food supply chain guaranteed loans guaranteed for a fiscal year under this paragraph does not exceed 10 percent of the total principal amount of food supply chain guaranteed loans made for the fiscal year under subsection (a)(2)(A).

“(5) Quarterly reports to Congress—Within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that contains—

“(A) an evaluation of the outcomes achieved through use of the assistance, and the ability of the recipient of the assistance to meet performance goals;

changed “(B) an evaluation of the compliance a description of the recipient any debt recovery made with the terms respect to a loan guaranteed under this subsection, and conditions of agency projections for activities for which the assistance;assistance is provided; and

changed “(C) a determination as to whether the recipient maintains adequate financial capacity to carry out any recommendations of the activities for which Secretary regarding the assistance is provided; andimplementation of this subsection.

removed “(D) any recommendations of the Secretary regarding the implementation of this subsection.

“(6) Reservation of funds

“(A) In general—For each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029, the Secretary shall reserve not more than 5 percent of the funds made available to carry out subsection (a) to carry out this subsection.

“(B) Availability of funds—Funds reserved under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year shall be reserved until April 1 of the fiscal year.”

changed Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1981- 2008w) 1981 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“379J. Rural Development Innovation Center

“(a) Definition of rural development mission areas—In this section, the term Rural Development Mission Areas means the agencies under the Rural Development Agency at the Department of Agriculture, including the Rural Utilities Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and the Rural Housing Service.

“(b) Establishment—There is hereby established within the Rural Development Mission Areas a Rural Development Innovation Center (the “Innovation Center”) to promote and facilitate innovation in the administration and implementation of rural development programs and initiatives.

“(c) Functions—The Innovation Center shall—

“(1) review all processes for Rural Development Mission Area programs to identify inefficiencies, redundancies, and barriers to access, including—

“(A) unnecessary delays in loan and grant applications processing and approvals;

“(B) high application costs; and

“(C) deficiencies in technical assistance for programs;

“(2) establish and maintain an ongoing public process for public and private stakeholders to provide perspectives on the challenges faced when applying for, utilizing, or participating in Rural Development Mission Area programs;

“(3) identify and assess any innovative strategies and collaborative models to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of rural development programs and initiatives;

“(4) foster and maintain partnerships with public and private stakeholders to leverage expertise and resources for the Rural Development Mission Areas;

“(5) promote cross-agency collaborations and identify best practices in rural economic development;

“(6) identify and implement technological solutions and software applications to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of Rural Development Mission Area programs, including enhancing data management systems;

“(7) conduct research, analysis, and evaluation to modernize, simplify, and improve Rural Development Mission Area programs, and ensure that the programs are accessible, transparent, and user-friendly; and

“(8) disseminate information, guidance, and training materials to Rural Development Mission Area personnel and stakeholders on innovative rural development practices and opportunities.

“(d) Modernization plan—The Innovation Center shall develop, and periodically update, a modernization plan to facilitate innovation in administering and implementing rural development programs and initiatives that—

“(1) outlines strategies aimed at harnessing the potential of emerging technologies for program delivery and overall service;

“(2) enhances program efficiencies by identifying and implementing measures to streamline program and administrative processes, reduce redundancies, and optimize resource allocation;

“(3) expands the availability and accessibility of digital services, leveraging digital platforms and tools to broaden the reach of the programs and improve the overall user experience for rural stakeholders;

“(4) integrates data-driven solutions to optimize program delivery and maximize impact and effectiveness of the efforts in rural development; and

“(5) establishes periodic milestones and goals to track the progress of the modernization plan.

“(e) Report—The Secretary shall submit an annual report to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate on—

“(1) the activities and accomplishments of the Innovation Center, including progress in advancing rural development innovation and the outcome achieved;

“(2) a comprehensive working plan designed to actively engage public and private stakeholders, as described in subsection (c)(2); and

“(3) the progress on the modernization plan described in subsection (d).”

Section 306(a)(22) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(22)) is amended to read as follows:

“(22) Rural water and wastewater circuit rider program

“(A) Establishment—The Secretary, through the Rural Utilities Service, shall continue a national rural water and wastewater circuit rider program that is consistent with the activities and results of the program conducted before the date of enactment of this Act, and with this section, as determined by the Secretary.

“(B) Purpose—The Rural Water and Wastewater Circuit Rider Program shall provide a network of expert rural water Circuit Riders located in all 50 States, including United States territories and Freely Associated States, which work one-on-one with eligible rural water and wastewater systems in major assistance categories described in subparagraph (D). The program is intended to help rural water systems operate effectively and efficiently and achieve long-term sustainability and compliance with certain Federal laws and requirements, including the Safe Water Drinking Act (42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.) and the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.).

“(C) Eligible entities—In selecting recipients of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to be made available for activities listed under subparagraph (D), the Secretary shall select nonprofit organizations that have demonstrated experience providing technical assistance and disaster and recovery assistance for water and wastewater utilities nationwide. Awardees shall rely on personnel that possess active water and wastewater operators’ licenses or overall knowledge of water utilities necessary to carry out eligible activities under subparagraph (D).

“(D) Eligible uses of funds—An eligible entity shall use funds under the Rural Water and Wastewater Circuit Rider program for a rural water, wastewater, or wastewater disposal facility for—

“(i) technical assistance, including—

“(I) Board training;

“(II) managerial and financial operations with the effort to enhance the long-term sustainability of rural water and wastewater systems, including partnerships, consolidation, and regionalization;

“(III) physical operation and maintenance of rural water and wastewater infrastructure;

“(IV) water treatment;

“(V) regulatory compliance;

“(VI) facility security;

“(VII) loan application and reporting;

“(VIII) cybersecurity;

“(IX) implementation of cybersecurity plans, procedures, and technologies to protect against cyberthreats; or

“(X) other areas the Secretary deems appropriate;

“(ii) disaster and recovery assistance including—

“(I) direct on-site personnel and equipment to eligible utilities;

“(II) coordinating in statewide emergency response networks;

“(III) facilitating the development of action plans between utilities, local governments, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State emergency management agencies;

“(IV) resiliency and mitigation planning;

“(V) GIS mapping;

“(VI) updating vulnerability assessments, preparation of emergency response plans, communication protocols, hazard recognition and evaluation skills;

“(VII) conducting preliminary damage assessments of critical infrastructure;

“(VIII) addressing outstanding deficiencies focused on resolving health-based regulatory, operational, financial, and managerial deficiencies that impact the sustainability of the affected utilities;

“(IX) application and reporting assistance for Federal and State requirements including Federal Emergency Management Agency and insurance recovery claims;

“(X) providing for disaster readiness, support, and response activities targeted to disadvantaged communities that lack the financial resources and human capital necessary to adequately address significant health, safety, or sanitary concerns; and

“(XI) other areas the Secretary deems appropriate.

“(iii) Additional uses—In response to activities under subparagraph (B) related to natural disasters and emergencies, not more than 5 percent of each award may be used to purchase or reimburse the rental costs of appropriate emergency equipment, as determined by the Secretary.

“(E) Eligible project areas—To receive assistance under the Rural Water and Wastewater Circuit Rider Program and carry out activities, an eligible entity must serve—

“(i) an area with a population of—

“(I) 10,000 or fewer inhabitants for technical assistance under subparagraph (D)(i); or

“(II) 50,000 or fewer inhabitants for disaster and recovery assistance under subparagraph (D)(ii); and

changed “(ii) a public body, non-profit nonprofit corporation, or Indian tribe with legal authority to own and operate the water facility.

“(F) Authorization of appropriations—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 through fiscal year 2031.”

added Section 306A(i)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926a(i)(2)) is amended by striking “2019 through 2023” and inserting “2027 through 2031”.

Section 306E of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926e) is amended to read as follows:

“306E. Rural decentralized water systems

“(a) Definitions—In this section:

“(1) Eligible individual—The term eligible individual means an individual who is a member of a household the members of which have a combined income (for the most recent 12-month period for which the information is available) that is not more than 80 percent of the median nonmetropolitan household income for the State or territory in which the individual resides, according to the most recent decennial census of the United States.

“(2) Eligible grant recipient—The term eligible grant recipient means a private nonprofit organization that uses a grant provided under this section for the purposes described in subsection (b)(1).

“(3) Qualified water quality testing—The term qualified water quality testing means a baseline analysis of the bacterial and chemical characteristics of concern from a drinking water sample collected at the point of consumption and tested by a laboratory certified to conduct water quality testing that is provided to—

“(A) the Secretary; and

“(B) the eligible grant recipient receiving a grant under this section and any eligible individual served by the eligible grant recipient.

“(b) Grants

“(1) In general—The Secretary may make grants to an eligible grant recipient for the purpose of—

“(A) providing loans and subgrants to eligible individuals for—

“(i) the construction, refurbishing, and servicing of individual household water well systems and individually owned household decentralized wastewater systems in rural areas that are or will be owned by the eligible individuals; or

changed “(ii) in the event of ground well water contamination, the installation or replacement of water treatment, where needed as determined by a qualified water quality test or other third party third-party documentation to the satisfaction of the Secretary;

“(B) performing qualified water quality testing of individual household water well systems and individually utilized household decentralized wastewater systems in rural areas that are or will be utilized by the eligible individuals; or

“(C) providing technical assistance to eligible individuals for—

“(i) the installation or replacement of individual household water well systems and individually owned household decentralized wastewater systems in rural areas that are or will be owned by the eligible individuals;

“(ii) interpreting qualified water quality tests; or

“(iii) addressing ground well water contamination.

“(2) Terms and amounts for loans and subgrants

“(A) Terms of loans—A loan made with grant funds under this section—

“(i) shall have an interest rate of 1 percent; and

“(ii) shall have a term not to exceed 20 years.

“(B) Amounts—A loan or subgrant made with grant funds under this section shall not exceed $20,000 for each water well system or decentralized wastewater system described in paragraph (1).

“(3) Administrative expenses—A recipient of a grant made under this section may use grant funds to pay administrative expenses associated with providing the assistance described in paragraph (1), as determined by the Secretary.

“(4) Water treatment standards—Water treatment provided under this section shall—

“(A) incorporate components that are third-party certified as compliant with relevant consensus-based standards for drinking water treatment units or systems, as determined by the Secretary; and

“(B) be installed, according to the instructions of the manufacturer, by a qualified, certified, or licensed water treatment professional, including a professional credentialed through a manufacturer or third-party.

“(c) Priority in awarding grants—In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to an applicant that has substantial expertise and experience in promoting the safe and effective use of individually owned household water well systems, individually owned household decentralized wastewater systems, and ground water.

“(d) Limitation—An eligible grant recipient cannot use more than 10 percent of a grant awarded under this section for the activities described under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of subsection (b)(1).

“(e) Authorization of appropriations—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.”

Section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(e)) is amended—

“(C) Cooperative development—The term cooperative development means activities including education, training, and technical assistance, to support the start-up, expansion, or ongoing sustainability of new and existing cooperatives.”

changed “(B) Award renewals for qualified non-profit nonprofit institutions—The Secretary shall award a grant under this subsection to a non-profit nonprofit institution on the same terms and for the establishment or operation of the same center or centers for cooperative development for which the non-profit nonprofit institution was awarded a grant in the current fiscal year, if the non-profit nonprofit institution—

“(i) is a recipient of an award under this subsection;

“(ii) requests a renewal under this subparagraph;

“(iii) has submitted a complete application under this subsection in the preceding 2 fiscal years; and

“(iv) has operated the center or centers for cooperative development in a manner which successfully meets the parameters described in paragraph (5), as determined by the Secretary.”

“(b) Fees

“(1) Initial guarantee fee—The Secretary may assess an initial guarantee fee for any insured or guaranteed loan issued or modified under section 306(a) in an amount that does not exceed 3 percent of the guaranteed principal portion of the loan.

changed “(2) Periodic retention fee—The Secretary may assess a periodic retention fee for any insured or guaranteed loan issued or modified under section 306(a) in an amount that does not exceed 0.75 percent of the outstanding principal of the guaranteed loan.

changed “(3) Disclosure—In altering any fee charged for any insured or guaranteed loan issued or modified under section 306(a), the Secretary, not less than 30 days in advance of any fee change, shall provide a public disclosure, disclosure of the financial data, economic and behavioral assumptions, calculations, and other factors used to determine the new fee rates.”

“(5) Fees

“(A) Initial guarantee fee—The Secretary may assess an initial guarantee fee for any guaranteed business and industry loan in an amount that does not exceed 3 percent of the guaranteed principal portion of the loan.

“(B) Periodic retention fee—The Secretary may assess a periodic retention fee for any guaranteed business and industry loan in an amount that does not exceed 0.75 percent of the outstanding principal of the guaranteed loan.

changed “(C) Disclosure—In altering any fee charged for any guaranteed business and industry loan, the Secretary, not less than 30 days in advance of any fee change, shall provide a public disclosure, disclosure of the financial data, economic and behavioral assumptions, calculations, and other factors used to determine the new fee rates.”

“(a) Refinancing of certain rural health care facility debt

“(1) In general—Assistance”

“(2) Requirements—To promote the long-term sustainability and financial viability of an eligible health care facility, the Secretary shall—

“(A) provide assistance to an eligible health care facility for the purpose of—

“(i) ensuring the facility has necessary resources to maintain public health, safety, or order;

“(ii) addressing financial hardships of the facility, its patients, and the area it serves; and

“(iii) identifying the financial stability of the facility, including—

“(I) operational practices;

“(II) revenue enhancements;

“(III) policy revisions;

“(IV) partnerships, regionalization, or consolidation of rural health systems; and

“(V) contract services; and

“(B) require an applicant to—

“(i) receive financial planning assistance; and

“(ii) prepare a long-term financial plan.

“(3) Waiver—In the case of an application for refinancing pursuant to this section, the Secretary may waive the requirement of section 302(a)(1)(D) if the eligible health care facility is insolvent.

“(b) Rural health care facility technical assistance program

“(1) In general—In lieu of any other authority under which the Secretary may provide technical assistance to any eligible health care facility, the Secretary shall establish, and maintain, directly or by grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, a Rural Health Care Facility Technical Assistance Program (in this section referred to as the “Program”) to provide technical assistance and training, tailored to the capacity and needs of each eligible health care facility, to help eligible health care facilities in rural areas—

“(A) identify development needs for maintaining essential health care services, and support action plans for operational and quality improvement projects to meet the development needs;

“(B) better manage their financial and business strategies, including providing financial planning assistance and preparing long-term financial plans; and

“(C) identify, and apply for assistance from, loan and grant programs of the Department of Agriculture for which the facilities are eligible.

“(2) Goals—The goals of the Program shall be to—

“(A) improve the long-term financial position and operational efficiency of the eligible health care facilities;

“(B) prevent the closure of eligible health care facilities;

“(C) strengthen the delivery of health care in rural areas;

“(D) help eligible health care facilities better access and compete for loans and grants from programs administered by the Department of Agriculture; and

“(E) continue the activities of the Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program in effect as of the date of the enactment of this subsection.

“(3) Program participation

“(A) In general—The Secretary shall engage in outreach and engagement strategies to encourage eligible health care facilities to participate in the Program.

“(B) Eligible health care facility selection—In selecting eligible health care facilities to participate in the Program, the Secretary shall give priority to borrowers and grantees of the Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and Rural Utilities Service. The Secretary may also consider—

“(i) the age and physical state of the health care facility involved;

“(ii) the financial vulnerability of the eligible health care facility, and the ability of the eligible health care facility to meet debt obligations;

“(iii) the electronic health record implementation needs of the health care facility;

“(iv) whether the eligible health care facility is located in a health professional shortage area or a medically underserved area;

“(v) whether the eligible health care facility serves a medically underserved population; and

“(vi) such other criteria and priorities as are determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.

“(C) Reporting requirements—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a written report describing the progress and results of the program conducted under this section, which should include—

“(i) a brief description of each project to provide technical assistance to an eligible health care facility under this section, including—

“(I) the name and location of the facility;

“(II) a description of the assistance provided;

“(III) a description of the outcomes for completed projects;

“(IV) the cost of the technical assistance; and

“(V) any other information the Secretary deems appropriate;

“(ii) a summary of the technical assistance projects completed;

“(iii) a summary of the outcomes of the technical assistance projects;

“(iv) an assessment of the effectiveness of the Program; and

“(v) recommendations for improving the Program.

“(D) Limitations on authorization of appropriations—To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary not more than $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

“(c) Definitions—In this section:

“(1) Rural area—The term rural area has the meaning given the term in section 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)).

“(2) Development needs—The term development needs includes—

“(A) constructing, expanding, renovating or otherwise modernizing health care facilities;

“(B) increasing telehealth capabilities;

“(C) acquiring or upgrading health care information systems such as electronic health records;

changed “(D) providing financial planning assistance and preparing a long-term financial plan; and

“(E) such other needs as the Secretary deems critical to maintaining health care services in the community in which an eligible health care facility is located.

“(3) Eligible health care facility—The term eligible health care facility means a facility that is located in a rural area and is—

“(A) a hospital (as defined in section 1861(e) of the Social Security Act;

“(B) a psychiatric hospital (as defined in section 1861(f) of such Act);

“(C) a long-term care hospital (as defined in section 1861(ccc) of such Act);

“(D) a critical access hospital (as defined in section 1861(mm)(1) of such Act);

“(E) a rural health clinic (as defined in section 1861(aa)(2) of such Act);

“(F) a religious nonmedical health care institution (as defined in section 1861(ss)(1) of such Act);

“(G) a sole community hospital (as defined in section 1886(d)(5)(C)(iii) of such Act);

“(H) a rural emergency hospital (as defined in section 1861(kkk)(2) of such Act);

“(I) a home health agency (as defined in section 1861(o) of such Act); or

“(J) a community health center (as defined in section 330 of the Public Health Service Act).

“(4) Health professional shortage area—The term health professional shortage area has the meaning given the term in section 332(a)(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act.

“(5) Medically underserved area—The term medically underserved area has the meaning given the term in section 330I(a)(5) of the Public Health Service Act.

“(6) Medically underserved population—The term medically underserved population has the meaning given the term in section 330(b)(3) of the Public Health Service Act.”

Section 379E of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008s) is amended—

Section 379I of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008w) is amended—

“(I) an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101, and subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 102(a)(1), of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001, 1002(a)(1)));”

changed “(II) an area career and technical education school (as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302);”2302));”

“(IV) an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101, and subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 102(a)(1), of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001, 1002(a)(1)));”

changed “(V) an area career and technical education school (as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302); 2302)); or”

“(v) in the case of a career pathway program, includes 1 or more members of the local workforce development board established under section 107 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and serving the region to ensure the program is integrated with the activities carried out by the local workforce development board; and”

“(6) Career pathway—The term career pathway has the meaning given the term in section 3(7) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102(7)).

“(7) Industry or sector partnership—The term industry or sector partnership has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).”

“(C) address workforce challenges, including worker displacement, faced by specific industry sectors in rural communities; and

“(D) promote targeted skills development and training initiatives to stimulate innovation and enhance economic development in rural regions.”

“(G) the ability of the eligible entity to carry out activities to address the issues of worker displacement, an aging workforce, and youth migration.”

“(5) Geographic distribution—The Secretary shall ensure regional diversity of recipients of grants or participants in providing grants under paragraph (1) for jobs accelerators, career pathway programs, and related programming.”

“(C) to support career pathway programs or industry or sector partnerships to be carried out within industries in rural communities, including—

“(i) telecommunications or broadband services;

“(ii) water, waste water, or disposal services;

“(iii) electric supply services;

“(iv) forestry and logging operations;

“(v) conservation practices and management;

“(vi) health care and child care;

“(vii) manufacturing;

“(viii) agribusiness related to production, processing, and distribution;

“(ix) veterinarian services; and

“(x) any other sectors identified by the local workforce development board serving the region to be an in-demand industry sector or occupation, as defined in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.”

“(xviii) the number of individuals who have completed skills development, recognized postsecondary credentials, or gained specialized education through career pathways programs or industry or sector partnerships; or”

“(3) in the case of a career pathway program or industry or sector partnership, report to the Secretary the employment and earnings outcomes for individuals who participate in the program on the indicators described in subclauses (I) through (III) of section 116(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.”

changed Section 384J(c) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009cc-9(c)) 2009cc–9(c)) is amended by striking “50” and inserting “75”.

changed Section 1446(b)(2) 1446 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222a(b)(2)) 3222a) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2031”.amended—

Section 1450 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222e) is amended—

“(a) Definitions—In this section:

“(1) Developing country—The term developing country means a country that meets such criteria as determined by the Secretary, established using a gross national income per capita test selected by the Secretary.

“(2) Eligible institution—The term eligible institution means—

“(A) a land-grant colleges or university;

“(B) a non-land-grant college of agriculture;

“(C) a Hispanic-serving agricultural college or university; and

“(D) a cooperating forestry school.

“(3) International partner institution—The term international partner institution means a higher education institution in a developing country that is performing, or desiring to perform, activities similar to agricultural research, extension, and education activities carried out through eligible institutions in the United States.

“(b) Grants and partnerships

“(1) Grants—The Secretary may make competitive grants to eligible institutions in order to strengthen United States economic competitiveness and to promote international market development through—

“(A) enhancing the international content of the curricula in colleges and universities so as to ensure that United States students acquire an understanding of the international dimensions and trade implications of their studies;

“(B) ensuring that United States scientists, extension agents, and educators involved in agricultural research and development activities outside of the United States have the opportunity to convey the implications of their activities and findings to their peers and students in the United States and to the users of agricultural research, extension, and teaching;

“(C) enhancing the capabilities of colleges and universities to do collaborative research with other countries, in cooperation with other Federal agencies, on issues relevant to United States agricultural competitiveness;

“(D) enhancing the capabilities of colleges and universities to provide cooperative extension education to promote the application of new technology developed in foreign countries to United States agriculture; and

“(E) enhancing the capability of United States colleges and universities, in cooperation with other Federal agencies, to provide leadership and educational programs that will assist United States natural resources and food production, processing, and distribution businesses and industries to compete internationally, including through the use of product market identification, international policies limiting or enhancing market production, the development of new or enhancement of existing markets, and production efficiencies.

“(2) Partnerships—The Secretary may promote cooperation and coordination between eligible institutions and international partner institutions through—

“(A) improving extension by—

“(i) encouraging the exchange of research materials and results between eligible institutions and international partner institutions;

“(ii) facilitating the broad dissemination of agricultural research through extension;

“(iii) assisting with efforts to plan and initiate extension services in developing countries; and

“(iv) developing self-sustaining regional agricultural markets and promoting the application of new agricultural technologies and techniques;

“(B) improving agricultural research by—

“(i) in partnership with international partner institutions, encouraging research that addresses problems affecting food production and security, human nutrition, agriculture, forestry, livestock, and fisheries, including local challenges; and

“(ii) supporting and strengthening national agricultural research systems in developing countries;

changed “(C) supporting the participation of eligible institutions in programs of international organizations, such as the United Nations, the World Bank, regional development banks, and international improving agricultural research centers;teaching and education by—

removed “(D) improving agricultural teaching and education by—

“(i) in partnership with international partner institutions, supporting education and teaching relating to food and agricultural sciences, including technical assistance, degree training, research collaborations, classroom instruction, workforce training, and education programs; and

“(ii) assisting with efforts to increase student capacity, including to encourage equitable access for women and other underserved populations, at international partner institutions by promoting partnerships with, and improving the capacity of, eligible institutions;

added “(D) assisting eligible institutions in strengthening their capacity for food, agricultural, and related research, extension, and teaching programs relevant to agricultural development activities in developing countries to promote the application of new technology to improve education delivery;

changed “(E) assisting eligible institutions in strengthening their capacity providing support for food, agricultural, and related research, extension, and teaching programs relevant to agricultural development activities in developing countries to promote the application internationalization of new technology to improve education delivery;resident instruction programs of eligible institutions;

changed “(F) providing support for establishing a program, to be coordinated by the internationalization Director of resident instruction programs the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service, to place interns from eligible institutions;institutions in, or in service to benefit, developing countries; and

changed “(G) establishing a program, program to be coordinated by the Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service, provide fellowships to place interns from students at eligible institutions in, or in service to benefit, developing countries; andstudy at foreign agricultural colleges and universities.”

removed “(H) establishing a program to provide fellowships to students at eligible institutions to study at foreign agricultural colleges and universities.”

Section 1473E of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3319e) is amended—

“(a) Definitions—In this section:

“(1) Eligible entity—The term eligible entity means—

“(A) a junior or community college (as defined in section 312 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058)) supporting agriculture advancement;

“(B) a consortium or alliance of 2-year public colleges supporting agriculture advancement; or

“(C) an area career and technical education school (as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302)) that offers a program of study in agriculture.

“(2) Work-based learning—The term work-based learning has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302).

“(b) Competitive grants—The Secretary shall make competitive grants to eligible entities to conduct workforce training, education, research, and outreach activities relating to food and agricultural sciences.

changed “(c) Priority—In making grants under subsection (b), the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity coordinating with a local agriculture industry operator or conservation district to provide work-based learning, experiential training, and other opportunities for students.

“(d) Use of funds—An eligible entity that receives a grant under subsection (b) may use the funds made available through the grant—

changed “(1) to offer educational programming on agricultural industry jobs, including farm business management-related subjects, such as accounting, paralegal studies, finance, and finance;soil, water, and related resource conservation;

“(2) to develop apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities; and

“(3) other services that would increase workforce training, education, research, and outreach activities relating to food and agricultural sciences, as determined by the Secretary.”

Section 1473H of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3319k) is amended—

“(D) any other product or project, as determined by the Secretary.”

“(B) to overcome the long-term and high-risk technological barriers in the development of agricultural technologies, research tools, and qualified products and projects that enhance export competitiveness, environmental sustainability, water conservation, and resilience to extreme weather, drought, infectious diseases, plant and animal pathogens, and plant and animal pests;”

“(4) Use of strategic plan—The Secretary shall use the strategic plan developed under paragraph (1) to inform the administration of AGARDA under this section.”

“(a) In general—The Secretary shall establish a competitive grant program under which the Secretary will award grants to eligible entities to support research, extension, and education activities that improve the capability of the United States to protect the food and agricultural system from any chemical, biological, cybersecurity, or bioterrorism attack.

“(b) Use of funds—Grants made under this section shall be used to—

“(1) encourage basic and applied research and development of agricultural countermeasures;

“(2) promote the development and expansion of teaching programs in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and other disciplines closely allied to the food and agriculture system to increase the number of trained individuals with an expertise in agricultural biosecurity and cybersecurity;

“(3) expand or upgrade facilities to meet biosafety and biosecurity requirements necessary to protect facility staff, members of the public, and the food supply while carrying out agricultural biosecurity research;

“(4) costs associated with the acquisition of equipment and other capital costs related to expansion of food, agriculture, and veterinary medicine teaching programs in agricultural biosecurity and cybersecurity; or

“(5) otherwise improve the capacity of the United States to respond in a timely manner to emerging or existing threats.

“(c) Eligible entities—Entities eligible to receive a grant under this section include—

“(1) State agricultural experiment stations;

“(2) State departments of agriculture;

“(3) colleges and universities;

“(4) university research foundations;

“(5) other research institutions and organizations;

“(6) Federal agencies;

“(7) national laboratories; or

“(8) any group consisting of 2 or more of the entities described in paragraphs (1) through (7).”

Section 1672 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925) is amended—

“(14) Fertilizer and nutrient management initiative—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purposes of carrying out research to improve fertilizer use efficiency in crops and examining nutrient management based on the source, rate, timing, and placement of crop nutrients.

“(15) Tropical plant health initiative—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purposes of—

“(A) developing and disseminating science-based tools and treatments to combat plant pests and noxious weeds (as those terms are defined in section 403 of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7702)) that impact tropical plants, including—

“(i) coffee plants;

“(ii) macadamia trees;

“(iii) cacao trees;

“(iv) plantains and bananas;

“(v) mangos;

changed “(vi) tropical floriculture and nursery crops; andvanilla plants;

changed “(vii) any other tropical plant as determined by the Secretary;floriculture and nursery crops; and

added “(viii) any other tropical plant as determined by the Secretary;

“(B) establishing an areawide integrated pest management program in areas affected by, or areas at risk of being affected by, plant pests or noxious weeds;

“(C) surveying and collecting data on tropical plant production and health;

“(D) investigating tropical plant biology, immunology, ecology, genomics, and bioinformatics; and

“(E) conducting research on various factors that may contribute to, or be associated with, tropical plant immune systems and other serious threats to tropical plants.

“(16) Biochar research—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purpose of testing the full range of biochar types across soil types, soil health and soil management conditions, application methods, and climatic and agronomic regions, including through the establishment of a national biochar research network, to—

“(A) assess the soil carbon sequestration potential of various biochars and management systems integrating biochar use;

“(B) understand how to use biochar productively to contribute to climate mitigation, crop production, resilience to extreme weather events, ecosystem and soil health, natural resource conservation, and farm profitability; and

“(C) deliver science-based, region-specific, cost-effective, and practical information to farmers, ranchers, foresters, land reclamation managers, urban land managers, and other land and natural resource managers and businesses on sustainable biochar production and application.

“(17) Wildfire smoke exposure research—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purposes of studying the impact of wildfire smoke exposure on specialty crops, including wine grapes, hops, stone fruit, and apples, by—

“(A) conducting research—

“(i) to identify the compounds responsible for smoke exposure; and

“(ii) to establish standard methodologies for sampling and testing smoke-exposed specialty crops and smoke-affected products, including fast and inexpensive screening methods;

“(B) establishing a reliable database of background levels of smoke exposure compounds that occur naturally in specialty crops;

“(C) developing risk assessment tools or mitigation methods to reduce or eliminate smoke exposure; and

“(D) studying compounds that can act as a barrier between specialty crops and smoke compounds.

“(18) Invasive species research—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purposes of developing and disseminating science-based tools and treatments to manage or eradicate (including through methods of biocontrol and sterile insect techniques) invasive species of plants and animals, such as the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), navel orangeworm (Amyelois transitella), and spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii).

“(19) Microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on farmland—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purposes of carrying out or enhancing research on the agricultural impacts of microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, including structural firefighting foam, in land-applied biosolids or compost on farmland, including by—

“(A) conducting surveys and collecting data on concentration, particle size, and chemical composition of such substances in land-applied biosolids on farmland;

“(B) the development or analysis of techniques, including wastewater treatment and composting, to filter out or biodegrade such substances from biosolids intended to be used for agricultural purposes;

“(C) conducting an analysis of the impact on agricultural crops and soil health of such substances in land-applied biosolids on farmland, including the uptake of such substances by various crops or livestock;

“(D) conducting research to better understand how wastewater processing impacts such substances;

“(E) conducting research to better understand the fate, residence time, and transport of such substances on farmland; and

“(F) conducting research on how to remediate soil and water systems contaminated with such substances.

“(20) Agricultural byproducts research—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purposes of converting agricultural byproducts or forest residuals into valuable materials and products, including innovations in production processes for easily deployable refining facilities, developing alternatives to agricultural burning, and fostering energy production through recycling animal byproducts, wet waste, and plant-based waste.

“(21) Soil health research—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purposes of—

“(A) developing management practices that improve soil health, including establishing tools that aid soil preservation or improve composition of soil organic compounds that are beneficial to soil quality and the environment; and

“(B) disseminating such practices through methods such as innovative coursework and work-based learning.

“(22) White oak research—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purposes of white oak research, including conducting research on—

“(A) white oak genes with resistance and stress tolerance;

“(B) white oak trees that exhibit vigor for the purpose of increasing survival and growth;

“(C) establishing a diverse white oak seed bank capable of responding to stressors;

“(D) providing a sustainable supply of white oak seedlings and genetic resources;

“(E) reforestation of white oak through natural and artificial regeneration; and

“(F) the best methods for reforesting abandoned mine land sites.

“(23) Alternative growing media research—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purposes of developing and enhancing research on the characterization, utilization, and evaluation of alternative growing media, including science-based techniques that maximize functions in the growth of plants and harvest yields.

“(24) Rangeland research—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purposes of carrying out or enhancing research on the development of forage production and improved grazing and range management, including the adoption of virtual fencing technology that simultaneously enhance wildlife habitat, protect watersheds, and reduce hazards of erosion and flooding.

“(25) Specialty crop mechanization and automation research—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purpose of developing and evaluating mechanization and automation technologies for specialty crops.”

“(h) Report—Not later than February 1, 2028, and not less frequently than once every other year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report describing how the Department carried out research and extension activities specified in subsections (d) through (f) for the previous two fiscal years, including the amount of funding allocated to each high-priority research and extension initiative, through—

“(1) amounts made available under appropriations Acts to the Agricultural Research Service;

“(2) amounts made available to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture under capacity and infrastructure programs (as defined in section 251 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971));

“(3) amounts made available to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture under competitive programs (as defined in such section); and

“(4) amounts made available through other agencies within the Department.”

Section 2501 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279) is amended—

The Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103–382) is amended—

Subsection (b) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)) is amended—

“(vi) hydroponics, aquaponics, aeroponics, and other production technologies used in controlled-environment agriculture production.”

changed “(ix) workforce training and development, including meat and poultry processing (including rendering) and precision agriculture.”agriculture; and

added “(x) reducing food loss and food waste.”

“(D) area career and technical education schools;”

changed The Act of December 23, 1987 (Public Public Law 100–208; 101 100–208 (101 Stat. 1439) is amended by striking “Knipling-Bushland Research Laboratory” each place it appears and inserting “Knipling-Bushland Research Center”.

Section 251 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971) is amended—

“(3) be responsible for the coordination of research activities with other Federal agencies.”

“(h) Interagency coordination

“(1) In general—The Secretary shall carry out cross-cutting and collaborative research and development activities focused on the joint advancement of the mission requirements and priorities of the Department of Agriculture and other Federal agencies.

“(2) Memoranda of understanding

“(A) Department of Energy

“(i) In general—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the Secretary and the Secretary of Energy(referred to in this subparagraph as the “Secretaries”) shall coordinate the activities under paragraph (1) through the establishment of memoranda of understanding or other appropriate interagency agreements. Such a memorandum or such an agreement shall require the use of a competitive, merit-reviewed process as appropriate. Activities may include components proposed by Federal agencies, National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and other entities deemed appropriate under the memorandum or agreement.

“(ii) Coordination—In carrying out the activities under paragraph (1), the Secretaries may—

“(I) conduct collaborative research in a variety of focus areas;

“(II) develop methods to accommodate large voluntary standardized and integrated data sets on agricultural, environmental, supply chain, and economic information with variable accuracy and scale;

“(III) promote collaboration and open community-based development between—

“(aa) Federal agencies;

“(bb) National Laboratories;

“(cc) institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001));

“(dd) nonprofit institutions;

“(ee) industry partners; and

“(ff) other entities deemed appropriate under the memorandum or agreement involved;

“(IV) support research infrastructure, including new facilities and equipment, and workforce development as the Secretaries determine necessary;

“(V) conduct collaborative research, development, and demonstration of methods and technologies; and

“(VI) facilitate relations between public and private entities to carry on the activities of this clause upon the termination of any agreement established under this subparagraph.

“(iii) Agreements—In carrying out the activities under this subparagraph, the Secretaries are authorized to—

“(I) carry out reimbursable agreements between the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, and other entities in order to maximize the effectiveness of research and development; and

“(II) collaborate with other Federal agencies, as appropriate.

“(B) National Science Foundation

“(i) In general—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the Secretary and the Director of the National Science Foundation (referred to in this subparagraph as the “Director”) shall coordinate the activities under paragraph (1) through the establishment of memoranda of understanding or other appropriate interagency agreements. Such a memorandum or such an agreement shall require the use of a competitive, merit-reviewed process as appropriate. Activities may include components proposed by Federal agencies, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and other entities deemed appropriate under the memorandum or agreement.

“(ii) Coordination—In carrying out the activities under paragraph (1), the Secretary and the Director may—

“(I) conduct collaborative research in a variety of focus areas;

“(II) promote collaboration and open, community-based development between—

“(aa) Federal agencies;

“(bb) institutions of higher education;

“(cc) community colleges (as defined in section 3167B of the Energy Science Education Enhancement Act (42 U.S.C. 7381c–3));

“(dd) area career and technical education schools (as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302));

“(ee) nonprofit institutions;

“(ff) industry partners; and

“(gg) other entities deemed appropriate under the memorandum or agreement;

“(III) support research infrastructure, including new facilities, equipment and broadband deployment, as the Secretary and Director determine necessary;

“(IV) develop translational technologies for commercial utilization;

“(V) organize education, training, and research initiatives relating to STEM education and workforce development, which may include—

“(aa) activities supported by the Cooperative Extension System;

“(bb) industrial partnership programs;

“(cc) workshops for educating kindergarten through grade 12 teachers on how to increase agricultural literacy;

“(dd) development of agricultural-based science curricula for kindergarten through grade 12 students; and

“(ee) distribution of resources for educators to implement curricula; and

“(VI) facilitate relationships between public and private entities to carry on the activities under this clause upon the termination of any agreement established under this subparagraph.

“(iii) Agreements—In carrying out the activities under this subparagraph, the Secretary and the Director are authorized to—

“(I) carry out reimbursable agreements between the Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, and other entities in order to maximize the effectiveness of research and development; and

“(II) collaborate with other Federal agencies as appropriate.

“(C) Department of Defense

“(i) In general—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense (referred to in this subparagraph as the “Secretaries”) shall coordinate the activities under paragraph (1) through the establishment of memoranda of understanding or other appropriate interagency agreements. Such a memorandum or such an agreement shall require the use of a competitive, merit-reviewed process as appropriate. Activities may include components proposed by Federal agencies, National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, industry, and other entities deemed appropriate under the memorandum or agreement.

“(ii) Coordination—In carrying out the activities under paragraph (1), the Secretaries may—

“(I) conduct collaborative research in a variety of focus areas, including the areas specified in clause (iv);

“(II) develop methods to accommodate large voluntary standardized and integrated data sets on agricultural, environmental, supply chain, and economic information with variable accuracy and scale;

changed “(III) promote collaboration and secure information sharing with stakeholders that are capable of increasing market-based adoption of technologies developed pursuant to the memoranda of understanding or other appropriate interagency agreements entered into under this subparagraph.subparagraph;

“(IV) promote collaboration and open community-based development between—

“(aa) Federal agencies;

“(bb) National Laboratories;

“(cc) institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001));

“(dd) nonprofit institutions;

“(ee) industry partners; and

“(ff) other entities deemed appropriate under the memorandum or agreement involved;

“(V) support research infrastructure, including new facilities and equipment, and workforce development as the Secretaries determine necessary;

“(VI) conduct collaborative research, development, and demonstration of methods and technologies; and

“(VII) facilitate relations between public and private entities to carry on the activities of this clause upon the termination of any agreement established under this subparagraph.

“(iii) Agreements—In carrying out the activities under this subparagraph, the Secretaries are authorized to—

“(I) carry out reimbursable agreements between the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, and other entities in order to maximize the effectiveness of research and development; and

“(II) collaborate with other Federal agencies, as appropriate.

“(iv) Focus areas described—The focus areas described in this clause are the following:

“(I) Management strategies for water, energy, soil, forests, and food to reduce scarcity risks to civilian and military operations.

“(II) Innovations applicable to defense objectives and beneficial to rural agricultural economies, including—

“(aa) precision agriculture technologies;

“(bb) drones;

“(cc) remote sensing; and

“(dd) positioning, navigation, and timing capabilities.

“(III) Mitigation of the impacts of chemicals, specifically perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly referred to as PFAS), released through activities carried out by the Department of Defense, to farmland contiguous to military bases.

“(D) Other Federal agencies—In addition to the memoranda of understanding with Federal agencies described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), the Secretary shall, as appropriate, enter into memoranda of understanding with the heads of other Federal agencies to coordinate the activities under paragraph (1).

“(3) Report—Not later than two years after the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing—

“(A) interagency coordination between each Federal agency involved in the research and development activities carried out under this section;

“(B) potential opportunities to expand the technical capabilities of each Federal agency involved in the research and development activities carried out under this section;

“(C) collaborative research achievements;

“(D) areas of future mutually beneficial successes;

“(E) continuation of coordination activities between each Federal agency involved in the research and development activities carried out under this section;

“(F) potential opportunities for additional memoranda of understanding with other Federal agencies; and

“(G) any additional information as the Secretary deems appropriate.

“(4) Research security—The activities authorized under this section shall be applied in a manner consistent with subtitle D of title VI of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (enacted as division B of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (Public Law 117–167; 42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.)).”

“(a) In general—The activities”

“(b) White oak restoration fund

“(1) In general—Funds described in paragraph (2) shall be made available for activities—

“(A) on national forests that are approved by the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service; and

“(B) to—

“(i) re-establish white oak forests where appropriate;

“(ii) improve management of existing white oak forests to foster natural regeneration of white oak;

“(iii) improve and expand white oak nursery stock; and

“(iv) adapt and improve white oak seedlings.

“(2) Fund—The National Forest Foundation may accept gifts, devises, or bequests for the purposes of carrying out the activities specified in paragraph (1).

“(3) Summary—Beginning 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the National Forest Foundation shall include in the budget justification materials submitted to Congress in support of the budget of each such Foundation for each fiscal year (as submitted with the budget of the President under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code) a summary of the activities carried out under paragraph (1) and the funds accepted under paragraph (2) that includes—

“(A) the amount—

“(i) accepted under paragraph (2) in the preceding fiscal year; and

“(ii) described in clause (i) that is unobligated on the date of the report; and

“(B) a description of the activities under paragraph (1) funded during the preceding fiscal year.”

Section 606 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591e) is amended—

“(g) Limitation—A covered vegetation management activity that is covered by the categorical exclusion under subsection (b) may not exceed 4,500 acres in a forested ecosystem or 7,500 acres in a rangeland ecosystem.”

“(11) Special district—The term special district means a political subdivision of a State that—

“(A) has significant budgetary autonomy or control;

“(B) was created by or pursuant to the laws of the State for the purpose of performing a limited and specific governmental or proprietary function; and

“(C) is distinct from any other local government unit within the State.”

“(III) to construct new permanent roads on Federal lands that are—

“(aa) necessary to implement authorized restoration activities; and

“(bb) approved by the Federal agency through environmental analysis or categorical exclusion decision;

“(IV) to complete new permanent road construction to replace and decommission an existing permanent road that is adversely impacting forest, rangeland, or watershed health; and

changed “(V) if there are funds remaining after carrying out subclauses (I) through (IV), to carry out authorized restoration services under other good neighbor agreements and for the administration of a good neighbor authority program by a Governor, Indian Tribe, special district, or country.”county.”

Section 4003 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303) is amended—

“(I) address standardized monitoring questions and indicators;”

changed “(G) proposals that seek to use innovative implementation mechanisms, including good neighbor agreements entered into under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a), and similar implementation mechanisms; andmechanisms;

“(H) proposals that seek to reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire or increase ecological restoration activities—

“(i) within areas across land ownerships, including State, Tribal, and private land; and

“(ii) within the wildland-urban interface; and

“(I) proposals that seek to enhance watershed health and drinking water sources.”

“(A) 4 proposals in any 1 region of the National Forest System to be funded during any fiscal year; and”

Section 8302 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 3851a) is amended—

Section 14 of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a) is amended—

changed “(j) In the event of extreme risks to a unit of National Forest System land, including catastrophic wildfire, insect and disease outbreak, wind, hurricane, flood, drought, or to avoid impacts from such extreme events, the Secretary may, without an appraisal and under such rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary, dispose of by sale or otherwise, portions of trees, trees or forest products located on such unit of National Forest System land.”

Section 8703 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 is amended—

Section 9013 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8113) is amended—

changed “(c) Targeting to To support economic development, enhanced building design, and impact assessment—In selecting among proposals of eligible entities under subsection (b)(2), the Secretary may give priority to proposals for projects that—

“(1) include the use or retrofitting (or both) of existing sawmill facilities located in counties in which the average annual unemployment rate exceeded the national average unemployment rate by more than 1 percent in the previous calendar year;

changed “(2) recognize or enhance carbon reduction strategies in building design and interior wood products, including forest impacts, which can be improved or by North American manufacturing; or

changed “(3) includes include in the proposal of the entity an analysis of the benefits that forest management under the proposal will have on the resilience and economy of the community, including benefits associated with—

“(A) wood products from anticipated wood supply areas;

“(B) wildfire risk reduction;

“(C) increased fiber flow;

“(D) the increase of forest or mill jobs; and

“(E) support for forested communities.”

All or part of the programmatic administrative fee, and any fees related to the special use authorization, as appropriate, may be waived by the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, when equitable and in the public interest as determined by the Chief of the Forest Service, for the use and occupancy of National Forest System land in the following circumstances:

Section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8102) is amended—

“(G) Procurement resources—The Office of Federal Procurement Policy, in coordination with the Secretary, shall provide educational materials to procuring agencies to consider the longevity of a product, economic savings, and the efficacy and performance of a product when making procurement decisions under this subsection.”

“(VI)

“(aa) the specific categories of biobased products that are unavailable to meet procurement needs of the procuring agencies; and

“(bb) the desired performance characteristics and other relevant specifications for those products; and

“(VII) if applicable, an explanation of the procurement requirement or updated procurement requirement established under paragraph (2)(A)(i) that procuring agencies failed to meet and reasons for the failure; and”

“(D) Accountability—The Office of Federal Procurement Policy, in consultation with the Secretary, shall annually—

“(i) collect the information required to be reported under subparagraph (B) and make the information publicly available;

“(ii) using the information collected under subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, document relevant procuring agencies under paragraph (2)(A)(i) that, as applicable, have established a procurement program in accordance with paragraph (2)(A)(i)(I); and

“(iii) make the information publicly available, subject to the exemptions from disclosure under section 552(b) of title 5, United States Code.”

“(A) renewable chemicals manufacturers and biobased products manufacturers; and

“(B) renewable chemicals and biobased products.”

“(2) Report—To inform the development of codes under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, within 90 days after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, a report that provides—

“(A) the Federal statistical collections of information related to the North American Industry Classification System codes and the North American Product Classification System codes that utilize bioeconomy-specific data;

changed “(B) recommendations to implement any bioeconomy related bioeconomy-related changes as part of the 2027 revisions of the North American Industry Classification System codes and the North American Product Classification System codes; and

changed “(C) an assessment of the impacts that bioeconomy-specific North American Industry Classification System codes and North American Products Product Classification System codes would have on the measurement by the agency of the economic contributions of the bioeconomy.”

removed Section 9007 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107) is amended—

added “(G) the potential of the proposed program to meaningfully improve the financial conditions of the agricultural producer or rural small business.”

removed “(G) the potential of the proposed program to meaningfully improve the financial conditions of the agricultural producers or rural small businesses.”

“(G) the potential improvements to the financial conditions of the agricultural producer or rural small business; and”

added “(d) Streamlined application process—The Secretary shall develop a streamlined application process, including within each tier described in subsection (c)(4), under which an entity may apply for a grant under subsection (b), financial assistance under subsection (c), or a bundled application for a project with components eligible under clauses (i) and (ii) of subsection (c)(1)(A).”

added “(1) adequate”

added “(2) technical assistance is provided to entities seeking to apply for a grant or financial assistance under the Program; and

added “(3) outreach, technical assistance, and education is provided to recipients of grants and other financial assistance under the Program relating to integrating renewable energy projects on land shared with crops or livestock.”

added “(4) Reserve fund

added “(A) In general—Of the funds obligated under paragraph (1) for each fiscal year , not less than 10 percent shall be deposited in a reserve fund in the Treasury and reserved for use in accordance with this subparagraph.

added “(B) Use of funds

added “(i) In general—The Secretary shall use amounts reserved under subparagraph (A) to provide grants to support projects using underutilized renewable energy technologies.

added “(ii) Costs—The amount of the grant for such a project shall not exceed 25 percent of the installation or maintenance costs of the project for the year in which the grant is awarded.

added “(C) Frequency of solicitations to fund—The Secretary shall carry out at least 2 solicitations for applications for grants from the reserve fund in each fiscal year.

added “(D) Reallocation—Any funds reserved under subparagraph (A) that remain unobligated 1 year after the end of the fiscal year in which made available under subparagraph (A) shall be reallocated to carry out the program established under this section.

added “(E) Definition of underutilized renewable energy technologies—The term underutilized renewable energy technologies means renewable energy technologies for which have been expended not more than 20 percent of the average of the total amounts made available under this section for the 5 fiscal years most recently ending before the date of the enactment of this paragraph.”

added “(h) Project diversity—In approving grant or loan guarantee applications under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that, to the extent practicable, there is diversity in the types of projects approved for grants or loan guarantees to ensure that as wide a range as possible of technologies, products, and approaches are assisted.”

removed “(g) Project diversity—In approving grant or loan guarantee applications under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that, to the extent practicable, there is diversity in the types of projects approved for grants or loan guarantees to ensure that as wide a range as possible of technologies, products, and approaches are assisted.”

Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101–8115) is amended by adding at the end the following:

changed “9015. “9014. Study on effects of solar panel installations on covered farmland

“(a) In general—The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall conduct a study on the effects of solar panel installations on the conversion of covered farmland out of agricultural production in accordance with this section.

“(b) Content—In conducting the study under this section, the Secretary shall—

“(1) analyze the economic effects of solar panel installations on covered farmland, including the effects on—

“(A) crop yields;

“(B) land values, including adjacent properties;

“(C) land access and tenure;

“(D) local economies; and

“(E) food security;

“(2) investigate impacts of solar panel installation, operation, and decommissioning on covered farmland, and suggest best practices to protect—

“(A) soil health;

“(B) water resources;

“(C) wildlife;

“(D) vegetation;

“(E) water drainage; and

“(F) air quality;

“(3) assess the impacts of shared solar energy and agricultural production on covered farmland, including best practices to—

“(A) maintain or increase agricultural production;

“(B) increase agricultural resilience;

“(C) retain covered farmland;

“(D) increase economic opportunities in farming and rural communities, including new revenue streams and job creation;

“(E) reduce nonfarmer ownership of covered farmland; and

“(F) enhance biodiversity;

“(4) assess the types of agricultural land best suited and worst suited for shared solar energy and agricultural production;

“(5) study the compatibility of different species of livestock with different solar panel system designs, including—

“(A) the optimal height of and distance between solar panels for livestock grazing and shade for livestock;

“(B) manure management considerations;

“(C) fencing requirements; and

changed “(D) other animal handling animal-handling considerations;

“(6) study the compatibility of different crop types with different solar panel system designs, including—

“(A) the optimal height of and distance between solar panels for plant shading and farm equipment use; and

“(B) the impact on crop yield;

“(7) evaluate the degree to which existing Federal, State, or local tax incentives result in the development of covered farmland under study;

changed “(8) recommend effective incentives that could shift solar panel installations towards toward the built environment, brownfield sites, and other contaminated sites;

changed “(9) evaluate the effectiveness of programs administered by the federal government Federal Government related to solar energy development that—

changed “(A) results result in the development of contaminated lands, the built environment, and other preferred sites; and

changed “(B) discourages discourage solar panel installations that would convert covered farmland out of agricultural production; and

“(10) estimate the loss of agricultural production on covered farmland due to solar panel installations.

“(c) Consultation with relevant stakeholders—In addition to consultation with the Secretary of Energy, while conducting the study under this section, the Secretary shall consult with—

“(1) farmers;

“(2) ranchers;

“(3) landowners;

“(4) agricultural organizations;

“(5) State departments of agriculture and energy;

“(6) units of local government;

“(7) conservation organizations;

“(8) land-grant colleges and universities (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103)); and

“(9) solar developers.

changed “(d) Report—Within 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, Senate a written report on the findings of the study and recommendations under this section.

“(e) Definitions—In this section:

“(1) Covered farmland—The term covered farmland includes—

“(A) farmland, as defined in section 1540(c)(1) of the Farmland Protection Policy Act (7 U.S.C. 4201(c)(1)); and

“(B) nonindustrial private forest land, as defined in section 201(a)(18) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)(18)).

“(2) Brownfield site—The term brownfield site has the meaning given that term in section 101(39) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601(39)).

“(3) Secretary—The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.”

Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8101–8115) is further amended by adding at the end the following:

changed “9016. “9015. Limitation on USDA funding for ground mounted ground-mounted solar energy systems

“(a) Definitions—In this section:

“(1) Covered farmland—The term covered farmland includes—

“(A) farmland, as defined in section 1540(c)(1) of the Farmland Protection Policy Act (7 U.S.C. 4201(c)(1)); and

“(B) nonindustrial private forest land, as defined in section 201(a)(18) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)(18)).

“(2) Conversion—The term conversion means, with respect to covered farmland, any activity that results in the covered farmland failing to meet the requirements of a State (as defined in section 343 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991)) for agricultural production, activity, or use or timber harvest.

“(3) Secretary—The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.

“(b) In general—The Secretary may not provide financial assistance for a project that would result in the conversion of covered farmland for solar energy production.

“(c) Exception—Subsection (b) shall not apply to a project if the project—

“(1) results in the conversion of less than 5 acres of covered farmland; or

“(2) results in the conversion of less than 50 acres of covered farmland with—

“(A) the majority of the energy produced being for on-farm use; and

“(B) receipt of a resolution of approval or support, or other similar instrument, from each county and municipality in which the project is sited.

“(d) Covered farmland protection

changed “(1) Farmland conservation plan required—A person who has applied to the Secretary for financial assistance for a project to which subsection (c)(3) (c)(2) applies shall—

“(A) develop a farmland conservation plan for the project to—

“(i) implement best practices to protect future soil health and productivity, and mitigate soil erosion, compaction, and other effects of solar energy production during construction, operation, and decommissioning; and

“(ii) remediate and restore the soil health of the farmland to that of the farmland before the solar energy production project construction; and

“(B) ensure that sufficient funds, as determined by the Secretary, are provided for the decommissioning of the solar energy production system and the remediation and restoration of covered farmland to carry out the farmland conservation plan described in subparagraph (A).

changed “(2) Obligation and disbursment disbursement of funds—The Secretary may obligate financial assistance for a project described in paragraph (1), but shall not disburse the financial assistance until the Secretary has determined that the applicant for the financial assistance has complied with paragraph (1).

“(3) Farmland conservation plan implementation—A person referred to in paragraph (1) shall carry out—

“(A) the provisions of the plan that are described in paragraph (1)(A)(i), on the receipt by the project of financial assistance from the Secretary and for the duration of solar energy production under the project; and

“(B) the provisions of the plan that are described in paragraph (1)(A)(ii), on the cessation of solar energy production under the project.

“(4) Compliance—A person who fails to comply with paragraph (3) with respect to a project shall repay to the Secretary the full amount of the financial assistance provided by the Secretary to the person for the project.

“(e) Additional limitations—The Secretary may not provide financial assistance for a project that procures a solar energy component (as defined in section 45x(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) produced, manufactured, or assembled—

“(1) in a foreign country of concern (as defined in section 10638(2) of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. 19237(2))); or

“(2) by—

“(A) an entity domiciled or controlled by such a foreign country; or

“(B) a foreign entity of concern (as defined in section 10638(3) of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. 19237(3))).”

changed The Secretary shall establish a Department-wide Departmentwide strategy to advance the production of sustainable aviation fuels by—