H.R. 5371 — Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to use any appropriations available to the Department under this Act to purchase new passenger motor vehicles in FY2026, in addition to specific appropriations for that purpose, provided that (1) the total number purchased does not exceed the number owned or leased in FY2018, (2) prior to purchasing additional vehicles, the Secretary determines they are necessary for transportation safety, to reduce operational costs, and for the protection of life, property, and public safety, and (3) the Department's fleet is not increased above the FY2018 level without written notification to, and approval by, the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 30 days of notification.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer unobligated discretionary balances appropriated by this Act or any other available unobligated discretionary balances remaining in the Department of Agriculture to the department's Working Capital Fund (WCF) for acquiring property, plant, and equipment; and improving, delivering, and implementing financial, administrative, and information technology services—including cloud adoption and migration—of primary benefit to USDA agencies, with transferred funds remaining available until expended. The section specifies the following conditions and limitations on such transfers and WCF obligations: (1) transfers require prior approval of the relevant agency administrator; (2) transferred funds require written notification to and prior approval of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations before obligation; (3) no funds appropriated by this Act or available to the WCF may be obligated or expended for changes to the department's National Finance Center (NFC)—which provides shared financial management, payroll, and human resources services to USDA and other federal agencies—without written notification to and prior approval of the Appropriations Committees as required by section 716 of this Act; (4) no such funds may be used to initiate, plan, develop, implement, or make changes to remove or relocate systems, missions, personnel, or functions of the offices of the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Information Officer co-located with the NFC without Appropriations Committees' approval and compliance with section 716; (5) NFC Information Technology Services Division personnel, data center management responsibilities, and control of human resources management, integrated personnel and payroll systems remain under NFC management and administrative control; (6) the Secretary and Chief Financial Officer offices must actively market NFC shared services—including payroll, financial management, and human capital services—to existing and new departments and agencies, and allow the NFC to perform technology upgrades; (7) of annual WCF income allocated for the NFC, the Secretary may reserve not more than 4% for capital equipment replacement or acquisition—including for financial, administrative, and IT service improvements—or to pay unforeseen, extraordinary NFC costs, with written notification to the Appropriations Committees required prior to obligation of reserved amounts; and (8) congressional notification requirements do not apply to obligations necessary, as determined by the Secretary, to respond to a declared state of emergency significantly impacting NFC operations or to evacuate NFC employees to a safe haven to continue operations.

This section prohibits the Department of Agriculture from using appropriated funds to pay negotiated indirect cost rates exceeding 10% of total direct costs on cooperative agreements or similar arrangements with nonprofit institutions when carrying out programs of mutual interest. This limitation does not apply to indirect costs on grants and contracts with such institutions if computed on a similar basis for all agencies funded by this Act.

This section makes appropriations to the Department of Agriculture for the cost of direct and guaranteed loans available in the current fiscal year remain available until expended to disburse obligations made in that fiscal year for (1) the Rural Development Loan Fund program account, (2) the Rural Electrification and Telecommunication Loans program account, and (3) the Rural Housing Insurance Fund program account. (Thus, these funds support rural infrastructure, electrification, telecommunications, and housing loans.)

This section prohibits the Department of Agriculture from using appropriated funds to acquire new information technology systems or significant upgrades—as determined by the Chief Information Officer (CIO)—without CIO approval and concurrence from the Executive Information Technology Investment Review Board. It further prohibits transfers of such funds to the Office of the CIO without written notification to and prior approval by the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. Notwithstanding 40 U.S.C. §11319, it prohibits obligating IT funds for projects, contracts, or other agreements exceeding $25,000 without written CIO approval but authorizes the CIO to exempt qualifying agencies—based on performance against metrics in the explanatory statement accompanying P.L. 113-235—from this requirement for obligations up to $250,000.

This section provides that funds made available under section 524(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act for the current fiscal year remain available until expended to disburse obligations incurred in that fiscal year. (Thus, such funds—used by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation for program costs such as premium subsidies, indemnities, and administrative expenses—are not subject to annual expiration for payment purposes.)

This section expands eligibility for assistance under section 313B(a) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (REA)—the Cushion of Credit Payments Program, which allows rural electric and telecommunications borrowers to make voluntary deposits into a cushion account for loan prepayments, interest earnings, and refunds—to (1) former Rural Utilities Service (RUS) borrowers that have repaid or prepaid an insured, direct, or guaranteed loan under the REA and (2) not-for-profit utilities eligible for insured or direct loans under the REA.

This section makes available not more than $20 million in unobligated balances from appropriations for salaries and expenses for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) in this Act through September 30, 2027, for information technology expenses.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act for first-class travel by employees of agencies funded by this Act in violation of federal travel regulations (41 CFR 301-10.122 through 301-10.124).

This section authorizes Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds for programs established or amended by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79) or successor Acts—excluding title I, subtitle A of title III, or indefinite-funding programs—to be used for salaries and related administrative expenses, including technical assistance, associated with program implementation, without regard to the $100 million annual limitation on CCC allotments and fund transfers under section 11 of the CCC Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714i). Such uses do not count as allotments or fund transfers for purposes of that limitation.

This section limits to $2,900,000 the amount of funds appropriated by this Act that the Department of Agriculture may use for necessary expenses of activities related to all its advisory committees, panels, commissions, and task forces, excluding panels used to comply with negotiated rulemakings and panels used to evaluate competitively awarded grants.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to maintain or establish a computer network unless the network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography. An exception applies to federal, state, tribal, or local law enforcement agencies and other entities carrying out criminal investigations, prosecutions, or adjudications.

This section limits funding for the section 32 commodity purchase program (7 U.S.C. 612c)—which uses customs receipts and appropriations to purchase surplus fruits, vegetables, and other commodities for child nutrition programs (e.g., school lunches) and other purposes—to $1,716,293,000 (exclusive of prior fiscal year carryovers) for personnel salaries and expenses, including $485 million for child nutrition programs entitlement commodities, $5 million for state option contracts, $2.5 million for removal of defective commodities, and $40,971,000 for administration of section 32 commodity purchases. It provides for carryover of any such FY2027 unobligated balances remaining on October 1, 2026, into FY2027 until expended; limits carryover funds used for clause (3) purposes (i.e., commodity purchases for nutrition assistance, surplus removal, and state options) to $350 million upon two weeks' prior written notification to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees; and prohibits use of any new funds for clause (3) personnel salaries or expenses, except for carryovers previously authorized in prior appropriations acts.

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds to pay salaries and expenses of personnel preparing or submitting appropriations language in the President's budget request for programs under the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittees if such language assumes revenues or reflects a reduction from the prior year based on proposed user fees not yet enacted into law. The prohibition does not apply if the budget submission identifies additional spending reductions to occur should those user fees not be enacted prior to convening a conference committee for the FY2026 appropriations Act.

This section restricts the reprogramming, transfer, or use of funds appropriated by this Act, prior-year carryover funds, and agency fee collections by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—including under the Economy Act or specified USDA authorities—for (1) creating new programs; (2) eliminating a program, project, or activity; (3) increasing funds or personnel for any denied or restricted project or activity; (4) relocating an office or employees; (5) reorganizing offices, programs, or activities; or (6) contracting out or privatizing federal functions, unless the relevant Secretary provides 30 days advance written notification to and receives approval from the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. It further prohibits such uses exceeding $500,000 or 10% of program funding or personnel (whichever is less) to (1) augment existing programs, projects, or activities; (2) reduce any existing program, project, activity, or personnel by 10%; or (3) change programs from general personnel savings; and restricts (1) major capital investment modifications exceeding $500,000 or 10% (whichever is less); (2) realignments creating new entities with five or more personnel; or (3) unbudgeted activities—absent the same 30-day notification and approval. The section also requires such notification and approval before implementing any program or activity not conducted in the prior fiscal year unless explicitly funded and mandates written or electronic confirmation of notification receipt from both Appropriations Committees.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to assess a one-time fee of up to 3% of the guaranteed principal portion for any guaranteed business and industry loan under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, notwithstanding existing restrictions in current law. (As background, the program provides loan guarantees to private lenders for loans to businesses in rural areas to support economic development projects such as facilities, equipment, and working capital.)

This section prohibits the Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, and Farm Credit Administration from using appropriated funds to transmit or make available reports, questions, or responses generated from information requests during the appropriations hearing process to any employee outside the Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, or Farm Credit Administration.

This section prohibits executive branch agencies from using funds provided in this Act to produce any prepackaged news story intended for broadcast or distribution in the United States unless the story includes clear notification within the text or audio that it was prepared or funded by that agency (unless otherwise authorized by existing law).

This section prohibits detailing or assigning an employee of the Department of Agriculture from one agency or office to another within the department for more than 60 days in a fiscal year unless the receiving agency or office fully reimburses the employing agency or office for the employee's salary and expenses.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture, the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and the Chairman of the Farm Credit Administration to submit to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, not later than 30 days after enactment, a detailed obligation plan by program, project, and activity—as defined in the report accompanying this Act—for all amounts made available by this Act and prior appropriations Acts that remain available for obligation, including appropriated user fees and loan authorizations. The plan must include estimated obligations by fiscal quarter, source appropriation, and full-time equivalent positions supported and serves as the baseline for reprogramming notifications under section 716 of this Act.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to propose, promulgate, or implement any rule or action allowing or requiring electronic distribution (in lieu of paper) of information intended for prescribing health care professionals regarding prescription drugs or biological products. Such electronic distribution is barred unless and until enacted by federal law.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to increase by up to 25% the program levels for loans and loan guarantees that do not require budget authority and for which program levels are established in this Act. The Secretary must notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress in writing at least 15 days in advance of implementing such an increase.

This section conditions the obligation of credit card refunds or rebates transferred to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Working Capital Fund—pursuant to section 729 of the FY2002 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (7 U.S.C. 2235a)—on prior written notification to and approval by the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. It limits such funds to the acquisition of property, plant, and equipment, including for improving USDA financial management, information technology, and support systems necessary for delivering financial, administrative, and information technology services (including cloud adoption and migration) of primary benefit to USDA agencies.

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds to implement, administer, or enforce the "variety" requirements of the Department of Agriculture's December 15, 2016, final rule on SNAP retailer standards (81 Fed. Reg. 90675) until the Secretary of Agriculture amends the regulatory definitions of "variety" (7 CFR 278.1(b)(1)(ii)(C)) and "staple food" (7 CFR 271.2) to increase the number of qualifying items per staple food category beyond the numbers specified in that rule. Until such amendments, the Secretary must apply SNAP retailer variety and breadth-of-stock requirements as in effect the day before enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79).

This section grants the Secretary of Agriculture the same authority with respect to loans guaranteed under subsection (h) of section 502 of the Housing Act of 1949 (i.e., single-family rural housing loan guarantees for low- and moderate-income households) and eligible lenders as the Secretary has under subsections (h) and (j) of section 538 (i.e., multifamily rural rental housing loan guarantees). (Thus, this aligns lender servicing, incentive, and related authorities across USDA's single-family and multifamily rural housing guaranteed loan programs.)

This section prohibits the U.S. Department of Agriculture from using funds appropriated by this Act to propose, finalize, or implement any regulation establishing new user fees pursuant to the federal user fee statute (31 U.S.C. 9701) after the date of enactment.

This section authorizes the Secretary to charge meat, poultry, and egg products establishments for FSIS inspection services provided outside approved shifts and on federal holidays, notwithstanding laws regulating overtime and holiday pay for FSIS inspectors. Sums charged are deemed overtime or holiday pay under sec. 1001(d) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2) and remain available until expended for FSIS inspections.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture (1) to conduct audits of countries or regions that evaluate specified factors—including veterinary control and oversight, disease history and vaccination practices, livestock demographics and traceability, epidemiological separation from potential sources of infection, surveillance practices, diagnostic laboratory capabilities, and emergency preparedness and response—and (2) to promptly make publicly available the final reports of such audits or reviews. This section requires such audits to be conducted consistent with U.S. international trade obligations.

This section requires that all iron and steel products (i.e., lined or unlined pipes and fittings, manhole covers, hydrants, tanks, flanges, pipe clamps, valves, structural steel, reinforced precast concrete, and construction materials) used in projects funded in the current fiscal year by USDA rural water, wastewater, waste disposal, and solid waste management programs (authorized by sections 306, 306A, 306C, 306D, 306E, and 310B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act) be produced in the United States. The requirement is subject to waivers if the Secretary of Agriculture determines it is inconsistent with the public interest, domestic products are unavailable in sufficient quantity or quality, or inclusion of U.S. products increases overall project costs by more than 25 percent; waiver requests must be publicly posted online for at least 15 days of informal input. The section further (1) authorizes the Secretary to retain up to 0.25% of funds appropriated for the Rural Utilities Service–Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account for management and oversight; (2) exempts projects with state-approved engineering plans and specifications prior to enactment; and (3) applies consistent with U.S. international obligations, with "United States" and "State" including the District of Columbia and federally recognized Indian tribes.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act, directly or indirectly, to influence congressional action on any legislation or appropriation matters pending before Congress, other than to communicate to Members of Congress as described in 18 U.S.C. 1913.

This section requires that, to the maximum extent feasible, at least 10% of funds made available by this Act for direct loans and grants under specified Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and Rural Utilities Service accounts—including rural housing insurance, mutual and self-help grants, housing assistance grants, community facilities, business programs, economic development loans, cooperative development grants, microentrepreneur assistance, water and waste disposal, electrification and telecommunications loans, and distance learning, telemedicine, and broadband programs—be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty counties. Persistent poverty counties are any county (or U.S. territory or possession) with 20% or more of its population living in poverty over the past 30 years, as measured by the 1990 and 2000 decennial censuses and the 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-year data; this includes, notwithstanding population limits, any county seat of such a county with a population exceeding the authorized limit by no more than 10%. The requirement applies to program levels for activities not supported by budget authority.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to notify a sponsor or acknowledge receipt of a submission for an investigational new drug or biological product exemption under specified authorities (i.e., sections 505(i) and 351(a)(3)) for research in which a human embryo is intentionally created or modified to include a heritable genetic modification. Any such submission is deemed not received by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the exemption may not take effect.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this or any other Act to enforce the FDA's Produce Safety Rule (published November 27, 2015) or its proposed agricultural water standards (86 Fed. Reg. 69120; 87 Fed. Reg. 42973) with respect to entities that grow, harvest, pack, or hold wine grapes, hops, pulse crops, or almonds. (Thus, such entities are exempt from these Food Safety Modernization Act regulations aimed at preventing microbial contamination of produce.)

This section prohibits the use of funds made available by this Act to restrict or limit the substitution of any vegetable subgroup for fruits under the School Breakfast Program for school years 2025–2026 and 2026–2027.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this or any other Act from contravening hemp production and marketing authorities under section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (establishing state pilot programs), subtitle G of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (industrial hemp), or section 10114 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (hemp production plans). It further prohibits such funds from being used to restrict the transportation, processing, sale, or use of hemp—or its seeds—grown in accordance with those authorities, including across state lines.

This section includes the Secretary of Agriculture as a member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) on a case-by-case basis—pursuant to authorities in section 721(k)(2)(J) of the Defense Production Act of 1950—for covered transactions (as defined in section 721(a)(4) of that Act) involving agricultural land, agricultural biotechnology, or the agriculture industry (including agricultural transportation, storage, and processing), as determined by the CFIUS chairperson in coordination with the Secretary. (CFIUS reviews foreign investments in the United States for potential national security risks.) The section further directs the Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, to notify CFIUS of agricultural land transactions that the Secretary has reason to believe may pose such risks—based on information from or in cooperation with the Intelligence Community—with particular emphasis on transactions by foreign governments or entities of concern (as defined in 42 U.S.C. 19221(a); i.e., the People's Republic of China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, and Islamic Republic of Iran), or those requiring a report under section 2(a) of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 3501(a)).

This section appropriates $2 million, to remain available until expended, for a pilot program under which the Secretary of Agriculture (i.e., through the Rural Housing Service (RHS)) provides grants to qualified nonprofit organizations and public housing authorities for technical assistance—including financial and legal services—to RHS multifamily housing borrowers. The assistance facilitates preservation, through acquisition by nonprofit housing organizations and public housing authorities authorized by law, of RHS multifamily housing properties in areas at risk of affordable housing loss, with acquirers committing to maintain the properties in the RHS multifamily housing program for a period determined by the Secretary; the funds may also be used for technical assistance to nonprofits, public housing authorities, and private owners for decoupling rental assistance.

This section conditions the use of funds under title II of the Food for Peace Act—USAID's primary emergency food assistance program providing U.S. commodities to address famine and food shortages abroad—on adequate monitoring and controls, as determined by the Administrator, to ensure aid reaches intended beneficiaries in affected areas and is not diverted.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to procure raw or processed poultry products or seafood imported from the People's Republic of China for use in the school lunch program under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), the Child and Adult Care Food Program under section 17 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1766), the Summer Food Service Program for Children under section 13 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1761), or the school breakfast program under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.).

This section limits the requirement under section 12(p) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish prices for paid lunches only to school food authorities with a negative balance in their nonprofit school food service account as of June 30, 2025, for school year 2026–2027. (As background, section 12(p) requires school food authorities to set paid lunch prices that fully cover food, labor, and other costs if their nonprofit accounts have operating deficits.)

This section provides that funds withheld by the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to section 1668(g)(2) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5921(g)(2))—which authorizes withholding funds from certain capacity-building grants involving biotechnology research without adequate risk assessment—be available for biotechnology risk assessment research grants. It further authorizes the Secretary to transfer such funds among Department of Agriculture appropriations for that purpose.

This section prohibits the use of Department of Agriculture funds to relocate any staff office or agency from its mission area as of August 1, 2018, to another mission area or office within the department unless Congress enacts specific legislation authorizing the move.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, to use funds appropriated for the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program and Watershed Rehabilitation Program—carried out under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.)—and the Emergency Watershed Protection Program—carried out under section 403 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2203)—to provide technical assistance for such programs pursuant to section 1252(a)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3851(a)(1)), notwithstanding subsection (c) of that section. (Thus, the provision enables funding flexibility for technical services—provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service to sponsors for planning, design, and implementation of watershed projects—by overriding a restriction on eligible fund sources.)

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, in administering the pilot program established by section 779 of division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141), to consider communities designated as “Areas Rural in Character” (i.e., areas outside strict rural population thresholds but qualifying under USDA criteria) as eligible for assistance under the Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program. Not more than 10% of funds available under that program heading for the pilot may be used for this purpose.

This section appropriates $2 million, to remain available until expended and notwithstanding restrictions in current law, to implement non-renewable agreements under the Water Bank Act (16 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.) on eligible lands, including flooded agricultural lands, as determined by the Secretary. (As background, the Water Bank Program provides cost-share assistance to landowners for wetland conservation easements of up to 10 years, primarily in flood-prone river basins.)

This section authorizes a Farm Credit bank, as referenced in 12 U.S.C. 2128, to make and participate in loans and commitments and to provide technical and other financial assistance to cooperatives and non-federal public or private entities for installing, maintaining, expanding, improving, or operating rural facilities—as defined in 12 U.S.C. 2128(f)—for waste processing or disposal from any source, telecommunication services, or electricity production from any source for the borrower's use or sale.

This section requires the Secretary to reserve, until August 15, 2026, for Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Zones an amount from specified rural development program accounts—Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program Account, Mutual and Self-Help Housing Grants, Rural Housing Assistance Grants, Rural Community Facilities Program Account, Rural Business Program Account, Rural Development Loan Fund Program Account, and Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account—equal to the amount obligated in such zones in the most recent fiscal year any such funds were obligated for REAP Zones (excluding Congressionally Directed Spending). (REAP Zones are designated rural areas eligible for priority funding from USDA rural development programs to promote economic development.)

This section prohibits the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from using appropriated funds to issue or promote new guidelines or regulations applicable to food manufacturers of low-risk ready-to-eat (RTE) foods for Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) until the FDA considers available new science in developing Compliance Policy Guide (CPG), Guidance for FDA Staff, sec. 555.320, on Lm in low-risk foods (i.e., foods that do not support Lm growth).

This section appropriates $4 million, in addition to other funds, for cotton classing activities (i.e., USDA-provided quality classification services for cotton) pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 55, including equipment and facility upgrades, with funds remaining available until September 30, 2027. Such amounts are treated as funds collected by fees authorized under that section.

This section provides $700,000 to the USDA Office of the Secretary, for the Office of Tribal Relations, to cover slaughtering, processing, and voluntary meat inspection fees for bison owned by Tribal governments (as defined by the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994), Tribal entities (including Tribal organizations and corporations), or Tribal members processed at USDA voluntarily inspected or state-inspected establishments, notwithstanding the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 and specified USDA regulations on voluntary inspection of exotic animals.

This section exempts premium pay for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) employees—when determined by the APHIS Administrator to respond to an animal disease or plant health emergency outbreak and funded directly or through reimbursement—from biweekly and annual aggregate basic pay and premium pay limits. (Thus, APHIS personnel may earn overtime exceeding current caps during emergencies such as highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to pay the salaries or expenses of personnel to (1) inspect horses under section 3 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act, (2) inspect horses under section 903 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, or (3) implement or enforce 9 C.F.R. § 352.19 (or a successor regulation). (Thus, this provision effectively prevents commercial slaughter of horses for human consumption funded by this Act, as federal inspection is required for such meat to enter interstate commerce.)

This section appropriates $2 million, to remain available until expended, for the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out wetland compliance activities under section 2103 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-334). (As background, those activities provide technical assistance to agricultural producers for compliance with the "Swampbuster" provisions of permanent law, which condition eligibility for farm programs on protecting wetlands.) It requires the Secretary to prioritize areas with significant numbers of individual wetlands, wetland acres, and conservation compliance requests.

This section appropriates $3,000,000 for the emergency and transitional pet shelter and housing assistance grant program (34 U.S.C. § 20127). (As background, the program provides grants to public agencies and nonprofits for temporary pet sheltering and veterinary services to facilitate access to emergency shelter, transitional housing, or health services for pet owners.)

This section requires the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Agriculture, in developing the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, to consider only the findings and recommendations on alcohol consumption from a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report—as tasked under section 772 of division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328)—and to base alcohol consumption recommendations on the preponderance of scientific and medical knowledge consistent with 7 U.S.C. § 5341. (The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, issued jointly every five years, provide evidence-based federal nutrition advice.)

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to use $9,465,000 of FY2024 funds and $9,953,000 of FY2026 funds available under the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP)—which provides zero-interest loans to rural utilities for energy efficiency and conservation programs—for Rural Business Development Grants (RBDG) (i.e., grants to public entities, nonprofits, and tribes in rural areas for business development and job creation) under the same terms and conditions as authorized by section 310B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, for FY2026 and each fiscal year thereafter until expended. The section further terminates the applicability of section 780 of division B of P.L. 118-42 (FY2024 appropriations) and that section as continued under section 1101(a)(1) of P.L. 119-4.

This section requires the acceptable market name of any engineered animal approved prior to February 19, 2019—the effective date of the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard—to include the words “genetically engineered” prior to the existing name, notwithstanding any other provision of law.

This section provides $5,250,000, to remain available until expended, to the Office of the Secretary to continue the Institute for Rural Partnerships (as established in section 778 of P.L. 117-103). The Institute must (1) dedicate resources to researching causes and conditions of challenges facing rural areas and developing community partnerships to address them, (2) limit administrative or other fees to 1%, and (3) coordinate and publish an annual report.

This section appropriates $500,000 to carry out the duties of the working group established under section 770 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 116-6). (As background, the working group develops recommendations to improve coordination and effectiveness of USDA programs and activities relating to pollinators.)

This section authorizes agencies and offices of the Department of Agriculture to reimburse the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) for costs incurred by OGC in providing services under time-limited agreements, using funds provided in this Act. Such transfer authority is in addition to any other transfer authority provided by law.

This section adds loans under sections 514 (farm labor housing) and 515 (rural rental housing) of the Housing Act of 1949 to the list of exemptions from expedited foreclosure procedures under the Multifamily Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1981. (Thus, such USDA Rural Development loans are not subject to the Act's streamlined judicial foreclosure process for federally held multifamily mortgages.)

This section revises the administrative expense proviso for the Rural Community Facilities Program Account—under which the Department of Agriculture provides loans, loan guarantees, and grants to develop or improve essential community facilities (e.g., health care, public safety, and education facilities) in rural areas—to permit the Secretary to expend up to $1,000,000 total from program funds, in addition to other available funds, for administrative expenses associated with the account and activities under section 778(1).

This section rescinds $30 million of unobligated balances from prior-year appropriations for conservation activities under Natural Resources Conservation Service—Conservation Operations (i.e., technical assistance provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service for farm and ranchland conservation). No amounts designated by Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 may be rescinded.

This section rescinds $22 million of unobligated balances from prior-year appropriations for National Institute of Food and Agriculture research and education activities, excluding amounts designated by Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

This section rescinds $20 million of unobligated balances from prior-year appropriations under the Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program (DTLTP)—which provides loans and grants to improve broadband, distance learning, and telemedicine access in rural areas—for continuing a rural broadband loan and grant pilot program established by section 779 of division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141), under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. No amounts designated by Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 may be rescinded.

This section permanently rescinds $78 million of unobligated balances from prior-year appropriations made available to the Working Capital Fund, excluding amounts designated by Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

This section prohibits the Department of Agriculture from using appropriated funds to close or consolidate resources or locations of existing Agricultural Research Service laboratories and facilities without prior notification to and approval by the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.

This section requires the FDA to allocate not less than $200 million of tobacco user fee funds available under its Salaries and Expenses account for enforcement activities related to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) (i.e., e-cigarettes, vapes, and similar products), including under import refusal authorities in section 801(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), with not less than $2 million for a federal multi-agency task force led by the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and FDA targeting illegal ENDS manufacture, importation, distribution, and sales from China and other foreign countries. The section further (1) directs FDA, within 365 days of enactment, to update its January/April 2020 Enforcement Priorities document for unauthorized ENDS and deemed products to cover flavored disposable ENDS products (in addition to cartridge-based products) and to define "disposable ENDS product"; (2) requires semi-annual reports from the Center for Tobacco Products to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on progress removing illegal ENDS from the market, with the initial report due within 180 days of enactment; (3) amends section 801(a) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 381(a)) to expand import refusal authority by inserting "or tobacco product" after "drug or device" in the seventh through tenth sentences (Thus, FDA may now refuse admission of noncompliant tobacco products at the border, as it does for drugs and devices.); and (4) requires FDA, within 180 days of enactment, to report to the Appropriations Committees on its activities educating retailers to identify legal products for sale.

This section requires FY2026 fees assessed and collected by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Salaries and Expenses account—including those authorized by the Prescription Drug User Fee Amendments, Medical Device User Fee Amendments, Generic Drug User Fee Amendments, Biosimilar User Fee Act, Animal Drug User Fee Act, Animal Generic Drug User Fee Act, Tobacco Product User Fee Authorization, Mammography Quality Standards Act fees, export certification fees, and others—to comply with existing user fee statutes, appropriations acts, and commitment letters transmitted to specified congressional committees. The section further directs FDA to submit to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, within 90 days of enactment, a report certified by the FDA Ombudsman containing FY2026 obligation, outlay, and full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing estimates for each FDA program funded by both general appropriations and user fees (with a table separating the two funding sources); quarterly updates certified by the Ombudsman until all funds are expended; and a plan for such reporting concurrent with the initial report (due 45 days after the end of each fiscal quarter).

This section extends through 2026 (from 2025) (1) the national bioengineered food disclosure standard under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, which requires disclosure of bioengineered ingredients on food labels, and (2) the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999, which requires packers and importers to report livestock purchase and sale data to USDA for market transparency.

This section prohibits the Food and Drug Administration from using appropriated funds to develop, issue, promote, or advance final guidelines or new regulations applicable to food manufacturers for long-term population-wide sodium reduction until an assessment is completed on the impact of short-term sodium reduction targets.

This section appropriates $3 million, to remain available until expended, to the Secretary of Agriculture for a new pilot program supporting on-the-ground local Energy Circuit Riders who provide professional support to rural communities for energy-saving and emissions-reduction projects. The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Rural Development, may provide grants, cooperative agreements, or other financial assistance to states, Indian Tribes, cooperative extension services, institutions of higher education, cooperatives and cooperative organizations, regional planning commissions, or other public entities serving two or more rural areas. The program has a period of performance of more than 3 but not more than 6 years, with a federal cost share of not more than 75 percent, and requires assistance in areas such as energy planning, audits, federal funding opportunities, tax incentives, project financing, grant writing, capacity building, and coordination with state energy offices.

This section directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), within 30 days of enactment, to engage with industry stakeholders to update the acceptable market names under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for 18 specified species of Pacific rockfish (Sebastes alutus, Sebastes borealis, Sebastes ciliatus, Sebastes crameri, Sebastes entomelas, Sebastes flavidus, Sebastes goodei, Sebastes levis, Sebastes melanops, Sebastes miniatus, Sebastes ovalis, Sebastes paucispinis, Sebastes pinniger, Sebastes proriger, Sebastes reedi, Sebastes ruberrimus, Sebastes rufus, and Sebastes serranoides). Within 180 days of enactment, FDA must provide stakeholders with new marketing name proposals and, once agreed to expeditiously, update its Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance and other relevant guidance to reflect the new names.

This section establishes, for purposes of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, a standard of identity for coffee labeled as Hawaii grown or produced, requiring at least 51% of the coffee to be grown in Kona, Kau, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, or other areas of Hawaii. It specifies the common or usual names as Kona Coffee, Kau Coffee, Maui Coffee, Oahu Coffee, Kauai Coffee, or Hawaii Coffee based on the region of production.

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds—including from prior-year acts—to close Natural Resources Conservation Service or Rural Development mission area field offices or to permanently relocate any field-based employees of those agencies resulting in an office with two or fewer employees without prior notification and approval from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to administer or enforce the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) traceability rule (i.e., “Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods,” 87 Fed. Reg. 70910 (Nov. 21, 2022)) or any other rule promulgated under FSMA section 204 (21 U.S.C. 2223)—which requires lot-level tracking records for certain high-risk foods (e.g., fresh produce, cheeses, shell eggs) to enable faster identification of contaminated products during outbreaks—prior to July 20, 2028. Further, this section directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to (1) engage quarterly with regulated entities (i.e., farms, restaurants, retail food establishments, and warehouses distributing to them) to identify and implement additional flexibilities for the rule’s lot-level tracking requirement, consistent with FSMA section 204(d)(1)(L)(iii) prohibiting case-level tracking; (2) provide industry stakeholders with recommendations for such flexibilities within 180 days of enactment; and (3) assist industry on compliance for food waste recovery, reclamation, intra-company transfers, and customer returns, and conduct hypothetical data intake exercises to test the FDA Product Tracing System (and, upon request and as resources allow, regulated entity systems) for technical difficulties prior to full implementation.

This section revises the definition of "hemp" under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1639o), effective 365 days after enactment, to mean the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part thereof (including seeds and derivatives) with a total tetrahydrocannabinols concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis; includes industrial hemp; and excludes (i) viable seeds from plants exceeding that threshold, (ii) intermediate hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing synthetic or non-plant cannabinoids, those exceeding 0.3 percent combined total tetrahydrocannabinols or similar-effect cannabinoids, or those marketed or sold directly to end consumers, and (iii) final hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing synthetic or non-plant cannabinoids or greater than 0.4 milligrams combined total tetrahydrocannabinols or similar-effect cannabinoids per container. (As background, these definitions distinguish federally legal hemp production—legalized by the 2018 farm bill—from marijuana and restrict cannabinoid products often marketed as CBD or delta-8 THC from qualifying as hemp.) It further defines "industrial hemp" as hemp grown for non-cannabinoid uses (e.g., stalk fiber, seed oil, microgreens from low-THC seeds, research not entering commerce, or viable seeds therefor); and "hemp-derived cannabinoid product" as any intermediate or final product (other than from industrial hemp) containing cannabinoids for human or animal use (e.g., via ingestion or inhalation), excluding FDA-approved drugs, with sub-definitions for "intermediate" products and "container" (i.e., innermost retail packaging). Separately, this section directs the Food and Drug Administration, within 90 days of enactment and in consultation with other agencies, to publish (A) a list of cannabinoids naturally produced by Cannabis sativa L. per peer-reviewed literature, (B) naturally occurring tetrahydrocannabinol-class cannabinoids, (C) other cannabinoids with similar effects to (or marketed as having similar effects to) tetrahydrocannabinols as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and (D) additional guidance on the term "container."

This section appropriates $2 million, to remain available until expended, for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program—established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to increase competition and capacity in meat and poultry processing—to award grants to processors of invasive, wild-caught catfish.

This section allows food manufacturers to continue complying with pre-final rule federal requirements for implied "healthy" nutrient content claims on food labeling during the compliance period—from the effective date through the compliance date—of the FDA final rule entitled "Food Labeling: Nutrient Content Claims; Definition of Term 'Healthy'" published December 27, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 106064 et seq.). It further prohibits states from enforcing any non-identical "healthy" labeling requirements on such foods during that period.

This section permanently rescinds $350 million in unobligated balances from the Treasury Forfeiture Fund (i.e., a fund established under 31 U.S.C. §9703 to hold proceeds from Department of the Treasury civil and criminal asset forfeitures) by September 30, 2026.

This section directs the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to submit a report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 120 days of enactment assessing the costs and implications of issuing a proposed rule and implementing FDA guidance and enforcement to set standards for pet and animal food labeling and ingredient regulation. The report must (1) cover intent for harmonization across state and federal regulatory bodies and (2) include timelines for developing guidelines and proposed regulations, resource and personnel needs, and any additional FDA authorities required.

This section makes available any remaining unobligated balances from amounts appropriated by section 743 of division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31), in addition to other available funds, for Department of Agriculture plans, construction, repair, preventive maintenance, environmental support, improvement, extension, alteration, and purchase of fixed equipment or facilities (as authorized by law), and for land acquisition (as authorized by law).

This section sets, for FY2026, the maximum monthly allowances of fluid milk under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) for food packages described in 7 CFR 246.10(e) at (1) 16 quarts for Food Package IV, (2) 22 quarts for Food Package V, (3) 16 quarts for Food Package VI, (4) 24 quarts for Food Package VII, and (5) conforming amounts for Food Package III.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on the feasibility of applying the Buy American procurement requirement (7 CFR § 201.21(d) (2022)) to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. § 1786)—including the impact on the U.S. agricultural economy—and to submit the results to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, House Committee on Agriculture, and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry not later than one year after enactment of this Act.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to prepare a report by account detailing the status of all Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending projects specified in explanatory statements accompanying prior-year Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Acts. The report must identify unobligated or deobligated projects, explain each project's obligation status, and specify the original fiscal year of fund availability and period of availability for such projects; the Secretary must submit the report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations by the earlier of the department's FY2027 budget request or February 15, 2026.

This section requires the Secretary of Agriculture to provide written notification to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations at least three business days before terminating any grant, cooperative agreement, or contract award totaling $1,000,000 or more funded by this Act or prior Acts. The notification must include the recipient, award amount, fiscal year of appropriation, account and program, project, or activity, award title, and a detailed justification for termination.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act for the maintenance or care of private vehicles, except for emergency assistance and cleaning as provided under regulations relating to House parking facilities issued by the Committee on House Administration and Senate parking facilities issued by the Committee on Rules and Administration.

This section establishes the rates of compensation and designations for offices and positions appropriated for in this Act as permanent law, superseding the Legislative Pay Act of 1929 where they differ. It further makes permanent the Act's provisions for official expenses of Members, officers, and committees of the Senate and House of Representatives and for clerk hire for Senators and House Members.

This section limits appropriations under this Act for consulting services procured by contract under 5 U.S.C. §3109 to those contracts where such expenditures are a matter of public record and available for public inspection, except as otherwise provided under existing law or Executive order.

This section authorizes administrative expense funds of legislative branch entities participating in the Legislative Branch Financial Managers Council (LBFMC)—established by charter on March 26, 1996—to finance an appropriate share of LBFMC costs as determined by the council, with total shared costs not to exceed $2,000.

This section prohibits the transfer of funds appropriated by this Act to any other department, agency, or instrumentality of the U.S. government, except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer authority provided in, this Act or any other appropriations Act.

This section prohibits the Architect of the Capitol from using funds appropriated by this Act to eliminate or restrict guided tours of the U.S. Capitol led by employees and interns of offices of Members of Congress and other House and Senate offices, except through regulations authorized by section 402(b)(8) of the Capitol Visitor Center Act of 2008 or temporarily for security reasons at the direction of the Capitol Police Board (or the Architect with Board approval).

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act to acquire telecommunications or video surveillance equipment produced by (1) Huawei Technologies Company, ZTE Corporation, Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, or Dahua Technology Company (or any subsidiary or affiliate thereof); or (2) any entity that the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence or the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, reasonably believes might be owned or controlled by, or otherwise connected to, the government of a foreign adversary. The term "foreign adversary" has the meaning given "covered nation" in 10 U.S.C. 4872(f) (i.e., China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela).

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to maintain or establish a computer network unless the network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography. The prohibition does not apply to funds necessary for federal, state, tribal, or local law enforcement agencies or other entities carrying out criminal investigations, prosecutions, adjudications, or other official government activities.

This section prohibits a cost-of-living adjustment for Members of Congress during fiscal year 2026.

This section extends protections under the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act—FLSA sections 18D and 218d, requiring employers to provide reasonable break time and a private space for nursing mothers to express breast milk for one year after a child's birth—to congressional offices and staff by adding those sections to the list of FLSA provisions applicable under the Congressional Accountability Act.