S. 2256 — Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to use any appropriations available to the Department in this Act to purchase new passenger motor vehicles, in addition to specific appropriations for that purpose, provided the total number purchased in FY2026 does not exceed the number owned or leased in FY2018. The section further requires the Secretary to determine prior to such purchases that the vehicles are necessary for transportation safety, to reduce operational costs, and for the protection of life, property, and public safety; and prohibits increasing the Department's fleet above 2018 levels without written notification to, and approval from, the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress within 30 days.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer unobligated discretionary balances appropriated by this Act or other available unobligated USDA discretionary balances to the department's Working Capital Fund (WCF)—a revolving fund providing shared financial, administrative, and IT services to USDA agencies—for acquiring property, plant, and equipment and improving, delivering, and implementing such services (including cloud adoption), with transferred funds remaining available until expended. The section requires (1) prior agency administrator approval for any transfers to the WCF; (2) written notification to and prior approval by the Appropriations Committees of both Houses of Congress before any transferred funds may be obligated; (3) similar notification and approval, per §716 of this Act, before obligating funds from this Act or the WCF to change the National Finance Center (NFC)—USDA's shared-services provider of payroll, financial management, and human resources to USDA and other agencies—or to remove or relocate systems, missions, personnel, or functions of the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Information Officer offices co-located with the NFC. Further, the section (4) requires NFC personnel in the Information Technology Services Division, data center management, and control of human resources, payroll, and related systems to remain under NFC management; (5) directs the Secretary and Chief Financial Officer to market NFC shared services to other departments and agencies and to allow NFC technology upgrades; and (6) limits USDA reservation of annual WCF income attributable to NFC amounts exceeding NFC's true costs to not more than 4% for capital equipment replacement or acquisition, service improvements, or unforeseen extraordinary NFC costs, with obligated reserved amounts subject to committee notification. Finally, the section exempts from notification requirements any WCF obligations necessary to respond to a declared emergency significantly impacting NFC operations or to evacuate NFC employees to continue operations.

This section limits negotiated indirect cost rates on cooperative agreements or similar arrangements between the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and nonprofit institutions to 10% of total direct costs for programs of mutual interest. The limitation does not apply to grants and contracts with such institutions when indirect costs are 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.

This section restricts the Department of Agriculture's use of appropriated funds for information technology (IT) as follows: (1) prohibits acquiring new IT systems or significant upgrades, as determined by the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO), without CIO approval and concurrence of the Executive Information Technology Investment Review Board; (2) notwithstanding any other provision of law, prohibits transfers of such funds to the Office of the CIO without written notification to and prior approval by the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress; (3) notwithstanding section 11319 of title 40, United States Code (which provides covered agency CIOs with IT planning, budgeting, contracting, and oversight authorities), prohibits obligating IT funds for projects, contracts, or other agreements over $25,000 without written CIO approval; and (4) authorizes the CIO to exempt agencies from written approval for such obligations up to $250,000 based on performance against requirements in the explanatory statement accompanying P.L. 113-235.

This section revises the availability period for Commodity Credit Corporation funds provided under the Risk Management Education program (i.e., competitive grants to public and private entities to educate agricultural producers—including beginning, socially disadvantaged, and retiring farmers or ranchers—on risk management strategies such as crop insurance, futures, business planning, and farm financial benchmarking) to until expended for disbursing obligations made in the current fiscal year (from two years from the date of availability).

This section expands eligibility for assistance under section 313B(a) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936—the cushion of credit payments program (i.e., allowing rural utilities to make voluntary prepayments into an account for interest-free use in reducing future loan amortization payments)—to (1) former Rural Utilities Service borrowers that have repaid or prepaid an insured, direct, or guaranteed loan under the Act, and (2) not-for-profit utilities eligible to receive an insured or direct loan under the Act. (Thus, these entities may participate in the program in the same manner as current borrowers.)

This section makes not more than $20 million in unobligated balances from appropriations made available in this Act for Farm Service Agency (FSA) salaries and expenses available 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 contravention of federal travel regulations at 41 CFR 301-10.122 through 301-10.124 (which authorize first-class travel only under limited circumstances, such as when no other accommodations are reasonably available or for medical necessity).

This section exempts Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds used for salaries and related administrative expenses—including technical assistance—for implementing programs established or amended by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79) or a successor act (excluding title I or subtitle A of title III, or programs with indefinite appropriations in that act) from the cap on total CCC allotments and fund transfers (i.e., limited to FY1995 levels under 15 U.S.C. 714i). Such uses are not considered allotments or transfers for purposes of the cap. (Thus, CCC administrative expenses for these farm programs—which support commodities, conservation, rural development, and other agriculture initiatives—may exceed the longstanding FY1995 cap.)

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 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 the Act to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography. Subsection (b) exempts from this prohibition the use of funds necessary for federal, state, tribal, or local law enforcement agencies or other entities carrying out criminal investigations, prosecutions, or adjudications.

This section limits total expenditures for programs under section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c)—which uses 30% of annual customs receipts to, among other purposes, purchase surplus perishable agricultural commodities for donation to child nutrition and other domestic food programs and to support commodity exports and producers—to $1,574,028,000 (exclusive of carryover appropriations from prior fiscal years), notwithstanding prior law (7 U.S.C. 612c-6(b)). Of that amount, funds are allocated as follows: (1) Child Nutrition Programs Entitlement Commodities—$485,000,000; (2) State Option Contracts—$5,000,000; (3) Removal of Defective Commodities—$1,660,000; (4) Administration of section 32 Commodity Purchases—$37,178,000. The section provides that unobligated balances remaining on October 1, 2026, carry over into FY2027 and remain available until expended for section 32 purposes, except that carryover funds used for clause (3) of section 32 (payments to reestablish farmers' purchasing power via normal production for domestic consumption) may not exceed $350,000,000 and require written notification to the Appropriations Committees of both Houses of Congress at least two weeks in advance. The section further prohibits using any appropriated funds, except carryovers authorized in prior appropriations acts, to carry out clause (3) of section 32.

This section prohibits using appropriated funds to pay salaries and expenses of personnel who prepare or submit appropriations language in the President's budget for programs under the jurisdiction of the Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies if that language assumes revenues or reflects reductions from the prior year due to proposed user fees not enacted into law before budget submission. The prohibition does not apply if the budget 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 prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds appropriated by this Act—including prior-year carryover funds and agency fee collections—for the Department of Agriculture or Department of Health and Human Services through reprogramming, transfers, Economy Act reimbursements, or authorities under 7 U.S.C. 2257 (i.e., 7% fund interchangeability within bureaus for general and miscellaneous expenses) or 7 U.S.C. 2263, unless the relevant Secretary provides 30 days' advance written notice to and receives approval from the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations for actions that (1) create or eliminate programs, projects, or activities; (2) increase funding or personnel for denied or restricted projects; (3) relocate offices or employees; (4) reorganize offices, programs, or activities; or (5) contract out or privatize federal functions. It further prohibits such uses to augment programs, reduce funding or personnel by 10% (as approved by Congress), or change programs due to personnel savings if exceeding $500,000 or 10% (whichever is less), and requires 30-day notice and approval for new programs or activities not conducted in the prior fiscal year unless explicitly funded. The section also bars fund uses to modify major capital investments (e.g., IT systems) by more than $500,000 or 10% (whichever is less), realign positions to create entities with five or more personnel, or conduct unbudgeted activities without 30-day notice to the Committees; all notifications require written or email confirmation of receipt.

This section authorizes the Secretary to assess a one-time fee of up to 3% of the guaranteed principal portion for any guaranteed business and industry loan under section 310B(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(a)), notwithstanding section 310B(g)(5). (B&I loans support rural business and industry development, including financing working capital, employment, aquaculture, renewable energy systems, and economic adjustment for terminated farm programs, with a maximum principal of $25 million per loan.)

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 for 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 (i.e., video news release) 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, except as otherwise authorized by existing law.

This section limits the detailing or assignment of Department of Agriculture employees between agencies or offices funded by this Act or any other Act to 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—delineated 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 shall serve 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 take any other action allowing or requiring electronic distribution—in lieu of paper form—of information intended for prescribing health care professionals regarding drugs or biological products subject to prescription requirements under section 503(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (i.e., drugs not safe for use except under the supervision of a licensed practitioner). Such distribution is barred unless and until a federal law is enacted to authorize it.

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 whose levels are established in this Act, provided the Secretary notifies the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations in writing at least 15 days in advance.

This section limits the use of credit card refunds or rebates deposited in the Department of Agriculture's Working Capital Fund by (1) prohibiting obligation without written notification to and prior approval by the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations and (2) restricting such funds to the acquisition of property, plant, and equipment—including equipment to improve Departmental financial management, information technology, and support systems necessary for financial, administrative, and information technology services (e.g., cloud adoption and migration)—primarily benefiting USDA agencies. (Previously, such funds were available without fiscal year limitation for management initiatives of general benefit to USDA bureaus and offices.)

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds to implement, administer, or enforce the "variety" requirements (i.e., minimum number of different items per staple food category) 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 7 C.F.R. §§ 271.2 and 278.1(b)(1)(ii)(C) to increase the number of qualifying items per category beyond 2016 levels. Until such amendments, the Secretary must apply SNAP retailer variety and breadth-of-stock requirements in effect prior to enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79). (Thus, SNAP retailers—typically convenience stores seeking to accept benefits—face temporarily unchanged, less stringent pre-2014 standards for program eligibility.)

This section provides the Secretary of Agriculture, in carrying out the rural single-family housing loan guarantee program under section 502(h) of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1472(h)), the same authority with respect to guaranteed loans and eligible lenders as under subsections (h) and (j) of section 538 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1490p-2(h), (j)) for the rural multifamily housing loan guarantee program. (As background, section 502(h) authorizes USDA to guarantee loans made by private lenders to very low-, low-, and moderate-income households to purchase, build, or repair single-family homes in rural areas; section 538 authorizes guarantees of private loans for construction, substantial rehabilitation, or acquisition of multifamily rental housing serving low-income tenants in rural areas.)

This section prohibits the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from using funds appropriated or otherwise made available 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 of this Act. (Thus, USDA may not impose new fees for agency services or benefits—such as those based on government costs or value to recipients—via regulations funded by this Act.)

This section authorizes the Secretary to charge meat, poultry, and egg processing establishments for FSIS inspection services provided outside approved shifts and on federal holidays, notwithstanding laws regulating overtime and holiday pay for FSIS inspectors. Charges are deemed overtime or holiday pay under sec. 1001(d) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2), and receipts remain available until expended, without further appropriation, to fund all FSIS inspection costs.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture (1) to conduct audits of countries or regions that evaluate applicable 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 final audit reports publicly available. This section requires these provisions to be applied consistent with U.S. international trade agreements.

This section requires that, for projects funded in the current fiscal year by the 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 (i.e., water and waste infrastructure loans, grants, and guarantees provided by USDA Rural Development primarily to rural communities and households), all iron and steel products (i.e., lined or unlined pipes and fittings, manhole covers and other municipal castings, hydrants, tanks, flanges, pipe clamps and restraints, valves, structural steel, reinforced precast concrete, and construction materials) be produced in the United States. It authorizes waivers if (1) application would be inconsistent with the public interest, (2) such products are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities or of satisfactory quality, or (3) their use would increase overall project costs by more than 25 percent; requires at least 15 days of public notice and input, including online posting, prior to waiver decisions; and mandates consistency with U.S. international trade obligations. The section further authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture 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; exempts projects with state-approved engineering plans and specifications prior to enactment; and applies the requirement to projects in states, the District of Columbia, and federally recognized Indian tribes.

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by the 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 permitted under 18 U.S.C. 1913 (i.e., the federal anti-lobbying statute).

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 11 specified Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and Rural Utilities Service accounts—including rural housing insurance, mutual and self-help grants, community facilities, business programs, economic development loans, cooperative development and microentrepreneur grants, water and waste disposal, electrification and telecommunications loans, and distance learning, telemedicine, and broadband programs—be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty counties (i.e., counties with 20% or more of their population living in poverty over the past 30 years, as measured by USDA's Economic Research Service, or any U.S. territory or possession). 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 exemption under section 505(i) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355(i)) or section 351(a)(3) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262(a)(3)) for research in which a human embryo is intentionally created or modified to include a heritable genetic modification. (Thus, any such submission is deemed not received by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the exemption may not go into effect.)

This section prohibits the use of appropriated funds to enforce the Food and Drug Administration's final rule entitled “Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption” (published November 27, 2015) with respect to entities that grow, harvest, pack, or hold wine grapes, hops, pulse crops, or almonds. (As background, the rule establishes science-based minimum standards for produce growers, handlers, and packers to reduce contamination risks under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act from restricting or limiting the substitution of any vegetable subgroup for fruits under the School Breakfast Program for school years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027. (Thus, schools may replace the fruit component with vegetables in reimbursable breakfasts meeting program nutrition standards during those years.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act or any other Act from (1) contravening section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 5940, repealed effective January 1, 2022, but previously authorizing state pilot programs for industrial hemp production), subtitle G of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (governing domestic hemp production), or section 10114 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (establishing the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program); or (2) prohibiting the transportation, processing, sale, or use of hemp or its seeds grown in accordance with section 7606 or subtitle G, within or outside the state of production. (Thus, federal agencies may not use appropriated funds to restrict interstate commerce in compliant hemp.)

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 (50 U.S.C. 4565(k)(2)(J)), for covered transactions 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. The section further directs the Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, to notify CFIUS of any agricultural land transaction that the Secretary believes, based on information from or in cooperation with the Intelligence Community, is a covered transaction (i) posing a national security risk—with particular emphasis on transactions involving foreign governments or entities of concern as defined in 42 U.S.C. 19221(a), including the People's Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the Islamic Republic of Iran—and (ii) 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 provides grants to qualified nonprofit organizations and public housing authorities for technical assistance—including financial and legal services—to Rural Housing Service (RHS) multi-family housing borrowers. The assistance facilitates preservation of RHS multi-family housing properties (i.e., affordable rural rental housing) in areas at risk of loss through acquisition by nonprofit housing organizations and public housing authorities authorized by law that commit to retaining the properties in the RHS multi-family housing program for a period determined by the Secretary; the funds may also support technical assistance to nonprofits, public housing authorities, and private owners for decoupling rental assistance (i.e., separating project-based rental subsidies from property ownership to enable portability).

This section limits funds made available under title II of the Food for Peace Act (i.e., USAID emergency food aid program that ships U.S. commodities to address food shortages abroad) to recipient nations with adequate monitoring and controls, as determined by the Administrator, to ensure aid reaches intended beneficiaries 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 the National School Lunch Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program for Children, or School Breakfast Program.

This section limits, for school year 2025–2026, the requirement under section 12(p) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish prices for paid lunches to only school food authorities that had a negative balance in the nonprofit school food service account as of June 30, 2025. (Section 12(p) requires school food authorities to set paid lunch prices that fully recover the difference between meal costs and federal reimbursements plus revenues from free and reduced-price meals when the nonprofit account has a deficit.)

This section makes available for biotechnology risk assessment research grants—authorized under 7 U.S.C. 5921 to support environmental assessment of genetically engineered animals, plants, and microorganisms—any funds that the Secretary of Agriculture withholds pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 5921(g)(2). It further authorizes the Secretary to transfer such funds among Department of Agriculture appropriations for that purpose.

This section prohibits the Department of Agriculture from using appropriated 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 without enactment of specific authorizing legislation.

This section authorizes the Secretary, 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 under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) and the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) under the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2203)—which funds emergency measures such as floodplain easements to protect against floods and erosion—to provide technical services 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 such section.

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)—which uses funds from the Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program (DTLB) to improve broadband, distance learning, and telemedicine services in rural areas—to consider “Areas Rural in Character” (i.e., communities determined by USDA to have rural character despite statistical urban traits) as eligible for assistance. Not more than 10% of DTLB funds available for that pilot may be used for such areas.

This section appropriates $2 million, to remain available until expended, to implement non-renewable agreements on eligible lands, including flooded agricultural lands as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture, under the Water Bank Act (16 U.S.C. 1301-1311), notwithstanding the last sentence of 16 U.S.C. 1310. (As background, the Water Bank Act authorizes the Secretary to enter into agreements with private landowners to preserve, restore, and improve wetlands for wildlife habitat, water quality, flood control, and erosion reduction.)

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the FDA Commissioner, to revise the joint EPA/FDA advice on eating fish issued in 2017 (82 Fed. Reg. 6571)—which provides recommendations on safe consumption levels considering contaminants such as mercury—by September 30, 2026. The revision must follow review under Executive Order No. 12866 (relating to regulatory planning and review) and be consistent with FDA-recognized nutrition science on the net effects of seafood consumption, using amounts appropriated to the FDA under title VI.

This section directs the Secretary to reserve, until August 15, 2026, funds made available under specified rural development program accounts—including the 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—for Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Zones. (The reserved amount equals the amount obligated for REAP Zones from such accounts in the most recent fiscal year any such obligations occurred, excluding Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending.)

This section provides $2 million, to remain available until expended, to the Secretary of Agriculture for no more than 10 pilot projects of up to two years that award grants of $10,000 to $100,000 per school year to Indian tribes, approved tribal organizations, tribal educational agencies, tribal consortia, or specified tribal partnerships to operate the National School Lunch Program, Summer Food Service Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, or School Breakfast Program in Bureau-funded schools (i.e., Bureau of Indian Education schools, contract/grant schools, or tribally controlled schools), schools on or near reservations, or early child care facilities. Grants do not increase state administrative costs or program benefits, and recipients are reimbursed for meals as if they were states or state educational agencies. The Secretary must submit a report to Congress on pilot outcomes within one year after the pilots conclude.

This section prohibits the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from using funds appropriated by this Act 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 guidance regarding Lm in such low-risk foods (i.e., foods that do not support the growth of Lm).

This section establishes a Bison Production and Marketing Grant Program within the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), modeled on the Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program (7 U.S.C. 1627a), and appropriates $2 million for the program, to remain available until September 30, 2027. (As background, the Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program provides competitive grants to at least one national entity to strengthen U.S. sheep production and marketing, including infrastructure, business, and resource improvements.) The bison program prioritizes grants to national nonprofits and federally chartered Tribal organizations with expertise in bison production or marketing.

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 federally recognized tribal governments (as listed under the List Act of 1994), tribal entities, and tribal members processed at USDA voluntarily inspected or state-inspected establishments, notwithstanding the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 and 9 CFR part 352.

This section exempts premium pay for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) employees—from biweekly and annual aggregate pay caps under 5 U.S.C. §5547(b) and other laws—when the APHIS Administrator determines such services respond to an animal disease or plant health emergency outbreak and the pay is funded directly or via reimbursement. (Thus, APHIS employees may receive unlimited overtime and other premium pay during emergencies.)

This section prohibits the use of funds appropriated by this Act to pay the salaries or expenses of personnel (1) to inspect horses under section 3 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 603), which requires ante-mortem examination of animals (including horses, mules, and other equines) intended for slaughter and use in commerce; (2) to inspect horses under section 903 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 1901 note); or (3) to implement or enforce section 352.19 of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation). (Thus, this prevents horse slaughter for human consumption in federally inspected establishments, as inspection is required for meat and meat food products to enter commerce.)

This section appropriates $2 million, to remain available until expended, to carry out section 2103 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-334), which funds Natural Resources Conservation Service technical assistance to agricultural producers for compliance with wetland conservation requirements (i.e., Swampbuster provisions). It requires the Secretary to prioritize wetland compliance needs in areas with significant numbers of individual wetlands, wetland acres, and conservation compliance requests.

This section appropriates $3 million for the emergency and transitional pet shelter and housing assistance grant program (34 U.S.C. 20127). The program awards grants to eligible entities to provide housing, shelter, and related assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and such victims' pets, service animals, emotional support animals, or horses.

This section directs the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Agriculture, in developing the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, to consider only the findings and recommendations of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report on alcohol consumption required by section 772 of division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328). (Thus, the alcohol consumption recommendations must be based on the preponderance of scientific and medical knowledge consistent with 7 U.S.C. § 5341.)

This section designates $9,465,000 of FY2024 funds and $9,953,000 of FY2026 funds available under section 313B(a) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 940c–2(a))—the rural economic development loan and grant program (i.e., zero-interest loans from rural utilities to local businesses)—as additional amounts for rural business development grants (RBDG) under section 310B(c) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(c)), applicable for FY2026 and subsequent fiscal years until expended. (RBDG provides grants to public bodies, nonprofit entities, and federally recognized Indian tribes in rural areas (population <50,000) for technical assistance, training, and planning to promote business growth and job creation.) It also rescinds section 780 of division B of P.L. 118-42 and its continuation under section 1101(a)(1) of P.L. 119-4.

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

This section provides $6 million, to remain available until expended, to the Office of the Secretary to continue the Institute for Rural Partnerships, as established by section 778 of P.L. 117-103. The institute must dedicate resources to researching causes and conditions of rural challenges and developing community partnerships to address them, limit administrative or other fees to 1%, and coordinate and publish an annual report.

This section appropriates $500,000 to carry out the duties of the working group on pollinator health and commercial beekeeping established under section 770 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 116-6). (The working group, comprising USDA, EPA, and other federal officials, examines federal policies affecting managed pollinator health and the economics of commercial beekeeping.)

This section authorizes agencies and offices of the Department of Agriculture to reimburse the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) for costs incurred 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 expands the definition of multifamily mortgage under the Multifamily Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1981 to include mortgages held by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to sections 514 or 515 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1484, 1485). (Sections 514 and 515 authorize USDA loans for off-farm housing for domestic farm laborers, including housing owned by farmers or nonprofits. Thus, such mortgages held by HUD become subject to the Act's nonjudicial foreclosure procedures.)

This section revises a proviso in the FY2024 appropriation for the Rural Community Facilities Program Account—which funds USDA Rural Development direct loans, grants, and loan guarantees for essential community facilities (e.g., healthcare, schools) 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 for activities funded under that account and section 778(1).

This section rescinds $30 million of unobligated balances from prior-year appropriations for conservation activities under the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Operations account. No amounts may be rescinded from funds 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 $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 $200 million of unobligated balances from prior-year appropriations for Food for Peace Title II Grants (i.e., USAID-administered emergency and development food assistance). 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 $20 million of unobligated balances from prior-year appropriations under the Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program for a 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 (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.). 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 the resources or locations of any existing Agricultural Research Service laboratories and facilities without prior notification to and approval by the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress.

This section directs the FDA to use not less than $200 million of tobacco product user fees for enforcement activities related to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including under section 801(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 381(a)), with not less than $2 million for a federal multi-agency task force targeting illegal ENDS manufacture, importation, distribution, and sale from China and other countries. The section further requires the FDA Commissioner to (1) update the agency's "Guidance for Industry on its Enforcement Priorities" within 365 days after enactment to expand prioritized enforcement to flavored disposable ENDS products (in addition to cartridge-based products) and define disposable ENDS products; and (2) submit semi-annual reports to the congressional Appropriations Committees on Center for Tobacco Products progress in removing illegal nicotine products from the market, with the initial report due not later than 180 days after enactment. Finally, the section amends section 801(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 381(a)) to include tobacco products (in addition to drugs and devices) in specified sentences regarding requests for import samples from unregistered foreign establishments and criteria for refusing admission. (Thus, this expands FDA authority to examine and block tobacco product imports that fail to meet registration, adulteration, misbranding, or other requirements.)

This section requires fees assessed and collected by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for FY2026 under the Salaries and Expenses account and specified statutory user fee authorities (i.e., 21 U.S.C. 379h, 379j, 379j–42, 379j–52, 379j–12, 379j–21, 387s, 42 U.S.C. 263b, 21 U.S.C. 381, 360n and 360ff, 379j–31, 379j–62, 353(e)(3), 360eee–3(c)(1), 384d(c)(8), 360bbb–4a, and 379j–72) to comply with current user fee authorizations, appropriations acts, and commitment letters transmitted to specified congressional committees. The section further (1) directs FDA to submit to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, within 90 days of enactment, a certified report on FY2026 obligation, outlay, and full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing estimates for each FDA program using both general appropriations and user fees, including a table separating general funds from user fees; (2) requires quarterly updates of the report, also certified, within 45 days after each fiscal quarter until funds are expended, concurrent with a plan for ongoing reporting; and (3) withholds 50% of amounts appropriated in this Act under paragraph (10) of the Salaries and Expenses account for the Office of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs until subsection (b) reporting requirements are met, releasing an additional 25% upon submission of the initial report and the final 25% upon submission of the quarterly reporting plan.

This section extends the Livestock Mandatory Reporting program through 2026 (from 2025). The program provides readily understandable market information on pricing, contracting, and supply and demand conditions for cattle, swine, lambs, livestock production, and related products to assist producers, packers, and other participants and to encourage competition.

This section prohibits the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from using funds appropriated by this Act to develop, issue, promote, or advance new guidelines or regulations applicable to food manufacturers for population-wide sodium reduction until publication of the 2025–26 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) What We Eat In America survey. (Thus, FDA must await data reflecting the impact of Phase 1 reduction targets before proceeding.)

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 of $1 million or more issued from funds made available in this Act or any prior Act. 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 appropriates $4 million, to remain available until expended, for the Secretary of Agriculture—acting through the Under Secretary for Rural Development—to establish a new pilot program supporting on-the-ground local Energy Circuit Riders who provide professional assistance to rural communities for energy-saving and emissions-reduction projects. The Secretary may provide funds through 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, with periods of performance of more than three but not more than six years and a federal cost share of not more than 75 percent. Eligible entities must offer assistance including energy planning, energy audits, federal funding opportunities, tax incentives, project financing, grant writing, community capacity building, and state, local, or utility incentives (including coordination with state energy offices).

This section establishes “Pacific Snapper” as an acceptable market name under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for 18 specified species of food fish: Sebastes alutus, Sebastes borealisn, 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.

This section establishes labeling standards under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for Hawaii-grown or produced coffee, requiring at least 51% of the coffee to be grown in Kona, Kau, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, or other areas of Hawaii and designating the common or usual names as Kona Coffee, Kau Coffee, Maui Coffee, Oahu Coffee, Kauai Coffee, or Hawaii Coffee based on the region.

This section amends the definitions in section 297A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1639o), effective no sooner than one year after enactment, by— (1) striking and replacing the definition of "hemp" to mean the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part thereof (including seeds and derivatives) with a total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration (including tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry-weight basis, including industrial hemp but excluding— (A) viable seeds from plants exceeding that THC threshold; and (B) hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing— (i) cannabinoids not naturally produced by Cannabis sativa L.; (ii) naturally produced cannabinoids that were synthesized or manufactured outside the plant; or (iii) quantifiable amounts (as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture) of THC or other cannabinoids with similar effects (or marketed as such); (2) adding a definition of "industrial hemp" as hemp grown for— (A) non-cannabinoid uses of the stalk, fiber, seeds, or derivatives; (B) microgreens or edible leaf products from immature plants grown from seeds not exceeding the THC threshold; (C) research at an institution of higher education (as defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965) or independent research institute, if not entering commerce; or (D) viable seeds solely for purposes in (A)–(C); (3) adding a definition of "hemp-derived cannabinoid product" as any intermediate or final product derived from hemp (other than industrial hemp) containing cannabinoids intended for human or animal use (e.g., inhalation, ingestion, topical), excluding drugs approved under specified provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; and (4) redesignating paragraphs (2) through (6) as paragraphs (4) through (8). This section further directs the Commissioner of Food and Drugs and the Secretary of Agriculture to submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress within 180 days of enactment on implementation of these amendments, including projected impacts on the cannabinoid marketplace, industry stakeholder engagement, and uniform packaging, labeling, testing, and adverse event reporting requirements.

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