Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026
Sponsored By: Senator John Hoeven
In Committee
Summary
FY2026 appropriations for USDA and FDA provide broad funding for farms, rural communities, nutrition programs, research, and FDA regulatory work across multiple agencies and accounts.
Show full summary
- Families and households: Supports Child Nutrition programs, WIC, and SNAP and funds rural housing help with $1.7 billion for rental assistance and $48.0 million for Rural Housing Vouchers.
- Farmers and rural communities: Backs agricultural research and farm support with Agricultural Research Service at $1.8 billion, National Institute of Food and Agriculture at $1.1 billion, and Farm Service Agency operations at $1.2 billion. It also authorizes crop insurance and Commodity Credit Corporation authorities and multiple loan program levels.
- Public health and food safety: Provides $7.0 billion for the Food and Drug Administration, including about $2.5 billion for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, and funds Food Safety and Inspection Service inspection activities. The bill also funds USDA IT and cybersecurity and several rural infrastructure and broadband programs.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
19 provisions identified: 11 benefits, 1 costs, 7 mixed.
More funding for child nutrition
If enacted, the bill would provide large new funds for child nutrition, SNAP, WIC, and commodity programs. It would provide about $36.3 billion for child nutrition through Sept 30, 2027 and $118.1 billion for SNAP in FY2026, with a $3.0 billion reserve available through Sept 30, 2027. WIC would get $8.2 billion. The bill also adds $425 million for senior commodity food programs and $2.0 million for tribal child nutrition pilots. For FY2026 it would bar buying poultry or seafood imported from the People's Republic of China for federal child nutrition programs.
More rural business loans and grants
If enacted, the bill would provide large new loan and grant authority for rural businesses. It would allow $1.75 billion in guaranteed business loans and about $55.6 million to cover guarantee and grant costs. The bill also funds rural energy loan guarantees ($100 million principal), $50 million for rural economic development loans, $19.5 million for microentrepreneur loans, $13 million for intermediary relending, $24.8 million for cooperative development grants, and other targeted amounts. At least 10% of certain direct loans and grants must go to persistent poverty counties.
Big boost for rural water projects
If enacted, the bill would provide large new funds for rural water and waste systems. It would authorize $1.015 billion in direct loan principal, $50 million in guaranteed loan principal, and about $443.8 million for loan costs and grants, with specific set‑asides for small direct loans, technical help, circuit riders, solid waste grants, and other needs. Some unused subsidy balances after July 31, 2026 could be used for grants.
Big loan boost for rural power and telecom
If enacted, the bill would authorize large loan and guarantee principals for rural electric and telecom projects: about $2.667 billion in guaranteed electric loans, $4.333 billion in cost-of-money direct electric loans, $900 million for underwriting guarantees, $350 million for direct telecom loans, and $200 million for guaranteed telecom loans. Up to $2 billion may be used for fossil-fueled plants that use carbon storage, and $4.2 million is provided for energy efficiency work.
Pause SNAP variety enforcement
If enacted, the bill would bar funds from enforcing the SNAP 'variety' rule until the Agriculture Secretary expands the definition of acceptable items in each staple food category. Until that change, stores would follow the retailer rules that were in place before 2014.
Help to preserve rural rental housing
If enacted, the bill would provide $2 million for grants to nonprofits and public housing authorities to give legal and financial help to preserve Rural Housing Service multifamily properties. It would also stop counting incarcerated people when calculating RHS program eligibility or assistance and update foreclosure references to include sections 514 and 515 of the Housing Act.
More rural business grants and flex
If enacted, the bill would treat $9.465 million from FY2024 and $9.953 million from FY2026 as extra Rural Business Development Grants. It would let USDA raise program levels for some loans and guarantees by up to 25% with a 15‑day notice to Appropriations Committees. The Secretary could waive certain research grant matching requirements and the bill adds $3 million for emergency pet shelter grants.
Protect local USDA offices and help
If enacted, the bill would bar closing or consolidating Agricultural Research Service labs or NRCS and Rural Development field offices without prior Appropriations Committee approval. It would also fund $2.0 million to prioritize wetland compliance assistance in high‑need areas. These steps aim to keep local services and staff in place.
One‑time rescissions of program balances
If enacted, the bill would rescind unspent prior-year balances: $22 million from NIFA research, $30 million from NRCS conservation, $78 million from the Working Capital Fund, and $200 million from Food for Peace Title II balances. Emergency‑designated funds would be excluded from these rescissions.
Changes to meat inspection fees and rules
If enacted, the bill would let FSIS charge inspected meat, poultry, and egg plants for inspections done outside approved shifts and on federal holidays. It would bar using funds to pay USDA staff to inspect horses under certain authorities. It would also provide $700,000 to cover bison inspection and voluntary inspection fees for Tribal bison owners when processed at state or USDA voluntary establishments.
USDA grant rules and oversight changes
If enacted, the bill would cap indirect cost reimbursement on certain USDA cooperative agreements with nonprofits at 10% of direct costs. It would let USDA offices reimburse the Office of General Counsel for time‑limited legal services, require 3‑day notice to Appropriations committees before terminating awards of $1,000,000 or more, repeal a prior Section 780 authority, and provide $500,000 for a working group. These are oversight and administrative changes that shift costs and reporting.
FDA enforcement, fees, and guidance changes
If enacted, the bill would impose new FDA reporting and budget rules and shift enforcement priorities. It would withhold 50% of certain Office of the Commissioner funds until reports are sent, require detailed user‑fee accounting, and require not less than $200 million of tobacco user fees for ENDS enforcement with $2 million for a task force. It would pause population‑wide sodium guidance until new NHANES dietary data and require use of the National Academies report for the 2025 Dietary Guidelines. It also creates market names and origin rules for certain seafood and Hawaiian coffee.
Buy American rule for rural water projects
If enacted, the bill would require iron and steel used in federally funded rural water and wastewater projects to be produced in the United States. Waivers are allowed if U.S. products are unavailable, low quality, or would raise project costs by more than 25%. The Secretary must post waiver requests for public input and may keep up to 0.25% of program funds for oversight.
New hemp definitions and FDA report
If enacted, the bill would change the legal definition of hemp no sooner than one year after enactment, limit hemp to plant material with 0.3% total THC or less, and exclude some hemp-derived cannabinoid products. The Agriculture Secretary and FDA Commissioner would report within 180 days on implementation and market impacts.
Local energy circuit riders pilot
If enacted, the bill would provide $4 million to start a pilot that helps rural areas with energy planning and projects. Grants would go to states, tribes, universities, cooperatives or other public entities serving two or more rural areas. Awards would last more than 3 years but not more than 6 years, and federal share could be up to 75 percent.
Emergency pay exemption for APHIS staff
If enacted, the bill would let APHIS treat premium pay for employees responding to declared animal or plant health emergencies as exempt from federal aggregate pay limits. The APHIS Administrator must declare the emergency response.
Pauses and protections for farm rules
If enacted, the bill would bar enforcement or new agency guidance in several narrow areas for FY2026. It would stop enforcing the Produce Safety Rule for wine grapes, hops, pulse crops, and almonds. It would bar FDA from issuing new Listeria rules for low‑risk ready‑to‑eat foods until new science is considered. It would also protect transport, processing, sale, and use of hemp grown under 2014 farm law rules.
Rural broadband and telehealth pilots
If enacted, the bill would provide $20 million for Community Connect grants, $40.61 million for telemedicine and distance learning grants, and $35 million to continue a broadband loan and grant pilot. The pilot must serve areas where at least 90% of households lack 25/3 Mbps and should build to 100/20 Mbps where possible. The bill would also rescind $20 million in past unspent broadband pilot funds.
Labels for earlier engineered animals
If enacted, the bill would require engineered animals approved before February 19, 2019 to include the words "genetically engineered" immediately before their market name on labels. This would change labeling for producers and sellers of those animals.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
John Hoeven
ND • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.govTake It Personal
Get Your Personalized Policy View
Start a Free Government Policy Watch to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.
Already have an account? Sign in