Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

Bill Number: S. 2256
Origin Chamber: Senate
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 1
Policy Area: Economics and Public Finance
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2025-07-10: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 112.
Last Updated: 2026-05-01T11:03:33Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

This legislation, S. 2256, is an appropriations bill that provides funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), rural development initiatives, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and related agencies for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026). It aims to support agricultural research, farm production, rural infrastructure, food assistance programs, food safety, and foreign agricultural aid, while including restrictions, pilot programs, and rescissions to manage spending.

Key Provisions

The bill is organized into seven titles, allocating funds across various programs. Total discretionary funding is approximately $30 billion, with additional mandatory spending and user fees.

Title I: Agricultural Programs

Funds offices like the Secretary of Agriculture ($51.8 million, including support for tribal relations and seafood liaison).
Allocates $1.8 billion for Agricultural Research Service salaries and expenses, plus $42.7 million for buildings.
Provides $1.1 billion for National Institute of Food and Agriculture research and education, $561.7 million for extension activities, and $11.9 million for Native American institutions endowment.
Supports Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ($1.2 billion), Agricultural Marketing Service ($222.9 million), and Food Safety and Inspection Service ($1.2 billion), with fees for services and emergency transfers allowed.

Title II: Farm Production and Conservation Programs

Funds Farm Service Agency ($1.2 billion for salaries, $6.5 billion in loan authority) and Risk Management Agency ($65.6 million).
Allocates $895.8 million for Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation operations and $52.4 million for watershed and flood prevention.
Authorizes Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and Commodity Credit Corporation funds for reimbursements and emergency losses.

Title III: Rural Development Programs

Provides $351.1 million for rural development salaries, including IT upgrades and a pilot for rural hospitals.
Funds Rural Housing Service with $1 billion in direct loans, $25 billion in guarantees, $1.7 billion for rental assistance, and $48 million for vouchers.
Supports community facilities ($1.9 billion in loans, $217.4 million for costs), rural business programs ($1.8 billion in guarantees, $55.6 million for costs), and utilities like water/waste disposal ($1.1 billion in loans, $443.8 million for costs) and electrification ($8.5 billion in loans).
Includes $40.6 million for distance learning/telemedicine/broadband, with a $35 million pilot for rural broadband.

Title IV: Domestic Food Programs

Allocates $36.3 billion for child nutrition programs (school lunches, breakfasts), $8.2 billion for WIC (Women, Infants, and Children nutrition), $118.1 billion for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and $516.1 million for commodity assistance.
Provides $177.3 million for nutrition program administration.

Title V: Foreign Assistance and Related Programs

Funds Foreign Agricultural Service ($227.3 million) and $1.5 billion for Food for Peace Title II grants, including a review for program transfer to USDA.
Allocates $240 million for McGovern-Dole international school feeding and $6.1 million for export credit guarantees.

Title VI: Related Agencies and Food and Drug Administration

Provides $7 billion for FDA salaries and expenses (including user fees for drugs, devices, tobacco), $5 million for buildings.
Limits Farm Credit Administration administrative expenses to $106.5 million from assessments.

Title VII: General Provisions

Includes restrictions on vehicle purchases, fund transfers, and IT approvals; rescinds $350.2 million from prior unobligated balances (e.g., conservation, research, food aid, broadband).
Establishes pilots like tribal school meal operations ($2 million), energy circuit riders ($4 million), and bison grants ($2 million).
Prohibits funding for horse meat inspections, certain FDA rules, and closures of field offices without approval.
Requires notifications for reprogramming funds over $500,000 and audits for foreign animal/plant health.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

Extends authorizations: SNAP work requirements, WIC breastfeeding support, and school nutrition provisions through 2027.
Amends hemp definitions (7 U.S.C. 1639o) to exclude synthetic cannabinoids and clarify industrial uses, effective one year post-enactment.
Updates FDA tobacco enforcement to include e-cigarettes/vapes explicitly (21 U.S.C. 381(a)) and requires $200 million for related activities.
Adds bison to tribal slaughter/processing fee coverage and creates a Bison Production Grant Program modeled on sheep grants.
Rescinds funds from prior years (e.g., $200 million from Food for Peace) and limits carryover for certain programs.
Introduces pilots for tribal nutrition direct administration, rural energy support, and multi-family housing preservation ($2 million each).
Prohibits FDA sodium reduction guidelines until 2025-26 survey data and revises fish consumption advice by September 30, 2026.

Potential Impacts

Government Agencies: Increases operational funding for USDA (e.g., hiring at Farm Service Agency) and FDA enforcement, but rescissions and reprogramming restrictions may limit flexibility. IT and cybersecurity boosts ($77.4 million) enhance efficiency.
Citizens: Supports 40+ million SNAP recipients and school meals for millions of children; rural loans/grants aid housing, water, and broadband access in underserved areas. Tribal communities gain from endowments, pilots, and health resources ($1 million for indigenous food sovereignty).
International Relations: $1.7 billion in food aid strengthens U.S. diplomacy and humanitarian efforts, but the Food for Peace transfer review could shift administration from USAID to USDA, potentially streamlining but requiring interagency coordination.

Main Stakeholders Affected

Farmers and Ranchers: Benefit from $12+ billion in loans/insurance, conservation ($900 million+), and research ($2.9 billion total).
Rural Residents and Communities: $25+ billion in housing/utilities/broadband aids low-income families, hospitals, and infrastructure in persistent poverty areas (10% funding set-aside).
Consumers and Food Industry: FDA funding enhances drug/device safety and tobacco oversight; nutrition programs support low-income families and schools.
Tribal Nations and Underserved Groups: Targeted funding for endowments, pilots, and disadvantaged farmers ($3.5 million).
International Recipients: Food aid reaches famine-affected regions; export programs boost U.S. agriculture trade.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

Oversight and Accountability: Strict 30-day notifications for fund shifts (Section 716) ensure congressional control, aligning with appropriations clause (U.S. Const. art. I, § 9) but potentially slowing emergency responses.
Policy Directions: Hemp amendments clarify federal-state tensions on cannabis, supporting legalization trends without endorsing recreational use. Prohibitions on horse inspections and certain FDA rules reflect political priorities on animal welfare and regulatory burden.
Budgetary Neutrality: Rescissions offset new spending, promoting fiscal restraint; user fees (e.g., $3+ billion for FDA) shift costs to industry, raising equity concerns.
Tribal Sovereignty: Pilots for direct tribal program administration enhance self-determination under federal trust responsibilities.
Trade and Security: Secretary of Agriculture's CFIUS role on foreign agricultural land buys addresses national security without new constitutional issues, but could influence foreign investment.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND]

Recent Actions

2025-07-10: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 112.
2025-07-10: Committee on Appropriations. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Hoeven. With written report No. 119-37.
2025-07-10: Committee on Appropriations. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Hoeven. With written report No. 119-37.
2025-07-10: Introduced in Senate
2025-05-22: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. Hearings held on the subject prior to the subcommittee ordering to be reported an original measure. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 119-61.
2025-05-06: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. Hearings held on the subject prior to the subcommittee ordering to be reported an original measure. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 119-61.

Bill Versions

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 — issued 2025-07-10 — PDF (134 pages)