American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4842
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Agriculture and Food
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-18: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-02T20:48:12Z
AI-Generated Summary
Summary of S. 4842: American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act
Purpose
This legislation amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to permanently authorize the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program. It also establishes regional food systems hubs. The overall goal is to strengthen domestic food supply chain resilience, expand market opportunities for producers of targeted agricultural products, and support local and regional food systems.
Key Provisions
- Findings: The bill states that a secure domestic food supply is a national security priority. It emphasizes the need for expanded capacity in aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced foods such as specialty crops, dairy, grains, meat, poultry, and aquaculture products.
- Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (Section 210B):
- The Secretary of Agriculture (through the Agricultural Marketing Service) enters into cooperative agreements with states to build middle-of-the-supply-chain capacity.
- Eligible entities include local and Tribal governments, agricultural producers or processors, nonprofits, small for-profit businesses, and certain institutions partnering with producers.
- States receive funding based on the value of targeted agricultural product production, with a minimum of $1,000,000 per state per fiscal year.
- States award competitive infrastructure grants ($100,000 to $3,000,000) to eligible entities for expanding capacity, modernizing facilities, improving food safety, and enhancing energy or water efficiency. Smaller grants ($10,000 to $100,000) are available for equipment purchases with simplified applications.
- Priority is given to projects benefiting underserved producers (beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmers/ranchers), businesses owned by socially disadvantaged individuals, certain institutions, retail markets, and intermediaries like food hubs.
- States may use up to the lesser of 20% or $1,000,000 for supply chain coordination and up to 8% for administrative costs.
- Requirements include outreach to interested parties, annual audits, and performance tracking.
- Authorized funding: $200,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
- Regional Food Systems Hubs (Section 210C):
- The Secretary enters into competitive cooperative agreements with nonprofits, institutions of higher education, or Tribal organizations to establish at least 10 regional hubs covering all U.S. states, territories, and possessions, plus one national intertribal hub.
- Hubs provide localized assistance, including business technical support, financial aid, market development, and help with procurement from public agencies (e.g., schools, hospitals) and private entities.
- Priorities focus on underserved producers and recipients of other USDA programs.
- Hubs must consult with agencies like the Small Business Administration and relevant state stakeholders.
- Annual reports to the Secretary detail increased sales, new markets, jobs, and barriers faced by beneficiaries.
- Administrative costs limited to 20% of funding; subawards allowed with similar limits.
- Authorized funding: $75,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill permanently embeds the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program into the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, shifting it from any prior temporary status to ongoing authorization. It introduces new structures for state-level grant distribution and creates a network of regional and intertribal hubs to coordinate assistance across federal, state, and local levels. The legislation adds detailed definitions, eligibility rules, priority criteria, and performance evaluation requirements not previously in the Act.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases responsibilities for the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service in managing cooperative agreements, developing performance measures, and overseeing evaluations. States gain roles in grant administration, outreach, and audits, with limits on administrative spending.
- Citizens and Businesses: Provides funding and technical support to expand processing and distribution infrastructure, potentially creating new revenue streams for producers and improving access to local markets. It may enhance food system resilience against supply disruptions.
- International Relations: No provisions address international trade, imports, or relations; impacts are limited to domestic supply chains.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Agricultural producers and processors, especially small and mid-sized or underserved groups.
- State departments of agriculture and local/Tribal governments.
- Nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and food businesses (e.g., hubs, aggregators, retailers).
- Beneficiaries such as farms, agribusinesses, and entities involved in public procurement (schools, hospitals, military bases).
- Federal agencies including the USDA, Small Business Administration, and Economic Development Administration.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
The bill relies on Congress's authority under the Constitution's spending and commerce powers to authorize appropriations and amend agricultural marketing laws. It introduces no apparent constitutional conflicts but emphasizes national security aspects of food supply. Politically, it promotes targeted support for domestic producers and underserved groups through competitive grants and hubs, with built-in accountability via audits and reporting.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS], Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN], Sen. Justice, James C. [R-WV]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-18: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 2026-06-18: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act — issued 2026-06-18 — PDF (20 pages)