crs_reports: R48957

Congressional Research Service reports with summaries, authors, and topic classifications.

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R48957 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Horticulture Programs: Action in the 119th Congress 2026-05-27T04:00:00Z 2026-05-29T14:24:58Z Active Reports Zachary T. Neuhofer   The farm bill generally contains reauthorizations, amendments, and new programs that impact specialty crops, organic agriculture, local and regional food programs, hemp, and pest and disease management. Many of these programs are contained in the horticulture title, which was first added to a farm bill in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 farm bill; P.L. 110-234). The 2008 farm bill amended programs that were introduced in the Specialty Crop Competitiveness Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-465) (such as the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program), created new programs that primarily benefitted horticulture (such as the Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program), and contained support for the National Organic Program (NOP). In subsequent farm bills, the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 farm bill; P.L. 113-79) and the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 farm bill; P.L. 115-334), the horticulture title expanded to include support for local and urban agriculture and hemp production. Farm bill support for horticultural crops is not limited to the horticulture title; programs in other titles, such as the research and trade titles, also provide support for these crops. The most recent farm bill, the 2018 farm bill, expired in 2023. It has been extended three times for a year at a time: in November 2023 to cover FY2024 and crop year 2024 (P.L. 118-22, Division B, §102); in December 2024 to cover FY2025 and crop year 2025 (P.L. 118-158, Division D, §4101); and in November 2025 to cover FY2026 and crop year 2026 (P.L. 119-37, Division E, §5002). The 119th Congress passed two laws that impact horticulture programs and provisions from the 2018 farm bill. These two laws are the FY2025 budget reconciliation law (P.L. 119-21), which amended certain existing horticulture programs, and the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 (P.L. 119-37, Division B, §781), which amended the federal definition of hemp and extended the 2018 farm bill through FY2026. P.L. 119-21 provided additional funding for certain mandatory spending programs in the horticulture title. The law did not reauthorize all expired or expiring programs from the 2018 farm bill. The law impacted horticulture programs with and without budget baseline. Programs with baseline that received increased funding in P.L. 119-21 include the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, the Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program, and the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Horticulture programs without baseline that received funding from P.L. 119-21 include support programs for NOP; the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust Fund; the Multiple Crop and Pesticide Use Survey; and the Urban, Indoor, and Other Emerging Agricultural Production, Research, Education, and Extension Initiative. P.L. 119-37 amended the federal definition of hemp that was established in the 2018 farm bill. That prior definition allowed agricultural production and processing of hemp and hemp-derived products to fall outside of restrictions in the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. §§801-904) that otherwise affect cannabis. The new definition defines hemp on the basis of a total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of 0.3% on a dry weight basis rather than only delta-9 THC, while making explicit inclusions and exclusions. On February 13, 2026, Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson, chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, introduced a farm bill, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567), which contains reauthorizations and amendments to horticulture programs. The bill was voted out of committee and ordered to be reported on March 4, 2026. On April 30, 2026, the bill was passed by the House. Some other Members of Congress also have introduced legislation that would impact horticulture programs. In addition to the amendments to horticulture programs in P.L. 119-21 and P.L. 119-37, Congress may consider reauthorizing the program authority for existing horticulture programs that receive mandatory spending or reauthorizing programs that receive discretionary appropriations. Congress also could consider amending, expanding, or terminating existing horticulture programs and provisions related to hemp, specialty crops, local and regional food systems, and organic agriculture. Additionally, Congress could create new programs impacting these areas or take no action on horticulture programs. https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48957/R48957.2.pdf https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/HTML/R48957.html

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