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Congressional bills and resolutions from Congress.gov, filtered to policy areas relevant to environmental, health, agriculture, and wildlife regulation.

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107 rows where bill_type = "s", congress = 115 and policy_area = "Agriculture and Food" sorted by introduced_date descending

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policy_area 1

  • Agriculture and Food · 107 ✖

congress 1

  • 115 · 107 ✖

bill_type 1

  • s · 107 ✖
bill_id congress bill_type bill_number title policy_area introduced_date ▲ latest_action_date latest_action_text origin_chamber sponsor_name sponsor_state sponsor_party sponsor_bioguide_id cosponsor_count summary_text update_date url
115-s-3716 115 s 3716 REDUCE Government Waste Act Agriculture and Food 2018-12-06 2018-12-06 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ] AZ R F000444 1 Removing Excessive Dollars to Uproot and Cut Expensive Government Waste Act or the REDUCE Government Waste Act This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to repeal the rules for peanuts under the nonrecourse marketing assistance loan program administered by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). (Under a nonrecourse marketing assistance loan, a farmer pledges a commodity as collateral and may deliver the pledged collateral to USDA to repay the loan.) The bill also prohibits federal funds from being used for the development of: (1) a beerbot or other robot bartender; or (2) insect-based foods for human consumption, including cricket farming and taste-testing of insect-based foods. 2023-01-11T13:40:41Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3716
115-s-3681 115 s 3681 Animal Disease and Disaster Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-11-29 2018-11-29 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] MN D K000367 1 Animal Disease and Disaster Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act of 2018 This bill establishes the Animal Disease and Disaster Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Program within the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support activities to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to animal pests and diseases affecting the economic interests of the livestock industry and related U.S. industries. The bill also establishes a National Livestock Vaccine Bank within USDA to leverage, as appropriate, the mechanisms and infrastructure that have been developed for the management, storage, and distribution of the National Veterinary Stockpile. The vaccine bank must maintain a sufficient quantity of animal vaccine, antiviral, or therapeutic products: (1) to appropriately respond to the most damaging animal diseases affecting human health and the economy, and (2) be capable of deployment within 24 hours of an outbreak of the animal disease. 2023-01-11T13:40:54Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3681
115-s-3637 115 s 3637 Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-11-15 2018-11-15 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S7054) Senate Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] OR D W000779 0 Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to make permanent, and expand to at least 15 states, the program to provide more flexibility for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to purchase domestically grown unprocessed fruits and vegetables. The bill also provides additional mandatory funding for the program. 2023-01-11T13:40:56Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3637
115-s-3586 115 s 3586 A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to provide emergency payments to dairy producers. Agriculture and Food 2018-10-11 2018-10-11 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] VT I S000033 0 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue emergency payments to dairy producers. USDA must develop criteria for the payments that give priority to producers who are: (1) located in a state with a high cost of dairy production compared to other states, and (2) on a farm with a high cost of dairy production based on the size of the farm. The emergency payments provided under this bill must be at least $10,000 but no greater than $20,000 per dairy operation. USDA must use $556 million in Commodity Credit Corporation funds to carry out this bill. The bill designates the spending as an emergency requirement pursuant to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) Act of 2010 and the FY2018 congressional budget resolution. (This exempts the spending from various budget enforcement rules.) 2023-01-11T13:41:08Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3586
115-s-3407 115 s 3407 Agricultural Export Promotion Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-09-04 2018-09-04 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Heitkamp, Heidi [D-ND] ND D H001069 1 Agricultural Export Promotion Act of 2018 This bill establishes the United States Agricultural Export Promotion Fund and requires the Department of the Treasury to transfer to the fund an amount equivalent to certain duties imposed on imported goods under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 or the Trade Act of 1974. The amounts in the fund must be available to the Department of Agriculture (USDA), without further appropriation, for carrying out activities of the Foreign Market Development Program, the Market Access Program, and the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program to promote exports of U.S. agricultural commodities and products. In carrying out this bill, USDA must, to the maximum extent practicable, give priority to promoting exports of agricultural commodities and products of U.S. businesses that are adversely affected by increased duties imposed on U.S. exports by foreign countries in response to increased duties imposed by the United States on imports from the countries. 2023-01-11T13:41:22Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3407
115-s-3268 115 s 3268 Stop Child Summer Hunger Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-07-25 2018-07-25 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] WA D M001111 0 Stop Child Summer Hunger Act of 2018 This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require the Department of Agriculture to establish a program providing eligible households with summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards in order to give children access to food during the summer months to: (1) reduce or eliminate children's food insecurity and hunger, and (2) improve their nutritional status. An "eligible household" is a household that includes one or more children who are eligible to receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs. The amount on each summer EBT card is set at $150 per child in 2019, with adjustments thereafter reflecting changes in reimbursement rates for school meals under the school lunch program. If children are enrolled to receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs, they must be enrolled in this program without further application. Summer EBT cards may be used only to purchase food from retail food stores that have been approved for participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program). 2023-01-11T13:41:47Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3268
115-s-3140 115 s 3140 SALE Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-06-26 2018-06-26 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Inhofe, James M. [R-OK] OK R I000024 10 Securing All Livestock Equitably Act of 2018 or the SALE Act of 2018 This bill amends the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 to require all livestock purchased by a dealer in cash sales and all inventories of, or receivables or proceeds from, such livestock to be held by the dealer in a trust until all unpaid cash sellers of the livestock have been paid. The bill exempts from the requirement any dealer whose average annual purchases of livestock do not exceed $250,000. A dealer and cash seller may voluntarily waive the requirement using a written agreement that meets specified requirements. The bill also specifies requirements regarding enforcement, preserving a trust, notifying lien holders, and purchasing or transferring livestock that is subject to a trust. 2023-01-11T13:42:07Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3140
115-s-3103 115 s 3103 Growing American Food Exports Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-06-21 2018-06-21 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN] IN R Y000064 3 Growing American Food Exports Act of 2018 This bill amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to reauthorize through FY2023 and modify the Department of Agriculture Biotechnology and Agricultural Trade Program. The purpose of the program is to remove, resolve, or mitigate significant regulatory nontariff barriers to the export of U.S. agricultural commodities into foreign markets through policy advocacy and certain targeted projects. 2023-01-11T13:42:08Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3103
115-s-3104 115 s 3104 Expanded SUTA Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-06-21 2018-06-21 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT] MT D T000464 2 Expanded SUTA Act of 2018 This bill amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to expand the Department Agriculture (USDA) Substantially Underserved Trust Area (SUTA) authority to: (1) include all programs administered by the USDA rural development mission area, and (2) specify that USDA may use the authority for certain communities within former Indian reservations. (Under current law, the SUTA authority is limited to certain programs administered by the USDA Rural Utilities Service. The authority permits USDA to modify or waive certain requirements and procedures for loans and grants in order to improve the availability of programs in communities on trust land [e.g., land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans] that have a high need for the benefits of an eligible program.) 2023-01-11T13:42:08Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3104
115-s-3113 115 s 3113 Dairy Business Innovation Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-06-21 2018-06-21 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] WI D B001230 4 Dairy Business Innovation Act of 2018 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to establish at least three regionally located product and business innovation initiatives to provide grants and technical assistance to dairy businesses. 2023-01-11T13:42:08Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3113
115-s-3117 115 s 3117 Fair Access for Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-06-21 2018-06-21 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Jones, Doug [D-AL] AL D J000300 1 Fair Access for Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018 This bill makes certain farmers operating on land that is heirs' property (e.g., property received from an owner who died without a will) eligible to receive a farm number and participate in Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. The bill also requires USDA to collect and report on data related to farmland ownership, tenure, transition, and entry of beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. 2023-01-11T13:42:08Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3117
115-s-3092 115 s 3092 Emergency SNAP Lapse Act Agriculture and Food 2018-06-20 2018-06-20 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] LA R K000393 0 Emergency SNAP Lapse Act This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to withhold Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) funds from state agencies that do not provide sufficient funds to pay the state share of the administrative costs of the program. To participate in SNAP, state agencies must submit annually to USDA a statement certifying the amount of funds committed by the state agency to pay the state share of the administrative costs for the year. If the state agency has not committed sufficient funds, USDA must notify the agency, provide a specified period of time to correct the failure, and withhold SNAP funds if the failure is not corrected. USDA must use any funds that are withheld from a state to provide grants to private nonprofit entities within the state for the costs of: (1) providing food to individuals in need; and (2) administering the grants, including hiring additional personnel. 2023-01-11T13:42:08Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3092
115-s-3080 115 s 3080 Food Security, Housing, and Sanitation Improvements in Rural, Remote, and Frontier Areas Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-06-18 2018-06-18 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] AK R M001153 1 Food Security, Housing, and Sanitation Improvements in Rural, Remote, and Frontier Areas Act of 2018 This bill reauthorizes and modifies several Department of Agriculture programs, including several programs that provide assistance to farms, fisheries, local governments, and other entities in Alaska. The bill addresses policies and programs regarding food security, conservation, trade, rural development, research, and horticulture and organics. 2023-01-11T13:42:09Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3080
115-s-3062 115 s 3062 VET-2-FARM Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-06-13 2018-06-13 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] MN D S001203 0 Veteran Empowerment and Training to Facilitate Agricultural Revitalization and Mobilization Act of 2018 or the VET-2-FARM Act of 2018 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison to provide additional information to veterans and members of the Armed Forces regarding agriculture-related employment and training opportunities. The Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison must: provide information to veterans concerning the availability of, and eligibility requirements for, positions identified within USDA that are available to employ or train veterans; consult with specified federal departments and agencies regarding activities that assist veterans with agriculture-related employment; and establish and periodically update a website with information regarding employment and training opportunities for service members and veterans. USDA must report annually to Congress regarding positions and training opportunities for members of the Armed Forces and veterans. 2023-01-11T13:42:10Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3062
115-s-3042 115 s 3042 Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-06-11 2018-06-18 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 470. Senate Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS] KS R R000307 1 Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 This bill (commonly known as the farm bill) reauthorizes through FY2023 and modifies Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs that address: commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, energy, horticulture, and crop insurance. The bill modifies agriculture and nutrition policies to: require farmers to make a new one-time election to obtain either Price Loss Coverage or Agricultural Risk Coverage for the 2019-2023 crop years; replace the Dairy Margin Protection Program with Dairy Risk Coverage and modify coverage levels and premiums; make Indian tribes and tribal organizations eligible for supplemental agricultural disaster assistance programs; reduce the adjusted gross income limitation for receiving benefits under commodity and conservation programs; modify funding levels and requirements for several conservation programs, consolidate several existing trade and export promotion programs into a new Priority Trade Promotion, Development, and Assistance program; legalize industrial hemp and make hemp producers eligible for the federal crop insurance program; establish an interstate data system to prevent the simultaneous issuance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) benefits to an individual by more than one state; increase the loan limits for farm ownership and operating loans; modify the experience requirement for farm ownership loans; authorize a categorical exclusion from requirements for environmental assessments and environmental impact statements for certain forest management projects with the primary purpose of protecting, restoring, or improving habitat for the greater sage-grouse or mule deer; and modify the organic certification requirements for imported agricultural products. 2023-01-11T13:42:10Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3042
115-s-3025 115 s 3025 Fraud Reduction Through Photographic Identification Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-06-07 2018-06-07 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] LA R K000393 0 Fraud Reduction Through Photographic Identification Act of 2018 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) beneficiaries to show photographic identification when making purchases using SNAP benefits. State agencies must require the electronic benefits transfer card used for SNAP benefits to list the names of: the head of the household, each adult member of the household, and each adult that is not a member of the household that is authorized to use that card. Each individual listed on the card must show photographic identification at the point of sale when using the card. A head of a household is not required to show photographic identification if the card includes a photograph of that individual. 2023-01-11T13:42:11Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3025
115-s-3034 115 s 3034 Rural Jobs and Investment Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-06-07 2018-06-07 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] NY D G000555 2 Rural Jobs and Investment Act of 2018 This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish a Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant program for establishing jobs accelerators that are located in or serve low-income rural communities. The jobs accelerators are centers or programs that may provide co-working space, in-demand skills training, entrepreneurship support, and other specified services. USDA must establish an interagency federal task force to support the network of jobs accelerators by providing certain information, technical assistance, support services, and opportunities for collaboration. The bill also reauthorizes and modifies the USDA Rural Business Investment Program. The modifications address the limitation on rural business and investment companies controlled by Farm Credit System institutions and coordination with the Small Business Administration Small Business Investment Company program. 2023-01-11T13:42:11Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3034
115-s-3005 115 s 3005 Urban Agriculture Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-06-06 2018-06-06 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI] MI D S000770 7 Urban Agriculture Act of 2018 This bill establishes an Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production within the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to encourage and promote urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural practices. The bill also makes farmers developing innovative agricultural production practices and using traditional practices in innovative areas such as urban areas eligible for various USDA loan and grant programs. USDA must work with producers to mitigate the presence of contaminants in soil by taking several specified actions, such as establishing a coordinated soil testing protocol, coordinating and conducting research, and providing soil assessment and remediation technical assistance. The bill establishes various USDA pilot projects, including programs to: establish urban and suburban county committees, increase municipal compost and food waste reduction activities; and strengthen marketplace links between healthy food consumption, good environmental practices, and direct public health outcomes. 2023-01-11T13:42:12Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/3005
115-s-2989 115 s 2989 COVER Act Agriculture and Food 2018-06-05 2018-06-05 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] CO D B001267 0 Conservation for Very Erodible Row Cropland Act of 2018 or the COVER Act This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to modify Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs to authorize additional assistance for farm practices related to soil health and carbon storage. The bill modifies the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to require USDA to provide payments under the program for practices that: improve soil health, enhance the ability of a farmer to absorb and recover from shocks and stresses to production, increase the storage of carbon on agricultural land, and achieve other conservation outcomes determined by USDA. The bill modifies the Conservation Innovation Grants program to establish a pilot program to provide payments to encourage: (1) the measurement of outcomes relating to the planting of a regionally appropriate cover crop, and (2) opportunities to increase farm income. In carrying out the program, USDA must prioritize certain projects with third-party partners such as academic entities, carbon offset protocol developers, livestock producers, and food manufacturers. 2023-01-11T13:42:12Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2989
115-s-2997 115 s 2997 Carbon Utilization Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-06-05 2018-06-05 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] CO D B001267 1 Carbon Utilization Act of 2018 This bill modifies several Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs to authorize additional grants, loans, and loan guarantees for carbon utilization technologies, such as carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration; and biogas systems. The bill also requires USDA to establish: (1) a carbon utilization education program, and (2) an interagency biogas opportunities task force. 2023-01-11T13:42:12Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2997
115-s-2964 115 s 2964 Seeds for the Future Act Agriculture and Food 2018-05-24 2018-05-24 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] WI D B001230 0 Seeds for the Future Act This bill amends the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act to require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure that at least $50 million of USDA grant funding is used each year for competitive research grants that support the development of public cultivars. A "cultivar" is a variety of plant that has been intentionally selected for use in cultivation because of its improved characteristics. A "public cultivar" is the commercially available uniform end product of a publicly funded breeding program that has been sufficiently tested to demonstrate improved characteristics and stable performance. The bill also amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish a public cultivar research activities coordinator within USDA to coordinate research activities relating to the breeding of public cultivars. 2023-01-11T13:42:27Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2964
115-s-2978 115 s 2978 Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Improvement Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-05-24 2018-05-24 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] PA D C001070 3 Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Improvement Act of 2018 This bill modifies and provides statutory authority for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). CREP is a subprogram of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), under which USDA partners with states to target high-priority conservation concerns, and the states contribute funding to allow for higher CRP payments and continuous sign-ups to address the concerns. The bill directs USDA, to the maximum extent practicable, to enroll at least 3 million acres of land in CREP by September 30, 2023. 2023-01-11T13:42:26Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2978
115-s-2927 115 s 2927 Organic Farmer and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-05-23 2018-05-23 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] WI D B001230 1 Organic Farmer and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 This bill modifies Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements and procedures for imported organic agricultural products. The bill modifies requirements and procedures regarding: exclusions from certification; documentation, traceability, and data collection; the accreditation program; the investigation process; and data organization and access. The bill also requires USDA and the Department of Homeland Security to jointly establish an interagency working group to facilitate coordination and information sharing regarding imports of organically produced agricultural products. 2023-01-11T13:42:28Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2927
115-s-2874 115 s 2874 SOIL Stewardship Act Agriculture and Food 2018-05-17 2018-05-17 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] MN D S001203 0 Strengthening Our Investment in Land Stewardship Act or the SOIL Stewardship Act This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to reauthorize and modify Department of Agriculture conservation programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. The bill addresses requirements for the programs relating to: enrollment and funding levels, the length and renewal process for contracts, payment rates, payment limitations, coordinating the application and enrollment processes for the two programs, set-asides and the enrollment process for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers, soil health and carbon storage, and organic production. 2023-01-11T13:42:30Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2874
115-s-2839 115 s 2839 Assist Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-05-15 2018-05-15 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] MD D V000128 6 Assist Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018 This bill amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to reauthorize through FY2023 and modify the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program. (The program provides funding to assist socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers in participating in USDA programs and in owning and operating farms and ranches.) The bill includes provisions that: authorize multiyear grants, contracts, and agreements for terms of up to three years; require USDA to establish an external peer review process to use in making grants and entering into contracts and agreements; and modify reporting requirements. 2023-01-11T13:42:31Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2839
115-s-2813 115 s 2813 Local Cheese Promotion and Dairy Support Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-05-10 2018-05-10 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] CT D M001169 1 Local Cheese Promotion and Dairy Support Act of 2018 This bill amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act to establish a Department of Agriculture (USDA) program to provide competitive grants to small cheese producers and cooperative groups of small cheese producers. In awarding grants, USDA must define the term "small cheese producer" and give preference to producers that use locally or regionally sourced product to produce cheese. Grant recipients may use the funds to: purchase equipment or renovate and make repairs to production facilities, develop a business plan or perform a feasibility study to grow the business, promote and market cheese, participate in accounting and financial literacy education and training, carry out food safety upgrades and training, and participate in job training. Using no more than 10% of the funds provided for this bill, USDA must establish a cheese production, education, and promotion pilot project at eligible institutions, including: land-grant colleges or universities, local offices of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture or other regional USDA offices, groups of regional experts that advise beginning farmers or ranchers, or nonprofit organizations. 2023-01-11T13:42:32Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2813
115-s-2814 115 s 2814 New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-05-10 2018-05-10 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] SD R R000605 2 New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act of 2018 This bill allows meat and poultry products inspected by State Meat and Poultry Inspection programs to be sold in interstate commerce. (Under the inspection programs, the Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service allows states that meet certain requirements to inspect meat and poultry. The state-inspected products are currently limited to intrastate commerce, unless a state opts into a separate Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program.) 2023-01-11T13:42:32Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2814
115-s-2822 115 s 2822 Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-05-10 2018-05-10 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI] MI D S000770 1 Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018 This bill expands the assistance that is available to veteran farmers or ranchers from various Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. The bill also specifies or modifies the definition of "veteran farmer or rancher" for several USDA programs. 2023-01-11T13:42:31Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2822
115-s-2824 115 s 2824 Farm to Food Bank Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-05-10 2018-05-10 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] PA D C001070 0 Farm to Food Bank Act of 2018 This bill amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a program to allocate funding to states to support the establishment and administration of farm to food bank programs. A "farm to food bank program" is a program under which agricultural producers donate food products to a food bank, an association of food banks, or a food assistance network for free distribution to individuals in need. The bill also amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to require the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to establish a procedure under which an insured crop that is donated by a producer does not qualify as a produced crop under a crop insurance claim. USDA must coordinate with the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study to evaluate and determine methods of measuring food waste, standards for the volume of food waste, and causal factors for food waste. 2023-01-11T13:42:31Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2824
115-s-2833 115 s 2833 A bill to amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to improve the calculation of county-level agriculture risk coverage payments. Agriculture and Food 2018-05-10 2018-05-10 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] ND R H001061 0 This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use certain data to calculate payments for county coverage under the Agriculture Risk Coverage program (ARC). (ARC provides revenue loss coverage by issuing payments to farmers when the actual county crop revenue of a covered commodity is below a specified amount.) In the case of country coverage, USDA must calculate payments using county data of the National Agricultural Statistics Service. If this data is unavailable, USDA must use comparable county data, as determined by the applicable state office of the Farm Service Agency. 2023-01-11T13:42:31Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2833
115-s-2834 115 s 2834 Wetland Delineation Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-05-10 2018-05-10 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] ND R H001061 0 Wetland Delineation Act of 2018 This bill modifies wetland conservation requirements that deny various Department of Agriculture (USDA) program benefits to agricultural producers who plant crops on certain converted wetlands. The bill requires USDA to (1) determine that an exemption permitted under current law does not apply to a producer before determining that a producer is ineligible for benefits, and (2) publish categorical minimal effect exemptions within 180 days of the enactment of this bill. The bill also authorizes additional funding for the wetland mitigation banking program. 2023-01-11T13:42:31Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2834
115-s-2762 115 s 2762 Next Generation in Agriculture Act Agriculture and Food 2018-04-26 2018-04-26 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Heitkamp, Heidi [D-ND] ND D H001069 6 Next Generation in Agriculture Act This bill modifies several Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and policies to provide additional assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers. The bill includes provisions that reauthorize and modify the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, create a permanent National Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator and an Agricultural Youth Coordinator within USDA, establish a next generation agriculture technology challenge competition to provide an incentive for the development of innovative mobile technology that removes barriers to entry in the marketplace for beginning farmers and ranchers, and modify the definitions used for the Federal Crop Insurance Program to specify that a beginning farmer or rancher includes a farmer or rancher who has not farmed for more than 10 years (currently 5 years). 2023-01-11T13:39:39Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2762
115-s-2787 115 s 2787 Food Donation Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-04-26 2018-04-26 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT] UT R H000338 1 Food Donation Act of 2018 This bill amends the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act to expand the liability protections for the donation of food. The bill expands the liability protections to include donations of an apparently fit grocery product or apparently wholesome food: that is mislabeled in a manner that is not related to safety and safety-related labeling standards and regulations; meets safety and safety-related labeling standards and regulations but is past the date label; for which the recipient is charged a "good Samaritan reduced" price that is no greater than the cost of handling, administering, and distributing the product; or that is donated directly to a needy individual by a retail grocer, wholesaler, agricultural producer, restaurant, caterer, school food authority, or institution of higher education. The Department of Agriculture must: (1) issue regulations with respect to the safety and safety-related labeling standards of apparently wholesome food and an apparently fit grocery product under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, (2) promote awareness of food donation under the Act, and (3) issue guidance with respect to the amendments made by this bill. 2023-01-11T13:39:38Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2787
115-s-2790 115 s 2790 Community Wood Energy Innovation Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-04-26 2018-04-26 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] NH D S001181 2 Community Wood Energy Innovation Act of 2018 This bill amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to reauthorize and modify the Forest Service Community Wood Energy Program. Under current law, the program provides grants for: (1) state and local governments to develop community wood energy plans or acquire or upgrade community wood energy systems, and (2) for biomass consumer cooperatives. The bill makes private entities eligible for grants and modifies the purposes for which the grants may be used. The grants may be used to install a community wood energy system or to build an innovative wood product facility in an area in which the market for low-value, low-quality wood used by the community wood energy system or innovative wood product facility has declined. 2023-01-11T13:39:38Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2790
115-s-2749 115 s 2749 Agriculture Risk Coverage Improvement and Innovation Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-04-25 2018-04-25 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] OH D B000944 2 Agriculture Risk Coverage Improvement and Innovation Act of 2018 This bill reauthorizes and modifies Department of Agriculture commodity programs, including the Agriculture Risk Coverage Program and the Price Loss Coverage Program. The bill modifies payment calculations, coverage levels, and other requirements of the Agriculture Risk Coverage Program. 2023-01-11T13:39:39Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2749
115-s-2733 115 s 2733 Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-04-24 2018-04-24 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] VA D W000805 3 Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Act of 2018 This bill amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to rename: (1) the Department of Agriculture as the "Department of Agriculture and Rural Development," and (2) the position of Secretary of Agriculture as the "Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development." 2023-01-11T13:39:40Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2733
115-s-2712 115 s 2712 FARMERS FIRST Act Agriculture and Food 2018-04-19 2018-04-19 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] WI D B001230 12 Facilitating Accessible Resources for Mental health and Encouraging Rural Solutions For Immediate Response to Stressful Times Act or the FARMERS FIRST Act This bill amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide grants to state departments of agriculture, state cooperative extension services, and nonprofit organizations for cooperative programs to establish farm and ranch stress assistance networks. The networks must provide stress assistance programs to farmers and ranchers, including counseling and support through: telephone helplines and websites, training for advocates for affected individuals, support groups, outreach services and activities, and home delivery of assistance for farm residents who are homebound. USDA must coordinate with the Department of Health and Services (HHS) to establish the grant program and a National Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network to coordinate the stress assistance programs on a national scale. USDA and HHS must also establish an advisory committee to report on the state of behavioral and mental health in farmers and ranchers. 2023-01-11T13:39:40Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2712
115-s-2713 115 s 2713 A bill to limit the level of premium subsidy provided by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to agricultural producers. Agriculture and Food 2018-04-19 2018-04-19 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] NH D S001181 2 This bill amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to limit federal crop insurance premium subsidies provided to agricultural producers to $40,000. The limit applies to the total amount of premiums paid by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation on behalf of a person or legal entity for all policies issued for a crop year. 2023-01-11T13:39:40Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2713
115-s-2723 115 s 2723 SNAP for Kids Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-04-19 2018-04-19 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] NY D G000555 6 SNAP for Kids Act of 2018 This bill modifies the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) to (1) increase benefits for certain small households with children who are 5-17 years old, and (2) require benefits for the households to be calculated using the low-cost food plan. The "low-cost food plan" is the diet required to feed a family of 4, consisting of a man and a woman 19-50 years old, a child 6-8 years old, and a child 9-11 years old, at a cost that is in the second quartile of food expenditures for those families in the United States. 2023-01-11T13:39:40Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2723
115-s-2685 115 s 2685 Farmers of Tomorrow Act Agriculture and Food 2018-04-17 2018-04-17 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM] NM D U000039 2 Farmers of Tomorrow Act This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to expand eligibility for Department of Agriculture (USDA) direct farm ownership loans by modifying the three-year experience requirement. (Under current law, USDA may make a direct farm ownership loan only to a farmer or rancher who has participated in the business operations of a farm or ranch for at least three years or has other acceptable experience.) The bill modifies the experience requirement to specify a list of acceptable experience and educational criteria that USDA may count for an applicant to meet or reduce the necessary experience requirement. 2023-01-11T13:39:41Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2685
115-s-2667 115 s 2667 Hemp Farming Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-04-12 2018-04-16 Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 380. Senate Sen. McConnell, Mitch [R-KY] KY R M000355 29 Hemp Farming Act of 2018 This bill legalizes industrial hemp that has a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana) concentration of no more than 0.3% by removing it from schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. States and Indian tribes may regulate the production of hemp by submitting a plan to the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bill also makes hemp producers eligible for the federal crop insurance program and certain USDA research grants. 2022-02-02T05:51:35Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2667
115-s-2641 115 s 2641 American Food for American Schools Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-04-10 2018-04-10 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] AK R S001198 1 American Food for American Schools Act of 2018 This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require school food authorities (SFAs) to request a waiver from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to purchase foreign commodities or products for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). SFAs may purchase foreign commodities or products without a waiver if the commodities or products are not produced or available domestically. (Under current law, Buy American provisions require SFAs to purchase, to the maximum extent practicable, domestic commodities or products for the NSLP. There are limited exceptions which permit the purchase of foreign products in circumstances when using domestic products is truly not practicable. If an SFA uses an exception, there is no requirement to request a waiver to purchase a foreign product or commodity, but the SFA must keep documentation justifying the exception.) USDA may not grant a waiver for an SFA to purchase foreign commodities or products unless: (1) the commodities or products are not produced domestically in sufficient amounts or of satisfactory quality, (2) the domestic commodities or products would be significantly higher in price than foreign commodities or products, and (3) the SFA agrees to make the waiver publicly available on its website and email a notification of the waiver to parents or guardians of students who will be served the foreign commodity or product purchased pursuant to the waiver. 2023-01-11T13:39:43Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2641
115-s-2611 115 s 2611 A bill to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to repeal the environmental quality incentives program. Agriculture and Food 2018-03-22 2018-03-22 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT] UT R L000577 0 This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to repeal the Department of Agriculture Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). (EQIP provides financial and technical assistance for agricultural producers and land owners to implement certain conservation practices.) 2023-01-11T13:39:57Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2611
115-s-2614 115 s 2614 Conservation Reserve Program Improvement and Rural Water Systems Access Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-03-22 2018-03-22 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] SD R T000250 0 Conservation Reserve Program Improvement and Rural Water Systems Access Act of 2018 This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to reauthorize through FY2023 and modify the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). (CRP provides payments to farmers who agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality.) The bill authorizes USDA to designate areas of special economic sensitivity as economic priority areas for CRP allocations. These areas include areas with actual and significant declining habitat for specifies of economic significance. A "species of economic significance" is a wildlife specifies: (1) for which CRP is critical to maintaining its habitat, and (2) that the governor of a state verifies provides more than $150 million each year to the economy of the state from hunting and related activities. Additionally, the bill: (1) authorizes cost-share assistance for fencing and water distribution practices, and (2) modifies policies regarding grazing and the mechanical harvesting of vegetative cover on CRP land. The bill also amends the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to prohibit the Forest Service from charging rural water districts or associations rental fees for rights-of-way for rural water pipelines that cross National Forest System land. 2023-01-11T13:39:56Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2614
115-s-2619 115 s 2619 Agricultural Energy Programs Reauthorization Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-03-22 2018-03-22 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] MN D S001203 1 Agricultural Energy Programs Reauthorization Act of 2018 This bill amends the Farm Security Rural Investment Act of 2002 to reauthorize through FY2023 several Department of Agriculture (USDA) energy programs, including: the Biobased Markets Program; the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program; the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels; the Rural Energy For America Program (REAP); the Biomass Research and Development Initiative; the Feedstock Flexibility Program; and the Community Wood Energy Program. The bill modifies and reauthorizes the Biomass Crop Assistance Program to: rename it the Biofuels and Biobased Product Feedstock and Wildland Fire Protection Program; require USDA to provide assistance under the program for hazardous woody fuel reduction projects; and expand the definition of eligible materials to include algae and animal waste byproducts, including fat, oil, grease, and manure. The bill provides mandatory funding through FY2023 for several of the reauthorized programs. The bill modifies the Biobased Markets Program to: (1) include producers of renewable chemicals in the voluntary labeling program, and (2) require USDA and the Department of Commerce to jointly develop North American Industry Classification system codes for renewable chemical manufacturers and biobased products manufacturers. The bill modifies REAP to prohibit more than 30% of the funds from being used each year for: (1) any one form of renewable energy, or (2) technologies to improve the efficiency of energy usage. 2023-01-11T13:39:56Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2619
115-s-2624 115 s 2624 EQIP Improvement Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-03-22 2018-03-22 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] NJ D B001288 1 EQIP Improvement Act of 2018 This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to modify the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). (EQIP provides financial and technical assistance for agricultural producers and land owners to implement certain conservation practices.) The bill modifies EQIP to: reduce the maximum federal cost-share from 75% to 40% for specified practices, repeal the requirement for at least 60% of the funds made available for EQIP payments to be targeted at practices relating to livestock production, and reduce the five-year EQIP payment cap from $450,000 to $150,000. The bill also requires USDA to: (1) coordinate the program with the conservation effects assessments carried out by USDA, and (2) revise the guidance issued to states for allocating funds to require data regarding environmental concerns to be used as a primary factor to prioritize projects. USDA must prioritize EQIP applications that consist only of the performance of certain land management or vegetative practices that are a cost-effective means of addressing the most pressing impairments that threaten to degrade or impair water quality, water quantity, soil or related natural resources within a local watershed, or a specific natural resource boundary. 2023-01-11T13:39:56Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2624
115-s-2573 115 s 2573 Veteran and Beginning Farmers Technical Assistance Act Agriculture and Food 2018-03-20 2018-03-20 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR] AR R B001236 1 Veteran and Beginning Farmers Technical Assistance Act This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to extend the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas program through FY2023. (The program provides technical information and educational resources about sustainable agriculture to farmers, information providers, agriculture-related businesses, and community food organizations across the United States. It is operated by a nonprofit organization and is primarily funded through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Agriculture.) 2023-01-11T13:39:58Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2573
115-s-2569 115 s 2569 Appalachia Opportunity Grants Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-03-19 2018-03-19 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] VA D W000805 3 Appalachia Opportunity Grants Act of 2018 This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize the Department of Agriculture to award grants for units of local government in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States to convene groups of public and private entities to collaborate in carrying out regional projects to accomplish positive economic and community impacts in the region. A regional project carried out by a collaborative group must: (1) involve at least two municipalities that share a border; and (2) complete a specific activity that has a goal of job creation, expansion of the capacity of post-secondary education, growth of tourism, improving public health, or upgrading regional infrastructure. 2023-01-11T13:39:58Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2569
115-s-2557 115 s 2557 Give Our Resources the Opportunity to Work Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-03-15 2018-03-15 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] IA R E000295 3 Give Our Resources the Opportunity to Work Act of 2018 This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to reauthorize and modify several Department of Agriculture conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The bill includes provisions related to: payment rates and enrollment levels; the CRP eligibility requirements for land; the ranking of CSP applications; CSP payments for cover crop activities, comprehensive conservation planning, and management-intensive rotational grazing; coordination between EQIP and CSP, and set asides under EQIP for beginning and social disadvantaged farmers. 2023-01-11T13:39:59Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2557
115-s-2552 115 s 2552 Farm Service Agency Loan Flexibility Act Agriculture and Food 2018-03-14 2018-03-14 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] MI D P000595 1 Farm Service Agency Loan Flexibility Act This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make or guarantee certain farm loans that exceed the aggregate principal amount authorized for the year by up to 25% if the need for loans exceeds the authorized limit. For any year in which USDA uses the authority provided by this bill, USDA may use funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation that are equal to the difference between: (1) the cost of making or guaranteeing the farm loans for that year, and (2) the appropriations provided for the loans for that year. 2023-01-11T13:39:59Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2552
115-s-2555 115 s 2555 Dairy Farm Sustainability Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-03-14 2018-03-14 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] NY D G000555 1 Dairy Farm Sustainability Act of 2018 This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to establish a Dairy Farm Sustainability Price Loss Coverage Program. Dairy operations that enter into contracts under the program are eligible to receive payments from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) when milk prices fall below the minimum milk price. The bill specifies that the minimum milk price is $23.34 per hundredweight of milk and requires USDA to adjust the limit for inflation for each half of each calendar year. The bill also reauthorizes the existing Dairy Margin Protection Program through 2023. (The program is a voluntary program that makes payments to participating dairy operations when a formula-based national margin [the difference between the national all milk price and the national average feed cost] falls below a producer-selected insured margin.) 2023-01-11T13:39:59Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2555
115-s-2512 115 s 2512 A bill to amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to require producers to elect to receive price loss coverage or agriculture risk coverage under that Act or Federal crop insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Act. Agriculture and Food 2018-03-07 2018-03-07 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ] AZ R F000444 0 This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to require all of the producers on a farm to elect to receive for the 2018 crop year either: (1) price loss coverage or agriculture risk coverage, as determined by the election of the producers on the farm required under current law for the 2014-2018 crop years; or (2) federal crop insurance. 2023-01-11T13:40:01Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2512
115-s-2477 115 s 2477 SNAP Work Opportunities and Veteran Protection Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-03-01 2018-03-01 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] CT D B001277 5 SNAP Work Opportunities and Veteran Protection Act of 2018 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to exempt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) beneficiaries from work requirements if they are not offered a position in a state job training or workfare program. The bill also exempts from work requirements veterans who are participating in certain programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs or a state to further employment or rehabilitation goals. The bill permits the Department of Agriculture to allocate specified funds to states for the employment programs. 2023-01-11T13:40:02Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2477
115-s-2479 115 s 2479 AG RESEARCH Act Agriculture and Food 2018-03-01 2018-03-01 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] HI D H001042 3 Augmenting Research and Educational Sites to Ensure Agriculture Remains Cutting-Edge and Helpful Act or the AG RESEARCH Act This bill amends the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to provide funding for maintenance at agricultural research facilities. The bill requires the Department of Agriculture to: (1) establish a grant program within the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to provide agricultural research facilities with a federal share of the cost for the alteration, modernization, renovation, or remodeling of the research facilities or the equipment necessary for agricultural research; and (2) use specified Commodity Credit Corporation funds to provide direct payments to research facilities of the Agricultural Research Service for addressing deferred maintenance. 2023-01-11T13:40:02Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2479
115-s-2487 115 s 2487 Agriculture Data Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-03-01 2018-03-01 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] MN D K000367 2 Agriculture Data Act of 2018 This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to collect, review, analyze, and disseminate certain data on the impact of conservation practices on farm and ranch profitability, including the effect on crop yields, soil health, and other risk-reducing factors. The bill also requires USDA to establish a conservation and farm productivity data warehouse to make the results of the data collection and analysis available to academic institutions and researchers. USDA must also provide technical assistance, including through internet-based tools, based on the analysis conducted and other relevant data, to assist producers in improving sustainable production practices that increase yields and enhance environmental outcomes. 2023-01-11T13:40:02Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2487
115-s-2426 115 s 2426 Dairy Premium Refund Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-02-14 2018-02-14 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] NY D G000555 0 Dairy Premium Refund Act of 2018 This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014, with respect to the Dairy Margin Protection Program, to require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to repay certain premiums to participating dairy operations. (The Dairy Margin Protection Program is a voluntary program that makes payments to participating dairy operations when a formula-based national margin [the difference between the national all milk price and the national average feed cost] falls below a producer-selected insured margin.) For 2015 and each succeeding year, USDA must repay to participating dairy operations an amount equal to the difference between: the total amount of premiums paid by participating dairy operations under the program for the year; and the sum of: (1) the total payments made to participating dairy operations under the program for the year, and (2) the costs of carrying out the program for the year. A repayment made to a participating dairy operation must be reduced by the amount of payments made to the operation under the program during the year. 2023-01-11T13:40:25Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2426
115-s-2404 115 s 2404 Organic Agriculture Research Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-02-08 2018-02-08 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] PA D C001070 6 Organic Agriculture Research Act of 2018 This bill amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to: (1) reauthorize through FY2023 the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, and (2) increase mandatory funding for the program above the FY2018 level. (The program is administered by the Department of Agriculture and provides grants for research, education, and extension programs that enhance the ability of producers and processors who have adopted organic standards to grow and market organic agricultural products.) 2023-01-11T13:40:26Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2404
115-s-2409 115 s 2409 Tribal Nutrition Improvement Act of 2018 Agriculture and Food 2018-02-08 2018-02-08 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM] NM D U000039 2 Tribal Nutrition Improvement Act of 2018 This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Act to allow an Indian tribe to assume, from a nearby local educational agency (LEA) and in lieu of a state, responsibility for administration of the school breakfast program, the school lunch program, the child and adult care food program, or the summer food service program for children.  The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must identify, for optional use in LEAs on or near Indian reservations, alternatives to current program requirements related to the daily counting of meals by category, the use of annual applications to determine program eligibility, and the use of universal meal service. USDA may implement such alternatives, as limited by the bill, as well as further test them in demonstration projects. The bill also amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require USDA to increase the amount of administrative funds paid to an Indian tribe that agrees to assume responsibility for the administration of one of the aforementioned food programs. 2023-01-11T13:40:25Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2409
115-s-2322 115 s 2322 CURD Act Agriculture and Food 2018-01-18 2018-12-21 Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1185 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of S. 2322 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments. Senate Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] WI R J000293 5 Codifying Useful Regulatory Definitions Act or the CURD Act This bills amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish a definition for natural cheese. 2023-01-11T13:38:53Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2322
115-s-2263 115 s 2263 Fruit and Vegetable Planting Flexibility Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-12-21 2017-12-21 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Donnelly, Joe [D-IN] IN D D000607 2 Fruit and Vegetable Planting Flexibility Act of 2017 This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to modify the effect that planting fruits, vegetables, or wild rice on a farm has on the acreage eligible for payments under Department of Agriculture (USDA) commodity programs. Under current law, payments acres on a farm must be reduced by specified amounts in any year in which fruits, vegetables (other than mung beans and pulse crops), or wild rice have been planted on base acres on the farm. For each year in which there is a reduction in payment acres on a farm due to the planting of fruits, vegetables, or wild rice on base acres, the bill requires USDA to maintain the commodity program eligibility of those base acres by considering the acres to be planted or prevented from planting to a covered commodity when USDA recalculates the base acres for the farm under the commodity programs. 2023-01-11T13:39:05Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2263
115-s-2243 115 s 2243 Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-12-18 2017-12-18 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S8071; text of measure as introduced: CR S8071) Senate Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] MT R D000618 1 Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to increase and extend through FY2023 the authorization of mandatory funding for the Department of Agriculture Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program. (The program provides grants for state and tribal governments to encourage owners and operators of privately-held farm, ranch, and forest land to voluntarily make the land available for access by the public for wildlife-dependent recreation, including hunting or fishing.) 2023-01-11T13:39:06Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2243
115-s-2215 115 s 2215 Homegrown Organic Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-12-11 2017-12-11 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] PA D C001070 0 Homegrown Organic Act of 2017 This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to modify several Department of Agriculture conservation programs to authorize additional assistance for farmers who are transitioning to organic farming. The bill modifies the Conservation Reserve Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program, and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. 2023-01-11T13:39:08Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2215
115-s-2190 115 s 2190 Livestock and Honey Bee Disaster Assistance Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-12-04 2017-12-04 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Heitkamp, Heidi [D-ND] ND D H001069 0 Livestock and Honey Bee Disaster Assistance Act of 2017 This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to remove the $20 million annual limit on mandatory funding for emergency assistance under the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP). The bill also removes a provision that permits funds provided under ELAP to remain available until expended. (ELAP provides financial assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease, certain adverse weather events, or loss conditions, including blizzards and wildfires.) The bill amends the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to specify that the maximum cost-share percentage permitted under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) is 90% for an area that has been identified by the U.S. Drought Monitor as experiencing extreme or exceptional drought. (The ECP provides emergency funding and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters and implement emergency conservation measures in periods of severe drought.) 2023-01-11T13:39:09Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2190
115-s-2137 115 s 2137 A bill to amend the Rural Development Act of 1972 to improve access to grants for evidence-based substance use disorder treatment services in rural areas, and for other purposes. Agriculture and Food 2017-11-16 2017-11-16 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Donnelly, Joe [D-IN] IN D D000607 1 This bill amends the Rural Development Act of 1972, with respect to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program, to require USDA to give priority to applicants that will use the grants for substance use disorder education, prevention, or treatment. 2023-01-11T13:39:22Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2137
115-s-2139 115 s 2139 Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancements Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-11-16 2017-11-16 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S7298-7299) Senate Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] MD D V000128 10 Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancements Act of 2017 This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to modify and increase funding for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). (The RCPP operates through several USDA conservation programs to provide funding for partners to join in efforts with producers to increase the restoration and sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife, and related natural resources on regional or watershed scales. The RCPP includes the purposes and functions of several conservation programs such as the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative.) The bill modifies the RCPP to: increase mandatory funding and revise the requirements for distributing funds, allow in-kind support to count toward a partner's matching contribution, allow partners to apply for a funding renewal of a partnership agreement, authorize USDA to provide information and feedback to applicants throughout the application process, authorize grants for partners to directly operate conservation projects, authorize USDA to advance funding to partners for technical assistance for project development and outreach activities, require USDA to make publicly available the amounts available for technical assistance under a partnership agreement, limit USDA costs for technical assistance to costs specific and necessary to carry out the objectives of the partnership agreement, modify the criteria for a critical conservation area, and revise the requirements for prioritizing applications. 2023-01-11T13:39:22Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2139
115-s-2133 115 s 2133 PLACES Act Agriculture and Food 2017-11-15 2017-11-15 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM] NM D U000039 1 Providing Land Grants and Acequias Conservation and Environmental Services Act or the PLACES Act This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to authorize the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enter into an alternative funding arrangement under any USDA conservation program with an entity that: (1) is comprised of members who are producers that are eligible for payments under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and (2) is a local governmental entity that does not have the authority to impose taxes or levies. (An alternative funding arrangement would allow certain community irrigation associations and community land grants to receive assistance directly from the conservation programs.) USDA may also provide technical and administrative assistance under the alternative funding arrangement. USDA may enter into an arrangement if: (1) the goals and objectives of the applicable conservation program will be met by the arrangement, and (2) statutory limitations regarding contracts with individual producers will not be exceeded by any member of the entity. 2023-01-11T13:39:22Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2133
115-s-2096 115 s 2096 Harvest Price Subsidy Prohibition Act Agriculture and Food 2017-11-08 2017-11-08 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ] AZ R F000444 1 Harvest Price Subsidy Prohibition Act This bill amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to prohibit the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation from paying a premium subsidy for a crop insurance policy that is based on the actual market price of an agricultural commodity on the date of harvest. 2023-01-11T13:39:24Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2096
115-s-2085 115 s 2085 Nourishing Our Golden Years Act Agriculture and Food 2017-11-07 2017-11-07 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] PA D C001070 3 Nourishing Our Golden Years Act This bill amends the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 to establish a minimum certification period of one year for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). During the certification period, a participant in the program may continue to receive benefits without a formal review of eligibility. (The CSFP provides supplemental food to low-income elderly persons who are at least 60 years of age. Certification periods currently vary by state.) Upon the request of a state, the Department of Agriculture must approve a state certification period of more than year, if, on an annual basis, the local agency administering the program: (1) verifies the address and continued interest of each participant in receiving benefits; and (2) has sufficient reason to determine that the participant still meets the income eligibility standards, which may include a determination that the participant has a fixed income. 2023-01-11T13:39:24Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2085
115-s-2086 115 s 2086 Sugar Policy Modernization Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-11-07 2017-11-07 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] NH D S001181 20 Sugar Policy Modernization Act of 2017 This bill amends the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 and other agricultural laws to modify the Department of Agriculture (USDA) sugar program. The bill modifies the sugar program to: reduce the rates for price support loans to processors of domestically grown sugarcane and sugar beets; require USDA to recover the net cost of the program from domestic sugar processors; extend through 2019 and then terminate the Feedstock Flexibility Program under which USDA purchases surplus sugar from domestic processors for resale to ethanol producers; extend through 2020 and then repeal the flexible marketing allotments which limit the amount of sugar that domestic processing companies may sell for domestic human use; require USDA to administer the program to provide adequate supplies of sugar at reasonable prices; require USDA to adjust sugar tariff-rate quota imports to achieve specified ratios of sugar stocks to total sugar use; and allow the transfer of quotas between countries. 2023-01-11T13:39:24Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2086
115-s-2064 115 s 2064 Fruit and Vegetable Access for Children Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-11-02 2017-11-02 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI] WI R J000293 3 Fruit and Vegetables Access for Children Act of 2017 This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to allow the Department of Agriculture Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program to include canned, dried, frozen, or pureed fruits and vegetables. (Under current law, the program provides grants to states to make fresh fruits and vegetables available in elementary schools.) 2023-01-11T13:39:25Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2064
115-s-2049 115 s 2049 A bill to amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to increase support for conservation practices under the emergency conservation program, and for other purposes. Agriculture and Food 2017-11-01 2017-11-01 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] KS R M000934 0 This bill amends the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to increase the maximum cost-share payment permitted under the Department of Agriculture Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). (The ECP provides emergency funding and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters and to implement emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought.) The bill requires the maximum cost-share payment permitted under the ECP (currently $200,000 per person or legal entity, per natural disaster) to be equal to the maximum cost-share permitted under the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (currently $500,000 per person or legal entity, per disaster). 2023-01-11T13:37:55Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2049
115-s-2050 115 s 2050 A bill to amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to provide to producers partial payments under the livestock indemnity program for livestock sold for salvage. Agriculture and Food 2017-11-01 2017-11-01 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] KS R M000934 0 This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to require the Department of Agriculture to make payments under the Livestock Indemnity Program for livestock that is sold for a reduced sale price in excess of the normal mortality. Any payments made pursuant to this bill must be reduced by the amount that the producer received from the sale. (Under current law, the Livestock Indemnity Program provides payments to eligible producers on farms that have incurred livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather, or attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law.) 2023-01-11T13:37:55Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2050
115-s-2053 115 s 2053 A bill to amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to increase the maximum amount of assistance authorized under supplemental agricultural disaster assistance programs. Agriculture and Food 2017-11-01 2017-11-01 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] KS R M000934 0 This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to increase the payment limitation for certain Department of Agriculture supplemental agricultural disaster assistance programs. The bill increases from $125,000 to $250,000 the total amount of disaster assistance payments that may be received under all of the programs by a person or legal entity (excluding a joint venture or general partnership) for any crop year. (Under current law, the payment limitation applies to the Livestock Forage Program; the Livestock Indemnity Program; and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program.) 2023-01-11T13:37:55Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2053
115-s-2054 115 s 2054 A bill to amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to establish a program to provide advance payments under the Emergency Conservation Program for the repair or replacement of fencing. Agriculture and Food 2017-11-01 2017-11-01 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] KS R M000934 1 This bill amends the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to give agricultural producers the option of receiving advance payments under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) for the repair or replacement of fencing. (The ECP provides emergency funding and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters and to implement emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought.) The advance payments must be provided before the producer carries out the repair or replacement and be based on the fair market value of the cost of the repair or replacement approved by USDA under the program. 2023-01-11T13:37:55Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2054
115-s-1998 115 s 1998 ARC-CO Improvement Act Agriculture and Food 2017-10-24 2017-10-24 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Heitkamp, Heidi [D-ND] ND D H001069 1 ARC-CO Improvement Act This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to authorize the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make certain adjustments to county yields used to calculate actual crop revenue under the Agriculture Risk Coverage-County Level program (ARC-CO) to reduce disparities between neighboring and nearby counties with similar soils and climate that cannot be explained by a localized weather event. (Under ARC-CO, farmers receive payments when the actual county crop revenue of a covered commodity is less than the ARC-CO guarantee for the covered commodity.) In the case of county coverage, USDA must: (1) prioritize the use of yields from sources that provide the greatest geographic coverage of county-level data from the same source; and (2) use the yield, benchmark revenue, and payment rate based on the county of the physical location of the farm. With respect to a farm that crosses county boundaries, USDA must: (1) split the base acres on a pro rata basis based on the relative quantity of cropland in each county, and (2) calculate any payments on the same pro rata basis. 2023-01-11T13:38:14Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1998
115-s-1966 115 s 1966 Regional Conservation Partnership Program Improvement Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-10-17 2017-10-17 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI] MI D S000770 1 Regional Conservation Partnership Program Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to make several modifications to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). (The RCPP currently operates through several USDA conservation programs to provide funding for partners to join in efforts with producers to increase the restoration and sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife, and related natural resources on regional or watershed scales.) The bill modifies the program to: require the RCPP to be operated as a separate program rather than through several existing USDA conservation programs; expand the authority of project partners to define the scope of the activities that will help achieve conservation benefits; require USDA to set timelines for entering into contracts and providing funding; require USDA to establish program coordinators in each state; increase the portion of funding that is allocated to the RCPP from USDA conservation programs; modify the application process and requirements for program contracts; authorize USDA to award grants to partners to directly operate conservation projects; authorize USDA to provide funding to partners for project development and outreach activities; and establish reporting requirements for partners regarding the progress made toward addressing natural resource concerns and related outcomes of the projects. 2023-01-11T13:38:16Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1966
115-s-1921 115 s 1921 FSA Loan Guarantee Enhancement Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-10-05 2017-10-05 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] SD R R000605 0 FSA Loan Guarantee Enhancement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to provide additional authority for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make and guarantee farm loans through the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The bill modifies the FSA's loan programs to: (1) increase the amount of unpaid debt permitted per borrower under farm ownership and operating loans guaranteed by USDA, (2) extend and increase the authorizations of funding to make or guarantee farm ownership and operating loans, and (3) require the authorization levels to be adjusted for inflation beginning in FY2019. 2023-01-11T13:38:17Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1921
115-s-1947 115 s 1947 Local FARMS Act Agriculture and Food 2017-10-05 2017-10-05 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] OH D B000944 2 Local Food And Regional Market Supply Act or the Local FARMS Act This bill consolidates, modifies, and authorizes several Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs to expand regional or local food markets and implement food safety practices. The bill authorizes and provides mandatory funding for a new Agricultural Market Development Program that is administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and consolidates: the Farmers' Market and Local Food Promotion Program, Value-Added Producer Grants, regional food chain coordination, and public-private partnerships to plan and develop regional food systems. The bill modifies the Food Safety Outreach Program to move the program to the AMS, provide mandatory funding, and expand the project priorities. The bill also: establishes a national food safety cost-share program; reauthorizes the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program; authorizes rural development grants and loans to be used for meat, dairy, and poultry processing infrastructure; allows institutions participating in the school food programs to use locally grown, locally raised, or locally caught as a product specification; authorizes grants for produce prescription programs for low-income individuals and households; and reauthorizes the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program and expands eligibility to include low-income veterans. The bill modifies the Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program to: (1) require the majority of funds to be reserved for national or regional programs involving multiple states, and (2) expand the purposes of the program to include food waste reduction. 2023-01-11T13:38:16Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1947
115-s-1913 115 s 1913 American Prairie Conservation Act Agriculture and Food 2017-10-04 2017-10-04 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] SD R T000250 5 American Prairie Conservation Act This bill amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act and the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to modify provisions, known as sodsaver provisions, that reduce benefits under the Department of Agriculture (USDA) crop insurance and noninsured crop disaster assistance programs for farmers who plant crops on native sod. The bill also amends the Agriculture Act of 2014 to extend the requirement for USDA to submit annual reports to Congress regarding cropland acreage. 2023-01-11T13:38:18Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1913
115-s-1839 115 s 1839 CREAATE Act Agriculture and Food 2017-09-19 2017-09-19 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] ME I K000383 7 Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports Act or the CREAATE Act This bill amends the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to extend through FY2023 the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program, which are programs administered by the Department of Agriculture to promote exports of U.S. agricultural products. 2023-01-11T13:38:34Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1839
115-s-1805 115 s 1805 Century Farms Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-09-14 2017-09-14 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] CT D M001169 1 Century Farms Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a program to recognize: (1) any farm that a state department of agriculture or similar statewide agricultural organization recognizes as a Century Farm, or (2) a farm or ranch that has been operated continuously and owned by the same family for at least 100 consecutive years. 2023-01-11T13:38:35Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1805
115-s-1773 115 s 1773 A bill to amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to limit the overall rate of return for crop insurance providers and remove the requirement of budget neutrality in the Standard Reinsurance Agreement. Agriculture and Food 2017-09-07 2017-09-07 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ] AZ R F000444 1 This bill amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to modify the requirements for the federal crop insurance program. The bill: (1) limits the average rate of return for reinsured companies for the 2018 reinsurance year and each subsequent reinsurance year to 9.6% of retained premiums, and (2) eliminates the requirement that any renegotiated Standard Insurance Agreement (SRA) be budget-neutral. (The SRA is an agreement between the Department of Agriculture [USDA] and the private companies that administer the federal crop insurance program that specifies details such as administrative and operating expense reimbursements and risk sharing. Eliminating the budget neutrality requirement permits USDA to use the renegotiation of the SRA to achieve savings.) 2023-01-11T13:38:36Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1773
115-s-1776 115 s 1776 Agricultural Energy Programs Reauthorization Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-09-07 2017-09-07 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN] MN D F000457 3 Agricultural Energy Programs Reauthorization Act of 2017 This bill amends the Farm Security Rural Investment Act of 2002 to reauthorize through FY2023 several Department of Agriculture (USDA) energy programs, including: the Biobased Markets Program; the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program; the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels; the Rural Energy For America Program (REAP); the Biomass Research and Development Initiative; the Feedstock Flexibility Program; and the Community Wood Energy Program. The bill modifies and reauthorizes the Biomass Crop Assistance Program to: rename it the Biofuels and Biobased Product Feedstock and Wildland Fire Protection Program; require USDA to provide assistance under the program for hazardous woody fuel reduction projects; and expand the definition of eligible materials to include algae and animal waste byproducts, including fat, oil, grease, and manure. The bill provides mandatory funding through FY2023 for several of the reauthorized programs. The bill modifies the Biobased Markets Program to: (1) include producers of renewable chemicals in the voluntary labeling program, and (2) require USDA and the Department of Commerce to jointly develop North American Industry Classification system codes for renewable chemical manufacturers and biobased products manufacturers. The bill modifies REAP to prohibit more than 30% of the funds from being used each year for: (1) any one form of renewable energy, or (2) technologies to improve the efficiency of energy usage. 2023-01-11T13:38:36Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1776
115-s-1767 115 s 1767 Farm to School Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-09-06 2017-09-06 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT] VT D L000174 12 Farm to School Act of 2017 This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to reauthorize the Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Farm to School Program through FY2023 and modify the program. The program currently provides grants and technical assistance to schools, state and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, agricultural producers, and nonprofit entities to improve access to local foods in schools. The bill makes schools participating in the Summer Food Service Program for children, the early care and afterschool portions of the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the School Breakfast Program eligible to participate in the program. It also permits USDA to provide land-grant colleges and universities with grants, research, and technical assistance under the program. The purposes for grants awarded under the program are expanded to include agricultural literacy and nutrition education. The bill requires USDA to provide technical assistance, research, and information to increase awareness of and participation in farm to school programs among agricultural producers. In awarding grants, USDA must seek to improve local food procurement and distribution options for agricultural producers and eligible schools. USDA is permitted to fund projects that include innovative approaches to aggregation, processing, transportation, and distribution. The bill establishes new limitations on the amount and duration of grants. The bill also establishes reporting requirements and limits funds that may be used for administrative costs. 2023-01-11T13:38:36Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1767
115-s-1736 115 s 1736 Capital for Farmers and Ranchers Act Agriculture and Food 2017-08-03 2017-08-03 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] ND R H001061 2 Capital for Farmers and Ranchers Act This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to increase the amount of unpaid debt permitted per borrower under Department of Agriculture farm ownership and operating loans. 2023-01-11T13:38:47Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1736
115-s-1706 115 s 1706 SAFE Act Agriculture and Food 2017-08-02 2017-08-02 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Senate Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] NJ D M000639 31 John Stringer Rainey Memorial Safeguard American Food Exports Act or the SAFE Act This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to deem equine (horses and other members of the equidae family) parts to be an unsafe food additive or animal drug. The bill prohibits the knowing sale or transport of equines or equine parts for human consumption. 2023-01-11T13:38:48Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1706
115-s-1707 115 s 1707 SNAP Standard Medical Expense Deduction Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-08-02 2017-08-02 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] NY D G000555 1 SNAP Standard Medical Expense Deduction Act of 2017 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to allow households containing an elderly or disabled member to use a standard medical expense deduction for calculating income to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) benefits. If the amount of actual costs of allowable medical expenses incurred by the elderly or disabled member for a month, exclusive of special diets, is equal to or greater than $35, the standard medical deduction for each month is: (1) $140 for FY2018, and (2) the preceding year's amount with a specified adjustment for inflation for FY2019 and each subsequent year. If the monthly costs are greater than the sum of the standard medical deduction and $35, the household may deduct the actual costs. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) may approve a standard medical deduction that is higher than the amount required by this bill. USDA must submit specified studies and reports to Congress regarding: (1) state performance in enrolling disabled and elderly individuals in SNAP and specified Medicare programs, (2) disability and food insecurity, and (3) the effectiveness of the standard medical deduction. 2023-01-11T13:38:48Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1707
115-s-1708 115 s 1708 A bill to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to provide that certain students who are family caregivers are eligible to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Agriculture and Food 2017-08-02 2017-08-02 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] NY D G000555 0 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to make certain students who are informal providers of in-home and community care to elderly or disabled members of the household eligible to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program). 2023-01-11T13:38:48Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1708
115-s-1678 115 s 1678 A bill to amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to improve access to grants and loans for evidence-based substance use disorder treatment services in rural areas, and for other purposes. Agriculture and Food 2017-07-31 2017-07-31 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Donnelly, Joe [D-IN] IN D D000607 3 This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, with respect to the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program, to require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prioritize loans and grants for substance use disorder treatment services. (Under current law, the program provides funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas.) The bill requires USDA to prioritize grants and loans for entities: (1) to develop facilities to provide substance use disorder (including opioid substance use disorder) prevention, treatment, or recovery services; and (2) that employ staff with appropriate expertise and training to identify and treat individuals with substance use disorders. An entity that receives funds pursuant to this bill may use the funds for the development of telemedicine facilities and systems to provide telemedicine for substance use disorder treatment. 2023-01-11T13:37:01Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1678
115-s-1680 115 s 1680 Food Recovery Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-07-31 2017-07-31 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] CT D B001277 4 Food Recovery Act of 2017 This bill provides funding and establishes requirements to reduce food waste and standardize date labeling on food. The bill authorizes grants or loans for: raising awareness about wasted food and food recovery efforts to reduce the quantity of wasted food; reducing food waste at schools and farms; and reducing food waste in accordance with the Food Recovery Hierarchy of the Environmental Protection Agency, including for a state organic waste reduction plan, food waste management infrastructure, and certain composting or anaerobic digestion food waste-to-energy projects. The bill provides funds for: (1) state storage and distribution costs under the Emergency Food Assistance Program, and (2) national media campaigns to decrease food waste. The bill also: establishes a Food Recovery Liaison within the Department of Agriculture (USDA), specifies that composting is eligible for support under USDA's conservation programs, expands the liability protections for the donation of food, and requires companies that receive federal food service contracts to donate surplus food to nonprofit organizations that assist food-insecure people. The bill requires date labels on food packaging to include the phrases "best if used by" to indicate food quality and "use by" to warn of food that may be unsafe to eat after a specified date. Labelers may include a quality date on packaging, but must include a safety date on ready-to-eat products. No one may prohibit the sale, donation, or use of a product based on passage of the quality date of the product. 2023-01-11T13:37:00Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1680
115-s-1576 115 s 1576 Industrial Hemp Water Rights Act Agriculture and Food 2017-07-18 2017-07-18 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Senate Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] CO D B001267 6 Industrial Hemp Water Rights Act This bill specifies that the owner of an absolute or conditional water right, or an entity that receives or distributes water contracted from the federal government, may use or sell the water for the cultivation of industrial hemp if the growth or cultivation of industrial hemp is otherwise authorized under the laws of the state in which the use occurs. The bill applies regardless of whether the water has passed through a federal water project. 2023-01-11T13:37:06Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1576
115-s-1479 115 s 1479 A bill to amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to improve the supplemental agricultural disaster assistance programs, and for other purposes. Agriculture and Food 2017-06-29 2017-06-29 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] SD R T000250 0 This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to modify two Department of Agriculture (USDA) disaster assistance programs: (1) the Livestock Forage Program (LFP), and (2) the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). (The LFP makes payments to eligible livestock producers who have suffered certain grazing losses due to a drought or a fire. The LIP provides payments to eligible livestock producers on farms that incurred livestock deaths in excess of the normal mortality due to adverse weather or attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law.) The bill modifies the LIP to specify that livestock death losses due to disease in livestock that has been exacerbated by adverse weather are eligible for payments if a licensed veterinarian verifies that the adverse weather created conditions contributing to the livestock death. USDA must determine eligibility for the payments without regard to any management practice, vaccine protocol, or lack of vaccination by the producer relating to the disease. With respect to the LFP, the bill modifies the payment schedule to: (1) allow a one-month payment when a county reaches the severe drought category for four consecutive weeks (eight weeks under current law), and (2) allow an additional monthly payment when the county reaches eight weeks in the severe drought category. The bill also amends the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to revise the rules regarding the eligibility of national grasslands for grazing leases and permits. 2023-01-11T13:37:32Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1479
115-s-1402 115 s 1402 School Food Modernization Act Agriculture and Food 2017-06-21 2017-06-21 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S3689) Senate Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] ME R C001035 1 School Food Modernization Act This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to direct the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue loan guarantees to local educational agencies (LEAs), school food authorities, tribal organizations, and other eligible entities to finance infrastructure improvements or equipment purchases to facilitate their provision of healthy meals through the school lunch program. USDA must give preference to applicants that demonstrate a substantial or disproportionate need for food service infrastructure or durable equipment, and shall establish fees for the loan guarantee program that are sufficient to cover the federal government's administrative costs in operating the program. USDA must also award competitive matching grants to assist LEAs, school food authorities, tribal organizations, and other eligible entities in purchasing the durable equipment and infrastructure they need to serve healthier meals and improve food safety. In doing so, USDA must give grant priority to applicants that: (1) have identified and are reasonably expected to meet an unmet local or community need, and (2) are located in states that have enacted funding measures to assist them with such purchases. In addition, USDA must award competitive matching grants to experienced third-party training institutions to provide school food service personnel with the training and technical assistance they need to: (1) meet school lunch program nutrition standards, and (2) improve the efficacy and efficiency of the school lunch and breakfast programs. 2023-01-11T13:37:35Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1402
115-s-1232 115 s 1232 PRIME Act Agriculture and Food 2017-05-25 2017-05-25 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] ME I K000383 2 Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act or the PRIME Act This bill amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act to expand the exemption of custom slaughtering of animals from federal inspection requirements. Under current law, the exemption applies if the meat is slaughtered for personal, household, guest, and employee uses. The bill expands the exemption to include meat that is: slaughtered and prepared at a custom slaughter facility in accordance with the laws of the state where the facility is located; and prepared exclusively for distribution to household consumers in the state or restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, grocery stores, or other establishments in the state that either prepare meals served directly to consumers or offer meat and food products for sale directly to consumers in the state. The bill does not preempt any state law concerning: (1) the slaughter of animals or the preparation of carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products at a custom slaughter facility; or (2) the sale of meat or meat food products. 2023-01-11T13:36:24Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1232
115-s-1259 115 s 1259 Commodity Program Improvement Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-05-25 2017-05-25 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] SD R T000250 0 Commodity Program Improvement Act of 2017 This bill reauthorizes and modifies several Department of Agriculture (USDA) commodity programs that were included in the 2014 farm bill (the Agricultural Act of 2014). The programs provide price and income support to farmers for covered commodities. The bill modifies the Agricultural Risk Coverage-County program, which provides revenue loss coverage at the county level by issuing payments when the actual county crop revenue of a covered commodity is below a specified amount. USDA currently calculates payments for farms located in more than one county using one of the counties (known as an administrative county). The bill requires the payments to be calculated using the payment rate for the county in which the land is physically located. The bill also requires USDA to update the crop acreage base used to determine payments under commodity programs for the 2019 crop year. USDA must determine the updated base acres on a farm using covered commodities planted on the farm during the 2014-2017 crop years. 2023-01-11T13:36:23Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1259
115-s-1214 115 s 1214 Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act Agriculture and Food 2017-05-24 2017-05-24 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. Senate Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] SD R T000250 1 Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act This bill exempts components of firearms and ammunition and sport fishing equipment and its components (such as lead sinkers) from regulations on chemical substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act. 2023-01-11T13:36:24Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1214
115-s-1064 115 s 1064 Anti-Lunch Shaming Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-05-08 2017-05-08 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM] NM D U000039 13 Anti-Lunch Shaming Act of 2017 This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish requirements for the treatment of a child who is a student at a school participating in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program and is unable to pay for a meal at the school. The bill applies to a child who either does not have funds to pay for a meal or has outstanding credit that was extended by a school food authority (SFA). A SFA may not permit public identification or stigmatization of the child, such as by requiring a wristband or hand stamp. The child also may not be required to: (1) perform chores or activities that are not required of students generally, or (2) dispose of food after it has been served to the child. Any communication related to outstanding credit must be directed to the child's parent or guardian. A child may be required to deliver a letter regarding outstanding credit that is addressed to a parent or guardian if the letter is not distributed to the child in a manner that stigmatizes the child. The bill also expresses the sense of Congress regarding several issues regarding the administration of the school meal programs. 2023-01-11T13:36:29Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1064
115-s-1017 115 s 1017 A bill to designate the Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center in Fargo, North Dakota, as the "Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center". Agriculture and Food 2017-05-03 2017-05-03 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] ND R H001061 1 This bill renames the Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center in Fargo, North Dakota, as the "Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center." 2023-01-11T13:36:31Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1017
115-s-1025 115 s 1025 Assisting Family Farmers through Insurance Reform Measures Act Agriculture and Food 2017-05-03 2017-05-03 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Flake, Jeff [R-AZ] AZ R F000444 1 Assisting Family Farmers through Insurance Reform Measures Act or the AFFIRM Act This bill amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reduce federal crop insurance payments and disclose details regarding subsidies. The bill prohibits premium subsidies: (1) for additional coverage for any person or legal entity that has an average adjusted gross income that is greater than $250,000, (2) that exceed $40,000 per year for any person or legal entity, or (3) for policies that are based on the actual market price of an agricultural commodity at the time of harvest. The bill establishes an annual cap on total reimbursements for administrative and operating costs of crop insurance providers that begins at $900 million for 2018 and is adjusted for inflation in each subsequent year. The average rate of return for insurance providers is limited to 8.9% of retained premiums. The bill eliminates a requirement that any renegotiated Standard Insurance Agreement (SRA) be budget-neutral. (The SRA is an agreement between USDA and the private companies that administer the federal crop insurance program that specifies details such as administrative and operating expense reimbursements and risk sharing. Eliminating the budget neutrality requirement permits USDA to use the renegotiation of the SRA to achieve savings.) USDA must annually disclose to the public specified details regarding the recipients and amounts of federal crop insurance subsidies. 2023-01-11T13:36:31Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1025
115-s-909 115 s 909 Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2017 Agriculture and Food 2017-04-07 2017-04-07 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senate Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] SD R T000250 1 Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2017 This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to modify the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and conservation easement programs administered by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). (CRP provides payments to farmers who agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality.) The bill modifies CRP to: reauthorize the program through FY2023, increase the annual acreage cap to 30 million acres, revise the formula for determining state target acreage enrollment, add restrictions for land that is planted to trees, modify policies regarding grazing and the mechanical harvesting of vegetative cover, and remove payment limitations for rural water districts or associations that use land enrolled in CRP to protect a wellhead. The bill also modifies the Transition Incentives Program (TIP), which currently provides retired or retiring land owners or operators with additional payments for land enrolled in expiring CRP contracts in exchange for agreeing to sell or rent the land to a beginning farmer or rancher or a socially disadvantaged group. The bill revises TIP to: (1) make landowners who are at least 65 years of age and not retiring eligible for the program, (2) permit the land to be transferred to a veteran farmer or rancher, and (3) modify policies regarding the early termination and transfer of CRP contracts. In administering conservation easement programs, USDA must allow enrolled land to be: (1) modified for specified purposes; or (2) exchanged for land that has equal or greater conservation, wildlife, ecological, and economic values. 2023-01-11T13:36:57Z https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/909

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CREATE TABLE legislation (
    bill_id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
    congress INTEGER,
    bill_type TEXT,
    bill_number INTEGER,
    title TEXT,
    policy_area TEXT,
    introduced_date TEXT,
    latest_action_date TEXT,
    latest_action_text TEXT,
    origin_chamber TEXT,
    sponsor_name TEXT,
    sponsor_state TEXT,
    sponsor_party TEXT,
    sponsor_bioguide_id TEXT,
    cosponsor_count INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
    summary_text TEXT,
    update_date TEXT,
    url TEXT
);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_congress ON legislation(congress);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_type ON legislation(bill_type);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_policy ON legislation(policy_area);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_date ON legislation(introduced_date);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_sponsor ON legislation(sponsor_name);
CREATE INDEX idx_leg_sponsor_bioguide ON legislation(sponsor_bioguide_id);
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