Results for
Moving H–2A to United States Department of Agriculture Act of 2020
HR #5795 | Last Action: 2/6/2020Moving H-2A to United States Department of Agriculture Act of 2020 This bill moves administration of the H-2A (temporary agricultural workers) program from the Department of Labor to the Department of Agriculture.Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act
HR #7883 | Last Action: 7/30/2020Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act This bill directs the Agricultural Marketing Service of the Department of Agriculture to establish a program to award grants to states or state departments of agriculture to provide support to agricultural fairs for losses sustained by such fairs due to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Grant amounts shall be based on the difference between the average attendance at agricultural fairs in the state for a month occurring in 2019 compared to the corresponding month in 2020. As a condition of receiving a grant, recipients shall agree to (1) prioritize supporting agricultural fairs in the state facing the greatest financial hardship, and (2) use not more than 1% of grant funds for administrative costs incurred in providing support to agricultural fairs.Agriculture Research Integrity Act of 2019
S #1637 | Last Action: 5/23/2019Agriculture Research Integrity Act of 2019 This bill reaffirms that the Agricultural Research Service, the Economic Research Service, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and any successor agencies must be (1) within the research, education, and economics mission area of the Department of Agriculture (USDA); and (2) administered by the USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics. The headquarters and the majority of the staff of the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture must be located within the National Capital Region.Agriculture Research Integrity Act of 2019
HR #1221 | Last Action: 2/14/2019Agriculture Research Integrity Act of 2019 This bill reaffirms that the Agricultural Research Service, the Economic Research Service, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and any successor agencies must be (1) within the research, education, and economics mission area of the Department of Agriculture (USDA); and (2) administered by the USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics. USDA must locate each of the specified agencies and the majority of the staff of the agencies within the National Capital Region.Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act
S #600 | Last Action: 2/28/2019Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation to establish a working group to (1) identify obstacles to safe, humane, and market-efficient transport of livestock, insects, and agricultural commodities; and (2) develop guidelines and recommended regulatory or legislative actions to improve the safe, humane, and efficient transport of livestock, insects, and agricultural commodities.Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act
HR #2460 | Last Action: 5/1/2019Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation to establish a working group to (1) identify obstacles to safe, humane, and market-efficient transport of livestock, insects, and agricultural commodities; and (2) develop guidelines and recommended regulatory or legislative actions to improve the safe, humane, and efficient transport of livestock, insects, and agricultural commodities.Veterans' Agricultural Apprenticeship Act of 2019
HR #562 | Last Action: 1/15/2019Veterans' Agricultural Apprenticeship Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a program to make direct loans to farmers and ranchers who will provide mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities for veterans who have not previously operated a farm or ranch.Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2020 for the Department of Agriculture to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes.
HR #6611 | Last Action: 4/23/2020This bill provides $50 billion in FY2020 supplemental appropriations for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support agricultural producers impacted by the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. The supplemental appropriations are designated as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits. USDA may not apply any payment limitations to payments made to producers using funding provided by this bill, except to ensure that the total payments made to producers do not exceed the total damages related to the COVID-19 pandemic.Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019
S #2107 | Last Action: 2/10/2020Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019 This bill authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), every fiscal year, to hire, train, and assign 240 new agricultural specialists until the total number of specialists equals and sustains the requirements identified each year in the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model. The CBP may also hire, train, and assign support staff to assist the specialists and specified levels of agricultural canine teams. In calculating the number of specialists needed at each port of entry through the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model, the Office of Field Operations of the CBP must (1) rely on data collected regarding the inspections and other activities conducted at each such port of entry; and (2) consider volume from seasonal surges, other projected changes in commercial and passenger volumes, the most current commercial forecasts, and other relevant information. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) must conduct a review of the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Agriculture, and other federal agencies to address risks to the agricultural supply. The GAO must analyze (1) interagency coordination and the distribution of responsibilities among federal agencies with respect to the inspection of agricultural commodities entering the United States; (2) the effectiveness of such inspection responsibilities among federal agencies; and (3) the training provided to, and working conditions of, CBP Agriculture Specialists.Cuba Agricultural Exports Act
HR #1898 | Last Action: 3/27/2019Cuba Agricultural Exports Act This bill exempts from prohibitions against U.S. assistance to Cuba (1) any exports under the market access program, the export credit guarantee program, or the foreign market development cooperator program; and (2) any obligation or expenditure of funds to promote trade with Cuba by federal commodity promotion programs established in accordance with a commodity promotion law. This exemption shall not apply if the U.S. assistance recipient would be an entity controlled by the Cuban government, including the armed forces or the Ministry of the Interior. A person subject to U.S. jurisdiction may invest in the development of an agricultural business in Cuba if the Department of State and the Department of Agriculture jointly determine that the agricultural business * is not controlled by the government of Cuba, including the armed forces or the Ministry of the Interior; and * does not traffic in property of persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction that was confiscated by Cuba on or after January 1, 1959. A person subject to U.S. jurisdiction may provide payment or financing for agricultural sales to Cuba or to an individual or entity in Cuba.Future of Agricultural Resiliency And Modernization Act
HR #7482 | Last Action: 7/2/2020Future of Agricultural Resiliency And Modernization Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to award grants to certain entities, including states, local governments, and nonprofit organizations, to carry out projects that further agricultural resiliency and modernization, such as projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions; improve air, water, and soil health; and increase carbon sequestration. Additionally, USDA must establish a program to award grants to governmental organizations and private entities in the agricultural sector to carry out at least 10 pilot projects with the potential to reduce or sequester greenhouse emissions that convert and valorize tree nut harvest by-products and waste into multiple higher value biocarbon products, including sustainable industrial applications, agrochemicals, repurposing process heat, energy, and construction materials.Agricultural Emissions Data Act of 2020
S #4845 | Last Action: 10/22/2020Agricultural Emissions Data Act of 2020 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct surveys and data analysis to collect agricultural subsector-specific information and data regarding (1) the prevention, reduction, and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, including livestock emissions reductions; (2) soil carbon sequestration; and (3) forest wood and tree carbon sequestration. Additionally, the establishment of federal agricultural baselines for the prevention, reduction, and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, soil carbon sequestration, and forest wood and tree carbon sequestration must be determined by modeling based on the information and data collected by USDA. USDA must submit to the Environmental Protection Agency and other appropriate federal agencies, and make publicly available, the results of the surveys.American Agriculture First Act
HR #2362 | Last Action: 4/25/2019American Agriculture First Act This bill requires the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to purchase at least 75% of the agricultural commodities of the Food Purchase and Distribution Program from domestically owned enterprises if it is necessary to respond to trade damage from retaliation by foreign nations with respect to agricultural commodities. The requirement does not apply if the Department of Agriculture reports to Congress that meeting the requirement * is not possible because the agricultural commodities available from domestically owned enterprises cannot meet the supply needs of the AMS; or * would result in a greater than 150% increase between (1) the amount necessary to purchase the agricultural commodities, and (2) the average cost of the agricultural commodities purchased by the AMS in the prior 3 years. The authority provided by this bill expires on September 30, 2023.American Agriculture First Act
S #3980 | Last Action: 6/17/2020American Agriculture First Act This bill requires the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to purchase at least 75% of an agricultural commodity for the Food Purchase and Distribution Program from domestically owned enterprises if it is necessary to respond to trade damage from retaliation by foreign nations with respect to the agricultural commodity. The requirement does not apply if the Department of Agriculture reports to Congress that meeting the requirement * is not possible because the quantity of the agricultural commodity available from domestically owned enterprises cannot meet the supply needs of the AMS; or * would result in a greater than 150% increase between the amount necessary to purchase the agricultural commodity, and the average cost of the agricultural commodity purchased by the AMS in the prior three years. The authority provided by this bill expires on September 30, 2023.Buy American Agriculture Act
HR #2712 | Last Action: 5/14/2019Buy American Agriculture Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service to purchase agricultural commodities and seafood under the Food Purchase and Distribution Program only from domestically owned enterprises. The bill includes exceptions if applying the requirement * would be inconsistent with the public interest, * is not possible because the domestically produced products are not available in sufficient quantities or in a satisfactory quality, or * would result in cost increase of more than 25% compared to the previous year.Great Lakes Agricultural Stewardship Act
HR #2141 | Last Action: 4/8/2019Great Lakes Agricultural Stewardship Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a Great Lakes basin initiative for agricultural nonpoint source pollution prevention. (Nonpoint source pollution comes from diffuse sources and is caused by precipitation moving over or through the ground and carrying pollution.) In implementing the initiative, USDA must * provide grants to Great Lakes states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin) for education and outreach, technical assistance, and voluntary verification programs regarding nonpoint source pollution from agricultural activities; * establish a funding priority within the Great Lakes basin for payments to producers that participate in the initiative to achieve verification through a state verification program; and * use existing data where it is available. In carrying out the initiative, states may collaborate with entities that have agricultural or environmental expertise, including academic or nonprofit organizations.A bill to amend the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Act of 1978 to provide designees of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Administrator of the Rural Housing Service of the Department of Agriculture with positions on the Appraisal Subcommittee of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council.
S #3050 | Last Action: 12/12/2019This bill adds to the Appraisal Subcommittee of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council representatives from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Rural Housing Service within the Department of Agriculture.Climate Agricultural Conservation Practices Act
HR #8909 | Last Action: 12/9/2020Climate Agricultural Conservation Practices Act This bill requires the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the Department of Agriculture to review the national conservation practice standards, taking into consideration the climate benefits of such standards.Climate benefitis defined as a reduction in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions; an increase in carbon sequestration; or mitigation against, or adaptation to, increased weather volatility.Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019
HR #4482 | Last Action: 10/2/2019Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019 This bill authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), every fiscal year, to hire, train, and assign 240 new agricultural specialists until the total number of specialists equals and sustains the requirements identified each year in the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model. The CBP may also hire, train, and assign support staff to assist the specialists and specified levels of agricultural canine teams. In calculating the number of specialists needed at each port of entry through the Agriculture Resource Allocation Model, the Office of Field Operations of the CBP must (1) rely on data collected regarding the inspections and other activities conducted at each such port of entry; and (2) consider volume from seasonal surges, other projected changes in commercial and passenger volumes, the most current commercial forecasts, and other relevant information.Sustainable Agriculture Research Act
HR #4134 | Last Action: 7/30/2019Sustainable Agriculture Research Act This bill revises the goals of the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA). Specifically, the bill expands the goals to require AGARDA to enhance the role of agriculture in innovative voluntary resilience solutions in the United States through the development of agricultural technologies that address (1) the impact of extreme weather on crop production, (2) the expansion of the potential for long-term carbon storage through agriculture, (3) increased economic and practical feasibility for renewable and sustainable energy on farms and in the agriculture industry, and (4) increased adoption of voluntary conservation practices that sequester carbon and build on-farm climate resilience.Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2021
HR #7610 | Last Action: 7/13/2020Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2021 This bill provides FY2021 appropriations for the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies. The bill provides appropriations to USDA for Agricultural Programs, including * the Office of the Secretary, * Executive Operations, * the Economic Research Service, * the National Agricultural Statistics Service, * the Agricultural Research Service, * the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, * the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, * the Agricultural Marketing Service, and * the Food Safety and Inspection Service. The bill also provides appropriations to USDA for Farm Production and Conservation Programs, including * the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, * the Farm Service Agency, * the Risk Management Agency, and * the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The bill provides appropriations to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund and the Commodity Credit Corporation Fund. For USDA Rural Development programs, the bill includes appropriations for * Rural Development Salaries and Expenses, * the Rural Housing Service, * the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and * the Rural Utilities Service. The bill provides appropriations to the Food and Nutrition Service for * Child Nutrition Programs; * the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); * the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program); * the Commodity Assistance Program; and * Nutrition Programs Administration. The bill provides appropriations to the Foreign Agricultural Service for (1) Food for Peace Title II Grants, and (2) McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program Grants. The bill also provides appropriations for * the Food and Drug Administration, * the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and * the Farm Credit Administration. Additionally, the bill sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Reform Act
HR #8522 | Last Action: 10/2/2020Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Reform Act This bill revises reporting requirements, allows increased civil penalties for failure to report or knowingly reporting misleading information, and otherwise modifies provisions related to foreign investment in agricultural lands within the United States.Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020
HR #3164 | Last Action: 6/6/2019Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020 This bill provides FY2020 appropriations for the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. The bill provides appropriations to USDA for Agricultural Programs, including * the Office of the Secretary, * Executive Operations, * the Office of the Chief Information Officer, * the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, * the Office of Civil Rights, * Agriculture Buildings and Facilities, * Hazardous Materials Management, * the Office of Inspector General, * the Office of the General Counsel, * the Office of Ethics, * the Economic Research Service, * the National Agricultural Statistics Service, * the Agricultural Research Service, * the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, * the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, * the Agricultural Marketing Service, and * the Food Safety and Inspection Service. The bill also provides appropriations to USDA for Farm Production and Conservation Programs, including * the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, * the Farm Service Agency, * the Risk Management Agency, and * the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The bill provides appropriations to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund and the Commodity Credit Corporation Fund. For USDA Rural Development programs, the bill includes appropriations for * Rural Development Salaries and Expenses, * the Rural Housing Service, * the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and * the Rural Utilities Service. Within the Food and Nutrition Service budget, the bill includes appropriations for * Child Nutrition Programs; * the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); * the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program); * the Commodity Assistance Program; and * Nutrition Programs Administration. Within the Foreign Agricultural Service budget, the bill provides appropriations for Food for Peace Title II Grants and McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program Grants. The bill also provides appropriations for * the Food and Drug Administration, * the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and * the Farm Credit Administration. Additionally, the bill sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.Agricultural Trucking Relief Act of 2019
HR #1673 | Last Action: 3/11/2019Agricultural Trucking Relief Act of 2019 This bill revises regulations related to the transportation of agricultural commodities. Specifically, the bill expands the definition of agricultural commodity to include (1) aquaculture, horticultural, and floricultural commodities; (2) fruits; (3) vegetables; (4) any non-human living animal and the products thereof; and (5) other agricultural products that are sensitive to temperature or climate and at risk of perishing in transit. Under current law, an agricultural commodity means any agricultural commodity, non-processed food, feed, fiber, or livestock.Agricultural Trucking Relief Act of 2019
S #2025 | Last Action: 6/27/2019Agricultural Trucking Relief Act of 2019 This bill revises regulations related to the transportation of agricultural commodities. Specifically, the bill expands the definition of agricultural commodity to include (1) aquaculture, horticultural, and floricultural commodities; (2) fruits; (3) vegetables; (4) any non-human living animal and the products thereof; and (5) other agricultural products that are sensitive to temperature or climate and at risk of perishing in transit. (Under current law, an agricultural commodity means any agricultural commodity, non-processed food, feed, fiber, or livestock.)