Bill
HR 8646
Provides FY2027 funding for USDA agencies (ARS, APHIS, FSA, NRCS, RD, AMS, RMA) and related programs, detailing allocations, authorities, and programmatic directives.
Date: 119th Congress, 2nd Session
Purpose
- Establishs appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and related agencies for Fiscal Year 2027 (ending September 30, 2027), plus related programs and initiatives.
- Provides funding authorities, program direction, and policy stipulations for USDA and certain related agencies during FY2027.
Key Provisions and Allocations (Selected Highlights)
- Title I – Agricultural Programs
- Office of the Secretary: Total near-term funding of about $55.3 million, with specific sub-allocations:
- Immediate Office of the Secretary: up to $6 million (with $500k for the Office of Seafood).
- Homeland Security, Tribal Relations, Partnerships/Public Engagement, Administration, Congressional Relations, and Communications offices receive specified caps.
- Transfer authority between Secretary’s offices permitted within 5% change limits; some funds usable for official reception/representation; hearings travel reimbursed.
- Chief Economist, Hearings and Appeals, Budget and Program Analysis, Chief Information Officer (cybersecurity emphasis), Chief Financial Officer, Civil Rights, General Counsel, Ethics, and other centralized functions receive delineated funding levels.
- National Agricultural Statistics Service, Economic Research Service, and related statistics activities receive funding with conditions (e.g., Census of Agriculture funding up to $48.5M available until expended; notification requirements prior to discontinuation of data programs).
- Agricultural Research Service (ARS): $1.796 billion for salaries and expenses; rules around aircraft use, construction/alterations, and potential non-Federal facility partnerships; caps on building costs; allows certain easements and land donations; allows private/non-Federal facility arrangements under strict conditions.
- Buildings and Facilities: $18.0M for ARS-related capital/maintenance as per “Community Project Funding” in the accompanying report.
- Integrated Activities and Extension: Funding for national programs (Integrated Activities, Extension) with securing language to limit indirect costs on certain programs (e.g., no indirect costs for a specific Crop Protection/Pest Management area).
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS): $1.158 billion in salaries and expenses; includes aircraft operations; explicit preference for brucellosis eradication program with at least 40% state matching; Humane Methods of Slaughter Act inspection staffing requirements (no fewer than 148 FTEs); authority to reallocate funds in emergencies; building alterations limited to 10% of replacement value.
- Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS): $204.551 million; specifics on section 12513 and section 779 funding; emphasis on regional innovation distribution; regulations allow collection of standardization fees (except grain standards). Administrative expense limitation tied to fees collected ($62.6 million) with potential 10% exception for crop size shocks.
- Farm-related activities: adds authority to collect and credit fees to cover technical assistance costs; some activities funded via “fees reimbursed to this account” authority.
- Various funds/accounts (e.g., Commodity Credit Corporation, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, Rural Development-related accounts) operate with dedicated appropriations, loan authorities, and financing mechanisms; includes explicit transfer authorities between USDA agencies and program accounts.
Who Would Be Affected
- Farmers, ranchers, and rural producers receiving USDA program support (through USDA agencies: FSA, NRCS, RD, ARS, APHIS, AMS, RMA, etc.).
- Rural communities relying on housing, water/wastewater, facilities, energy, and community development programs.
- Tribal communities, Alaska Native institutions, 1890 and other historically underserved institutions; expansion of access via Evans-Allen and other targeted programs.
- State governments and territories through extension, local funding for extension activities, and state-level cooperative programs.
- Appointed heads and staff of USDA agencies, as well as contractors and private partners engaged in USDA programs (e.g., aircraft, facility modernization, IT systems, and research facilities).
Procedural and Timeline Aspects
- Annual appropriations for FY2027, ending September 30, 2027.
- Transfer authorities and 5% adjustment limit between offices; policy provisions require timely reporting to House and Senate Appropriations Committees (e.g., county-office funding allocations, emergency funds, and significant transfers).
- Notification requirements: Secretary must notify Appropriations Committees 15 days before obligation/transfer of emergency CCC funds; 30-day notification for certain Office of Congressional Relations activities.
- Certain program features require compliance with statutory mandates (e.g., 7 U.S.C. 2250, 306, 314, and other referenced acts) and caps on, or allowances for, building costs, interest rates, and subsidy costs in loan programs.
- Some funds are available until expended (carryover), while others have specific expiration dates (e.g., 2028 for some ARS and NRCS activities).
Notes
- The bill includes a mix of mandatory and discretionary funding, loan authorizations, and targeted programmatic directives.
- Many sections reference funding tables in the bill’s accompanying report (e.g., “National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Extension Activities,” “Community Project Funding”) for precise allocations.
This summary highlights the bill’s scope, major funding categories, and the key policy and procedural mechanics shaping USDA and related agency activities for FY2027.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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