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Bill

S 4470

Supporting Urban and Innovative Farming Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Michael Bennet and 6 co-sponsors

The bill strengthens and funds the Office of Urban Agriculture to expand and support urban and innovative farming (including hydroponics and controlled-environment techniques) nati

Introduced in Senate
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Bill Summary · S 4470

Overview

  • Bill: S. 4470, the Supporting Urban and Innovative Farming Act of 2026
  • Introduced in the 119th Congress on April 30, 2026
  • Purpose: Amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to strengthen the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and expand support for urban and innovative farming practices
  • Primary sponsors: Senators Fetterman, Slotkin, Schiff, Smith, Booker, Bennet, Heinrich, Hickenlooper; with several co-sponsors

What the bill would do

  • Rename and enhance the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production within the USDA
  • Expand the scope of urban and innovative production to explicitly include production and technologies such as controlled-environment agriculture, hydroponics, and related techniques
  • Add new authorities for technical assistance, grant-making, and cooperative agreements to support urban and innovative producers
  • Extend and broaden the scope and duration of pilot or project initiatives beyond the original terms

Key provisions and changes

  1. Office scope and duties

    • Reframes and expands subsection 222 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994
    • Adds explicit emphasis on:
      • Controlled-environment agriculture (including hydroponics)
      • Production techniques and innovation within urban settings
      • Technical assistance for business incorporation, navigating local zoning, and managing farm tract numbers for smaller, noncontiguous parcels
      • Conservation techniques tailored to urban agriculture and issues like stormwater and subsurface land conditions
      • Helping urban and innovative producers navigate federal, state, tribal, and local policies and regulations

  2. Grants and cooperative agreements

    • Establishes competitive grants to support development of urban and innovative agricultural production and related technical/financial assistance
    • Allows grant recipients to subgrant to urban/innovative producers
    • Priority for grants: projects improving access to local foods in food-desert or underserved areas
    • Eligible grant recipients: nonprofit organizations, units of local government, Tribal organizations, agricultural cooperatives or producer networks, or K-12 schools
    • Director may enter into cooperative agreements with similar eligible entities to advance urban/innovative production

  3. Pilot projects (renamed)

    • Replaces references to “pilot projects” with broader “projects”
    • Expands geographic scope beyond local or municipal to include local, municipal, Tribal, State, or United States territories
    • Includes Tribal governments, States, and U.S. territories among eligible participants and locations

  4. Funding and authorization

    • Mandatory funding: $15 million per fiscal year (FY 2026 onward) from Commodity Credit Corporation funds to carry out the section
    • Authorization of appropriations: $50 million for each of FY 2026 through 2030
    • Emphasizes ongoing funding to support urban agriculture activities under the program

  5. Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) updates

    • Expands AFRI funding criteria to explicitly include hydroponics, aquaponics, aeroponics, and other controlled-environment agriculture technologies

  6. Data collection and reporting

    • Updates data collection provisions to require ongoing census-style data on urban and innovative agriculture activities
    • Increases authorized funding for data collection and maintenance from 2019–2021 levels to $18 million per year for FY 2026–2030 (with funds available until expended)

Who would be affected

  • Urban and innovative producers across the United States, including:
    • Individuals and businesses cultivating in urban settings using controlled-environment technologies
    • Nonprofit organizations, local governments, Tribal organizations, agricultural cooperatives, producer networks, and K–12 schools engaged in urban farming
  • State, Tribal, and local agencies partnering with USDA to deliver technical assistance, zoning navigation, and farm tract management
  • Researchers and institutions participating in AFRI and related food/agricultural research initiatives

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Effective funding: mandatory $15 million annually starting in FY 2026; total authorization of $50 million per year through FY 2030
  • Data collection: updated to require ongoing, comprehensive urban-agriculture data from FY 2026 onward
  • Administrative changes: directs the USDA to enhance coordination with state, local, Tribal, and federal entities to support urban agriculture activities and regulatory navigation
  • Long-term horizon: provisions extend at least through FY 2030, with ongoing funding and programmatic updates aligned with urban agriculture growth

Potential impact

  • Expanded federal support for urban and innovative farming practices
  • Increased funding and clearer pathways for municipalities, Tribes, schools, and organizations to build urban agriculture programs
  • Improved access to local foods in underserved areas through grant prioritization
  • Enhanced research emphasis on controlled-environment agriculture within broader agricultural innovation
  • More comprehensive data on urban farming activities to inform policy and program design

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current law or draft a one-page briefing for policymakers.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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