Agriculture

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Improvement Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018

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.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019

United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 Provides FY2019 appropriations for the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. 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. 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. Provides appropriations to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund and the Commodity Credit Corporation Fund. Provides appropriations to USDA for Rural Development Programs, including: Rural Development Salaries and Expenses, the Rural Housing Service, the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and the Rural Utilities Service. Provides appropriations to USDA for the Food and Nutrition Service, including: 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. Provides appropriations to USDA for the Foreign Agricultural Service, including Food for Peace Title II Grants and McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program Grants. Provides appropriations for the Food and Drug Administration and the Farm Credit Administration. Sets forth permissible and prohibited uses for funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.

RURAL Broadband Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018

Reprioritizing Unserved Rural Areas and Locations for Broadband Act of 2018 or the RURAL Broadband Act of 2018 This bill amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to allow financial assistance provided by the Rural Utilities Service for the deployment of broadband-capable infrastructure by a service provider to be used to provide retail fixed broadband service in an area where there is no qualifying broadband-capable infrastructure owned or operated by another service provider. The term "qualifying broadband-capable infrastructure" means fixed broadband-capable infrastructure: (1) used by a service provider to provide fixed broadband service for which the provider receives universal service support funds, and (2) was financed with funds from the Department of Agriculture. 

Rural Water Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018

Rural Water Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2018 This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to reauthorize through FY2023 and modify the Department of Agriculture Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program. (The program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in rural areas.) The bill modifies the program to: increase from $100,000 to $200,000 the maximum amount of financing from a revolving loan fund that may be made available to an entity for water and wastewater projects, authorize loans for local utilities with experience delivering water or wastewater programs to provide service to unserved and underserved rural communities, increase the population ceiling that applies to certain loans, and provide mandatory funding for applications that are pending when this bill is enacted.

Seeds for the Future Act

United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018

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.

PAST Act

United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2018

Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2018 or the PAST Act This bill amends the Horse Protection Act to establish a new system for inspecting horses for soring, revise penalties for violations of the Act, and modify enforcement procedures. The soring of horses is any of various actions taken on a horse's limb to produce a higher gait that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must establish requirements to license, train, assign, and oversee persons hired by the management of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions to detect and diagnose sore horses. A license may not be issued to a person with conflicts of interest, and USDA must give preference to veterinarians. USDA may revoke a license for unsatisfactory performance. USDA must assign licensed inspectors after receiving notice that management intends to hire the inspectors. An inspector must issue a citation for violations and notify USDA of violations. USDA must publish information on violations of this bill and disqualify a horse that is sore. The bill prohibits a person in any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction from causing or directing a horse to become sore for the purpose of showing, exhibiting, selling, or auctioning the horse. The bill prohibits the use of specified devices on a Tennessee Walking, a Racking, or a Spotted Saddle horse at a show, exhibition, sale, or auction. The bill increases the maximum criminal and civil liability penalties for certain violations. USDA may disqualify violators from specified activities related to horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions.

Strengthening the Cooperative Observer Program Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2018

Strengthening the Cooperative Observer Program Act of 2018 This bill directs the National Weather Service (NWS) to make improvements to the Cooperative Observer Program, including by: furnishing support to state-coordinated programs relating to the program and states and regions where observations provided through the program are scarce; working with state weather service headquarters to increase participation in the program and to add stations in such states and regions; prioritizing the recruitment of new program volunteers; and ensuring that integrated reporting is available for qualitative observations that cannot be automated, such as snow observations and hazardous weather events so that they can be reported and uploaded quickly and easily. The NWS must coordinate with state and regional offices regarding the status of program stations at least every 180 days. The NWS shall also coordinate with other federal agencies, including the Forest Service, the Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Geological Survey, in leveraging opportunities to expand the program and to more effectively use its existing infrastructure, weather stations, and staff.

Improved Soil Moisture and Precipitation Monitoring Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2018

Improved Soil Moisture and Precipitation Monitoring Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement a strategy for improving the accuracy of the U.S. Drought Monitor by increasing the geographic resolution of rural in-situ soil moisture profile observation or other soil moisture profile measuring devices. USDA must prioritize adding in-situ soil moisture profile monitoring stations in states that have experienced D3 (extreme drought) or D4 (exceptional drought) within any six month period from 2016 to the present. USDA shall develop standards for: the integration of data that is derived from citizen science (open collaborations through which individuals or organizations participate voluntarily in the scientific process) into the Drought Monitor models, including data from the Cooperative Observer Program of the National Weather Service; and the collection of soil moisture data that is based on readily available equipment. USDA shall direct the Farm Service Agency and the Risk Management Agency of USDA to use the Drought Monitor in the profile monitoring stations added by this bill, data from the Cooperative Observer Program, and any other applicable data in establishing loss assistance and grazing rates.

Organic Farmer and Consumer Protection Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2018

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.

Walnut Grove Land Exchange Act

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2018

Walnut Grove Land Exchange Act (Sec. 3) This bill directs the the Department of Agriculture, if the Walnut Grove Church in Garland County, Arkansas, offers to convey to the United States approximately 6.3 acres of nonfederal land identified as Offered Tract 5742 in Ouachita National Forest, to convey to the church approximately 4 acres identified as Selected Tract 5743 in the forest; and accept in exchange, from the church, the conveyance of the Offered Tract. The federal and nonfederal lands under the exchange shall be of equal value or the values shall be equalized by a cash payment, unless the value of the offered tract exceeds that of the selected tract.

Rural Health Liaison Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2018

Rural Health Liaison Act of 2018 This bill amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish a Rural Health Liaison within the Department of Agriculture to coordinate the role of the department with respect to rural health; provide expertise, guidance, and technical assistance; and perform other specified advocacy, communications, and consulting duties.

Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Areas Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2018

Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Areas Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to authorize their respective local officials to determine all permissible forms of nonmotorized travel over any permitted routes within their jurisdictions. The bill defines "local officials" as officers or employees who are the heads of units or jurisdictions of the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the Forest Service, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. If a local official fails to make such a determination about a permitted route more than two years after this bill's enactment, then any form of nonmotorized travel shall be allowable on that route.

SOIL Stewardship Act

United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2018

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.

Food Security Improvement Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2018

Food Security Improvement 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) benefits to be calculated using a low-cost food plan. The Department of Agriculture must determine the requirements for the low-cost food plan using the diet described in the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion's publication entitled "The Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans, 2007" and adjustments specified in this bill. The bill revises the amounts of nutrition assistance block grants for Puerto Rico and American Samoa and requires the amounts to be modified based on adjustments to the low-cost food plan.

Rural Septic Tank Access Act

United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2018

Rural Septic Tank Access Act This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to reauthorize and modify the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Household Water Well System Grant Program. (Under current law, the program awards grants for private nonprofit organizations to provide loans to eligible individuals for the construction, refurbishing, and servicing of individual household water well systems that are or will be owned by the eligible individuals in rural areas.) The bill modifies the program to: prohibit the household income of an eligible individual from exceeding 60% (currently 100%) of the median nonmetropolitan household income, require grant recipients to provide subgrants to eligible individuals instead of loans, authorize subgrants for household decentralized wastewater systems, and limit the amount of each subgrant provided to an individual to $20,000 for each water well system or decentralized wastewater system. In the event of well water contamination, USDA must allow a subgrant to be used to install water treatment measures as needed beyond the point of entry, with or without the installation of new well equipment.

Providing for further consideration of the bill (H.R. 2) to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2018

Sets forth the rule for consideration of H.R. 2 (Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018).

Whole Farm Crop Insurance Improvement Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018

Whole Farm Crop Insurance Improvement Act of 2018 This bill modifies requirements for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) crop insurance policy, which covers all commodities on a farm under a single policy. The bill requires USDA to: expand coverage for beginning farmers under the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program to allow the farmers to develop the revenue history necessary to qualify for WFRP; allow insurance providers to use alternative compensation structures based on the time necessary to write and administer the plans; ensure that that all producers, including producers with expected revenue from an operation that is greater than 35% of the revenue for the previous year, are able to obtain coverage; and reduce paperwork requirements for the program.

Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5698) to amend title 18, United States Code, to punish criminal offenses targeting law enforcement officers, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (S. 2372) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide outer burial receptacles for remains buried in National Parks, and for other purposes; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2) to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023, and for other purposes.

United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018

Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5698) to amend title 18, United States Code, to punish criminal offenses targeting law enforcement officers, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (S. 2372) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide outer burial receptacles for remains buried in National Parks, and for other purposes; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2) to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023.

Assist Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018

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.

Assist Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2018

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.

KITTEN Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2018

Kittens In Traumatic Testing Ends Now Act of 2018 or the KITTEN Act of 2018 This bill amends the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the Department of Agriculture from using cats in experiments that may cause pain or stress, unless the pain or stress is a result of a physical exam or training program.

Mindy Brashears, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety, vice Elisabeth Ann Hagen, resigned.

United States · United States Senate · 10 May 2018

Growing Value-Added Economies Act

United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018

Growing Value-Added Economies Act This bill amends the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 to reauthorize and modify the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Value-Added Producer Grants Program. (The program provides grants for the development and marketing of value-added agricultural products, which are products that have increased in value due to processing.) The bill modifies the program to require USDA to: establish independent external review panels to review and evaluate each eligible application based on merit and relevance, develop and implement an outreach and technical assistance strategy, and provide for periodic evaluations that measure the impact of the program and the impact of projects on achieving the purposes of the program. The bill also: (1) provides mandatory funding for the program; and (2) prohibits more than 5% of the total annual funding for the program from being used for administrative expenses, program evaluation, outreach, and technical assistance.

Recognizing the National Association of Letter Carriers' one-day food drive.

United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018

Recognizes the National Association of Letter Carriers' one-day food drive and honors the association for its community service and philanthropic efforts.

Wetland Delineation Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018

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.

A bill to amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to improve the calculation of county-level agriculture risk coverage payments.

United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018

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.

Farm to Food Bank Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018

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.

Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018

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.

New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018

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.)

Local Cheese Promotion and Dairy Support Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2018

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.

Enhancing Law Enforcement Resources Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2018

Enhancing Law Enforcement Resources Act of 2018 This bill amends the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to allow state agencies administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) to disclose a household member's address, Social Security number, and photograph to a law enforcement officer who provides the member's household electronic benefit transfer card number to locate or apprehend the member for specified law enforcement purposes and as an official duty.

Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act

United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2018

Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act This bill rescinds approximately $15 billion in budget authority over 2018-2028 that was proposed to be rescinded by the President under procedures included in the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. (A rescission is legislation enacted by Congress that cancels the availability of previously enacted budget authority before the authority would otherwise expire. Under current law, the President may propose rescissions to Congress, which must be enacted into law to take effect. Congress may rescind all, part, or none of the amounts proposed by the President. If Congress does not pass rescission legislation within 45 days of continuous session of Congress, the President must make the funds available.) The bill rescinds budget authority from specified programs and accounts within: the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, the Department of State, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Department of Transportation, the Department of the Treasury, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Railroad Retirement Board.

Cultivating Resources, Opportunity, Prosperity, and Sustainability (CROPS) for Indian Country Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2018

Cultivating Resources, Opportunity, Prosperity, and Sustainability (CROPS) for Indian Country Act This bill provides support to Indian tribes on matters relating to agriculture and forestry, including by establishing a demonstration project under which the Department of Agriculture (USDA) may enter into self-determination contracts with Indian tribes to plan, conduct, or administer functions, services, or activities of tribal forest protection or food distribution programs of USDA.

Combating Lead Poisoning Through Nutrition Education Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2018

Combating Lead Poisoning Through Nutrition Education Act of 2018 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to carry out a nutrition education program to support and award grants for community-wide messaging and outreach on: (1) the harmful impacts of lead exposure; and (2) the important role nutrition plays in a diet protective against lead exposure, especially for children.

Acer Access and Development Program Reauthorization Act

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2018

Acer Access and Development Program Reauthorization Act This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to reauthorize the Acer Access and Development Program through FY2023. (The Department of Agriculture program provides grants to states, tribal governments, and research institutions to promote the domestic maple syrup industry.)

VAWA Protections for Rural Women Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2018

VAWA Protections for Rural Women Act of 2018 This bill amends the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) to include rural development housing voucher assistance provided by the Department of Agriculture as a covered housing program subject to VAWA protections (e.g., the prohibition on denial or termination of housing assistance based on the fact that an applicant or tenant is a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking).

WHOLE MILK Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018

Wholesome Healthy Original Lactic Excellence Making Intelligent Literate Kids Act or the WHOLE MILK Act This bill amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to allow schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to serve unflavored whole milk.

President Trump's Farm Bill Reforms Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018

President Trump's Farm Bill Reforms Act of 2018 This bill modifies several Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs to reduce farm subsidies and revise eligibility requirements. The bill includes provisions that: reduce crop insurance premium subsidies; eliminate the separate payment limitation for peanuts; terminate the use of commodity certificates to pay off marketing assistance loans; eliminate crop insurance premium subsidies and payments under conservation and commodity programs for farms with annual adjusted gross incomes that exceed $500,000; prohibit more than one person in a farming operation from qualifying as a farm manager actively engaged in farming for the purposes of receiving payments under USDA commodity programs; and limit the average rate of return for private insurance companies participating in the Federal Crop Insurance Program to 12% of retained premiums.

Farmers CARE Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018

Farmers Conserving Agricultural Resources through EQIP Act or the Farmers CARE Act This bill reauthorizes and modifies 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 expands and modifies the purposes of the program. It also includes modifications that: increase payments for certain land management and vegetative practices that result in highly cost-effective treatment of priority resource concerns; prohibit payments for large confined animal feeding operations to construct an animal waste management facility or any associated waste transport or transfer device; repeal the allocation of funding for practices relating to livestock production; increase the allocation of funding for practices relating to improving fish and wildlife habitat; specify an allocation of funding for producers who participate in an independent animal welfare certification program; add payments for certain practices that promote ground and surface water conservation; remove the payment limitation for practices related to organic production; add payments for certain conservation practices related to antibiotic use and pasture-based production systems; prioritize applications that address priority resource concerns identified by USDA; and reduce the limitation on total EQIP payments.

Community Wood Energy Innovation Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018

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.

Food Donation Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018

Food Donation Act of 201 8 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.

A bill to amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to modify provisions relating to the household water well system grant program.

United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018

This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to reauthorize and modify the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Household Water Well System Grant Program. (Under current law, the program awards grants for private nonprofit organizations to provide loans to eligible individuals for the construction, refurbishing, and servicing of individual household water well systems that are or will be owned by the eligible individuals in rural areas.) The bill modifies the program to: prohibit the household income of an eligible individual from exceeding 60% (currently 100%) of the median nonmetropolitan household income, require grant recipients to provide subgrants to eligible individuals instead of loans, authorize subgrants for household decentralized wastewater systems, and limit the amount of each subgrant provided to an individual to $20,000 for each water well system or decentralized wastewater system. In the event of well water contamination, USDA must allow a subgrant to be used to install water treatment measures as needed beyond the point of entry, with or without the installation of new well equipment.

Next Generation in Agriculture Act

United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2018

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).

Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2018

Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Act of 2018 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish a Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Trust Fund; and (2) increase the corporate income tax rate to 24.5% to provide revenues for programs created by this bill. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture must allocate funds from the trust fund to clean water programs, drinking water programs, and water well systems. The bill amends Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to authorize the EPA to make grants for providing technical assistance for water and sanitation infrastructure and drinking water systems to rural and small municipalities and tribal governments. The EPA must establish a grant program for repairing, replacing, or upgrading septic tanks and drainage fields. The bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to make permanent a grant program for household water well systems in rural areas. The bill revises requirements concerning the clean water state revolving fund (SRF) and the drinking water SRF. The bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the EPA to make grants to local educational agencies for: (1) infrastructure to ensure that drinking water in schools is lead free, and (2) testing drinking water in schools for lead.

Agriculture Risk Coverage Improvement and Innovation Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2018

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.

James E. Hubbard, of Colorado, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, vice Robert Bonnie, resigned.

United States · United States Senate · 24 April 2018

AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019

United States · United States Senate · 24 April 2018

National FFA Organization's Federal Charter Amendments Act

United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2018

National FFA Organization's Federal Charter Amendments Act This bill revises the charter of the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America). Such revisions include (1) making it a purpose of the organization to be an integral component of agricultural, food, and natural resources education, and (2) removing the Secretary of Education as the chair of the National FFA Board of Directors.

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2018

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."

SNAP for Kids Act of 2018

United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2018

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.