Legislative Activity

The Fraud Accountability and Recovery Act aims to combat large-scale fraud against the U.S. government by penalizing foreign countries that refuse to extradite convicted fraudsters or fail to assist in recovering stolen federal funds. This bill mandates the suspension of U.S. foreign assistance to non-cooperative nations, though the President retains a national security waiver. Furthermore, it requires the Secretary of State to annually report on noncompliant countries and the amount of lost U.S. funds tied to their inaction.

This bill amends the National Defense Authorization Act to modify and extend the required annual report on military and security developments involving the People's Republic of China. It mandates the inclusion of more specific details, such as China's nuclear and drone cooperation, foreign farmland acquisitions, and strategic conflict planning regarding Taiwan. Furthermore, this legislation extends the requirement for producing this comprehensive report until January 31, 2030.

The Agriculture Skills Preparation for Industry Recruitment Efforts (ASPIRE) Act establishes a new grant program managed by the Secretary of Agriculture to fund specialized workforce training in agriculture. These grants will enable eligible schools to partner with industry to develop hands-on programs, internships, and technical workshops. The goal is to enhance the agricultural workforce by ensuring training directly meets industry needs and supports worker recruitment.

The American Protein Processing Modernization Act establishes a formal, time-bound process for meat and poultry plants to request faster USDA inspection rates, known as "alternate inspection rates." The Secretary of Agriculture must respond to these requests within 90 days, with automatic approval if the deadline is missed. This legislation also outlines clear procedures for maintaining, revoking, or reinstating these faster inspection rates based on ongoing food safety compliance.

This bill authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into a lease for a new Vet Center in Mankato, Minnesota. The authorization permits spending up to \$1,400,000 for this lease agreement. This authority is specifically available for fiscal years 2025 through 2026, contingent upon the availability of appropriations.

The Next Generation Farmer Act significantly lowers the experience requirement for certain farm loan applicants from three years to just one year. Furthermore, it allows the Secretary to waive this new one-year requirement for qualified beginning farmers who have relevant management experience as hired labor or who have secured a commitment from an approved mentor. This legislation aims to make federal farm loans more accessible to new agricultural producers.

This bill seeks to formally codify Executive Order 14305 into permanent federal law. By doing so, the provisions established in the order regarding the restoration of American airspace sovereignty will become legally binding statutes. This action elevates a presidential directive to the status of established law.

The Save SBA from Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025 mandates the relocation of Small Business Administration (SBA) offices situated in designated "sanctuary jurisdictions." If an office is not moved within 120 days of being identified, it must cease operations and its employees reassigned. The bill also prohibits the establishment of any new SBA offices in these jurisdictions.

The FARMER Act adjusts federal premium support for certain whole-farm and enterprise-unit crop insurance plans, setting specific subsidy percentages for those options. It also increases the government's premium subsidy rate for the supplemental coverage option from 65% to 80%. Finally, the bill mandates a study on expanding the geographic scope of this supplemental coverage option.

The LAST ACRE Act of 2025 establishes a new federal program to deliver high-speed, precision agriculture connectivity to the most remote and underserved farmland. This program will provide competitive grants and loans to broadband providers to ensure eligible agricultural land receives at least 100/20 Mbps service. Additionally, the bill mandates updates to key agricultural surveys to accurately track broadband adoption and speed on farms nationwide.

The "Prove It Act of 2025" aims to reduce regulatory burdens on small businesses by requiring agencies to consider indirect costs when creating new rules, allowing small businesses to petition for reviews of agency certifications, and mandating agencies to publish guidance documents and allow comments on rules with a significant economic impact on small businesses. Additionally, the Act amends the periodic review process for rules, requiring agencies to consider indirect costs and providing a mechanism for the Small Business Administration to address rules not reviewed within a 10-year period. The Act specifies that no additional funds will be allocated for its implementation.

The Producer and Agricultural Credit Enhancement Act of 2025 significantly increases the maximum loan amounts available through federal farm ownership and operating loan programs, effective in fiscal year 2025. The bill also updates the calculation method for inflation adjustments in rural development programs and raises the cap for agricultural microloans from $\$50,000$ to $\$100,000$. Finally, it establishes conditions under which distressed FSA guaranteed loans may be refinanced into direct loans, provided the operation has a reasonable chance of success.

The Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2025 aims to bolster the cybersecurity of the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector by requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct regular risk assessments of cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. It also mandates annual cross-sector crisis simulation exercises to assess preparedness, identify gaps, and improve coordination in the food supply chain. These exercises will involve government and private sector entities, with reports submitted to Congress to enhance cybersecurity and resilience in the agriculture and food sector. Finally, the Act authorizes $1,000,000 per fiscal year from 2026 through 2030 to carry out the simulation exercises.

This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to implement or enforce the Food and Drug Administration's final rule regarding the regulation of laboratory developed tests as medical devices.

The GRAIN DRY Act amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to allow agricultural producers to construct or upgrade storage facilities for propane used in agricultural production. This expansion of the USDA's Farm Storage Facility Loan Program aims to support the infrastructure needs of farmers.

The "Farm Credit Administration Independent Authority Act" affirms the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) as the sole regulator of the Farm Credit System. It requires Farm Credit System lenders to collect and report demographic data from small farmer loan applicants and borrowers, with the FCA responsible for publishing this data while protecting personal information. The Act also exempts Farm Credit System institutions from certain regulations if related rules are invalidated or repealed. Finally, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act is amended to specify that the entities supervised by the Farm Credit Administration are exempt.

The "Protecting Infrastructure Investments for Rural America Act" amends the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program to prioritize smaller communities. It lowers the population threshold for eligible areas, expands project eligibility to include those that improve economic development and quality of life, and ensures a significant portion of funds are allocated to projects in the smallest communities. The bill also sets a higher federal cost share for projects within these small communities.