Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies – Member Day

This was a member day hearing held by the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies on March 27, 2026. Members testified on funding priorities for the fiscal year 2027 appropriations bill, emphasizing support for farmers, rural communities, and food assistance programs. Key procurement-related requests included full funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), the Farm to School Grant Program ($18 million), Specialty Crop Research Initiative and Block Grant programs, and $10 million for the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. There were also requests for $60 million for School Kitchen Equipment Grants with a lowered minimum procurement threshold to $1,000 to enable schools to purchase needed equipment. Other notable funding requests included $2.637 million for four new fire trucks in rural New Jersey, $2.7 million for flood control sluice gates, and $16 million for the USDA AgResearch National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture construction. Members also urged robust funding for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) at $500 million, the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA), and the BioPreferred program to support bio-based product markets. Concerns were raised about hemp policy provisions and the need for equitable specialty crop block grant distribution. The committee acknowledged these priorities and indicated they would consider them in drafting the FY 2027 appropriations bill.