[House Report 117-82]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress     }                                  {        Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session       }                                  {        117-82

======================================================================



 
   AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2022

                                _______
                                

 July 2, 2021.--Commmitted to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

     Mr. Bishop of Georgia, from the Committee on Appropriations, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                             together with

                             MINORITY VIEWS

                        [To accompany H.R. 4356]

    The Committee on Appropriations submits the following 
report in explanation of the accompanying bill making 
appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 
Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for fiscal year 2022.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Title I--Agricultural Programs...................................     3
Title II--Farm Production and Conservation Programs..............    49
Title III--Rural Development Programs............................    62
Title IV--Domestic Food Programs.................................    78
Title V--Foreign Assistance and Related Programs.................    86
Title VI--Related Agencies and Food and Drug Administration......    89
Title VII--General Provisions....................................   107

                                OVERVIEW

    The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee has 
jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
except for the Forest Service, the Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the 
Farm Credit Administration (FCA). The Subcommittee's 
responsibility covers issues that impact Americans every day of 
the year.
    The fiscal year 2022 discretionary spending in this bill 
totals $26,550,000,000, $2,851,000,000 above the fiscal year 
2021 enacted level and $297,000,000 below the President's 
budget request for fiscal year 2022.
    In this report, ``the Committees'' refers to the Committees 
on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 
Senate.
    The Subcommittee held eight hearings related to the 
agencies it funds. Those hearings were:
          1. USDA Inspector General--February 25, 2021
          2. FDA's Foreign Inspection Program--March 9, 2021
          3. The Rural Economy--March 24, 2021
          4. The U.S. Department of Agriculture--The Year 
        Ahead--April 14, 2021
          5. Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services--April 20, 
        2021
          6. USDA Rural Development Mission Area--May 6, 2021
          7. USDA Research, Education and Economics Mission 
        Area--May 12, 2021
          8. Member Day--May 18, 2021
    Advertising Expenditures.--The Committee believes that, as 
the largest advertiser in the United States, the federal 
government should work to ensure fair access to its advertising 
contracts for small disadvantaged businesses and businesses 
owned by minorities and women. The Committee directs each 
department and agency to include the following information in 
its fiscal year 2023 budget justification: expenditures for 
fiscal year 2021 and expected expenditures for fiscal years 
2022 and 2023 for (1) all contracts for advertising services; 
and (2) contracts for the advertising services of socially and 
economically disadvantaged small businesses concerns (as 
defined in section 8(a)(4) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
637 (a)(4)); and women- and minority-owned businesses.
    Foundations of Evidence-Based Policymaking Act and OPEN 
Government Data Act.--The Committee directs USDA to inform the 
Committee on the implementation of the Foundations of Evidence-
Based Policymaking Act of 2018 and the OPEN Government Data Act 
(P.L. 115-435) and the progress being made across USDA agencies 
to comply with this legislation.
    Training Programs.--The Committee notes that the Commerce, 
Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2022 
directs the Attorney General to continue efforts to implement 
training programs to cover the use of force and de-escalation, 
racial profiling, implicit bias, and procedural justice, to 
include training on the duty of Federal law enforcement 
officers to intervene in cases where another law enforcement 
officer is using excessive force, and make such training a 
requirement for Federal law enforcement officers. The Committee 
further notes that several Departments and agencies funded by 
this Act employ Federal law enforcement officers and are 
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers partner organizations. 
The Committee directs such Departments and agencies to adopt 
and follow the training programs implemented by the Attorney 
General, and to make such training a requirement for its 
Federal law enforcement officers. The Committee further directs 
such Departments and agencies to brief the Committees on their 
efforts relating to training no later than 90 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act.
    In addition, the Committee directs such Departments and 
agencies, to the extent that such Departments and agencies have 
not already done so, to submit their use of force data to the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)'s National Use of Force 
Data Collection database. The Committee further directs such 
Departments and agencies to brief the Committees no later than 
90 days after the date of enactment of this Act on their 
current efforts to tabulate and submit their use of force data 
to the FBI.
    Performance Measures.--The Committee directs USDA and FDA 
to comply with title 31 of the United States Code, including 
the development of their organizational priority goals and 
outcomes such as performance outcome measures, output measures, 
efficiency measures, and customer service measures. The 
Committee looks forward to receiving the briefing requested in 
House Report 116-107.

                                TITLE I


                         AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS


                   Processing, Research and Marketing


                        Office of the Secretary


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $46,998,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        86,773,000
Provided in the bill..................................        64,755,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +17,757,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       -22,018,000
 

    The following table reflects the amount provided by the 
Committee for each office and activity:

                         [Dollars in thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          FY 2021    FY 2022   Committee
                                          enacted    estimate  provision
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office of the Secretary................      5,101     14,801     10,203
Office of Homeland Security............      1,324     13,429      4,749
Office of Tribal Relations.............      - - -      2,860      2,860
Office of Partnerships and Public            7,002     13,294      9,294
 Engagement............................
Office of the Assistant Secretary for          881      1,399      1,649
 Administration........................
Departmental Administration............     21,440     26,001     24,036
Office of the Assistant Secretary for        3,908      4,480      4,480
 Congressional Relations and
 Intergovernmental Affairs.............
Office of Communications...............      7,342     10,509      7,484
                                        --------------------------------
    Total, Office of the Secretary.....     46,998     86,773     64,755
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of the Secretary, the Committee provides an 
appropriation of $64,755,000.
    Similar to prior years, the Committee does not include 
direct funding for activities that are currently funded through 
other resources such as the Working Capital Fund or that have 
historically been funded through other means.
    The Committee provides a total of $2,860,000 for the Office 
of Tribal Relations, including an increase of $1,845,000 for 
additional staff.
    The Committee provides $9,294,000 for the Office of 
Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE), including an 
increase of $750,000 for additional staff. The Committee 
strongly supports the Outreach and Assistance for Socially 
Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and 
Ranchers program and provides an increase of $2,500,000 for 
grants to aid in increasing the accessibility of USDA programs 
to underserved constituents, specifically assistance to 
underrepresented and underserved producers, agricultural 
workers, and communities. OPPE is directed to use not more than 
five percent of this sum for administrative costs. In addition, 
the bill provides $5,000,000 for the Farming Opportunities 
Training and Outreach Program as authorized by the 2018 Farm 
Bill. This funding is in addition to the $40,000,000 in total 
mandatory funds available in 2022.
    The Committee provides an increase of $2,254,000 for 
Departmental Administration for additional staff.
    Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander 
(AAPI) Participation. The Committee urges the Secretary to 
draft and implement a plan to collect disaggregated data on the 
numbers of AAPI farmers applying to and participating in the 
Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and 
Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers program, as well as 
the percentage of AAPI farmers benefiting from loan forgiveness 
as part of the American Rescue Plan, and to submit a report to 
the Committee within 250 days of the enactment of this Act.
    California Drought Assistance.--In California, many regions 
of the state have been deemed to be in severe, extreme, or 
exceptional drought condition. On March 5, 2021, the Secretary 
designated 50 counties in California as primary natural 
disaster areas due to a recent drought. The Committee endorses 
the objective process used by USDA in the Secretarial drought 
designation and encourages the Secretary to use emergency and 
non-emergency authorities already in law to the maximum extent 
possible to assist these agricultural producers during the 
ongoing drought. The Secretary is also encouraged to use his 
authorities to assist agricultural producers experiencing 
similar conditions elsewhere in the country.
    Climate Change Funding.--The Committee provides a total of 
$347,400,000 for various offices and agencies to support USDA's 
efforts in addressing the climate change crisis, specifically 
on how it affects American farmers and rural communities. 
Funding is provided for new investments across USDA to focus on 
climate change research and assessment; measurement and 
monitoring; greenhouse gas emissions mitigation; carbon 
sequestration; and clean energy technologies. Given that these 
are new initiatives, the Committee awaits a carefully developed 
and articulated plan with more specificities than available in 
the budget and looks forward to working with USDA on this 
issue.
    Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Report.--The Committee 
directs the Secretary to provide a report on November 15, 2021, 
and May 15, 2022, on planned uses of funding under the 
authorities of Section 4 and Section 11 of the CCC Charter Act.
    CCC Obligations and Commitments.--The Secretary is directed 
to notify the Committees in writing 15 days prior to any 
announcement on the use of funds from the CCC or to the 
obligation or commitment of any emergency funds from the CCC.
    Communication from USDA.--A collaborative working 
relationship between the Committee and USDA is necessary to 
ensure efficient and effective implementation of Congress' 
funding decisions. USDA is directed to ensure that the 
Committee is notified of major changes to existing policies and 
any significant developments in its operations, before 
providing non-governmental stakeholders such information, 
before making the changes public and before implementing them.
    COVID-19 and Farmworkers.--The living and working 
conditions of farmworkers make them extremely vulnerable to 
COVID-19 exposure and illness. The Committee directs the 
Secretary to ensure that funding provided for COVID-19 
addresses the extreme needs in farmworker communities.
    Customer Service.--The Committee continues to support 
efforts to improve customer service in accordance with 
Executive Order 13571. The Committee directs the Secretary to 
develop standards to improve customer service and incorporate 
the standards into the performance plans required under 31 
U.S.C. 1115 and to update the Committee of its efforts in this 
regard.
    Emissions Reduction Plan.--The Committee directed USDA to 
submit a report not later than 180 days after the enactment of 
the fiscal year 2021 bill outlining its plans to reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions. The Committee looks forward to 
receiving the report.
    ERS/NIFA Move.--It has been almost exactly two years since 
the previous Secretary announced his decision to relocate the 
Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of 
Food and Agriculture (NIFA) outside the greater Washington, 
D.C. area. Despite objections from the Committee, members of 
the House and Senate, numerous current and former staff of both 
agencies, and stakeholders who depend on the information and 
support provided by each agency, the Department relocated both 
agencies, starting in the summer of 2019. One of the stated 
reasons for the move was to improve the Department's ability to 
attract and retain highly qualified staff. At the time of the 
relocation announcement, both ERS and NIFA each had close to 
300 employees. Today, the total number of employees for each 
agency is still below 75 percent of total capacity. ERS and 
NIFA remain shells of their former selves and the loss of 
institutional knowledge each agency has suffered will take 
years to overcome. The Committee urges the Secretary in the 
strongest possible terms to take whatever actions are necessary 
to restore these agencies to their full employment levels.
    Explanatory Notes.--The Committee appreciates the 
Department's work to restore the Explanatory Notes to the same 
format as they had been presented prior to fiscal year 2021 and 
directs that this format be maintained for fiscal year 2023 and 
beyond.
    Grain Terminals.--The Committee notes the ongoing contract 
negotiations between West Coast grain terminal operators and 
the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and recognizes 
the importance of reaching an agreement that works for both 
parties. A failure to reach an agreement could result in an 
interruption in grain terminal service that would negatively 
impact the nation's grain exports. The Committee urges all 
parties to continue negotiating in good faith to ensure an 
equitable outcome for both grain terminal operators and their 
workers is expeditiously reached.
    Hemp.--The Committee is concerned that the level of 
allowable THC content in hemp may be arbitrary and pose a 
burden on hemp producers that is not supported by science. The 
Committee directs USDA to work with the U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Drug Enforcement 
Administration (DEA) to study and report to Congress on whether 
there is scientific basis for the current limit of .3% THC in 
hemp and suggest alternative levels if necessary.
    The 2018 Farm Bill included a provision that restricted 
participation in legalized hemp production of any individual 
convicted of a drug-related felony for 10 years after their 
date of conviction, unless they are part of a hemp pilot 
program authorized by the 2014 farm bill. This drug felony ban 
will disproportionately impact communities of color and create 
another barrier to entry in the hemp industry to populations 
targeted by past drug policies. The Committee directs USDA to 
identify barriers to entry for communities of color and provide 
recommendations on how to ensure communities of color have 
equal access and opportunity to participate in the hemp 
industry.
    Hemp Extract Regulation.--The Committee is concerned about 
the inconsistencies in the regulation of the production of hemp 
by USDA and DEA. Congress vested primary regulatory authority 
in USDA and expects other regulatory actions to align with it. 
Congress intentionally expanded the definition of hemp to 
include derivatives, extracts and cannabinoids in an effort to 
avoid the criminalization of hemp processing. Committee 
understands that in-process hemp extract may temporarily exceed 
the delta-9 THC concentration of 0.3% before being packaged and 
sold as a finished product for consumption. Therefore the 
Committee directs USDA to coordinate directly with the DEA to 
present the industry with guidance and information on in-
process extracted material.
    Linking Food and Health.--The Committee understands that 
many chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, 
arthritis and inflammatory diseases, and maternal health and 
child development can be managed cost effectively by improved 
nutrition. The Committee understands that the Agricultural 
Research Service (ARS) five-year plan includes work on how 
culturally appropriate, food-based solutions can improve health 
outcomes and save money. The Committee encourages USDA to keep 
working closely with the Department of Health and Human 
Services on these issues.
    Loan and Grant Programs.--The Committee directs that if an 
estimate of loan activity for any program funded in Titles II 
and III of this bill indicates that a limitation on authority 
to make commitments for a fiscal year will be reached before 
the end of that fiscal year, or in any event when 75 percent of 
the authority to make commitments has been utilized, the 
Secretary shall promptly notify the Committees through the 
Office of Budget and Program Analysis (OBPA). The Committee 
directs the Department, through OBPA, to provide quarterly 
reports to the Committees on the status of obligations and 
funds availability for the loan and grant programs provided in 
this bill.
    Military Service.--The Committee is concerned that 71% of 
Americans between the ages of 17 to 24 are ineligible for 
military service because of obesity, mental and other physical 
health issues, or substance abuse. The Committee recognizes 
that federal support for childhood nutrition, food security, 
physical education, mental and physical health, and substance 
abuse prevention will benefit all Americans, including those 
Americans who intend to serve in the Armed Forces. The 
Committee encourages the Secretary to work with the Secretaries 
of Defense and HHS to help assist in communicating nutritional 
standards to state local, and tribal government for children 
attending early childhood programs and K-12 schools.
    National Finance Center.--The National Finance Center (NFC) 
is the largest designated Federal Government Payroll Shared 
Service Provider and it provides integrated payroll and 
personnel services for over 640,000 Federal employees. To 
ensure that thousands of Federal employees' pay and human 
resources services are not interrupted or adversely impacted by 
major organizational changes, the Committee maintains the 
requirements under current law relating to NFC payroll and 
shared services operations, missions, personnel, and functions. 
The Committee also directs USDA to provide quarterly reports on 
full-time equivalent (FTE) levels for each of the current NFC 
divisions, operations, and functions, as well as each of the 
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) and Office of the 
Chief Information Officer (OCIO) divisions, operations, and 
functions currently co-located with the NFC. The reports also 
are to include a detailed breakdown of the FTEs for each and 
any of these same divisions, functions, or operations for the 
NFC and the co-located OCFO and OCIO functions compared to 
those during fiscal year 2017 and 2018.
    Native Plant Use Preference.--The Committee continues to 
support the use of locally adapted native plant materials in 
the undertaking of land management activity on Federal lands 
under the jurisdiction of USDA, including in maintenance and in 
restoration in response to degradation caused by human activity 
or natural events (such as fire, flood, or infestation). The 
Committee continues to direct that it be the policy of USDA 
that preference shall be given, to the extent practicable, to 
the use of locally adapted native plant materials in these 
cases.
    New Initiatives.--The Committee requests USDA, no later 
than 120 days after enactment, to submit an execution plan for 
each new initiative funded in this Act. This strategy should 
include, but is not limited to, the steps necessary to make 
funding available, the timeline thereof, targeted 
beneficiaries, and expected results. The Committee requests 
quarterly reports on these initiatives until the initiative has 
been fully implemented.
    Notification Requirements.--The Committee reminds the 
Department that the Committee uses the definitions for 
transfer, reprogramming, and program, project, and activity as 
defined by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). As noted 
in the 2021 Joint Explanatory Statement, a program, project, or 
activity (PPA) is an element within a budget account. PPAs are 
identified by reference to include the most specific level of 
budget items identified in the Agriculture, Rural Development, 
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Act, 2021, 
accompanying Committee reports, explanatory statements, and 
budget justifications. The Committee notes that the most 
specific level of budget items in the USDA budget 
justifications is not limited to tables titled ``Project 
Statement''.
    Pacific Ants.--The Committee requests APHIS, ARS, and the 
Forest Service to provide a report, within 90 days of enactment 
of this Act, on the Biosecurity Plan for Invasive Ants in the 
Pacific. The report should describe components of the plan 
related to (1) research; (2) the development of technologies 
and methodologies for prevention, eradication, and control of 
invasive ants; and (3) the collaborative implementation of 
projects to prevent, monitor, and control invasive ants in 
affected Pacific islands.
    Pay Costs.--The Committee provides the requested pay cost 
and FERS costs for all offices and agencies of USDA funded in 
this bill.
    Protecting Animals with Shelter Grants Program.--The 
Committee provides $3,000,000 for the program. It directs the 
Secretary of Agriculture to continue coordinating with other 
federal agencies to efficiently implement the grant program for 
providing emergency and transitional shelter options for 
domestic violence survivors with companion animals.
    Spending Plans.--The bill continues a provision in Title 
VII that requires USDA to submit spending plans to the 
Committee within 30 days of enactment. Previous versions of 
these plans have not included adequate details that would be 
useful for Committee oversight. The Committee requests that the 
USDA spending plans include for each program, project, or 
activity: (1) a comparison between the congressional budget 
justification funding levels, the most recent congressional 
directives or approved funding levels, and the funding levels 
proposed by the department or agency; and (2) a clear, concise, 
and informative description/justification. The Committee 
reminds USDA of notification requirements, also included in 
Title VII, for all applicable changes.
    Status of House and Senate Report Language.--The Department 
is directed to include in its fiscal year 2023 Congressional 
Justification, as a single exhibit, a table listing all 
deliverables, with a column for due dates if applicable. OBPA 
is directed to provide updates on the status of House and 
Senate reports upon request from the Committees.
    USDA-owned Vehicles.--The Committee continues to await the 
report requested in the fiscal year 2020 report on how the 
Department plans to better manage its vehicle fleet.

                          Executive Operations


                     OFFICE OF THE CHIEF ECONOMIST

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $24,192,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        31,050,000
Provided in the bill..................................        26,399,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +2,207,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        -4,651,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of the Chief Economist, the Committee 
provides $26,399,000, including $500,000 for the food loss 
coordinator position. The Committee maintains the base funding 
for the National Drought Mitigation Center in the amount of 
$3,800,000, including the increase of $500,0000 appropriated in 
fiscal year 2021 for the National Drought Monitor.
    While there has been significant effort to raise public 
awareness surrounding food loss and waste, there has been less 
focus on recommending solutions that can be easily implemented 
by consumers. The Committee recommends that USDA enter into a 
public-private partnership, similar to the Partnership for Food 
Safety Education, to provide consumer-facing outreach on food 
loss and waste and prevention strategies.

                     OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $15,394,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        16,173,000
Provided in the bill..................................        16,173,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................          +779,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of Hearings and Appeals, the Committee 
provides $16,173,000.

                 OFFICE OF BUDGET AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................        $9,629,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        12,760,000
Provided in the bill..................................        12,760,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +3,131,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of Budget and Program Analysis, the 
Committee provides $12,760,000.

                Office of the Chief Information Officer


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $66,814,000
2022 budget estimate..................................       101,001,000
Provided in the bill..................................        84,746,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +17,932,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       -16,255,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of the Chief Information Officer, the 
Committee provides an appropriation of $84,746,000, including 
an increase of $17,473,000 to fully fund cyber security costs. 
In addition, $12,000,000 is provided in Title VII of the bill 
for the remaining costs of the Goodfellow move. Similar to 
prior years, the Committee does not include direct funding for 
activities currently funded through other resources such as the 
Working Capital Fund or have historically been funded through 
other means.

                 Office of the Chief Financial Officer


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................        $6,109,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         7,118,000
Provided in the bill..................................         7,118,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +1,009,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, the 
Committee provides an appropriation of $7,118,000. The 
Committee provides the Department more flexibilities by 
expanding the usage of refunds and rebates from purchase cards 
as requested. The Committee urges USDA to prioritize small one-
time projects to maximize the impact of limited resources.

           Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................          $908,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         1,426,000
Provided in the bill..................................         1,426,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................          +518,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 
the Committee provides an appropriation of $1,426,000.

                         Office of Civil Rights


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $22,789,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        29,328,000
Provided in the bill..................................        35,328,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +12,539,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        +6,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of Civil Rights, the Committee provides an 
appropriation of $35,328,000, which includes an increase of 
$6,000,000 over the budget request for the Office's highest 
priority needs.

               Office of Safety, Security, and Protection


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $23,218,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        27,034,000
Provided in the bill..................................        23,306,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................           +88,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        -3,728,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of Safety, Security, and Protection, the 
Committee provides an appropriation of $23,306,000. Similar to 
prior years, the Committee does not include direct funding for 
activities currently funded through other resources such as the 
Working Capital Fund or have historically been funded through 
other means.

                  Agriculture Buildings and Facilities


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................      $108,124,000
2022 budget estimate..................................       133,443,000
Provided in the bill..................................       180,623,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +72,499,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       +47,180,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Agriculture Buildings and Facilities, the Committee 
provides an appropriation of $180,623,000. The Committee 
strongly supports the One Neighborhood Initiative and maintains 
the same funding level as provided since 2020. Including the 
2022 amount, a total of $204,600,000 has been provided for this 
project. As USDA prepares for the return of employees post 
pandemic and develops a plan pursuant to Memorandum 21-25, the 
Committee requests an update on the Initiative and future space 
needs for the Headquarters Complex.

                     Hazardous Materials Management


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................        $6,514,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         6,545,000
Provided in the bill..................................         8,540,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +2,026,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        +1,995,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Hazardous Materials Management, the Committee provides 
an appropriation of $8,540,000. The Committee directs the 
Hazardous Materials Management Program and the Hazardous Waste 
Management Program to coordinate their work to ensure there is 
no duplication.

                      Office of Inspector General


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $99,912,000
2022 budget estimate..................................       106,309,000
Provided in the bill..................................       106,309,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +6,397,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of Inspector General, the Committee provides 
an appropriation of $106,309,000.
    Animal fighting.--The Committee is very concerned about 
illegal animal fighting activity. The OIG is encouraged to 
increase its efforts to combat this illegal activity and to 
investigate animal fighting as soon as it has any evidence of 
such illegal activity. The Committee also encourages the OIG to 
audit and investigate USDA enforcement of the Animal Welfare 
Act, the Horse Protection Act, and the Humane Methods of 
Slaughter Act to help improve compliance with these important 
laws. The OIG is also directed to prioritize completion of the 
Horse Protection Act and Animal Care Program Oversight of 
Breeders audits.

                     Office of the General Counsel


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $45,390,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        60,723,000
Provided in the bill..................................        60,723,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +15,333,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of the General Counsel, the Committee 
provides an appropriation of $60,723,000.

                            Office of Ethics


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................        $4,184,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         4,277,000
Provided in the bill..................................         4,277,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................           +93,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of Ethics, the Committee provides an 
appropriation of $4,277,000.

  Office of the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................          $809,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         6,327,000
Provided in the bill..................................         4,327,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +3,518,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        -2,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of the Under Secretary for Research, 
Education, and Economics, the Committee provides an 
appropriation of $4,327,000.
    1862, 1890, and 1994 Land Grant Institutions.--The 
Committee directs USDA to make every effort to strengthen 
partnerships and expand cooperation between 1862, 1890, and 
1994 Land Grant institutions, wherever regionally appropriate, 
to help close gaps in extension and leverage joint 
collaborative efforts.
    1890 Capacity Building.--The Committee recognizes the 
importance of the 1890s in providing technical assistance and 
outreach to underserved farming populations and directs ARS and 
NIFA to collaborate with agencies in the Rural Development and 
Farm Production and Conservation Mission Areas to help increase 
awareness of USDA farm programs and rural development funding 
opportunities through 1890 extension programs.
    Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority 
(AGARDA).--The Committee notes that Section 7132 of the 2018 
Farm Bill directed the Office of the Chief Scientist to 
complete a strategic plan for AGARDA that demonstrates USDA's 
vision for AGARDA. As the Committee awaits this plan, the 
Committee provides $2,000,000 for the Office of Under Secretary 
for Research, Education, and Economics to further build out the 
planning and management structure of AGARDA and hire staff.
    Food Prescriptions.--The Committee encourages USDA to work 
with local farmers and hospitals/clinics to build or improve on 
food prescription programs to better facilitate a patient's 
ability to attain a food prescription and fill it with a local 
farmer.
    Human Health and Soil Health Study.--The Committee provides 
$1,000,000 for the Secretary to enter into an agreement with 
the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 
within 60 days of the enactment of this Act to conduct an 
analysis of current scientific findings to determine the links 
between human health and soil health by reviewing existing 
research on the connections between the human microbiome and 
soil microbiome and the direct interaction of humans with 
soils, identifying linkages between soil management practices 
and the nutrient density of foods for human consumption, 
determining how to best leverage healthy soil management 
practices to maximize benefits and minimize adverse impacts on 
human health, and exploring areas for future research. A report 
including the study's findings and recommendations shall be 
submitted to the Committee not later than 18 months after the 
date of the enactment of this bill.
    Next Generation Fertilizers.--The Committee supports 
efforts to build on the EPA-USDA Next Gen Fertilizer Challenge 
and support further development and evaluation of better 
fertilizers, including fertilizers with slow release and 
organic components.
    Nutritional Value of Food.--As USDA develops a 
comprehensive innovation strategy for U.S. agriculture, the 
Committee encourages USDA to fund research efforts assessing 
the nutritional value of agricultural crops in a changing 
climate. In addition, the Committee notes the fiscal year 2021 
House report required USDA to create a plan to coordinate 
ongoing and future research efforts at ARS and NIFA related to 
the effects of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels on the 
nutritional value of food through USDA's Agriculture Innovation 
Agenda. The Committee looks forward to reviewing this plan.
    Public Access to Research.--The Committee commends USDA on 
issuing its Implementation Plan to Increase Public Access to 
Results of USDA-funded Scientific Research in November of 2014. 
However, the Committee notes that there is still no 
implementation date. The Committee urges USDA to issue an 
implementation date and continue its efforts to fully develop 
its plan, and requires an update be included in USDA's fiscal 
year 2023 budget request.
    Screening Technologies.--The Committee encourages the 
development of technologies that will provide rapid, portable, 
and facile screening of food fish species at port sites and 
wholesale and retail centers.
    Sustainable Farming Transitions.--The Committee supports 
USDA efforts to help farmers implement more sustainable or 
regenerative farming methods. The Committee encourages USDA to 
further help farmers who are interested to understand the 
costs, necessary upgrades, viability, and profitability of 
these methods.

                       Economic Research Service


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $85,476,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        90,594,000
Provided in the bill..................................        88,594,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +3,118,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        -2,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Economic Research Service (ERS), the Committee 
provides an appropriation of $88,594,000. The Committee 
includes a total increase of $1,118,000 for pay and retirement 
contributions and $2,000,000 for ERS to expand data modeling 
capabilities to enhance its understanding of the impacts of 
climate change on the farm economy and production.
    Agricultural Trade Imports.--The Committee directs ERS to 
study and report back within 120 days of the enactment of this 
Act findings on the top 15 nations, within the last five years, 
from which the United States imports agriculture products. The 
report shall also include the average wages for farmworkers of 
those countries and a discussion, if possible, of health 
benefits, safety regulations, and working conditions of their 
farm labor per commodity to those found in the U.S.
    Benefits of Conservation and Soil Health Practices.--The 
Committee notes that the environmental benefits of 
participating in voluntary conservation practices such as those 
administered by the Farm Service Agency and the Natural 
Resources Conservation Service have been studied but the long-
term economic dividends of these practices are not well 
understood and may not be readily apparent to those who are 
eligible and considering enrollment. The Committee directs ERS 
to produce a study on the relationship between conservation and 
soil health practices, farm financial health, and crop yield 
variability rates. The Committee notes that the fiscal year 
2021 House report directed ERS to produce a study on the 
relationship between conservation and soil health practices as 
they relate to the long-term profitability of farms and crop 
yield variability rates and the Committee looks forward to 
reviewing the results of the study.
    Carbon Sequestration.--The Committee directs ERS to provide 
within one year of the enactment of this Act a report on 
incentive programs for incentivizing carbon sequestration in 
soil through various management practices. The Committee 
encourages ERS to consider how alternative policies or programs 
would manage the tradeoff between inducing new adopters and 
rewarding and sustaining existing adopters of techniques that 
sequester soil carbon, regional and geographic differences in 
incentive programs, social and behavioral obstacles, and the 
differences across program designs.
    Continuous Living Cover.--The Committee directs ERS to 
produce a study on the relationship between continuous living 
cover practices and economic development, which shall include a 
discussion of the demand side of continuous living cover 
practices and potential markets, and the projected long-term 
economic impacts these practices will have on rural economies.
    Cover Cropping and Livestock Integration.--The Committee 
notes that the fiscal year 2021 House report directed ERS to 
produce a study detailing current best practices as well as the 
projected long-term economic impacts for farmers and the 
Committee looks forward to reviewing the results of the study.
    Land Access Report.--The Committee notes ERS is in the 
process of finalizing a report on Land Access in response to 
Section 12607 of the 2018 Farm Bill. The Committee looks 
forward to reviewing the results of this effort.
    Soil Health Experts.--The Committee appreciates ERS' recent 
efforts to hire staff with expertise in soil health, an area of 
continued importance to U.S. farmers and the food and 
agriculture industry.

                National Agricultural Statistics Service


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................      $183,921,000
2022 budget estimate..................................       193,662,000
Provided in the bill..................................       189,175,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +5,254,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        -4,487,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), 
the Committee provides an appropriation of $189,175,000, of 
which $46,850,000 is for the Census of Agriculture. The 
Committee includes a total of $2,191,000 for pay and retirement 
contributions and $2,000,000 to expand the existing geospatial 
program to provide more information on the impact of critical 
weather events. The Committee strongly supports efforts to 
contribute to baseline data for climate change tracking. 
However, the budget request for this activity did not provide 
sufficient information to support the funding. The Committee 
requests NASS to better highlight where gaps in the data exist 
and how NASS proposes to supplement ongoing efforts. The 
Committee expects NASS to continue its ongoing activities at 
the frequency levels assumed in fiscal year 2021, including 
Acreage, Crop Production and Grain Stocks; Barley acreage and 
production estimates; the Bee and Honey Program; the Chemical 
Use Data Series; the Floriculture Crops Report; and Fruit and 
Vegetable Reports, including in-season forecasts for non-citrus 
fruit and tree nut crops such as pecans.
    Agri-Tourism Study.--The Committee directs NASS to plan to 
conduct as a follow-on study to the census of agriculture 
conducted in the calendar year 2022 under section 2 of the 
Census of Agriculture Act of 1997 (7 U.S.C. 2204g) to collect 
additional information on the census related to agritourism, 
including information about educational experiences, outdoor 
recreation, entertainment and special events, direct sales, 
entertainment, accommodations, other as determined by the 
Secretary.
    Data Collection on Urban, Indoor, and Emerging Agricultural 
Production.--The Committee directs NASS to continue its 
outreach to stakeholders to develop a better understanding of 
how to collect more accurate information on urban, indoor, and 
emerging agricultural production. The Committee recognizes that 
the current census of agriculture definition may not fully 
address the landscape and scope of urban agriculture across the 
Nation. The new information will be critical to the policy 
development and outreach carried out by the Office of Urban 
Agriculture and Innovative Production. The Committee requests 
NASS to brief the Committee on how this information can be 
better addressed in the upcoming Census of Agriculture.
    Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land 
(TOTAL) Survey.--The Committee notes that the next TOTAL survey 
is part of planned NASS activities in the next Census of 
Agriculture. The Committee expects the next TOTAL survey to 
provide comprehensive data on land ownership, tenure, 
landowners' transition plans, and lease agreements available to 
beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers to understand the 
trends that lead to secure land tenure and thriving farm 
businesses. The Committee encourages the program to look at 
emerging trends in land acquisition connected to innovations in 
farming on small acreage. The Committee also encourages 
collaboration with ERS so that new data provided on the 
economics of the farm of the future can be better utilized.

                     Agricultural Research Service


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................    $1,491,784,000
2022 budget estimate..................................     1,849,590,000
Provided in the bill..................................     1,638,046,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................      +146,262,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................      -211,544,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Salaries and Expenses of the Agricultural Research 
Service (ARS), the Committee provides an appropriation of 
$1,638,046,000, including a total increase of $17,806,000 for 
pay and retirement contributions.
    The Committee expects that extramural and intramural 
research will be funded at no less than the fiscal year 2021 
levels, unless otherwise specified.
    The Committee strongly supports the Administration's 
request for ARS to conduct additional research and development 
to enhance its capabilities to mitigate the impacts of climate 
change on the agricultural sector. Through its numerous 
laboratory locations around the country, ARS is uniquely 
positioned to develop agricultural solutions to climate change 
on a national, regional, and local scale. The Committee 
recommends funding for the Administration's clean energy and 
climate science goals in targeted areas, as noted below, to 
build upon ongoing research activities and lay the groundwork 
for innovative approaches in the future.
    While the Committee is supportive of the goals of the 
Advanced Research Projects Agency--Climate (ARPA-C) proposal, 
the budget request lacks an adequate justification of ARS's 
role and therefore the Committee includes no funding for ARPA-
C.
    1890s Partnerships.--The Committee recognizes the 
importance of 1890s Land Grant Institutions and the 
collaborative relationships that have developed with ARS 
research facilities over the years. The Committee directs ARS 
to expand coordination of research efforts with 1890s, wherever 
ARS facilities and 1890s are in the same region, to the 
greatest extent possible. The Committee notes the longstanding 
partnerships that exist where 1862s and ARS facilities are in 
the same area and encourages ARS to strengthen similar efforts 
with the 1890s.
    Advanced Greenhouse Research.--The Committee directs ARS to 
consider supporting the development of new advanced greenhouses 
at sites that serve ARS scientists who access the facility to 
advance their research programs.
    Aerial Application.--The Committee recognizes the 
importance of aerial application to control crop pests and 
diseases and to fertilize and seed crops and forests. Aerial 
application is useful not only to ensure overall food safety 
and food security, but also to promote public health through 
improved mosquito control and public health application 
techniques. The ARS Aerial Application Technology Program 
conducts innovative research making aerial applications more 
efficient, effective, and precise. This program has yielded 
more effective public health control programs, as well as 
increased efficiencies and greater crop production. Research 
for aerial application serves the public interest as a vital 
tool for the future.
    Agroforestry.--The Committee is aware of the promise of 
adoption of systems that would diversify farm enterprises 
through productive agroforestry including specialty tree fruit 
and nut crops that produce marketable and profitable products.
    Alfalfa Research.--The Committee supports research into 
alfalfa seed and forage systems, which hold the potential to 
maximize crop yields, increase milk production, and improve 
genetics.
    Alternative Protein Research.--The Committee supports 
research focused on the characteristics of animal meat using 
plants, animal cell cultivation, or fermentation (together, 
``alternative proteins''). The Committee provides $5,000,000 to 
support alternative protein research encompassing all stages of 
the production process, including optimizing ingredient 
processing techniques and developing new manufacturing methods. 
The Committee encourages ARS to collaborate with other relevant 
programs, including but not limited to NIFA and the National 
Science Foundation.
    Ancient Crops.--The Committee recognizes the importance of 
crop genetics research conducted at public-private consortia to 
enhance yields, fight diseases and pests, adapt to changing 
climates, and reduce global food insecurity.
    Animal Research.--The Committee directs ARS to ensure that 
each of its facilities housing animals is adhering to the 
Animal Welfare Act at all times and to submit quarterly reports 
that include both all violations found by APHIS during that 
quarter and the specific actions that will be taken to prevent 
their recurrence.
    Areawide Integrated Pest Management.--The Committee 
supports ARS' efforts on areawide integrated pest management 
and encourages continued efforts to design and implement 
programs across the country. The Committee directs ARS to 
coordinate with NIFA and APHIS to provide to the Committee not 
later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act a report on 
AIPM projects. The report shall include a list of past, 
current, and proposed future projects, actual or estimated 
costs and benefits for each identified project, and a 
discussion of the technology transfer efforts employed to 
guarantee long-term adoption of the demonstrated technologies 
and best practices.
    Applied Epidemiological Research.--The Committee provides 
$500,000 to conduct research and develop rapid intervention 
strategies and protocols with a focus on applied epidemiology 
and countermeasures intended to prevent and mitigate the impact 
of diseases that affect food animals. Collaboration with land-
grant universities with expertise in food animal epidemiology 
and international trade standards and with close connection 
with the livestock and poultry industries is encouraged to 
facilitate public-academic partnerships with the ultimate goal 
of increasing industry resilience to anticipated threats.
    Avocado Lace Bug.--The Committee encourages ARS to 
coordinate research efforts with NIFA and APHIS to address the 
impact of the avocado lace bug and the Queensland longhorn 
beetle.
    Barley Pest Initiative.--The Committee provides an 
additional $1,500,000 above the fiscal year 2021 level to 
strengthen the capacity of the barley research infrastructure 
to address major insect, viral, bacterial, and fungal threats 
to the production of high-quality barley.
    Bovine Pleuropneumonia.--The Committee is concerned about 
the potential harm to the cattle industry from contagious 
bovine pleuropneumonia and provides $2,000,000 for ARS to 
partner with academia to develop improved diagnostic tests and 
vaccines for this harmful disease.
    Cattle Fever Ticks.--The Committee directs ARS to 
coordinate development of its long-term cattle fever tick 
research program with APHIS efforts under the Cattle Fever Tick 
Eradication Program. Additionally, the Committee encourages ARS 
to develop safe and effective compounds to combat cattle fever 
ticks.
    Clean Energy Research.--The Committee includes $20,000,000 
in support of the Administration's clean energy proposals. The 
Committee provides $15,000,000 for the Biowaste-stream to 
Bioenergy activity proposed as part of the New Products/Product 
Quality/Value Added Program and $5,000,000 to develop 
feedstocks and new sustainable varieties of sugar and oil crops 
activities proposed as part of the Crop Production Program. The 
Committee believes these activities represent the most 
impactful agricultural research in support of the 
Administration's clean energy goals.
    Climate Science.--The Committee includes $50,000,000 in 
support of the Administration's agricultural climate science 
proposals. The Committee provides $8,000,000 for the crop 
breeding and high through-put activities proposed as part of 
the Crop Production Program; $5,000,000 for alternative 
proteins research; $7,000,000 to mitigate climate-related food 
safety risks and mycotoxins proposed as part of the Food Safety 
Program; and also provides $10,000,000 to strengthen Regional 
Climate Hub research teams, $15,000,000 to enhance the LTAR 
network, and $5,000,000 towards Center of Excellence efforts 
proposed as part of the Environmental Stewardship Program.
    Citrus Greening Disease Research.--The Committee commends 
ARS' research efforts on citrus greening disease and encourages 
the agency to continue working to develop methods to reduce 
transmission and enhance immunity in citrus trees and to work 
with industry, universities, growers, and other partners to 
develop effective control mechanisms. The Committee also 
encourages ARS to coordinate its efforts with the Huanglongbing 
Multi-Agency Coordination (HLB MAC) group.
    Coffee Plant Health Initiative.--The Committee provides an 
additional $500,000 above the fiscal year 2021 level to support 
the research goals of the Coffee Plant Health Initiative.
    Energy-Water Nexus.--The Committee recognizes the 
importance of the Energy-Water Nexus, and as part of that 
effort, encourages USDA to work with the Department of Energy 
to further research collaborations to improve water and soil 
quality in/around impaired water resources through advanced 
environmental imaging and agricultural waste management 
technologies.
    Fertilizer Innovation Research.--The Committee supports 
research in fertilizer innovations for grain crops to reduce 
costs and volume and minimize runoff. The Committee provides an 
additional $1,000,000 above the fiscal year 2021 level to 
support research on new technologies that can produce equal or 
higher crop yields, be cost effective, reduce nitrogen losses 
in the form of ammonia and nitrogen oxides, and reduce nutrient 
losses of nitrogen and phosphate, and new fertilizer production 
technologies with reduced waste streams and energy costs. The 
Committee encourages ARS to partner with public and land grant 
universities in pursuit of these technologies.
    Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative (FNRI).--The 
Committee recognizes the economic importance of the 
floriculture and nursery sector of agriculture and the 
industry's need for continued innovation. The Committee 
encourages ARS to support the goals of the FNRI to secure a 
more efficient and productive floriculture and nursery 
industry. The Committee also encourages ARS to work 
collaboratively with NIFA on research that includes breeding 
programs to increase tolerance from insect pests, diseases, and 
other climate change impacts; testing of new organic and non-
organic pesticides; and implementing integrated pest management 
and biological control programs.
    Food Preservation Research.--The Committee encourages ARS 
to coordinate with NIFA, universities, farm associations, non-
profits, and businesses to develop plans for research and 
development on food preservation and artificial intelligence 
harvesting technologies for specialty crops.
    Forest Products Research.--The Committee supports research 
on wood quality improvement and improvement in forest products 
evaluation standards and valuation techniques.
    Fumigant Alternatives Research.--The Committee encourages 
ARS to collaborate with NIFA and industry stakeholders to 
develop innovative soilborne pest control and eradication 
commercial-scale tools to replace fumigants, such as methyl 
bromide, metam sodium, metam potassium, and 1,3-
dichloropropene.
    Genetic Oat Research.--The Committee recognizes the 
potential genetic oat research has to improve disease 
resistance (especially rusts and viruses), genetics, increase 
yields, and develop crop rotation systems that include oats, 
which will enhance the value of oats and provide benefits to 
producers and consumers. The Committee supports and encourages 
ARS to expand existing research focused on oat improvement.
    Germplasm Enhancement of Maize.--The Committee continues to 
support germplasm enhancement of maize projects and encourages 
continued cooperation between existing ARS maize germplasm 
programs, industry, and large-scale public sector efforts to 
investigate the interaction of maize genome variation and 
environments.
    Greenhouse Production Research Report.--The Committee 
appreciates the work of the Greenhouse Production Research 
Group (GPRG) to develop new technologies for controlled 
environment agriculture. The Committee asks ARS to review 
GPRG's partnerships and ways they can expand local greenhouse 
production and new technologies to local entities such as, but 
not limited to, botanical gardens. Within 180 days of 
enactment, the Committee directs ARS to report back on its 
findings and efforts.
    Hemp Whole-Genome Bioinformatics.--The Committee provides 
$500,000 to conduct genomics and bioinformatics research in 
collaboration with capable institutions to elucidate the 
genetic control of key production and product quality traits of 
the hemp plant. In addition, the Committee also encourages ARS 
to partner with institutions already engaged in such research 
to conduct hemp genetic improvement research and breeding with 
new breeding and editing techniques.
    Herbicide Resistance Research.--The Committee provides 
$1,000,000 to identify and overcome herbicide resistant 
associated weed risks to the crop production pathway. The 
Committee supports research to address weed management strongly 
affecting the long-term economic sustainability of regional 
food systems through research partnerships involving ARS, 
research institutions, and stakeholder support.
    Histomonas Research.--The Committee encourages ARS to 
coordinate development of a Histomonas research program with 
intent to develop new prevention and treatment options. 
Additionally, the Committee encourages ARS to develop safe and 
effective compounds to combat Histomonas. The Committee 
provides $1,000,000 to support these efforts.
    Hops Research.--The Committee recognizes that the U.S. hops 
industry has experienced unprecedented expansion due to the 
brewing industry's economic growth over the past decade. To 
sustain this growth, new varieties of hops are needed to 
prevent disease and expand production throughout the country. 
The Committee directs ARS to continue to focus on these efforts 
to advance new disease-resistant public hop varieties.
    Horticultural Trade.--The Committee supports research on 
postharvest methyl bromide alternatives as well as postharvest 
losses caused by diseases and physiological disorders to ensure 
that high-quality, pest-free goods can access markets 
effectively and lead to an expansion of trade of U.S. grown 
horticultural crops.
    Human Nutrition Research.--The Committee notes that 
maintenance of health throughout the lifespan along with 
prevention of obesity and chronic diseases via food-based 
recommendations are the major emphases of human nutrition 
research. The Committee encourages ARS to expand research 
regarding life stage nutrition and metabolism and the growth, 
health promotion, microbiome, disease prevention, diet, and 
immune function of the developing child. In addition, the 
Committee is aware of the linkages between human nutrition and 
underlying health conditions of COVID-19-infected persons. The 
Committee recognizes the vital role that research at the 
intersection of human nutrition and aging plays in our 
understanding of public health. The Committee directs that no 
less than the fiscal year 2021 funding level is provided to the 
existing human nutrition centers.
    Indo-Pacific Invasive Pests.--The Committee encourages ARS 
to continue its work with stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific 
region to assess options for combatting invasive pests.
    Improved Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Imaging Research.--The 
Committee understands HABs are a detriment to human and animal 
health, aquatic ecosystems, and local economies. The Committee 
directs ARS and NRCS to develop plans to apply precise imaging 
technologies, such as spectral imaging, for better assessment 
and identification of HABs sourcing and nutrient loading. 
Within 180 days of enactment, ARS and NRCS shall report back on 
current activities and research gaps, including opportunities 
for advanced sensor and imaging technology applications to 
mitigate losses of agricultural nutrients to surface and ground 
water resources.
    Industrial Hemp Germplasm.--The Committee recognizes the 
increasing demand for industrial hemp for a variety of uses and 
its growing importance as a crop for U.S. farmers. The 
Committee supports efforts to maintain the hemp germplasm 
repository.
    Integrated Plant and Animal Production Systems.--The 
Committee provides $1,000,000 to conduct research to develop 
integrated plant-animal production systems to improve 
sustainability for small-scale farms. Research will address the 
challenges facing limited-resource growers and livestock 
producers through leading-edge genetic, production, and post-
harvest technologies, where applicable.
    Little Cherry Disease.--The Committee continues to support 
research on little cherry disease and provides $500,000 for 
research and testing efforts to reduce the spread of the 
disease.
    Livestock Protection.--The Committee recognizes the 
challenges caused by infectious disease problems arising from 
wildlife-domestic animal agriculture interactions, particularly 
between domestic sheep and wild bighorn sheep. Researchers have 
recently produced an experimental vaccine to protect bighorn 
populations from disease, but much work is still required. The 
Committee encourages ARS to pursue work to determine the role 
of domestic sheep in causing die-offs of bighorn sheep from 
respiratory disease and develop methods to reduce transmission 
and enhance immunity in domestic and bighorn sheep.
    Lower Mississippi River Basin.--The Committee recognizes 
the groundwater problems in the Lower Mississippi River Basin 
and encourages ARS, in collaboration with university research, 
extension scientists and local stakeholders, to identify gaps 
in water management research and focus efforts on the 
development of conservation and irrigation techniques to reduce 
water usage in agriculture production while maintaining crop 
quality and yield.
    Missouri River Basin Water Resource Management.--The 
Committee notes the benefits of research on improving flood 
control on the middle and lower Missouri rivers, assessing the 
impact on commodity prices of river navigability, evaluating 
the probabilities of levee failure and associated damage under 
different protection scenarios, and utilizing biophysical 
simulation models to evaluate agricultural production, minimize 
erosion and pollution runoff while supporting flood control, 
navigation, and drinking and cooling water supplies.
    National Agricultural Library (NAL).--The Committee 
encourages ARS to maintain a focus on agriculture-related legal 
issues within NAL. The Committee notes that as the agriculture 
sector faces financial stress, there is a necessity that 
agriculture-related legal issues be addressed on an 
increasingly frequent basis. Further, agriculture-related legal 
issues are complex. The Committee recommends that NAL play an 
important role in assisting all stakeholders with understanding 
these issues. Further, the Committee encourages ARS and NAL to 
engage in multi-year cooperative agreements to enhance NAL's 
ongoing work.
    National Arboretum Public Access.--The Committee is aware 
of ongoing efforts to develop a new strategic plan for the 
National Arboretum to carry out its missions of research, 
education, and public display gardens. The Committee expects 
that such plan will address necessary security and safety 
enhancements and improve public access to the National 
Arboretum. In addition, the Committee directs ARS to explore 
entering into agreements with the District of Columbia and 
private sector partners to fulfill these public access 
improvements.
    National Soil Dynamics Laboratory.--The Committee 
encourages ARS to research the use of biochar to capture 
phosphorous and heavy metals from poultry agricultural fields 
in order to sequester the carbon to improve the soil's health 
and to reduce pollution to surface and sub-surface waters.
    Navel Orangeworm (NOW).--The Committee encourages ARS to 
collaborate with APHIS and industry stakeholders on the APHIS 
NOW sterile moth pilot program to help reduce NOW moth 
populations.
    Novel Food Safety Testing.--The Committee notes that ARS 
has the ability to provide recommendations for developing 
technology to test for food borne pathogens in small meat 
packing plants and food preparation businesses. The Committee 
is interested in supporting small meat packing plants while 
retaining high standards of food safety and inspection. The 
Committee encourages ARS to provide a plan for development of 
the technology, in the field testing, and digital data sharing 
and collection mechanisms between the food preparation location 
and labs.
    Opportunities for Remote Sensing Soil Organic Carbon 
Research.--The Committee supports research into best practices 
for measuring the soil carbon deficit on farm, agricultural, 
and prairie land though remote sensing including through 
satellite technology, drone deployment, and aircraft systems 
along with innovative remote sensing techniques. The Committee 
encourages ARS to coordinate research efforts with other 
relevant federal agencies involved in the remote sensing of 
soil organic carbon including, but not limited to, the United 
States Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), and the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration.
    Organic Research.--The Committee directs ARS to develop a 
five-year plan for organic food and agriculture research 
encompassing all relevant crop, animal, nutrition, and natural 
resource national programs.
    Pacific Ants.--The Committee directs ARS to provide within 
90 days of enactment of this Act a report on its revision of 
the Pacific Ants Prevention Plan. These revisions should 
include (1) research; (2) the development of technologies and 
methodologies for prevention, eradication, and control of 
invasive ants; and (3) the collaborative implementation of 
projects to prevent, monitor, and control invasive ants in 
affected Pacific islands.
    Peanut Nutrition Research.--The Committee recognizes the 
need for more research to identify how peanut consumption 
contributes to overall health, wellness, and reduces chronic 
disease risk in various groups and across the lifespan. The 
Committee encourages research topics to include chronic 
diseases, nutrition and wellness across the lifespan, health 
disparities, dietary patterns for optimal health, and nutrition 
for the future. The Committee provides $1,000,000 to implement 
this peanut nutrition research.
    Peanut Research.--The Committee provides an additional 
$1,500,000 above the fiscal year 2021 level to support research 
activities to mitigate aflatoxin contamination in peanuts. The 
Committee directs ARS to enhance ongoing collaborations with 
land grant institutions to further advance research efforts.
    Pecan Genetic Research.--The Committee provides an 
additional $1,500,000 above the fiscal year 2021 level to 
maintain pecan genetic resources, further characterize pecan 
genetic diversity and advance cultivar breeding through novel 
genomic approaches that tap into the unique pecan genetic 
resources held by ARS.
    Pecan Processing Research.--The Committee recognizes the 
need for new pecan processing technologies, in particular 
pasteurization and cracking/shelling technologies, and the 
importance of pasteurization processes for food safety and in 
continuing export growth. The Committee provides an additional 
$1,500,000 above the fiscal year 2021 level to support pecan 
processing research activities to address these issues.
    Pest Management Efforts.--The Committee recognizes the 
value of ARS in supporting the greenhouse industry with 
research on pest management and plant nutrients as well as the 
importance of reducing energy costs for greenhouse and 
controlled environment agriculture. The Committee directs ARS 
to continue work on pest management and plant nutrients and 
also to develop plans for controlled environment demonstration 
projects aligned with existing ARS technical units focused on 
greenhouse agriculture to provide data on savings and 
productivity resulting from these projects.
    Post-Research Animal Placements.--The Committee commends 
ARS on its retirement of cats no longer needed in lab research. 
Several other agencies, including the National Institutes of 
Health, Food and Drug Administration and Department of Veterans 
Affairs have enacted formal policies expressing support for and 
facilitating the retirement and adoption of healthy animals 
held or used in intramural research when appropriate. Within 
180 days of enactment of this Act, the Committee directs ARS to 
establish a framework to allow the retirement of dogs and cats, 
and other domesticated animals as appropriate, that are no 
longer needed in intramural agency research to private homes, 
rescues or sanctuaries.
    Poultry Research.--The committee provides $1,500,000 to 
expand capabilities to respond to highly pathogenic avian 
influenza outbreaks and to conduct additional research for 
eradication and control.
    Rangeland Research.--The Committee provides an additional 
$500,000 above the fiscal year 2021 level for rangeland 
research.
    Reducing Ammonia Nitrogen in Poultry Production.--The 
Committee encourages ARS to develop sustainable, cost-effective 
technologies to capture ammonia nitrogen while improving the 
air quality in chicken houses.
    Regenerative and Precision Agriculture for Orchards.--The 
Committee directs ARS to compile currently available research 
data on the effect of regenerative and precision agriculture on 
conserving water, sequestering carbon, increasing soil health, 
and minimizing or eliminating chemistries within the context of 
applicability to fruit and nut orchards, and to identify data 
gaps on the application of these research goals to fruit and 
nut orchards. The Committee includes $500,000 to eliminate any 
research gaps.
    Roseau Cane.--The Committee continues to direct ARS to work 
with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and 
stakeholders to develop an integrated management program for 
control of the scale insect pest infestation that is destroying 
Roseau cane in the Mississippi River's Delta region along the 
Gulf of Mexico.
    Sclerotinia Initiative.--The Committee is aware of the 
importance of controlling Sclerotinia in sunflowers, soybeans, 
canola, edible beans, peanuts, peas, lentils, and chickpeas and 
encourages ARS to continue its support of this initiative.
    Small Fruits Research.--The Committee provides an 
additional $500,000 above the fiscal year 2021 level to improve 
the ability to forecast pest and disease spread, implement 
precision management strategies, mitigate invasive insects, and 
to improve the overall quality of fruit.
    Small Grain Genomics.--The Committee supports research on 
barley and wheat high throughput genomics and phenotyping and 
recognizes its importance in improving crop traits and 
developing new cultivars.
    Soft Wheat Falling Numbers Test Research.--The Committee 
recognizes the emerging crisis surrounding wheat starch 
degradation, as detected by the Hagberg-Perten Falling Numbers 
Test, and encourages ARS to continue researching the accuracy 
of the test and the environmental, storage, and genetic 
conditions leading to this quality loss.
    Sorghum.--The Committee recognizes the growing significance 
of sorghum due to water conservation traits and increased 
utilization and supports further research to initiate gene flow 
and pest resistance.
    Spittle Bug.--The Committee encourages ARS to coordinate 
research efforts with NIFA and APHIS to address the impact of 
the spittle bug.
    Strawberry Production Research.--The Committee recognizes 
that the highly perishable, delicate, and labor-intensive 
nature of strawberry production makes this crop an ideal test 
bed for innovative automation technologies. The Committee 
provides $500,000 to utilize innovative automation technologies 
to enhance strawberry production.
    Sugar Beet Research.--The Committee encourages ARS to 
research the interaction of various, physical biological and 
environmental conditions with better sugar beet genetics and 
better knowledge of interactions between plants and the 
environment.
    Sugarcane Research Program.--The Committee supports 
breeding and pathology research for the development of high-
yielding, biotic and abiotic stress resistant cultivars 
resistant to emerging pests and diseases that threaten the 
sugarcane industry.
    Sustainable Aquaculture.--The Committee supports rapid 
response research on sustainable marine aquaculture for 
coldwater and warmwater production coastal environments, with 
special emphasis on workforce education.
    Sustainable and Advanced Technology Systems for Poultry 
Production.--The Committee encourages ARS to conduct research 
to address two of the critical challenges confronting poultry 
processing: animal welfare, and water use/water waste/waste 
management.
    Tropical and Subtropical Research.--The Committee 
encourages ARS to continue research on Tropical and Subtropical 
crops. The Committee notes this research is critical as the 
presence of and destruction by invasive pests such as fruit 
flies, coffee berry borer, felted macadamia nut coccid, and 
plant viruses and funguses increase and threaten crop security 
in the Pacific and insular areas.
    U.S. Sheep Experiment Station (USSES).--The Committee 
recognizes the unique and valuable contributions the USSES 
makes toward increasing production efficiency and improving 
sustainable rangeland ecosystems. The Committee is pleased by 
the collaboration of a diverse variety of stakeholders on the 
use of pastures, monitoring of wildlife interactions, and 
studies of mutual interest. The Committee encourages ARS to 
engage directly with stakeholders and state and federal 
agencies with biological expertise to expand research programs 
and urges ARS to continue engaging collaborators to ensure the 
station functions as an agricultural research facility while 
also evaluating opportunities through a domestic livestock/
wildlife collaboration.
    U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab (USWBS).--The Committee 
continues to recognize the importance of the research carried 
out through the USWBS Initiative. Fusarium head blight is a 
major threat to agriculture, inflicting substantial yield and 
quality losses throughout the U.S.
    Warm Water Aquaculture.--The Committee encourages ARS to 
conduct research to close the gaps in knowledge regarding co-
infections in catfish in order to help develop effective 
prevention measures and to improve the economy of the catfish 
industry.
    Wheat Genetics Research.--The Committee encourages ARS to 
research new wheat varieties to combat persistent issues and 
increase yield and quality.
    Whitefly.--The Committee recognizes that whiteflies are an 
emerging pest as a result of both developing resistance to many 
pesticides making chemical control difficult and climate 
variability resulting in warmer winters and lower seasonal die 
off. The Committee remains concerned with the whitefly (Bemisia 
tabaci) epidemic which is severely impacting vegetable and 
cotton production in the Southeast United States. The Committee 
provides an additional $1,000,000 above the fiscal year 2021 
level in support of these research efforts.
    Wildfire Smoke Taint Research on Winegrapes.--The Committee 
supports research to identify the compounds responsible for 
smoke taint, establish a reliable database of background levels 
of smoke taint compounds occurring naturally in wine grapes, 
develop mitigation methods to reduce or eliminate smoke taint, 
and study compounds that can act as a barrier between the 
grapes and smoke compounds. In addition, the Committee supports 
research to establish standard methodologies for sampling and 
testing of smoke exposed grapes and smoke affected wines. The 
Committee provides an additional $1,500,000 above the fiscal 
year 2021 level in support of these research efforts.

                        BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $35,700,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        45,405,000
Provided in the bill..................................       126,505,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +90,805,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       +81,100,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    The Committee provides $126,505,000 for Buildings and 
Facilities. The Committee specifies the following projects and 
amounts to be funded in fiscal year 2022.

                                            COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Recipient                                Project                      Location          Amount
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
University of Nebraska, Lincoln...  National Center for Resilient and                     NE         $20,000,000
                                     Regenerative Precision Agriculture.
Sugarcane Research Unit...........  Sugarcane Research Unit Improvements.......           LA         $10,000,000
National Center for Agricultural    National Center for Agricultural                      IL          $4,500,000
 Utilization Research.               Utilization Research Expansion.
University of Missouri............  Center for Agricultural Animal Genetic                MO          $4,000,000
                                     Engineering and Health.
University of Wisconsin, Madison..  Plant Germplasm Research Facility..........           WI          $4,000,000
US Sheep Experiment Station.......  US Sheep Experiment Station Infrastructure            ID          $4,200,000
                                     Improvements.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

               National Institute of Food and Agriculture


                   RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................      $992,642,000
2022 budget estimate..................................     1,378,416,000
Provided in the bill..................................     1,061,309,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +68,667,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................      -317,107,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Research and Education Activities, the Committee 
provides an appropriation of $1,061,309,000.
    Agricultural Research Enhancement Awards.--The Committee 
continues to direct that not less than 15 percent of the 
competitive research grant funds be used for USDA's agriculture 
research enhancement awards program, including USDA--EPSCoR, in 
accordance with 7 U.S.C. 3157.
    Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).--The 
Committee strongly supports AFRI. The Committee notes that 
projects that characterize protein functionality from crops to 
assess their sustainability for use as alternatives to 
conventional animal products are eligible for competitive 
awards in the AFRI program. The Committee recognizes the work 
NIFA has done to work with stakeholders to identify knowledge 
gaps in alternative protein research. The Committee notes that 
research focused on the characteristics of animal meat using 
plants, animal cell cultivation, or fermentation are eligible 
for AFRI awards under the Novel Foods and Innovative 
Manufacturing Technologies program. In addition, the Committee 
notes that projects that use agro-acoustics to manage pests are 
eligible for AFRI awards under the Pests and Beneficial Species 
Program and projects that focus on researching enhanced rock 
weathering to quantify climate benefits, assess any 
environmental or health risks, and identify ways to minimize 
the environmental impact of silicate rock mining, grinding, and 
transport are also eligible for AFRI awards.
    Citrus Disease Research Program.--The Emergency Citrus 
Disease Research and Extension Program is intended to discover 
and develop tools for early detection, control, and eradication 
of diseases and pests that threaten domestic citrus production 
and processing.The program receives $25,000,000 per year in 
mandatory funding from the Specialty Crop Research Initiative. 
The Committee believes research projects funded under this 
authority should be prioritized based on the critical threat of 
citrus greening and encourages NIFA, to the maximum extent 
practicable, to follow the recommendations of the National 
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Advisory 
Board's citrus disease subcommittee and to collaborate with the 
HLB MAC group.
    Farm of the Future.--The Committee encourages NIFA, through 
its implementation of the Farm of the Future program, to 
further integrate applied research in precision agriculture, 
smart automation, resilient agricultural practices, applied 
socioeconomics, and improved crop varieties from advanced 
genomics and phenotyping across varied landscapes and locations 
to advance data-driven solutions to increase productivity, 
integrate technology, create value added agricultural products, 
and enhance connectivity and resilience for thriving rural 
communities.
    Genome to Phenome.--The Committee recognizes the value of 
leading public and land-grant universities with unique high-
throughput phenotyping and greenhouse facilities and expertise 
for plant science innovation, root and rhizome innovation, and 
food for health. The Committee directs NIFA to use a 
competitive process to issue awards in the Genome to Phenome 
program and urges additional focus on root stocks that increase 
carbon capture and can support grain crop covers. In addition, 
the Committee supports the development of tools and datasets 
for the analysis of phenotypes that can be used across multiple 
livestock and crop species to improve the output and efficiency 
of agriculture.
    Grants for Insular Areas.--The Committee recognizes NIFA 
efforts to strengthen capacity at land-grant institutions in 
the U.S. territories in the areas of instruction, distance 
education, facilities and equipment, and research. The 
Committee emphasizes the importance of continuing the support 
for these institutions to help address plant disease and 
invasive species priorities in the territories.
    Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP).--The 
Committee encourages NIFA to prioritize grants that would 
expand program participation among states, tribal nations, SNAP 
recipients, vendors, and/or retailers that have not previously 
participated in GusNIP, and provide technical assistance to 
programs to encourage private and non-government (e.g., 
commodity board/foundation) investment in extending these 
benefits, like through retail donations, philanthropic 
sponsorship, and other external funding.
    Hides and Rendered Products.--Small meatpackers face 
numerous challenges, including the loss of value of hides and 
of rendered products. The Committee encourages NIFA to consider 
research projects that find new value and or markets for hides 
and rendered products.
    Innovative Dairy Ecosystems.--The Committee recognizes the 
innovations and advancements in organic and grass-fed dairy 
research. The Committee encourages NIFA to consider research 
projects that lead to innovation in nutritional organic and 
grass-fed dairy products.
    Livestock and Poultry Waste Research.--The Committee 
recognizes the benefits of improved methods of managing animal 
waste in livestock and poultry production and encourages NIFA 
to support research and development of innovative technologies, 
particularly those that are operationally and economically 
feasible and have a high probability of widespread 
implementation. The Committee looks forward to receiving a 
report from NIFA on next steps to develop a comprehensive 
approach to all value chains of manure management to include 
energy production, energy credits, nutrient credits, and 
mineral supplements, taking into consideration the full range 
of livestock production to include cattle, poultry, and swine.
    Multifaceted Tools for Controlling Harmful Algal Blooms 
(HABs) and Huanglongbing.--The Committee encourages NIFA to 
continue research into the use of potent antimicrobials through 
the use of environmentally-friendly integrated nano-delivery 
systems for the purpose of controlling both HABs and 
Huanglongbing.
    Next Generation Crops to Improve the Agricultural 
Economy.--The Committee encourages NIFA to support the 
development of new, economically viable crops to improve the 
nation's agricultural output and applications.
    Sensor Technologies.--The Committee encourages NIFA to work 
cooperatively with non-profit institutions, consortia, and 
land-grant universities to conduct research on advanced sensor 
manufacturing techniques to improve the agricultural industry.
    Soil Health Experts.--The Committee appreciates NIFA's 
efforts to hire additional staff with expertise in soil health 
to better support expanded efforts in the soil health and 
sustainability area and to support more education and outreach 
efforts.
    Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI).--The Committee 
recognizes the importance of the SCRI in addressing the needs 
of the specialty crop industry through research and extension 
activities. The Committee encourages NIFA to address tools, 
growing techniques, and technology emissions as part of ongoing 
SCRI activities.
    Tick-Borne Disease Research.--The Committee encourages NIFA 
to support research into innovative ways to conduct 
surveillance of tick and tick-borne pathogen surveillance and 
conduct strategies for surveillance and risk communication.
    The following table reflects the amounts provided by the 
Committee:

                  NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                     Committee
           Program/Activity                   Authorization        2021 Enacted    2022 Estimate     Provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hatch Act.............................  7 U.S.C. 361a-i.........        $259,000        $329,380        $265,000
McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry   16 U.S.C. 582a through a-         36,000          45,783          38,000
 Act.                                    7.
Research at 1890 Institutions (Evans-   7 U.S.C. 3222...........          73,000          92,837          92,837
 Allen Program).
Payments to the 1994 Institutions.....  7 U.S.C. 301 note.......           4,500           4,500           5,500
Education Grants for 1890 Institutions  7 U.S.C. 3152(b)........          26,000          26,000          28,500
Scholarships at 1890 Institutions.....  7 U.S.C. 3222a..........          10,000          10,000          10,000
Education Grants for Hispanic-Serving   7 U.S.C. 3241...........          12,500          12,500          20,000
 Institutions.
Education Grants for Alaska Native and  7 U.S.C. 3156...........           3,194           3,194           3,500
 Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions.
Research Grants for 1994 Institutions.  7 U.S.C. 301 note.......           4,000           4,000           4,500
Capacity Building for Non-Land-Grant    7 U.S.C. 3319i..........           5,000           5,000           5,000
 Colleges of Agriculture.
Grants for Insular Areas..............  7 U.S.C. 3222b-2, 3362             2,000           2,000           2,000
                                         and 3363.
Agriculture and Food Research           7 U.S.C. 450i(b)........         435,000         700,000         450,000
 Initiative.
Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment....  7 U.S.C. 3151a..........           8,500           8,500           9,500
Veterinary Services Grant Program.....  7 U.S.C. 3151b..........           3,000           3,000           3,500
Continuing Animal Health and Disease    7 U.S.C. 3195...........           4,000           4,000           4,000
 Research Program.
Supplemental and Alternative Crops....  7 U.S.C. 3319d..........           1,000             663             663
Multicultural Scholars, Graduate        7 U.S.C. 3152(b)........           9,500           9,500           9,500
 Fellowship and Institution Challenge
 Grants.
Secondary and 2-year Post-Secondary     7 U.S.C. 3152(j)........             900             900             900
 Education.
Aquaculture Centers...................  7 U.S.C. 3322...........           5,000           5,000           5,000
Sustainable Agriculture Research and    7 U.S.C. 5811, 5812,              40,000          60,000          50,000
 Education.                              5831, and 5832.
Farm Business Management..............  7 U.S.C. 5925f..........           2,000           2,000           2,000
Sun Grant Program.....................  7 U.S.C. 8114...........           3,000           3,000           3,000
Research Equipment Grants.............  7 U.S.C. 3310a..........           5,000           5,000           5,000
Alfalfa and Forage Research Program...  7 U.S.C. 5925...........           3,000           - - -           3,000
Minor Crop Pest Management (IR 4).....  7 U.S.C. 450i(c)........          11,913          20,000          14,000
Special Research Grants:..............  7 U.S.C. 450i(c)........
    Global Change/UV Monitoring.......  ........................           1,405           1,405           1,405
    Potato Research...................  7 U.S.C. 450i(c)........           2,750           - - -           2,750
    Aquaculture Research..............  7 U.S.C. 450i(c)........           2,000           - - -           2,000
    Total, Special Research Grants....  ........................           6,155           1,405           6,155
Necessary Expenses of Research and
 Education Activities:.
    Grants Management Systems.........  ........................           7,924           7,924           7,924
    Federal Administration--Other       ........................          11,556          12,330          12,330
     Necessary Expenses.
    Total, Necessary Expenses.........  ........................          19,480          20,254          20,254
Total, Research and Education           ........................        $992,642      $1,378,416      $1,061,309
 Activities.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              NATIVE AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS ENDOWMENT FUND

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................     ($11,880,000)
2022 budget estimate..................................      (11,880,000)
Provided in the bill..................................      (11,880,000)
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................             - - -
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Native American Institutions Endowment Fund, the 
Committee provides $11,880,000.

                          EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................      $538,447,000
2022 budget estimate..................................       538,447,000
Provided in the bill..................................       553,495,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +15,048,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       +15,048,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Extension Activities, the Committee provides an 
appropriation of $553,495,000.
    1994 Institutions.--The Committee is interested in 
expanding the work at 1994 land-grant tribal institutions in 
partnership with extension services' scientific and traditional 
food production methods, restoring food sovereignty, expanding 
tribal land agricultural potential, and building sustainable 
healthy food and lifestyle resources. The Committee encourages 
tribal colleges, through federal extension program funding, to 
improve sustainable agriculture and food production on tribal 
lands to improve tribal nutrition.
    Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network.--The Committee 
directs NIFA to provide an update on this program in its fiscal 
year 2023 budget justification. The report should include a 
description of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on NIFA's 
ability to provide services, what kinds of programming it was 
able to provide, how many people utilized the services, how it 
handled outreach to farmers and ranchers, and what its strategy 
is for improving outreach and coordination. Lastly, this report 
should identify the impact additional funding could have on 
expanding programing and outreach for this program.
    New Technologies for Agricultural Extension.--The Committee 
directs NIFA to engage with stakeholders to determine new 
methods to improve technology and training deployments through 
the New Technologies for Agricultural Extension program. 
Specific focus should be on strengthening the delivery of 
outreach and education programs and enhancing technologies such 
as telehealth, communications, manufacturing, farming, and the 
arts in rural communities.
    Rural Health and Safety Education Programs.--The opioid 
abuse epidemic is one of the greatest threats facing rural 
America today, and the Committee supports all efforts to 
address this problem through improved health and safety 
education and outreach. Within available funds, $1,000,000 
shall be for competitive external grants for eligible 
institutions to support collaborations with academic medical 
schools to utilize the extension programs to address children's 
wellness, infant mortality, cancer prevention and opioid 
addiction in rural areas.
    The following table reflects the amounts provided by the 
Committee:

                        NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE--EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                             FY 2021      FY 2022     Committee
             Program/Activity                       Authorization            Enacted      Estimate    Provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith-Lever Act, Section 3(b) and (c)       7 U.S.C. 343(b) and (c) and       $315,000     $315,000     $320,000
 programs and Cooperative Extension.         208(c) of P.L. 93-471.
Extension Services at 1890 Institutions...  7 U.S.C. 3221................       62,000       62,000       67,000
Extension Services at 1994 Institutions...  7 U.S.C. 343(b)(3)...........        8,500        8,500        9,500
Facility Improvements at 1890 Institutions  7 U.S.C. 3222b...............       21,500       21,500       25,000
Renewable Resources Extension Act.........  16 U.S.C. 1671 et. seq.......        4,060        4,060        4,060
Rural Health and Safety Education Programs  7 U.S.C. 2662(i).............        4,000        4,000        5,000
Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database      7 U.S.C. 7642................        2,500        2,000        3,000
 Program.
Women and Minorities in STEM Fields.......  7 U.S.C. 5925................          400        1,000        1,000
Food Safety Outreach Program..............  7 U.S.C. 7625................       10,000       10,000       10,000
Food and Ag Service Learning..............  7 U.S.C. 7633................        2,000        2,000        2,000
Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network..  7 U.S.C. 5936................       10,000       10,000       10,000
Smith-Lever Act, Section 3(d):............  7 U.S.C. 343(d)..............
    Food and Nutrition Education..........  .............................       70,000       70,000       70,000
    Farm Safety and Youth Farm Safety       .............................        5,000        5,000        5,000
     Education Programs.
    New Technologies for Agricultural       .............................        3,550        3,002        1,550
     Extension.
    Children, Youth, and Families at Risk.  .............................        8,395        8,395        8,395
    Federally Recognized Tribes Extension   .............................        3,200        3,200        3,200
     Program.
        Total, Section 3(d)...............  .............................       90,145       89,597       88,145
Necessary Expenses of Extension
 Activities:
    Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom.....  7 U.S.C. 3152(j).............          552        1,000        1,000
    Federal Administration--Other           .............................        7,790        7,790        7,790
     Necessary Expenses for Extension
     Activities.
        Total, Necessary Expenses.........  .............................        8,342        8,790        8,790
            Total, Extension Activities...  .............................     $538,447     $538,447     $553,495
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                         INTEGRATED ACTIVITIES

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $39,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        39,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................        40,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +1,000,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        +1,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Integrated Activities, the Committee provides an 
appropriation of $40,000,000.
    The following table reflects the amounts provided by the 
Committee:

                        NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE--INTEGRATED ACTIVITIES
                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   FY 2021          FY 2022         Committee
          Program/Activity                 Authorization           enacted          estimate        provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Methyl Bromide Transition Program...  7 U.S.C. 7626..........           $2,000           $2,000           $2,000
Organic Transition Program..........  7 U.S.C. 7626..........            7,000            7,000            8,000
Regional Rural Development Centers..  7 U.S.C. 450i(c).......            2,000            2,000            2,000
Food and Agriculture Defense          7 U.S.C. 3351..........            8,000            8,000            8,000
 Initiative.
Crop Protection/Pest Management       7 U.S.C. 7626..........           20,000           20,000           20,000
 Program.
                                                              --------------------------------------------------
    Total, Integrated Activities....  .......................          $39,000          $39,000          $40,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Office of the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................          $809,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         1,327,000
Provided in the bill..................................         1,577,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................          +768,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................          +250,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of the Under Secretary for Marketing and 
Regulatory Programs, the Committee provides an appropriation of 
$1,577,000. The Committee again directs USDA to promptly issue 
the final Origin of Livestock rule as required by Section 756 
of P.L. 116-94.

               Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................    $1,064,179,000
2022 budget estimate..................................     1,102,222,000
Provided in the bill..................................     1,121,427,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +57,248,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       +19,205,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), 
Salaries and Expenses, the Committee provides an appropriation 
of $1,121,427,000. This includes a total increase of 
$12,645,000 for pay and retirement contributions as requested 
in the budget.
    In addition to those increases, the Committee provides 
increases for the following programs: $2,000,000 for Cattle 
Health; $3,000,000 for Equine, Cervid, and Small Ruminant 
Health; $3,000,000 for Veterinary Diagnostics; $4,500,000 for 
Zoonotic Disease Management, of which $2,500,000 is for the 
National Animal Health Monitoring System; $3,105,000 for Cotton 
Pests; $3,600,000 for Wildlife Damage Management; $2,000,000 
for Wildlife Services Methods Development; $5,000,000 for 
Civilian Climate Corps; $500,000 for Emergency Preparedness and 
Response; $3,000,000 for Agriculture Import/Export; $1,000,000 
for Horse Protection; and $5,789,000 for Specialty Crop Pests.
    The Committee includes in this account $8,500,000 for 
Huanglongbing Multi-Agency Coordination (HLB-MAC) projects and 
$3,000,000 for cogongrass control previously funded elsewhere 
in the Act.
    Within the amount included for Specialty Crop Pests, the 
Committee includes $67,255,000 for fruit fly exclusion and 
detection; $70,368,000 for citrus health, including $11,500,000 
for HLB-MAC; $22,178,000 for the glassy-winged sharpshooter; 
$6,596,000 for the pale cyst nematode; $2,545,000 for the light 
brown apple moth; $5,520,000 for the European grapevine moth; 
$8,160,000 for the navel orangeworm; $3,008,000 for 
agricultural canine inspection teams; and $18,139,000 for 
spotted lanternfly.
    The following table reflects the amounts provided by the 
Committee:

               Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service


                                              SALARIES AND EXPENSES
                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                    Committee
                                                             FY 2021 enacted  FY 2022 estimate      provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal Health Technical Services..........................           $38,093           $38,486           $38,486
Aquatic Animal Health.....................................             2,272             2,306             2,306
Avian Health..............................................            63,213            63,833            63,833
Cattle Health.............................................           105,216           106,500           108,500
Equine, Cervid, and Small Ruminant Health.................            28,982            31,284            32,284
National Veterinary Stockpile.............................             5,736             5,751             5,751
Swine Health..............................................            25,020            25,390            25,390
Veterinary Biologics......................................            20,570            20,898            20,898
Veterinary Diagnostics....................................            56,979            57,414            60,414
Zoonotic Disease Management...............................            19,620            19,782            24,282
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, Animal Health...............................           365,701           371,644           382,144
Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (Appropriated).........            32,893            33,849            33,849
Cotton Pests..............................................            13,597            13,725            16,830
Field Crop & Rangeland Ecosystems Pests...................            10,942            14,137            14,137
Pest Detection............................................            27,733            28,218            28,218
Plant Protection Methods Development......................            20,884            21,217            21,217
Specialty Crop Pests......................................           196,553           209,342           212,842
Tree & Wood Pests.........................................            60,456            61,217            61,217
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, Plant Health................................           363,058           381,705           388,310
Wildlife Damage Management................................           111,647           113,142           116,742
Wildlife Services Methods Development.....................            21,046            24,363            23,363
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, Wildlife Services...........................           132,693           137,505           140,105
Animal & Plant Health Regulatory Enforcement..............            16,400            16,697            16,697
Biotechnology Regulatory Services.........................            19,020            19,262            19,262
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, Regulatory Services.........................            35,420            35,959            35,959
Civilian Climate Corps....................................                 0            10,000             5,000
Contingency Fund..........................................               478               491               491
Emergency Preparedness & Response.........................            41,268            38,380            38,880
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, Emergency Management........................            41,746            48,871            44,371
Agriculture Import/Export.................................            15,722            15,928            18,928
Overseas Technical & Trade Operations.....................            24,198            24,333            24,333
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, Safe Trade..................................            39,920            40,261            43,261
Animal Welfare............................................            31,661            32,256            32,256
Horse Protection..........................................             2,009             2,040             3,040
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, Animal Welfare..............................            33,670            34,296            35,296
APHIS Information Technology Infrastructure...............             4,251             4,251             4,251
Physical/Operational Security.............................             5,153             5,163             5,163
Rent and DHS Payments.....................................            42,567            42,567            42,567
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal, Agency Management...........................            51,971            51,981            51,981
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
        Total, Direct Appropriation.......................        $1,064,179        $1,102,222        $1,121,427
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    AgDiscovery and Growing the Agricultural Family.--The 
Committee provides an increase of $500,000 for the AgDiscovery 
Program. This funding should allow the expansion of this two- 
to four-week summer outreach program at college campuses that 
helps middle and high school students explore careers in plant 
and animal science, wildlife management, and agribusiness. The 
program helps to expand and diversify the U.S. agricultural 
family by increasing educational opportunities for future 
veterinarians, agricultural producer's, scientists and other 
professionals.
    Agricultural Imports.--The Committee recognizes that there 
may be a need to update APHIS physical facilities, staff 
capabilities, and processes due to the increased volume of 
agricultural imports. The Committee requests APHIS to keep it 
apprised of a plan to address the needs of the programs, 
including steps to collaborate with stakeholders on 
supplemental inspection and pathogen identification services 
and to improve the transparency of the importation process.
    Agriculture Quarantine Inspections.--The Committee 
recognizes that prevention of infestations of pests and 
diseases is much more cost effective than subsequent control or 
eradication. This is an important Federal responsibility and 
the Committee provides $33,849,000 for the agricultural 
quarantine inspections function, including pre-departure and 
interline inspections.
    Animal Care Program.--The Committee is concerned about 
APHIS's Animal Care program and the steep decline in 
enforcement related to violations of the Animal Welfare Act. 
The Committee directs the agency to reform its current 
licensing and enforcement scheme. This includes, but is not 
limited to, the following: ensure consistent, thorough, 
unannounced inspections on a regular basis; act swiftly when 
facilities fail to comply with the Act's requirements; ensure 
each failure to allow access for inspection and each violation 
or failure to comply with animal welfare standards is 
documented on an inspection report, and consider assessing 
penalties in each such case; ensure that there is no use of 
teachable moments or any similar program that obscures findings 
during inspections; and require that inspection reports that 
identify violations or failures of compliance be shared with 
relevant local, state, and federal agencies.
    The Committee is concerned about the lack of enforcement of 
online dog dealers, which has allowed many operations to 
continue selling dogs without the necessary USDA licensing 
pursuant to Animal Welfare Act. The Committee directs the 
Secretary to prioritize enforcement of the 2013 rule that 
requires dealers who are selling animals sight-unseen to 
consumers to have a license to do so.
    The Committee also urges the Secretary to enter into a 
memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Attorney General to 
encourage greater collaboration on Animal Welfare Act 
enforcement and ensure that the Department of Justice has 
access to evidence needed to initiate cases.
    Antimicrobial Resistance.--The Committee provides an 
increase of $2,000,000 and directs APHIS to work 
collaboratively with a network of universities focused on 
combating the global threat of antimicrobial resistance across 
humans, animals, and the environment to build upon ongoing 
efforts to develop an antimicrobial resistance dashboard tool 
for livestock management, research, risk, and stewardship. As 
part of this work, APHIS must explore the feasibility of 
developing an antimicrobial resistance dashboard tool that 
ensures full compliance with the confidentiality protections of 
the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical 
Efficiency Act. An antimicrobial resistance dashboard tool 
should directly help farmers and ranchers make better 
management decisions to improve the resilience, productivity, 
and profitability of cattle production. The dashboard should 
securely track the emergence and spread of antimicrobial 
resistant pathogens in livestock production systems, validate 
systematic genetic and management strategies to reduce 
antibiotic use, and build understanding of relationships 
between livestock genetics, the environment, management 
practices, and the dynamics and frequencies of pathogen 
emergence in microbial populations.
    Arundo Management and Control.--The Committee is concerned 
with the damage the invasive plant Arundo donax inflicts on 
groundwater levels in drought-prone western states. The 
Committee directs APHIS to work with federal, state, and local 
water managers in affected areas to establish a management and 
control regime to prevent further water shortages in drought 
stricken areas.
    Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB).--Within the amount provided 
for Tree and Wood Pests, the Committee maintains funding and 
cost share rates for ALB at the 2021 level.
    Avian Health.--The Committee maintains the 2021 funding 
level for the Avian Health Program which provides surveillance, 
prevention, and control of avian diseases to protect the U.S. 
poultry industry.
    Biological Control Program.--The Committee maintains the FY 
2021 level for the Biological Control Program within Plant 
Protection Methods Development to continue efforts to suppress 
pest populations.
    Blackbird Predation.--APHIS is responsible for providing 
Federal leadership in managing problems caused by wildlife. The 
Committee is aware of the economic importance of controlling 
blackbird depredation, which affects sunflowers and other 
crops. The Committee encourages APHIS to take action to reduce 
blackbird depredation in the Northern Great Plains.
    Body-gripping traps.--The Committee provides an additional 
$300,000 for the Secretary to develop best management practices 
for body-gripping traps in circumstances where current use of 
body-gripping traps increase the risk of non-target capture to 
unacceptable levels, such as in some urban environments.
    Canine Detection and Surveillance.--The Committee 
recognizes the important role APHIS' canines program plays in 
invasive species and disease detection and continues to provide 
$3,000,000 to support these efforts. The Committee requests 
that APHIS keep it apprised of program activities, including 
how the agency uses funding provided.
    Cattle Health.--The Committee provides $108,500,000 for 
Cattle Health to continue to fund initiatives related to 
eradication of fever ticks for livestock and wildlife hosts 
including but not limited to research, data management, 
infrastructure, and treatment. The Committee is concerned that 
the cattle fever tick quarantine area is expanding despite 
efforts to constrain spread. To prevent movement of livestock 
and game animals outside of the quarantined or high-risk 
premises, the Committee provides an increase of $2,000,000 and 
encourages APHIS to use available funds for a cost-share 
program for the construction and repair of livestock or game 
fencing on private lands. The Committee directs USDA, in 
conjunction with state animal health commissions, to develop a 
strategy to exclude wildlife from areas at highest risk of tick 
spread and identify areas that qualify for funds within these 
areas.
    The Committee also notes that large dense stands of non-
native Carrizo cane occupy the banks and floodplains of the Rio 
Grande River, providing favorable habitat for agriculturally 
damaging cattle fever ticks and threatening water supplies for 
agriculture due to its high evapo-transpiration capacity. The 
Committee understands APHIS has been working with ARS on 
biological controls and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
(CBP) for mechanical controls. The Committee provides 
$5,000,000 for APHIS to continue to coordinate with ARS, CBP, 
Department of the Interior, the International Boundary and 
Water Commission, the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation 
Board, and other stakeholders on control efforts. The 
Department is requested to keep the Committee apprised of 
progress made in this regard.
    The Committee directs APHIS to coordinate with ARS on the 
development of its long-term cattle fever tick research 
program. Cattle fever ticks pose a significant health threat to 
U.S. cattle and other species across the entire Southern region 
of the United States. Further, the Committee encourages USDA to 
collaborate with Mexico in its efforts to combat Cattle Fever 
Ticks for more effective cross-border containment and 
eradication.
    Center for Veterinary Biologics.--The Committee maintains 
the increased funding provided in 2021 to support the hiring of 
new employees to fill vacancies that will assist with the 
regulatory responsibilities under the Virus Serum Toxin Act.
    Cervid Health.--Within the funds provided for cervid health 
activities, APHIS should give priority to indemnity payments to 
remove infected and exposed animals from the landscape as 
expeditiously as possible.
    Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).--The Committee is concerned 
about the growing threat of CWD and its impact on free ranging 
deer populations. Of the amount provided for cervid health 
activities, no less than $10,000,000 is provided for APHIS to 
allocate funds directly to State departments of wildlife, State 
departments of agriculture, Native American Tribes, and 
research institutes and universities to further develop and 
implement CWD management and response activities, including 
surveillance, testing, and indemnity as part of an overall 
management plan. The funds directly allocated to States and 
other stakeholders may also be provided to develop and evaluate 
CWD control tools, methods, and strategies. In allocating these 
funds, APHIS shall give priority to States that have 
experienced a recent incident of CWD and have a CWD monitoring, 
surveillance, and control program.
    In addition, the Committee provides an increase of 
$2,000,000 for Wildlife Services Methods Development for CWD 
work at the National Wildlife Research Center.
    Citrus Health Response Program (CHRP).--CHRP is a national 
effort to protect the U.S. industry from the ravages of 
invasive pests and diseases. These funds are designed to 
partner with state departments of agriculture and industry 
groups to address the challenges of citrus pests and diseases. 
In addition to the funds provided in this account, the 
Committee encourages APHIS to utilize the funds available in 
the Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention 
Programs account to the greatest extent possible in an attempt 
to sustain the economic viability of the citrus industry.
    Cotton Pests.--The bill provides $16,830,000 for the joint 
Cotton Pests Program, including an increase of $1,000,000 for 
work related to the cotton seed bug. The Committee encourages 
APHIS and the cotton industry to make every effort to ensure 
the boll weevil does not re-infest areas of the U.S. where it 
has been successfully eradicated.
    Disease Surveillance.--Recognizing the importance of 
disease surveillance among APHIS-inspected animals, the 
Committee encourages APHIS to continue to explore partnerships 
with veterinary medicine programs to establish a formal disease 
surveillance network.
    Emergency Outbreaks.--The Committee continues to include 
specific language relating to the availability of funds to 
address emergencies related to the arrest and eradication of 
contagious or infectious diseases or pests of animals, poultry 
or plants. The Committee expects the Secretary to continue to 
use the authority provided in this bill to transfer funds from 
the CCC for the arrest and eradication of animal and plant 
pests and diseases that threaten American agriculture. By 
providing funds in this account, the Committee is enhancing, 
not replacing, the use of CCC funding for emergency outbreaks.
    Emergency Preparedness and Response.--The Committee 
continues to provide funding for the Animal Care Program to 
coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on the 
National Response Plan and to support state and local 
governments' efforts to plan for protection of people with 
animals and incorporate lessons learned from previous 
disasters.
    Feral swine.--The Committee maintains the 2021 funding 
level for feral swine eradication efforts. The Committee 
encourages APHIS Wildlife Services to use all approved measures 
as a force multiplier and prioritize states with the highest 
population of feral swine.
    Final rule on horse protection.--The Secretary is strongly 
urged to reinstate and publish the final rule, Horse 
Protection; Licensing of Designated Qualified Persons and Other 
Amendments (Docket No. APHIS-2011-0009), as it was finalized 
and displayed in advance public notice in the Federal Register 
on January 19, 2017, with effective dates adjusted to reflect 
the delay in implementation.
    The Committee notes that over four years have passed since 
the final rule, Horse Protection; Licensing of Designated 
Qualified Persons and Other Amendments (Docket No. APHIS-2011-
0009) was prepared, and therefore encourages the Secretary to 
seek additional public comment before finalizing this rule.
    Glassy Winged Sharpshooter.--The Committee provides an 
increase of $1,000,000 and urges USDA to consider all 
appropriate funding resources to rapidly respond to areas where 
increasing numbers of the pest glassy winged sharpshooter are 
occurring in California.
    Green Coffee Imports.--The Committee commends APHIS for 
completing a trial program for importing green coffee beans 
into Puerto Rico. The Committee understands that Plant 
Protection and Quarantine, working with the Puerto Rico 
Department of Agriculture, will now focus on a rulemaking. The 
Committee urges APHIS to complete this rulemaking as soon as 
possible to provide stability and certainty to coffee importers 
and agricultural producers in Puerto Rico.
    HLB-MAC Group.--The Committee recognizes the significant 
economic impact of this disease on the citrus industry, which 
is especially acute in Florida and a growing concern in both 
Texas and California. The Committee also understands that 
growers are requesting the right to try treatments that have 
begun to show success in early stages of testing. The Committee 
encourages the HLB-MAC group to explore and identify new 
methods to expedite the delivery of promising treatments 
directly to willing growers, regardless of the phase of 
observation the treatment is at within the research pipeline. 
Finally, the Committee expects any funds which are redirected 
from existing HLB-MAC projects be repurposed to other priority 
HLB-MAC projects that are showing promising results in order to 
ensure these critical funds remain committed to help facilitate 
the design and implementation of the rapid delivery pathway to 
growers.
    Horse Protection Act.--The Committee provides $3,040,000 
for enforcement of the Horse Protection Act of 1970, as amended 
(15 U.S.C. 1831), and reminds the Secretary that Congress 
granted the agency primary responsibility to enforce this law.
    Huanglongbing Emergency Response.--The Committee encourages 
APHIS to allocate sufficient resources to continue the 
activities necessary to effectively prevent or manage HLB. The 
disease, for which there is no cure, has caused a significant 
decline in Florida' s citrus production since 2007. All citrus 
producing counties in Texas are under quarantine; and in 
California, there have been over 2,000 confirmed cases of HLB 
in backyard citrus trees. HLB threatens the sustainability of 
the entire domestic citrus industry. If HLB continues to 
spread, it will cost thousands of additional jobs and millions 
in lost revenue. The agency is encouraged to support the 
priorities and strategies identified by the HLB-MAC group. The 
agency should appropriately allocate resources based on 
critical need and the maximum benefit to the citrus industry.
    Imported Dogs.--The Committee is aware that the USDA issued 
a report that showed that over one million dogs are imported 
into the United States each year. Of that number, however, less 
than one percent are subject to thorough health screenings to 
show that they are healthy, vaccinated and free of disease 
prior to entering the country. The limited health requirements 
and inspection has resulted in the importation of animals that 
arrive in poor health or die during travel, as well as the 
importation of animals carrying various diseases from rabies to 
canine influenza to leptospirosis, among others. Diseases such 
as canine rabies have cost millions of dollars to eradicate in 
the United States and unscreened animal imports threaten to 
undue that progress while threatening public health. Most 
concerning is the ability of some of these pathogens to jump 
from one species to another and pose a risk of zoonotic 
transmission. The Committee recognizes the potential for 
bedding or conveyances arriving with imported dogs to serve as 
vectors of foreign animal diseases of livestock, and is 
concerned about the potential introduction of highly contagious 
diseases, including African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth 
Disease (FMD). These diseases could have devasting economic, 
environmental, and social impacts on livestock, farmers, 
wildlife and the conservation community. As the connection 
between human and animal health becomes clearer, it is 
imperative that imported animals, including dogs, are healthy, 
vaccinated, and of an appropriate age to travel. Therefore, the 
Committee includes an increase of $1,000,000 for APHIS to 
strengthen its oversight of imported dogs, including stronger 
interagency coordination to better protect animal and public 
health.
    In and Out Bound Market Access Report.--The Committee 
requests APHIS to continue submitting the report on U.S. out-
bound and foreign in-bound agricultural market access. The 
report should provide data for the last three years, including 
the date access was granted and the in-bound and out-bound 
volumes shipped by country and commodity.
    Inspection Reports.--The bill provides $32,256,000 for the 
Animal Welfare program in order to ensure that standards of 
care and treatment are provided for certain animals bred for 
commercial sale, used in research, transported commercially, or 
exhibited to the public.
    This level includes funding to support the agreement 
between APHIS and ARS, under which APHIS conducts compliance 
inspections of ARS facilities to ensure compliance with the 
regulations and standards of the Animal Welfare Act. The 
Committee directs APHIS to conduct inspections of all such ARS 
facilities and to post the resulting inspection reports on line 
in their entirety without redactions except signatures. The 
Committee continues to direct APHIS to transmit to the 
Committees all inspection reports involving ARS facilities, 
including pre-compliance inspections. These facilities involve 
federal funds over which this Committee has oversight 
responsibilities. APHIS is directed to include every violation 
its inspectors find and never to frustrate the Committee's 
oversight activities by using so-called ``teachable moments'' 
or other means of not reporting ARS facility violations.
    Lacey Act Implementation.--To combat illegal imports of 
timber and timber products, protect natural resources, and 
promote fair trade, the Lacey Act, as amended, requires an 
import declaration for certain plants and plant products. Since 
2009, APHIS has been phasing in enforcement of the declaration 
requirement. The Committee is concerned with the pace of 
enforcement and provides $3,957,000, more than doubling the 
2021 level, for additional enforcement phases. The Committee 
urges APHIS to work with federal partners and stakeholders to 
enhance Lacey Act program analysis and compliance efforts, and 
requests a report within 90 days of enactment detailing a 
phase-in schedule for remaining products, prioritizing products 
of highest US import volume and at high risk for illegality.
    Light Brown Apple Moth.--The Committee maintains the 2021 
funding level for the light brown apple moth and urges the 
Department to develop a regulatory plan designed to remove 
regulatory restrictions, if it determines that is appropriate, 
while maintaining domestic commerce and agricultural exports 
globally. Should APHIS withdraw the federal order for the light 
brown apple moth, the Committee encourages APHIS to engage 
state and international regulatory bodies to take steps to 
reduce the overall burden on growers. The Committee is 
concerned that without the necessary cooperation with other 
regulatory officials, APHIS will shift, not reduce, the 
regulatory burden.
    Live Animal Imports.--The Committee is aware that 
importation of live animals, particularly dogs, has increased 
substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee is 
concerned about differences in the APHIS licensing and 
registration processes that may lead to a lack of oversight of 
registrants and/ or repeated failures to maintain basic 
standards of animal care. The Committee is concerned that while 
the Agency can deny an initial license or terminate an existing 
license for dealers or exhibitors that handle live animals for 
failure to comply with Animal Welfare Act requirements, the 
process of registration with the Agency for the purposes of 
serving as a carrier or intermediate handler of live animals, 
or as a research facility, does not require demonstration of 
compliance with Animal Welfare Act requirements or other 
similar Agency regulations. The Committee directs APHIS to take 
all available administrative actions to address this issue and 
to send to Congress recommendations for additional legislative 
steps, if needed, not later than 120 days after enactment of 
this Act.
    National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN).--The 
laboratories within the NAHLN network are on the frontline for 
detection of newly identified and reemerging animal diseases. 
NAHLN laboratories provide a critical contribution to animal 
and human health, as demonstrated during the pandemic. 
Therefore, the Committee rejects the budget reduction and 
provides an increase of $2,000,000 for these labs. The bill 
continues to provide funding for NAHLN through both APHIS and 
NIFA at $15,909,000 and $4,300,000, respectively, resulting in 
a total investment of no less than $20,209,000 for fiscal year 
2022. This amount is in addition to mandatory funding provided 
through the 2018 Farm Bill for Animal Disease Prevention and 
Management. The Committee encourages the Department to provide 
robust funding from the 2018 Farm Bill for NAHLN.
    National Clean Plant Network (NCPN).--No less than the 2021 
level should be available for NCPN-Berries diagnostic assays 
and therapeutics. APHIS- and NCPN-Berries should cooperatively 
monitor the usage of funds provided in 2021 for equipment and 
determine future funding needs.
    National Honeybee Disease Survey Report.--The Committee 
continues funding the survey at the 2021 level. Since 2009, a 
national survey of honeybee pests and diseases has been funded 
annually by APHIS along with other federal and non-federal 
partners to document which bee diseases, parasites, or pests of 
honeybees are present and/or likely absent in the U.S. This 
information will help place current and future epidemiological 
studies in context and thus may indirectly help investigations 
of emerging conditions.
    Pale Cyst Nematode Eradication.--The Committee includes 
funding to maintain resources for the pale cyst nematode 
eradication program at the 2021 level in order to continue with 
successful efforts to eradicate this pest. If left untreated, 
this pest could spread, affecting other crops.
    Plant Biostimulants.--Within the funding available, APHIS 
is requested to work with other agencies and stakeholders to 
develop and implement the recommendations set forth in the 
report submitted pursuant to section 10111 of the Agricultural 
Improvement Act of 2018.
    Roseau Cane.--The Committee remains concerned with the 
invasive species-scale insect pest that is destroying Roseau 
cane in the Mississippi River Delta region along the Gulf of 
Mexico. The Committee directs APHIS to continue to work with 
ARS and stake- holders and continues to provide no less than 
$2,000,000 within Field Crop and Rangeland Ecosystems Pests to 
further develop an integrated management program for control of 
the Roseau cane scale insect pest infestation.
    Searchable databases.--The Committee directs APHIS to 
ensure that the searchable animal welfare database is 
searchable at least to the same extent that they were on 
January 30, 2017 in terms of both function and content.
    Spotted Lanternfly.--The Committee continues to be 
concerned about the recent Spotted Lanternfly outbreak and 
provides an increase of $2,000,000 to support efforts in 
combatting this pest. The Committee requests that APHIS keeps 
it apprised of the program's strategy and progress.
    Tallow Tree.--APHIS is proposing to issue permits for 
environmental release of two insects from China, a beetle 
species (Bikasha collaris) and a moth species (Gadirtha fusca), 
for biological control of the Chinese tallow tree throughout 
the Gulf Coast region of the country. Given that beekeepers 
report that the Chinese tallow tree is among the most prolific 
sources of forage for honeybees, the Committee requests that 
APHIS take the necessary steps to mitigate potential impact 
resulting from the release of biological control agents on 
honeybee populations and the honey industry.
    Wildlife Services.--The Committee is aware that APHIS has 
worked with landowners to deploy nonlethal strategies. APHIS is 
directed to implement and prioritize nonlethal strategies by: 
(1) promoting and implementing nonlethal livestock-predator 
conflict deterrence and mitigation techniques; husbandry 
practices, night corralling, shed lambing, attractant and 
carcass removal, livestock herding, and human presence; (2) 
providing training in selection, implementation, monitoring and 
adaptation of nonlethal techniques for agricultural producers, 
landowners, federal and state agency personnel, and others; and 
(3) collaborating with the National Wildlife Research Center to 
advance and improve nonlethal predator coexistence methods, 
research on monitoring methods for efficacy of nonlethal 
control methods implemented to reduce predation, and establish 
clear documentation protocols for nonlethal approaches 
implemented in advance of lethal control measures where 
applicable. The Committee provides no less than $4,680,000 for 
these activities in fiscal year 2022. Within these funds, APHIS 
should expand, develop, and implement nonlethal methods with a 
focus on reducing human-wildlife conflicts related to predators 
and beavers in the Western Region and Great Lakes states. The 
Committee requests APHIS to document all work on nonlethal 
strategies development and submit a report demonstrating 
progress in this area within 180 days of the enactment of this 
Act.
    Within the amount provided for Wildlife Services, the 
Committee requests that APHIS work with States and other 
partners to ensure an equitable cost sharing framework to allow 
Wildlife Services to manage human-wildlife conflicts more 
effectively.
    The Committee directs APHIS to spend no less than the 
fiscal year 2020 level for predator control in the protection 
of sheep.

                        BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES

 
 
 
 2021 appropriation...................................        $3,175,000
 2022 budget estimate.................................         3,175,000
 Provided in the bill.................................         3,175,000
 Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................             - - -
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Buildings and Facilities of the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service, the Committee provides $3,175,000.

                     Agricultural Marketing Service


                           MARKETING SERVICES

 
 
 
 2021 appropriation...................................      $188,358,000
 2022 budget estimate.................................       213,157,000
 Provided in the bill.................................       223,157,000
 Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +34,799,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       +10,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Marketing Services of the Agricultural Marketing 
Service (AMS), the Committee provides an appropriation of 
$223,157,000. This includes a total increase of $2,367,000 for 
pay and retirement contribution as requested in the budget.
    In addition to those increases, the Committee provides 
increases for the following programs: $2,000,000 for the 
National Organic Standards program; $500,000 for the Organic 
Production and Market Data Initiative; $500,000 for 
Transportation Services; $1,000,000 for local food hubs; 
$2,000,000 for small meat packing apprenticeships; and 
$1,000,000 for the Acer Access and Development Program.
    The bill also includes $7,400,000 for the Farmers Market 
and Local Food Promotion Program authorized under the Local 
Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) in the Agriculture 
Improvement Act of 2018. Together with the Value-Added Producer 
Grant Program, the bill provides a total of $21,400,000 for 
LAMP. This amount is in addition to $100,000,000 provided for 
LAMP in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and 
$50,000,000 of mandatory funds available in fiscal year 2022.
    The Committee includes in this account $25,000,000 for the 
Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives, funded elsewhere in the 
Act at $22,000,000 in 2021. The Committee encourages AMS to 
work with the established initiatives to enhance cooperation 
with land-grant and minority serving institutions and provide 
support to small, minority-owned, socially-disadvantaged 
producers, processors, or distributors.
    Antitrust.--The Committee recognizes that consolidation in 
agribusiness can be detrimental to farmers, consumers, workers 
and the environment. The Committee considers enforcement of the 
Packers and Stockyards Act a top priority and directs the 
Department to continue enforcing the Act to the fullest extent 
of the law. Further, the Committee urges AMS and other agencies 
and mission areas to fully incorporate fair and competitive 
markets priorities across relevant programs and operations.
     Local Food Hubs.--Local, resilient food systems are 
relevant for the farm to table movement. Increasing numbers of 
producers lack infrastructure, and knowledge of HAACP and food 
processing licensing requirements. The Committee provides an 
increase of $1,000,000 for staff and a cooperative agreement to 
develop a strategic plan for creating regional rural food hubs 
to support locally sourced, branded, value-added products that 
are properly inspected. Design function should integrate a 
model that allows, water sharing, water, workspace, loading 
dock, accounting, and utilities to accelerate accessibility of 
locally-sourced, branded value-added products. In addition, the 
plan should include staffing recommendations for food safety 
compliance federal inspector interface to support more 
effective production and marketing of locally grown and 
produced foods.
    National Organic Program (NOP).--Within the funding 
provided, AMS is urged to focus on standards development and 
addressing the backlog of National Organic Standards Board 
recommendations.
    Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Committee directs the agency to publish in the 
Federal Register and seek public comment on an Organic 
Improvement Action Plan that identifies and describes the 
rationale for recommendations approved by the National Organic 
Standards Board by a decisive vote and submitted to USDA that 
have not been implemented by a final rule or any other agency 
action.
    To maximize the climate benefits of organic agriculture, 
the Committee urges the NOP to increase enforcement efforts to 
ensure full compliance with the soil health and pasture 
requirements of USDA organic standards.
    Organic Dairy Production.--The Committee directs AMS to 
seek strong enforcement of organic dairy production standards 
and resolve variations on standard interpretation that exist 
between organic certifiers as well as between organic dairy 
producers. AMS shall continue to conduct critical risk-based 
oversight, particularly for large, complex dairy operations as 
it has in the past three fiscal years.
    Small Meat Packing Plants Apprenticeship.--Local and 
regional meat packing plants have played an important role in 
assuring access to food during the pandemic. The Farm to Table 
movement has accelerated the demand for locally produced animal 
protein and small meat packing plants have struggled to keep up 
with the demand. The Committee is interested in ensuring that 
there are training and apprenticeship programs for small and 
medium sized meatpacking operations to assist with the growth 
and survival of these smaller meat packers. The Committee 
provides $2,000,000 to support regional and local efforts 
through partnerships with existing non-profits, community and 
junior colleges, vocational schools, and similar organizations 
with expertise in training small and medium sized meat packing 
operations. The funds may help support apprenticeships of 
individuals working in small and very small meat packing plants 
to assure that individuals find full and gainful employment.
    Transportation Services Division.--Inadequate market access 
is a critical barrier to economic growth in rural and 
agricultural communities. The Committee provides an increase of 
$500,000 for AMS to continue working with other federal, state, 
and local agencies, as well as producers and those involved in 
all sectors of agriculture.

                 LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

 
 
 
2021 limitation.......................................     ($61,227,000)
2022 budget limitation................................      (61,786,000)
Provided in the bill..................................      (61,786,000)
Comparison:
    2021 limitation...................................        (+559,000)
    2022 budget limitation............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    The Committee provides a limitation of $61,786,000 on 
Administrative Expenses of the Agricultural Marketing Service.

    FUNDS FOR STRENGTHENING MARKETS, INCOME, AND SUPPLY (SECTION 32)

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................     ($20,705,000)
2022 budget estimate..................................      (20,705,000)
Provided in the bill..................................      (20,817,000)
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        (+112,000)
    2022 budget estimate..............................        (+112,000)
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Marketing Agreements and Orders Program, the 
Committee provides a transfer from Section 32 funds of 
$20,817,000.
    The following table reflects the status of this fund:

               ESTIMATED TOTAL FUNDS AVAILABLE AND BALANCE CARRIED FORWARD--FISCAL YEARS 2021-2022
                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      FY 2021         FY 2022        Committee
                                                                      enacted        estimate        provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriation (30% of Customs Receipts).........................     $22,733,332     $21,679,260     $21,679,260
Less Transfers:
    Food and Nutrition Service..................................     -21,040,057     -19,961,591     -19,961,591
    Commerce Department.........................................        -262,275        -253,669        -253,669
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
        Total, Transfers........................................     -21,302,332     -20,215,260     -20,215,260
Budget Authority, Farm Bill.....................................       1,431,000       1,464,000       1,464,000
    Appropriations Temporarily Reduced--Sequestration...........         -71,136         -72,789         -72,789
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
        Budget Authority, Appropriations Act....................       1,359,864       1,391,211       1,391,211
Less Obligations:
    Child Nutrition Programs (Entitlement Commodities)..........         485,000         485,000         485,000
    State Option Contract.......................................           5,000           5,000           5,000
    Removal of Defective Commodities............................           2,500           2,500           2,500
    Disaster Relief.............................................           5,000           5,000           5,000
    Additional Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts Purchases...........         206,000         206,000         206,000
    Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program...........................         183,000         187,000         187,000
    Estimated Future Needs......................................         800,425         443,084         443,084
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
        Total, Commodity Procurement............................       1,686,925       1,333,584       1,333,584
Administrative Funds:
    Commodity Purchase Support..................................          36,746          36,810          36,810
    Marketing Agreements and Orders.............................          20,705          20,817          20,817
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
        Total, Administrative Funds.............................          57,451          57,627          57,627
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total Obligations...........................................      $1,744,376      $1,391,211      $1,391,211
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                   PAYMENTS TO STATES AND POSSESSIONS

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................        $1,235,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         1,235,000
Provided in the bill..................................         1,235,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................             - - -
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Payments to States and Possessions, the Committee 
provides an appropriation of $1,235,000.

        LIMITATION ON INSPECTION AND WEIGHING SERVICES EXPENSES

 
 
 
2021 limitation.......................................     ($55,000,000)
2022 budget limitation................................      (55,000,000)
Provided in the bill..................................      (55,000,000)
Comparison:
    2021 limitation...................................             - - -
    2022 budget limitation............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    The Committee includes a limitation on inspection and 
weighing services expenses of $55,000,000.

             OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR FOOD SAFETY

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................          $809,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         1,327,000
Provided in the bill..................................         1,077,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................          +268,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................          -250,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, the 
Committee provides an appropriation of $1,077,000.

                   FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................    $1,075,703,000
2022 budget estimate..................................     1,165,589,000
Provided in the bill..................................     1,153,064,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +77,361,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       -12,525,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the 
Committee provides an appropriation of $1,153,064,000. This 
amount includes $10,300,000 for Information Technology 
modernization investments; $1,000,000 for the inspection of 
wild caught invasive species in the order siluriformes and 
family Ictaluridae, including blue catfish in the Chesapeake 
Bay; and resources for reducing User Fees for Small and Very 
Small establishments. In addition, $12,525,000 is provided in 
Title VII of the bill for costs associated with the Goodfellow 
move.
    The following table reflects the Committee's 
recommendations for fiscal year 2022:

                   FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE
                         [Dollars in thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Inspection....................................        $1,034,167
Public Health Data Communication Infrastructure System            34,580
International Food Safety and Inspection..............            17,442
State Food Safety and Inspection......................            66,875
                                                       -----------------
    Total, Food Safety and Inspection Service.........        $1,153,064
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Bison as Amenable Species.--Within 90 days of enactment, 
the Committee directs FSIS to hold a listening session with 
buffalo/bison producers and related stakeholder groups, 
including tribes, to explore options for transitioning buffalo/
bison to the amenable species list under the Federal Meat 
Inspection Act. The Committee expects a briefing on the 
listening session within 30 days after the listening session 
date.
    Good Commercial Practices.--The Committee recognizes that 
the handling of birds at slaughter according to Good Commercial 
Practices (GCP) improves quality and reduces the occurrence of 
adulterated poultry products in the marketplace. The Committee 
directs the Department to brief the Committees on documented 
instances where establishments lost control of their processes 
for handling birds, and consequently were not operating in 
accordance with GCPs, no later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act.
    Humane Methods of Slaughter.--FSIS shall ensure that all 
inspection personnel conducting humane handling verification 
procedures receive robust initial training and periodic 
refresher training on the FSIS humane handling and slaughter 
regulations and directives. This includes handling of non-
ambulatory disabled animals, as well as proper use of the 
Humane Activities Tracking System to ensure humane handling of 
animals as they arrive and are offloaded and handled in ante-
mortem holding pens, suspect pens, chutes, stunning areas, and 
on the slaughter line. The Committee directs the agency to 
continue preparation and online publication of the Humane 
Handling Quarterly Reports, to include: (1) the number of 
humane handling verification procedures performed, (2) the 
number of administrative enforcement actions taken, (3) the 
time spent on Humane Handling Activities Tracking System 
activities, and (4) comparisons of these measurements by plant 
size and FSIS district.
    Inspection Delays.--The Committee is aware that the lack of 
sufficient USDA inspections of meat processing facilities in 
rural areas has created unnecessary and financially damaging 
delays to producers trying to get their goods into the 
marketplace, especially during the current public health 
emergency. The Committee directs USDA to coordinate with state 
regulatory boards in regions where there are not enough federal 
inspectors to meet local demand to ensure that inspections do 
not become a bottleneck for producers and processing plants.
    Plant-in-a-Box (PIB).--Localized, decentralized abattoirs 
are critical for regional food security and enabling farmers to 
value-add their production to a direct marketed, branded 
product. PIB is a model for semi-portable (no building permit 
required), turn-key, retrofitted shipping containers or like 
structures for slaughtering and processing federally inspected 
beef, poultry, lamb, goat, and turkeys. This process is of 
particular need for small and very small operations. The 
Committee encourages technical assistance and guidance be 
available to very small operations by advising as to whether 
the facility, like PIB or similar structure, meets requirements 
for a Grant of Inspection and can suggest improvements to the 
unit once it is complete.

                                TITLE II


               FARM PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS


   Office of the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................          $916,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         1,437,000
Provided in the bill..................................         1,687,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................          +771,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................          +250,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of the Under Secretary for Farm Production 
and Conservation (FPAC), the Committee provides an 
appropriation of $1,687,000.
    Agritourism Resource Manual Update.--The Committee is 
concerned that the ``Alternative Enterprises and Agritourism--
Farming for Profit and Sustainability'' resource manual is out 
of date and not user friendly. The Committee directs USDA to 
review the manual for updates, specifically for sections that 
identify agency resource materials, federal funding 
opportunities for agritourism businesses, and Federal contacts 
that can aid agritourism. The Committee encourages USDA to 
engage interested stakeholders. The Committee requests that the 
updated sections and materials be publicly available on USDA's 
website within one year of enactment.
    Cage-Free Housing Conversion.--The committee recognizes 
that the cage-free market is rapidly expanding due to demand by 
consumers and food corporations. In addition, a growing number 
of state laws are requiring farmers to convert to cage-free 
facilities. The Committee strongly encourages the Secretary to 
review this information and consider helping producers meet 
these economic opportunities by providing financial assistance 
for the conversion to cage-free housing.
    Disaster Mitigation.--The Committee is aware of the 
devastating consequences that natural disasters including 
hurricanes, derechos, flooding, and heavy rainfall, have on 
agricultural producers, and is concerned that too few resources 
are available before such events. The Committee encourages USDA 
to consider how it can more effectively adopt a culture of 
preparedness and directs the Secretary to provide the Committee 
a report not later than 180 days after enactment outlining how 
USDA is using existing resources to support agricultural 
communities to proactively prepare for, recover from, and build 
long-term resilience to natural disasters. The report should 
also provide cost estimates for necessary expenses related to 
replenishing the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program for 
loss of crops, including from high winds or derechos, as well 
as losses from fires as in the case of smoke tainted grapes.
    Livestock Indemnity Payments for Adverse Weather.--The 
Committee is aware that millions of farmed animals die each 
year due to the effects of adverse weather. Extreme weather 
events are occurring at increased frequency, putting additional 
livestock at risk. The Committee recognizes the importance of 
disaster planning and directs the Department to work with 
producers that want to voluntarily develop disaster plans to 
prevent livestock deaths and injuries.
    Pyrolysis.--Committee recognizes pyrolysis as an innovative 
approach supporting climate action, that includes the potential 
to reduce or sequester greenhouse emissions that convert 
feedstock, including valorizing tree nut harvest by-products, 
and waste into multiple higher value biocarbon products, 
including sustainable industrial applications, agrochemicals, 
repurposing process heat, energy and construction materials. 
The Committee encourages USDA to explore ways, including using 
existing federal funds, to assist farmers to employ this 
technology at efficient scale on farming operations.
    Small Meatpackers.--The Committee recognizes small 
meatpackers need capital availability to build or expand 
services. The Committee directs USDA, within 180 days of 
enactment, to evaluate the need of small meatpacking plants and 
make recommendations for how to provide capital to support 
flourishing small and medium sized meatpacking plants.
    Tree Assistance Program.--The Committee recognizes that the 
Tree Assistance Program (TAP) and the Emergency Conservation 
Program (ECP) are programs that can help repair and restore 
orchards damaged by natural disasters. Citrus groves in Texas 
were severely damaged by the freeze this year, and orchardists 
need assistance to rehabilitate their orchards. However, due to 
the severity and length of time for orchards to regain 
productive capacity, many orchardists want to convert their 
land to other agricultural or conservation uses. The Committee 
encourages USDA to closely reexamine the TAP and ECP programs 
for opportunities to implement them in a manner that not only 
rehabilitates the orchards, but also allows the land to be 
maintained in other agricultural or conservation uses.
    Tropical and Subtropical Forests.--The Committee recognizes 
the importance of native forests for effective watershed 
management and erosion protection in tropical and subtropical 
forests. The Committee directs USDA to study the ability and 
effectiveness of managed forestry best practices to aid in the 
reforestation of native trees and the cultivation of forest 
crops. USDA should seek input from forestry experts. The 
Committee directs USDA to report back on its findings within 
one year of the enactment of this Act.

            Farm Production and Conservation Business Center


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................      $231,302,000
2022 budget estimate..................................       238,177,000
Provided in the bill..................................       238,177,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +6,875,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center 
(FPACBC), the Committee provides an appropriation of 
$238,177,000.

                          Farm Service Agency


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                              Transfer from
                                                           Appropriation     program accounts    Total, FSA S&E
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021 appropriation.....................................      1,142,924,000      (294,114,000)      1,437,038,000
2022 budget estimate...................................      1,175,670,000      (294,114,000)      1,469,784,000
Provided in the bill...................................      1,175,670,000      (294,114,000)      1,469,784,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation.................................        +32,746,000              - - -        +32,746,000
    2022 budget estimate...............................              - - -              - - -              - - -
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Salaries and Expenses of the Farm Service Agency (FSA), 
the Committee provides an appropriation of $1,175,670,000 and 
transfers of $294,114,000 for a total program level of 
$1,469,784,000.
    Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers.--The 
Committee supports the Reimbursement Transportation Cost 
Payment Program for Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and 
Ranchers (RTCP). The Committee directs FSA, within 180 days 
after the enactment of this Act, to provide a report on the 
RTCP. The report should be by county and include the number of 
producers participating, the amount claimed, and the factored 
payment for FY 2020, and any recommendations to improve the 
program.
    Heirs Property.--The Committee continues to direct the FSA 
to provide updates on the implementation of the Relending 
Program.
    National Agriculture Imagery Program.--The Committee 
recognizes the importance of the National Agriculture Imagery 
Program and encourages FSA, when acquiring future products, to 
include commercial satellite imagery and data, in addition to 
aerial imagery, as part of its portfolio to ensure 
comprehensive coverage while increasing cost-effectiveness and 
efficiency. The Committee encourages FSA to include program 
updates and current activities in future budget justifications.
    Organic Certification Cost Share Program.--The Committee 
recognizes the important role of the Organic Certification Cost 
Share Program for small and mid-size farms, underserved 
farmers, and new organic farmers. The Committee is concerned 
that FSA cut 2020 reimbursement levels due to accounting errors 
and it directs FSA to report back to the Committee with an 
explanation of how this accounting error happened. The 
Committee notes USDA recently announced up to $20 million in 
additional organic cost share assistance, including for 
producers who are transitioning to organic and encourages USDA 
to restore the full reimbursement levels of 75 percent of 
annual organic certification costs, including the restoration 
of prior years.
    Regenerative Ag Practice Lending.--The Committee is aware 
of the need to enhance access to lending for mixed use land 
including crop and pastureland. The Committee encourages USDA 
to assess options for lending for regenerative farms that 
include crops and animals. Within 180 days, FSA should identify 
options and provide recommendations for administrative changes 
and inform the Committee. These actions within the agency 
should also include education and support of lenders and a 
strategy for risk mitigation including possible government 
subsidies, crop insurance, or other support for investments in 
regenerative agriculture practices.
    Small Farmer Specialists.--The Committee recognizes COVID 
19, climate change, and trade wars/agreements have impeded 
small farmer growth. The Committee remains concerned that a 
majority of financial and technical assistance goes to larger 
farmers and encourages USDA to hire dedicated regionally 
focused small farmer specialists that can enhance outreach and 
assistance to small farmers on federal programs, conservation 
practices, contract opportunities, and other valuable issues to 
help our small farmers regain their economic footing.
    Staffing Levels.--The Committee remains concerned about 
staffing shortages at FSA offices and continues to direct the 
Secretary to submit a report to Congress with an administrative 
breakdown of allotment levels by State, current full-time 
equivalents, current on-board permanent employees by State, and 
funded ceiling levels by State.

                         STATE MEDIATION GRANTS

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................        $6,914,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         6,914,000
Provided in the bill..................................         6,914,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................             - - -
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For State Mediation Grants, the Committee provides an 
appropriation of $6,914,000.
    Obligation of funds.--In recent years, the Department has 
not issued any grants in this program until the end of 
December. As a result, the mediation programs must operate for 
the first quarter of the fiscal year without any funding. The 
delay in funding requires some programs to take out loans 
secured by personal assets, reduce or stop pay for staff, or 
turn down new requests for mediation. To the extent possible, 
the Committee strongly encourages USDA to obligate available 
funds within 30 days of enactment.

               GRASSROOTS SOURCE WATER PROTECTION PROGRAM

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................        $6,500,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         6,500,000
Provided in the bill..................................         6,500,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................             - - -
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Grassroots Source Water Protection Program, the 
Committee provides an appropriation of $6,500,000.

                        DAIRY INDEMNITY PROGRAM

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................          $500,000
2022 budget estimate..................................           500,000
Provided in the bill..................................           500,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................             - - -
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Dairy Indemnity Program (DIPP), the Committee 
provides an appropriation of such sums as may be necessary 
(estimated to be $500,000 in the President's fiscal year 2022 
budget request).
    PFAS chemicals.--The Committee is aware that a small number 
of dairy farms are unable to sell their milk as a result of 
contamination from perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl 
substances, collectively known as ``PFAS'' chemicals. The 
Committee directs the Secretary to utilize DIPP to provide 
monthly indemnity payments to affected producers, including 
those producers who are no longer milking their herds, for the 
value of their unmarketable milk, as well as to provide these 
producers with the option to receive an indemnity payment for 
the value of the herd and the costs of depopulation if 
remediation is not practicable. The Committee encourages the 
Secretary to extend the timeframe for monthly DIPP payments to 
36 months and to explore whether DIPP or other USDA resources 
could assist producers with costs associated with a longer-term 
return to farm viability, including testing and remediation.

           AGRICULTURAL CREDIT INSURANCE FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

                         ESTIMATED LOAN LEVELS

 
 
 
2021 loan level.......................................    $9,858,176,000
2022 budget estimate..................................    10,358,176,000
Provided in the bill..................................    10,385,908,000
Comparison:
    2021 loan level...................................      +527,732,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       +27,732,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund program account, 
the Committee provides a loan level of $10,385,908,000.
    The following table reflects the loan levels for the 
Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund program account:

                                     AGRICULTURE CREDIT PROGRAMS--LOAN LEVELS
                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                    Committee
                                                             FY 2021 enacted  FY 2022 estimate      provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Farm Loan Programs:
Farm Ownership:
    Direct................................................        $2,500,000        $2,800,000        $2,800,000
    Unsubsidized Guaranteed...............................         3,300,000         3,500,000         3,500,000
Farm Operating:
    Direct................................................         1,633,333         1,633,333         1,633,333
    Unsubsidized Guaranteed...............................         2,118,482         2,118,482         2,118,482
Emergency Loans...........................................            37,668            37,668            37,668
Indian Tribe Land Acquisition Loans.......................            20,000            20,000            20,000
Conservation Loans:
    Unsubsidized Guaranteed...............................           150,000           150,000           150,000
Indian Highly Fractionated Land...........................             5,000             5,000             5,000
Boll Weevil Eradication...................................            60,000            60,000            60,000
Relending Program.........................................            33,693            33,693            61,425
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
        Total.............................................         9,858,176        10,358,176        10,385,908
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                            ESTIMATED LOAN SUBSIDY AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES LEVELS
                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Direct loan     Guaranteed loan   Administrative
                                                                 subsidy           subsidy          expenses
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021 appropriation........................................           $38,710           $23,727          $307,344
2022 budget estimate......................................            40,017            16,524           314,772
Provided in the bill......................................            40,017            16,524           314,772
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation....................................            +1,307            -7,203            +7,428
    2022 budget estimate..................................             - - -             - - -             - - -
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The following table reflects the costs of loan programs 
under credit reform:

                                AGRICULTURE CREDIT PROGRAMS--SUBSIDIES AND GRANTS
                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                    Committee
                                                             FY 2021 enacted  FY 2022 estimate      provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Farm Loan Subsidies:
Farm Operating:
    Direct................................................           $38,710           $40,017           $40,017
    Unsubsidized Guaranteed...............................            23,727            16,524            16,524
Emergency Loans...........................................               207               267               267
Indian Highly Fractionated Land...........................               742               407               407
Boll Weevil Eradication...................................             - - -             - - -             - - -
Relending Program.........................................             5,000             2,743             5,000
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
        Total.............................................            68,386            59,958            62,215
ACIF Expenses:
    FSA Salaries and Expenses.............................           294,114           294,114           294,114
    Program Administrative Expenses.......................            13,230            20,658            20,658
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
        Total, ACIF Expenses..............................          $375,730          $374,730          $376,987
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                         Risk Management Agency


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $60,131,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        69,207,000
Provided in the bill..................................        66,957,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +6,826,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        -2,250,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Risk Management Agency, the Committee provides an 
appropriation of $66,957,000.
    The Committee fully funds the Administration's request to 
hire additional staff solely devoted to underserved communities 
and to ensure actuarial soundness of new policies as well as 
contract for additional resources to address climate change.

                 Natural Resources Conservation Service


                        CONSERVATION OPERATIONS

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................      $832,727,000
2022 budget estimate..................................       886,285,000
Provided in the bill..................................       894,743,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +62,016,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        +8,458,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Conservation Operations, the Committee provides an 
appropriation of $894,743,000.
    The Committee provides $14,488,000 for the Snow Survey and 
Water Forecasting Program; $11,540,000 for the Plant Materials 
Centers; and $84,444,000 for the Soil Surveys Program. The 
Committee provides $759,813,000 for Conservation Technical 
Assistance, of which $2,000,000 is for the ongoing Soil Health 
Initiative linking soil health and crop cover management. The 
Committee provides $5,000,000 for a cost-share program for the 
construction and repair of perimeter fencing, $9,458,000 for 
the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Program, and 
$10,000,000 For the Healthy Forests Reserve Program.
    COMET-Farm Tool.--The Committee encourages NRCS to engage 
with partners throughout the country to publicize the 
availability of the COMET-Farm tool. The Committee urges the 
Secretary to continue to support COMET-Farm technological 
improvements that would increase usage by farmers and to 
provide continued assistance, improvements, and outreach on the 
COMET-Farm tool through conservation technical assistance.
    Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction Projects.--The 
Committee strongly supports and directs funding toward the 
Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction Projects.
    Composting.--The Committee is aware that food waste is the 
single largest contributor to landfills, making up 22 percent 
of municipal solid waste. The Committee encourages the 
Department to work with EPA to incorporate best practices to 
use composting to avoid food waste and to share education and 
other resources with those entities involved in food production 
and use.
    Conservation Programs timeline.--The Committee recognizes 
the importance of NRCS's conservation programs and their 
positive impact on water and soil quality. The Committee also 
recognizes these programs must consist of realistic timelines 
and outcomes as identified by the farmers using them. The 
Committee encourages NRCS to review all conservation programs 
to ensure their timelines related to conservation planning and 
program delivery meet legislatively mandated timelines to 
support farmers to develop their practices and fulfill the 
mission of the programs and report back on its findings and 
efforts to improve program funding timelines.
    Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Bundles.--The 
Committee recognizes the important role the agriculture sector 
can play in the effort to mitigate the impacts of global 
climate change and understands CSP is well-positioned to 
enhance support for agricultural practices and systems with the 
greatest climate change adaptation and mitigation potential. 
The Committee encourages NRCS to create climate change 
mitigation bundles within CSP, as recommended in the Select 
Committee on the Climate Crisis June 2020 report. Climate 
change mitigation bundles should include practices that reduce 
agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, such as improved 
nutrient management, and practices that increase carbon 
sequestration and improve soil health, such as using cover 
crops, conservation tillage, diverse and resource-conserving 
crop rotations, and advanced grazing management. Given the wide 
geographic variations in climate, rainfall, soil, and 
topography, the bundles should be region specific and provide 
flexibility, allowing bundles to be tailored to the needs and 
conditions of each operation.
    Cover Crop Management.--The Committee provides $1,000,000 
from within the funds provided and directs NRCS to bolster 
ongoing applied efforts of the Soil Health initiative linking 
soil health and cover crop management with an On-Farm Research 
Network in conjunction with public and private sector partners 
on private and public grazing and crop lands. Plant cover that 
supports soil health for soil function, lower production risks, 
better crop production and that as food source for grazing 
animals offers an important carbon capture mechanism that can 
enhance farming outputs and economics. In addition, optimal 
regenerative agriculture requires integrated crop and animal 
production on the farm. The Committee is interested in 
understanding the barriers, economics and challenges facing 
producers to increase cover crop practices and better define 
the benefits and economics of cover crop performance across 
different regions, management scenarios, climatic zones, and 
soil types. A focus should be on developing a decision-support 
platform to help producers establish a cover crop expert 
network to help producers in corn producing states establish 
and manage cover crops, increase their use, and measure the 
diverse benefits.
    Customer Data Systems.--The Committee recognizes that NRCS 
recently updated its software systems that track applications 
and manage projects. Staff have been trained on these data 
systems, but a survey of these staff identified that the new 
software is creating more work, delaying applications, and 
necessitating workarounds. The Committee is interested in 
understanding what steps are being taken to improve these data 
systems and to assure that internal processes are not delayed. 
Within 60 days of passage of the act, NRCS will provide an 
update on plans to assess efficacy of software systems, make 
recommendations for yearly surveys of staff to assess 
efficiency and make swift corrective action plans to resolve 
software limitations.
    Critical Conservation Areas (CCAs).--The Committee supports 
CCAs and the collaborative regional approach to address common 
natural resources goals while maintaining or improving 
agricultural productivity. The Committee encourages NRCS to 
provide Conservation Technical Assistance additional funds to 
CCAs to address conservation planning backlogs.
    Driftless Area Landscape Conservation Initiative.--The 
Committee recognizes the environmental and economic benefits of 
the Driftless Area Landscape Conservation Initiative, which 
expired in 2017. The Committee supports the revitalization of 
this program to educate landowners and operators on the 
benefits of climate-smart agriculture, soil health, and 
holistic grazing, with a focus on equity.
    Environment-based Flood Mitigation Measures.--The Committee 
recognizes that environment-based mitigation measures such as 
the creation of wetlands, conservation easements, and natural 
flood plains to slow the flow rate of rivers, creeks, and 
streams, are innovative tools to mitigate the severity of 
future floods in the Great Lakes Bay Region. These measures 
also support a variety of environmental and conservation 
benefits including erosion control, species habitat, and 
improved air and water quality. The Committee urges the 
Department to participate and coordinate as an essential 
federal stakeholder with EPA, FEMA, NOAA, and U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers, as well as state, local, and tribal governments, 
and business and non-profit stakeholders, on developing and 
supporting conservation and environment-based flood mitigation 
measures to reduce the impact of floods on communities, lives, 
and livelihoods within the Tittabawassee River Watershed in the 
Great Lakes Bay Region.
    Farmer Mentorship Program for Watershed.--The Committee is 
concerned about soil and water quality near watersheds such as 
the Great Lakes Basin, Salton Sea, Lake Okeechobee, and the 
Chesapeake Bay. The Committee recognizes that farmers may be 
unaware of possible or necessary conservations efforts that 
currently exist to improve the soil and water quality. The 
Committee encourages NRCS to leverage its recently created CAMP 
mentoring effort to enhance outreach efforts with dedicated 
farmers in watersheds with conservation expertise to work with 
interested farmers who would like to learn how to implement 
improved conservation practices for water and soil in their 
operations.
    Farmers' Markets.--The Committee recognizes the importance 
of Farmers' Markets in urban and rural food deserts. Farmers' 
Markets are vehicles that allow local farmers to provide 
healthy foods to low income communities and can serve as a 
centerpiece for planning and local economies. The Committee 
encourages the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative 
Production to collaborate with AMS to create funding 
opportunities through the Farmers Market and Local Food 
Promotion Program and the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to 
develop or improve farmers' markets and their ability to access 
local community markets.
    Feral Hogs.--The Committee is concerned that the feral hog 
population is rapidly expanding despite efforts to constrain 
their spread. To help prevent further damages to agriculture 
and urban lands, the Committee provides NRCS $5,000,000 for a 
cost-share program for the construction and repair of perimeter 
fencing. The Committee encourages NRCS, in conjunction with 
state soil and water conservation agencies, to develop a 
strategy to exclude feral hogs from agricultural and urban 
areas at risk of damage from localized feral hog populations 
with lessons learned from the existing Feral Hog Eradication 
Pilot Program.
    Grazing Lands Conservation.--The Committee recognizes the 
importance of collaborative technical assistance to help 
producers effectively manage grazing lands to protect water 
quality, improve soil health, sequester carbon in the soil, and 
increase resilience and producer profitability. The Committee 
directs NRCS to increase support for partnerships that provide 
grazing lands conservation technical services such as grazing 
planning, workshops and demonstrations, peer-to-peer education, 
workforce training, and producer outreach, including support 
for partnerships that address unique needs at the local, state, 
and regional level.
    Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).--The Committee strongly 
supports and directs funding to NRCS's ongoing work to reduce 
nutrient loading from agricultural sources that can contribute 
to the growth of harmful algal blooms. Funding shall be used 
for targeting of watersheds where harmful algal blooms pose a 
threat and implementing a variety of conservation systems to 
address all transport pathways of phosphorus and nitrogen from 
agricultural land uses. Conservation planning should prioritize 
fields or riparian areas with the highest risk of elevated 
phosphorus and/or nitrogen losses. The Committee encourages 
NRCS to use interagency agreements and cooperative agreements 
focused on innovative phosphorus or nitrogen removal strategies 
where agricultural runoff has contributed nutrients to a 
waterbody. Such work shall be conducted in consultation with 
the National Institute for Food and Agriculture and the 
Agricultural Research Service.
    Lake Erie Basin.--The Committee is aware the Western Lake 
Erie Basin Initiative (WLEB) is vital to researching and 
conserving one of our country's precious freshwater sources, 
Lake Erie. Increased levels of harmful algal blooms continue to 
plague the Lake due to shallow depths, increased phosphorus 
levels, and other contributing factors. The Committee 
encourages NRCS to work with locally engaged academic 
institutions that have worked on WLEB concerns and to review 
the work done by these academic institutions along with the 
Federal and State agencies that have responsibility for 
tracking lake water quality.
    Mississippi River Basin.--The Committee continues to urge 
the Department to use its existing expertise and experience 
with the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative 
to participate and coordinate as an essential federal 
stakeholder with EPA's development of the Mississippi River 
Restoration and Resiliency Strategy, as directed in H. Rpt. 
116-446. The Department is also directed to engage with the 
U.S. Geological Survey as they host the Mississippi River 
Science Forum and to contribute to the proceedings as a federal 
agency with relevant scientific expertise.
    National Resource Inventory (NRI).--The Committee 
encourages NRCS to consider the feasibility of expanding the 
existing NRI system to include soil sampling and analysis on an 
annual rotating basis.
    Outreach and Innovation.--The Committee acknowledges the 
need for expanded research in support of urban agriculture in 
food-insecure communities. The Committee believes urban farming 
and food production closer to the home is a viable solution to 
these challenges and encourages the Department to create 
partnerships and, with its extension programs, to assist urban 
agricultural production. The Committee directs NRCS to maintain 
grants to support urban agriculture outreach and innovation.
    Pollinator Seed Mixes.--The Committee encourages NRCS to 
provide support to producers through the development of 
affordable, regionally appropriate pollinator seed mixes that 
avoid attracting crop pests.
    Recovering Value from Animal Waste.--The Committee directs 
NRCS to provide technical assistances and EQIP resources to 
support optimal life cycle management of manure as integral to 
regenerative, resilient agriculture. The Committee directed the 
Secretary to convene all federal agencies who regulate or 
impact animal manure. The collaboration among agencies assess 
the following: 1) direct and indirect financial revenue 
opportunities; 2) the potential value of i) on-farm reuse of 
products such as fertilizer application to cropland; ii) 
remanufactured products; iii) energy recovery; 3) potential tax 
credits; 4) nutrient recovery; 5) grants and loan incentives; 
and 6) other sources of revenue. The Committee has provided ERS 
with $2,000,000 to conduct the report. Within one year of 
passage of this Act, provided that ERS has completed their 
report, the Secretary will recommend a strategy to Congress to 
improve life-cycle management of manure and policies and 
credits needed to scale solutions across farm country that are 
acceptable to farmers.
    Regenerative Agriculture.--Regenerative agriculture 
practices stand to help farmers while addressing the multiple 
challenges our nation faces in climate change, land degradation 
and risk, biodiversity, water security, and food access. The 
Committee recognizes the role of programs like the 
Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation 
Innovation Grants in providing financial assistance to farms 
interested in improving soil health. NRCS is encouraged to 
continue supporting farmers that embrace regenerative 
agriculture practices, including continued investments in soil 
health demonstration projects.
    Resource Conservation and Development Councils (RC&Ds).--
The Committee recognizes RC&Ds have been valuable partners in 
conservation and encourages NRCS to continue working with local 
councils, as appropriate, to ensure conservation programs meet 
local resource needs.
    Sage Grouse Initiative.--The Committee supports NRCS's sage 
grouse conservation efforts. Through the initiative, NRCS 
provides technical and financial assistance to help landowners 
conserve sage grouse habitat on their land. The initiative is 
an integral part of efforts by federal agencies, several 
western states, and private landowners to help preclude the 
listing of the sage grouse as an endangered species.
    Soil Carbon Survey.--The Committee recognizes the need for 
a regular soil carbon survey to improve the effectiveness of 
environmental incentive programs and elucidate the 
relationships between soil carbon content and agricultural 
yields, water and fertilizer-use efficiency, climate 
resilience, and other soil health metrics. To the extent 
possible using existing resources, the Committee encourages the 
Soil Surveys Program to measure, monitor, and model soil carbon 
sequestration on agricultural lands.
    Sustainable Farming Methods.--The Committee recognizes the 
urgent necessity of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order 
to mitigate the impacts of global climate change and the 
important role the agriculture sector can play in that effort. 
Small and mid-size farmers are uniquely positioned in 
mitigating the cumulative effects of climate change. The 
Committee encourages USDA to review its conservation practice 
standards and technical resources to identify and develop best 
practices and related conservation systems for existing small 
and independent farmers seeking to transition to more 
sustainable farming methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 
from nitrogen fertilizers and to sequester carbon as part of 
any commodity crop, specialty crop, horticulture, or forage 
production.
    Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Program.--The 
Committee provides an appropriation of $9,458,000 for this 
program, an increase of $2,458,000. It was funded previously as 
a general provision. The Committee supports the request to 
increase staffing, extend grant opportunities to Historically 
Underserved and Socially Disadvantaged communities, and to 
establish a communication and partnership framework across the 
Federal government.
    Vertical Farming.--The Committee is aware of the growing 
vertical farming industry and other emerging technologies that 
could help increase food production and expand agricultural 
operations. The Committee encourages the Office of Urban 
Agriculture to engage with appropriate USDA agencies to explore 
opportunities to support and scale vertical farming.

               WATERSHED AND FLOOD PREVENTION OPERATIONS

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................      $175,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................       175,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................       160,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       -15,000,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       -15,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations, the 
Committee provides an appropriation of $160,000,000.

                    WATERSHED REHABILITATION PROGRAM

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $10,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        10,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................        10,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................             - - -
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Watershed Rehabilitation Program, the Committee 
provides an appropriation of $10,000,000.

                              CORPORATIONS


                Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................    $8,748,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................     9,660,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................     9,660,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................      +912,000,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund, the 
Committee provides an appropriation of such sums as may be 
necessary (estimated to be $9,660,000,000 in the President's 
fiscal year 2022 budget request).

                   Commodity Credit Corporation Fund


                 REIMBURSEMENT FOR NET REALIZED LOSSES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................   $31,830,731,000
2022 budget estimate..................................    25,915,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................    25,915,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................    -5,915,731,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Reimbursement for Net Realized Losses to the Commodity 
Credit Corporation, the Committee provides such sums as may be 
necessary to reimburse for net realized losses sustained but 
not previously reimbursed (estimated to be $25,915,000,000 in 
the President's fiscal year 2022 budget request).

                       HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT

                        (LIMITATION ON EXPENSES)

 
 
 
2022 limitation.......................................     ($15,000,000)
2022 budget estimate..................................      (15,000,000)
Provided in the bill..................................      (15,000,000)
Comparison:
    2021 limitation...................................             - - -
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Hazardous Waste Management, the Committee provides a 
limitation of $15,000,000. The Committee directs the Hazardous 
Materials Management Program and the Hazardous Waste Management 
Program to coordinate their work to ensure there is no 
duplication.

                               TITLE III


                       RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS


          Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................          $812,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         1,330,000
Provided in the bill..................................         1,580,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................          +768,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................          +250,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of the Under Secretary for Rural 
Development, the Committee provides an appropriation of 
$1,580,000.
    Climate Adaptation.--The Committee recognizes that the 
impacts of climate change--including sea level rise and more 
frequent and severe coastal hazards--pose a significant threat 
to infrastructure and economic development opportunities in 
rural communities. Therefore, the Committee encourages Rural 
Development to partner with USDA's Climate Hubs to better 
leverage existing USDA programs to provide resources to 
communities to invest in infrastructure improvements that will 
enhance resilience to future impacts of climate change.
    Colonias and Farmworker Communities.--The Committee 
recognizes the challenges facing colonias and farmworker 
communities and urges the Department to explore establishing an 
``Office of Colonias and Farmworker Initiatives'' and work with 
other Federal agencies to identify best practices and ways to 
further assist colonias communities and farmworkers.
    Colonias Definition.--The Committee urges the Department to 
reconsider the definition of colonias, so that colonias 
communities with higher population density but low incomes and 
substandard living conditions may be eligible for certain USDA 
programs that require a rural designation.
    Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI).--The Committee 
continues to support HFFI, which improves access to healthy 
food in underserved areas, creates and preserves quality jobs, 
and revitalizes low-income communities. Resources provided 
enable continued investments in grants and loans, establish 
funding coalitions and partnerships, and support a variety of 
food enterprises that target solutions to the needs of rural, 
urban, and tribal communities.
    Hub Communities.--The Committee encourages the Department 
to consider the mission and scope of all program applicants, 
including community colleges, hospitals and other regional 
public service entities and their ability to effectively 
address rural depopulation struggles. These entities are often 
located in regional ``hub'' communities larger than the program 
population limits, yet without these critical services many of 
the surrounding smaller towns could not exist and prosper. The 
Committee encourages the Secretary to make grants and loans 
available to these institutions, located in rural areas as 
defined by current law, and serve rural areas.
    Industrial Hemp.--The intent of Congress in Public Law 115-
334 was for industrial hemp to be eligible for all USDA 
programs, including Rural Development. Industrial hemp can 
significantly benefit struggling rural economies. The Committee 
encourages Rural Development to ensure that industrial hemp is 
eligible for all competitive grant programs.
    Persistent Poverty Areas.--The Committee supports targeted 
investments in impoverished areas. The Committee directs the 
Department to develop and implement measures to increase the 
share of investments in persistent poverty counties, distressed 
communities, and any other impoverished areas the Department 
determines to be appropriate areas to target. The Committee 
expects the activities under the Strikeforce initiative to 
complement this effort.
    Opportunity Zones.--The Committee directs Rural Development 
to identify opportunities to support projects within designated 
Opportunity Zones to better leverage existing resources and 
incentivize greater investment in distressed rural communities.
    Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP).--The Committee 
supports RESP and the opportunity it provides to launch or 
expand energy efficiency financing programs.
    Rural Health.--The Committee encourages USDA to support 
development of infectious disease prevention infrastructure in 
rural communities, including by investing in infectious disease 
training and supplies for rural medical providers, syringe 
services programs, supplies for rural community-based 
organizations, and mobile health care delivery.
    Telemedicine Services.--The Committee continues to support 
Distance Learning and Telemedicine and Broadband grant programs 
that assist rural communities in connecting to the rest of the 
world and overcoming health disparities that affect rural 
communities. The Committee urges the Under Secretary for Rural 
Development to continue supporting the utilization of existing 
telehealth networks to provide additional access using 
telemedicine through partnerships with hub medical centers. The 
Committee also encourages focus on Tele-Emergency Medical 
Service and Tele-Electrocardiogram for use in building 
sustainable models for advanced critical care in populations in 
rural areas by improving critical care interventional outcomes 
and decreasing the wait time between original access and 
treatment for rural populations.

                           Rural Development


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                    Committee
                                                             FY 2021 enacted  FY 2022 estimate      provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriations............................................      $264,024,000      $367,447,000      $348,425,000
Transfers from:
    Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program Account..........       412,254,000       412,254,000       412,254,000
    Rural Development Loan Fund Program Account...........         4,468,000         4,468,000         4,468,000
    Rural Electrification and Telecommunications Loan             33,270,000        33,270,000        33,270,000
     Program Account......................................
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
        Total, RD Salaries and Expenses...................      $714,016,000      $817,439,000      $798,417,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Salaries and Expenses of the Rural Development mission 
area, the Committee provides an appropriation of $348,425,000. 
Of the amount provided, $32,000,000 is for the StrikeForce 
initiative. The Committee also includes $12,025,000 for 
information technology investments and additional resources to 
increase Rural Development staffing.
    Placemaking: Revitalization of Rural Livable Places.--The 
Committee provides an increase of $1,000,000 to expand or 
enhance cooperative agreements begun in fiscal year 2020 that 
utilize public-private partnerships involved in the 
``Placemaking Initiative''.
    Rural Hospitals.--Rural hospitals are an essential pillar 
of their communities and are necessary to create the economic 
growth that is direly needed in rural communities. 
Unfortunately, many rural hospitals continue to struggle. The 
Committee includes $2,000,000 for technical assistance to 
vulnerable hospitals in the Community Facilities portfolio to 
help struggling rural hospitals negotiate, reorganize, and 
revitalize.

                         Rural Housing Service


              RURAL HOUSING INSURANCE FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

                         [Dollars in thousands]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                 Administrative
                                                               Loan level       Subsidy level       expenses
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021 Appropriation........................................       $25,346,000           $70,020          $412,254
2022 Budget estimate......................................        31,846,000            67,052           412,054
Provided in the bill......................................        31,846,000            95,052           412,254
Comparison:
    2021 Appropriation....................................        +6,500,000           +25,032             - - -
    2022 Budget estimate..................................             - - -           +28,000             - - -
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Rural Housing Insurance Fund program account, the 
Committee provides a loan level of $31,846,000,000.
    Farm Labor Housing.--The Committee encourages USDA to 
explore opportunities to leverage its resources including its 
Food and Nutrition Programs, Community Facilities Programs, 
Housing Preservation Grants, and other programs, and to create 
partnerships with the Department of Labor's Farmworker Housing 
outreach and technical assistance program, Health Resources and 
Services Administration's Health Center Program, and the 
Administration for Children and Families Migrant and Seasonal 
Head Start Program, to coordinate and align resources to 
address the housing, nutrition and healthcare needs of this 
vulnerable population of essential workers who play a critical 
role in America's food security. The Committee further 
encourages USDA to explore including service coordinators as an 
allowable expenditure for farm labor housing projects.
    The following table reflects the loan levels for the Rural 
Housing Insurance Fund program account:

                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                    Committee
                                                             FY 2021 enacted  FY 2022 estimate      provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rural Housing Insurance Fund Loans
        Direct............................................        $1,000,000        $1,500,000        $1,500,000
        Unsubsidized Guaranteed...........................        24,000,000        30,000,000        30,000,000
    Housing Repair (sec. 504).............................            28,000            28,000            28,000
    Rental Housing (sec. 515).............................            40,000            40,000            40,000
    Multi-family Guaranteed (sec. 538)....................           230,000           230,000           230,000
    Site Development Loans................................             5,000             5,000             5,000
    Credit Sales of Acquired Property.....................            10,000            10,000            10,000
    Self-help Housing Land Development Fund...............             5,000             5,000             5,000
    Farm Labor Housing....................................            28,000            28,000            28,000
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
        Total, Loan Authorization.........................       $25,346,000       $31,846,000       $31,846,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The following table reflects the costs of loan programs 
under credit reform:

       ESTIMATED LOAN SUBSIDY AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES LEVELS

                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                    Committee
                                                             FY 2021 enacted  FY 2022 estimate      provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program
    Account (Loan Subsidies and Grants):
    Single Family Housing (sec. 502):
        Direct............................................           $55,400            27,900           $27,900
        Housing Repair (sec. 504).........................             2,215               484               484
    Rental Housing (sec. 515).............................             6,688             3,576             3,576
    Multifamily Housing Revitalization....................            28,000            32,000            60,000
    Farm Labor Housing....................................             5,093             2,831             2,831
    Site Development (sec. 524)...........................               355               206               206
    Self-Help Land (sec. 523).............................               269                55                55
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
        Total, Loan Subsidies.............................            98,020            67,052            95,052
    Farm Labor Housing Grants.............................            10,000            10,000            15,000
    RHIF Expenses:........................................
        Administrative Expenses...........................          $412,254          $412,054          $412,254
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................    $1,450,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................     1,495,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................     1,495,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +45,000,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Rental Assistance Program, the Committee provides a 
program level of $1,495,000,000. This provides the estimated 
amount to fully fund the program. This amount includes 
$45,000,000 for the rural housing voucher program.

                  MUTUAL AND SELF HELP HOUSING GRANTS

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $31,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        32,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................        32,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +1,000,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Mutual and Self-Help Housing program, the Committee 
provides an appropriation of $32,000,000.

                    RURAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $45,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        45,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................        65,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +20,000,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       +20,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Rural Housing Assistance Grants program, the 
Committee provides an appropriation of $65,000,000, including 
$25,000,000 for rural housing preservation grants.

               RURAL COMMUNITY FACILITIES PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $74,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        74,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................       238,454,714
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................      +164,454,714
    2022 budget estimate..............................      +164,454,714
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Rural Community Facilities Program Account, the 
Committee provides an appropriation of $238,454,714. The 
Committee specifies the following projects and amounts to be 
funded in fiscal year 2022.

                                            COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Recipient                                Project                      Location          Amount
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ringgold County Child Care Center.  Ringgold County Child Care Center Re-Design           IA            $725,366
Stanton Child Care Resource Center  Stanton Child Care Resource Center                    IA          $1,000,000
                                     Expansion.
Northern Lights YMCA..............  Northern Lights Community Center Renovation           MI          $1,750,000
Fort Valley State University......  Fort Valley State University and Albany               GA            $746,250
                                     State University Local Food Project.
Delaware State Fair, Inc..........  New Castle Agricultural Programming                   DE            $937,500
                                     Building.
Richard Allen Coalition...........  Richard Allen Historic School Repair.......           DE            $100,000
Banks Fire District #13...........  Banks Fire District EMS Equipment..........           OR             $93,500
City of Mt. Vernon................  Mt. Vernon Police Station..................           IL          $1,000,000
Northampton County Government.....  Northampton County Courthouse..............            NC         $5,000,000
Town of Nashville.................  Nashville Fire Station.....................            NC         $1,338,750
City of Guadalupe.................  LeRoy Park Safety Modernization............             CA        $1,700,000
Pride of Atmore...................  Atmore Revitalization Project..............           AL            $885,000
City of Central Falls.............  Holden Community Center....................           RI          $2,000,000
Vital Aging of Williamsburg         Murdaugh Senior Center.....................            SC         $2,883,469
 County, Inc..
Rio Grande City...................  Starr County Courthouse....................           TX          $2,392,763
Sullivan City.....................  El Faro Road Flood Mitigation..............           TX          $3,539,318
Town of La Joya...................  La Joya Fire Station.......................           TX          $1,275,000
Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe........  Sauk-Suiattle Community Center.............           WA            $210,000
Volunteers of America Western       Sky Valley Teen Center.....................           WA            $500,000
 Washington.
Nooksack Indian Tribe.............  Nooksack Clinic and Wellness Facility......           WA          $1,000,000
Village of Philmont Fire            Village of Philmont Fire Station...........           NY             $82,000
 Department.
M-ARK Project, Inc................  M-ARK Child Care Project...................           NY            $100,000
Liberty County....................  Liberty County EMS Facility................           FL            $825,000
Medina County Senior Center, Inc..  Medina County Senior Center................           TX            $562,500
East Wayne Fire District..........  East Wayne Fire Station....................           OH            $958,392
VFW Lopez Williams Post...........  Brooks County VFW..........................           TX            $304,454
Township of Hardwick..............  Hardwick Township Virtual Services.........           NJ             $17,460
Douglass Community Services.......  Douglass Community Center..................           MO          $1,000,000
Northfield Volunteer Fire Company.  Northfield Fire Department Modernization...             CT          $225,000
City of Torrington................  Northwest Hills Animal Control Facility....             CT        $1,100,000
Protivin Community Fire District..  Protivin Community Fire Station............           IA            $100,000
Sunflower Child Care Center, Inc..  Sunflower Child Development Center.........           IA            $200,000
Prince George's County............  Prince George's County Water Tanks.........           MD          $1,350,000
Royalton-Hartland Central School    Royalton-Hartland Agricultural Learning Lab           NY            $515,685
 District.
County of Wyoming.................  Wyoming County Fire Training Center........           NY            $597,289
Cornell Cooperative Extension       Cornell Cooperative Extension Learning                NY            $379,432
 Association of Orleans County.      Center.
Waianae Community Redevelopment     MA'O Organic Farms Infrastructure..........           HI            $896,000
 Corporation.
Port Angeles Food Bank............  Port Angeles Food Bank Expansion...........           WA            $900,000
City of Platteville...............  City of Platteville Fire Station...........           WI          $7,000,000
Cochise County....................  Cochise County Animal Shelter..............           AZ          $1,100,000
County of Nevada..................  North San Juan Fire Suppression System.....             CA        $1,050,000
City of Anderson..................  Sewer and Storm Drain Cleaner Truck........             CA          $262,900
Goosefoot Community Fund..........  Goosefoot Community Center.................           WA            $346,625
Bradner Fire Department...........  Bradner Fire Station.......................           OH          $1,260,000
University of Florida.............  Cherry Lake 4H Center......................           FL          $1,125,000
Pueblo of San Felipe..............  San Felipe Community Center................           NM          $1,500,000
Town of Phillipstown..............  Phillipstown Highway Facility Center.......           NY          $1,787,500
North San Juan Water Conservation   North San Joaquin Water Conservation                    CA        $1,000,000
 District.                           District.
Berwick Area YMCA.................  Berwick Community Center...................           PA          $1,000,000
Borough of Jim Thorpe.............  Jim Thorpe Facility Upgrade................           PA          $2,500,000
IQHub.............................  IQHub Community Classroom..................           MI            $137,671
Four Lakes Task Force.............  Four Lakes Public Safety Booms.............           MI            $795,000
Yakima Nation.....................  Yakima Nation Water Canal Maintenance......           WA            $742,500
Town of Superior..................  Superior Entrepreneurship and Innovation              AZ          $2,000,000
                                     Center.
Maine 4-H Foundation..............  4-H Innovation and Learning Center.........           ME            $450,000
Virgin Islands Department of        Krum Bay Marine Enforcement Pier...........           VI            $750,000
 Planning and Natural Resources.
Virgin Islands Department of        Gallows Bay Marine Enforcement Pier........           VI            $750,000
 Planning and Natural Resources.
City of Reedsburg.................  City of Reedsburg Community Center.........           WI            $220,000
Desert Valley Senior Center.......  Desert Valley Senior Center................           AZ             $16,800
Greene County Board of              Greene County Business Incubator...........           PA          $1,395,000
 Commissioners.
City of Morehead..................  Morehead Fire Station......................           KY            $300,000
Commonwealth Healthcare             Peritoneal Dialysis Expansion Project......           MP            $391,500
 Corporation.
Commonwealth Healthcare             Health IT Upgrades.........................           MP            $980,639
 Corporation.
Guam Fisherman's Cooperative        Guam Fisherman's Co-Op Facility............           GU          $3,000,000
 Association.
City of Ellensburg................  Friends in Service to Humanity Food Bank...           WA            $900,000
Shoshone Bannock Tribe............  Shoshone Bannock Tribal Fire Station.......           ID          $7,000,000
Town of Blackstone................  Blackstone Aerial Ladder Fire Truck........           VA            $923,937
County of Amelia..................  Amelia County Court Office.................           VA            $375,000
City of Moriarty..................  Moriarty Fire Station......................           NM          $5,250,000
City of Little Falls..............  Little Falls Child Care Facility...........           MN            $825,000
Essex County......................  Essex County Ag and Youth Center...........           NY            $997,000
Cary Christian Center.............  Cary Christian Center Facility.............           MS             $37,500
BDT Housing Services Enterprise...  IT Montgomery Home Restoration.............           MS          $2,250,000
City of Rosedale..................  Bolivar County Community Facility..........           MS            $225,000
Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation  Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation Facility           MS          $2,250,000
                                     Revitalization.
Central Mississippi, Inc..........  Mississippi Delta Disaster Relief Shelter..           MS            $300,000
Indiana University of Pennsylvania  IUP Academy of Culinary Arts Building......           PA            $500,000
Jefferson County-Dubois Area        Farm to Refrigerator Training Facility.....           PA          $1,125,000
 Vocational Technical School.
United Way of Tri County..........  Marlborough Community Covered Food Pantry..           MA             $26,838
Allegany College of Maryland......  Allegany College Facility Revitalization...           MD            $187,500
Office of the Salem County          Salem County Courthouse Revitalization.....           NJ          $3,750,000
 Administrator.
Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium..  St Johnsbury Science Annex.................           VT          $2,465,176
Pocono Family YMCA................  Pocono Family Community Center.............           PA          $1,000,000
Mount Bethel Fire Department......  Mount Bethel Fire Department Emergency                PA            $247,500
                                     Shelter.
City of Kodiak....................  Kodiak Fire Station Replacement............           AK          $7,000,000
City of Kiana.....................  Kiana Fire Response and Equipment..........           AK          $3,350,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Community Facility Loans.--The Committee awaits the report 
directed in H. Rpt. 116-446 on the Community Facilities Direct 
Loan and Grant and Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan 
programs portfolio identifying the number of approved 
applications for fiscal years 2017-2020 within the North 
American Industry Classification System.
    Community Facility Relending.--The Committee requests USDA 
consider re-examining the Community Facilities Relending 
activities in order to more effectively make funds available 
for relending to qualified, highly rated community development 
financial institutions, with experience serving persistent 
poverty communities, therefore not requiring any additional 
payment guarantees.
    The following table provides the Committee's 
recommendations as compared to the budget request:

                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                   Committee
                                                          FY 2021 enacted    FY 2022 estimate      provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan Levels:
    Community Facility Direct Loans....................       ($2,800,000)       ($2,800,000)       ($2,800,000)
    Community Facility Guaranteed Loans................          (500,000)          (500,000)          (650,000)
Subsidy and Grants:
    Non-conforming Subsidy.............................             25,000              - - -              - - -
    Community Facility Grants..........................             32,000             58,000            222,455
    Rural Community Development Initiative.............              6,000              6,000              6,000
    Economic Impact Initiative Grants..................              6,000              - - -              - - -
    Tribal College Grants..............................              5,000             10,000             10,000
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
        Total, Rural Community Facilities Program                  $74,000            $74,000           $238,455
         Subsidy and Grants............................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                   Rural Business Cooperative Service


                     RURAL BUSINESS PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $56,400,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        81,150,000
Provided in the bill..................................        91,200,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +34,800,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       +10,050,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Rural Business Program Account, the Committee 
provides an appropriation of $91,200,000.
    The Committee provides resources to operate programs under 
the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS). RBS programs 
complement lending activities of the private sector by 
promoting eco- nomic prosperity in rural communities through 
improved access to capital and economic development on a 
regional scale.
    Arts in rural communities.--The Committee recognizes the 
valuable role of the arts in the economic and community 
development of rural communities across the country. In 
providing grants and assistance under this title, Rural 
Development shall continue to support individuals, nonprofits 
and small businesses in the arts through these traditional 
economic development tools, including business incubators, and 
economic development planning and technical assistance.
    The following table provides the Committee's 
recommendations as compared to the budget request:

                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                   Committee
                                                          FY 2021 enacted    FY 2022 estimate      provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan Level:
    Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans.............       ($1,000,000)       ($1,500,000)       ($2,000,000)
Subsidy and Grants:
    Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans.............             10,400             30,150             40,200
    Rural Business Development Grants..................             37,000             37,000             37,000
    Rural Innovation Stronger Economy Grants...........              5,000              5,000              5,000
    Delta Regional Authority/Appalachian Regional                    9,000              9,000              9,000
     Commission/Northern Border Regional Commission....
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
        Total, Rural Business Program Subsidy and                  $61,400            $81,150            $91,200
         Grants........................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The following programs are included in the bill for the 
Rural Business Program account: $500,000 for rural 
transportation technical assistance and $4,000,000 for 
Federally Recognized Native American Tribes, of which $250,000 
is for transportation technical assistance.

              INTERMEDIARY RELENDING PROGRAM FUND ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                 Administrative
                                                             Loan Level       Subsidy Level         expenses
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021 Appropriation.....................................            $18,889             $2,939             $4,468
2022 Budget Estimate...................................             18,889              1,524              4,468
Provided in the Bill...................................             18,889              1,524              4,468
Comparison:
    2021 Appropriation.................................              - - -             -1,415              - - -
    2022 Budget Estimate...............................              - - -              - - -              - - -
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Intermediary Relending Program Fund Account, the 
Committee provides for a loan level of $18,889,000.
    For the loan subsidy, the Committee provides an 
appropriation of $1,524,000. In addition, the Committee 
provides $4,468,000 for administrative expenses.

            RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $50,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        50,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................        50,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................             - - -
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Rural Economic Development Loans Program Account, 
the Committee provides for a loan level of $50,000,000.

                  RURAL COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $26,600,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        26,600,000
Provided in the bill..................................        28,600,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +2,000,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        +2,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Rural Cooperative Development Grants, the Committee 
pro- vides an appropriation of $28,600,000. This total includes 
$2,800,000 for a cooperative agreement for the Appropriate 
Technology Transfer for Rural Areas program and $14,000,000 for 
the Value-added Agricultural Product Market Development Grant 
Pro- gram under the Local Agriculture Market Program in the 
2018 Farm Bill.
    Agriculture Innovation Centers.--The Committee continues to 
support Agriculture Innovation Centers. The Committee 
encourages consideration for the creation an Agricultural 
Innovation Center to develop a smart agriculture industry 
technology roadmap. The smart agriculture industry roadmap 
center would help guide the future development of technology in 
the agriculture industry and help align the United States 
agriculture industry to increase efforts of the United States 
to become a global leader in smart farming and agricultural 
technologies.

               RURAL MICROENTREPRENEUR ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................        $6,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         6,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................         8,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +2,000,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        +2,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP), 
the Committee provides an appropriation of $8,000,000. RMAP 
provides loans and grants to non-profit organizations, 
community based financial institutions, and local economic 
development councils, which in turn provide technical 
assistance services and microloans to rural owner-operated 
small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs.

                    RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................          $392,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        30,168,000
Provided in the bill..................................        30,420,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +30,028,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................          +252,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Rural Energy for America Program, the Committee 
provides $30,420,000 to make loans and grants as authorized by 
section 9007 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 
2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107) to farmers, ranchers, and rural small 
businesses to assist with purchasing renewable energy systems 
and making energy efficiency improvements.

                   HEALTHY FOODS FINANCING INITIATIVE

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................        $5,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         5,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................         6,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +1,000,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        +1,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Healthy Foods Financing Initiative, the Committee 
provides $6,000,000 to increase the availability of affordable, 
healthy foods in underserved rural communities to create and 
preserve quality jobs and revitalize low-income communities. 
Additionally, the Committee strongly encourages the Department 
to ensure the robust development of best practices for opening 
retail stores in food deserts through the use of technical 
assistance.

                        Rural Utilities Service


             RURAL WATER AND WASTE DISPOSAL PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................      $621,567,000
2022 budget estimate..................................       716,557,000
Provided in the bill..................................       721,557,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +99,990,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        +5,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account, the 
Committee provides an appropriation of $721,557,000. Rural 
areas continue to face immense needs and challenges in 
attaining safe and clean water, and this program provides 
targeted and coordinated support for these communities and is 
essential for the delivery of safe, dependable and affordable 
water and wastewater to rural America.
    Border Communities.--The Committee is concerned that the 
water and wastewater needs of colonias communities that suffer 
from high rates of poverty along the southern border are not 
being adequately addressed. The Committee encourages USDA to 
support qualified non-profit organizations to provide technical 
assistance and/or construction projects to help colonias 
communities with accessing USDA's water and wastewater programs 
and services.
    Domestic Preference.--The bill includes language specifying 
that RUS' Rural Water and Waste Disposal program account 
projects utilizing iron and steel shall use iron and steel 
products produced in the United States. RUS shall apply the 
Environmental Protection Agency's definition of public water 
systems while implementing the domestic preference provision.
    Health Effects of Contaminated Drinking Water.--The 
Committee recognizes the possible adverse health effects of 
drinking water with elevated contaminants, and the 
environmental and public health cost of polluted discharge into 
surface water. The Committee urges the Department to prioritize 
funding rural water systems that are out of compliance with 
federal and/or state drinking water and/or wastewater standards 
to bring those municipalities back into compliance.
    PFAS Pollution.--The Committee encourages the Department to 
make better use of the authority provided by the 2018 Farm Bill 
to utilize its Water and Wastewater Loan and Grant Program to 
help address the needs of rural communities impacted by PFAS 
pollution.
    The following table provides the Committee's 
recommendations as compared to the budget request:

                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                   Committee
                                                          FY 2021 enacted    FY 2022 estimate      provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan Levels:
    Water and Waste Direct Loans.......................       ($1,400,000)       ($1,400,000)       ($1,400,000)
    Water and Waste Guaranteed Loans...................           (50,000)           (50,000)           (50,000)
Subsidy and Grants:
    Direct Subsidy.....................................              - - -              - - -              - - -
    Guaranteed Subsidy.................................                 60                 45                 45
    Water and Waste Revolving Fund.....................              1,000              1,000              1,000
    Water Well System Grants...........................              5,000              5,000              5,000
    Grants for the Colonias and AK/HI..................             68,000             93,000             93,000
    Water and Waste Technical Assistance Grants........             35,000             40,000             40,000
    Circuit Rider Program..............................             20,157             20,157             20,157
    Solid Waste Management Grants......................              4,000              4,000              4,000
    High Energy Cost Grants............................             10,000             10,000             10,000
    Water and Waste Disposal Grants....................            463,350            528,355            533,355
    306A(i)(2) Grants..................................             15,000             15,000             15,000
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
        Total, Subsidies and Grants....................           $621,567           $716,557           $721,557
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

                         LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                Administrative
                                                          Loan level         Subsidy level         expenses
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021 Appropriation..................................          $6,940,000              $2,277             $33,270
2022 Budget estimate................................           7,588,551             449,070              33,270
Provided in the bill................................           7,195,000             191,070              33,270
Comparison:
    2021 Appropriation .............................            +255,000            +188,793               - - -
    2022 Budget estimate............................            -393,551            -258,000               - - -
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Rural Electrification and Telecommunications Loans 
Pro- gram Account, the Committee provides a loan level of 
$7,195,000,000. In addition, the Committee provides $33,270,000 
for administrative expenses.
    Consumer Oriented Operating Loans.--Rural cooperative 
utilities, which are owned by consumers have suffered severe 
energy cost spikes due to winter storm Uri and other severe 
weather events. The RUS is encouraged to offer financially 
feasible low interest loans and other financial incentives to 
cooperatives (and other non-profit electric utilities) to 
smooth the impact of severe weather related energy costs and to 
finance consumer-oriented energy efficiency measures which 
would provide relief to rural consumers as well as facilitate 
reductions in carbon pollution.
    The following table reflects the loan levels for the Rural 
Electrification and Telecommunications Loans Program Account:

                         [Dollars in thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   FY 2021       FY 2022      Committee
                                   enacted      estimate      provision
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan Authorizations:
Electric:
    Direct, FFB...............    $5,500,000         - - -         - - -
    Direct, Treasury..........         - - -    $6,500,000    $5,500,000
    Guaranteed Underwriting...       750,000         - - -       750,000
    Rural Energy Savings             107,300       398,551       255,000
     Program..................
                               -----------------------------------------
        Subtotal..............     6,357,300     6,898,551     6,505,000
Telecommunications:
    Direct, Treasury Rate.....       345,000       690,000       690,000
    Direct, FFB...............       345,000         - - -         - - -
                               -----------------------------------------
        Total, Loan               $7,047,300    $7,588,551    $7,195,000
         Authorizations.......
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       ESTIMATED LOAN SUBSIDY AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES LEVELS

                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                    Committee
                                                             FY 2021 enacted  FY 2022 estimate      provision
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rural Electrification and Telecommunication Loans
    Rural Electric Modifications..........................             - - -          $400,000          $150,000
    Rural Energy Savings Program..........................           $11,000            22,000            14,000
    Telecommunications Direct, Treasury...................             2,277             2,070             2,070
    Treasury Modifications................................             - - -            25,000            25,000
    Administrative Expenses...............................            33,270            33,270            33,270
                                                           -----------------------------------------------------
        Total, Rural Electrification and                              46,547           482,340           224,340
         Telecommunications...............................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                           BROADBAND PROGRAM

                         [Dollars in thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   FY 2021       FY 2022      Committee
                                   enacted      estimate      provision
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Broadband Program:
    Loan Authorization........       $11,869       $11,869       $11,869
    Loan Subsidy..............         2,000         1,772         1,772
    Community Connect Grants..        35,000        35,000        35,000
    Broadband ReConnect Loans        531,000       650,000       786,605
     and Grants...............
Distance Learning and
 Telemedicine:
    Grants....................        60,000        60,000        60,000
                               -----------------------------------------
        Total, Loan Subsidy         $628,000      $746,772      $883,377
         and Grants...........
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Broadband Program, the Committee provides an 
appropriation of $1,772,000 for a loan authorization level of 
$11,869,000. The Committee specifies the following projects and 
amounts to be funded in fiscal year 2022.

                                            COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Recipient                                Project                      Location          Amount
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern Michigan University......  Rural Broadband Expansion for Northern                MI          $1,200,000
                                     Michigan University.
Goodhue County....................  Goodhue County Broadband Expansion.........           MN          $3,210,000
Town of Ghent.....................  Upstate New York Broadband Expansion.......           NY            $829,594
County of El Paso.................  Cotton Valley Broadband Expansion..........           TX          $2,850,000
Niagara County....................  Niagara-Orleans Broadband Expansion........           NY          $3,877,500
Illinois Department of Commerce     Pembroke Township Broadband Expansion......           IL          $3,000,000
 and Economic Opportunity.
Impact Corry......................  Corry Area Tech Center and Hub.............           PA            $500,000
Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications..  Plumas-Sierra Broadband Expansion..........             CA        $4,000,198
City of Espanola..................  Espanola Broadband Expansion...............           NM            $879,506
Charles City County...............  Charles City County Broadband Expansion....           VA          $2,643,508
Town of Sandwich..................  Sandwich Broadband Expansion...............           NH          $1,650,000
Chelan County PUD.................  Chelan County Broadband Expansion..........           WA          $1,286,390
County of Isle of Wight...........  Isle of Wight Broadband Expansion..........           VA            $318,750
Brazos Valley Council of            Bremond Broadband Expansion................           TX          $1,500,000
 Governments.
Pine County.......................  Pine County Broadband Expansion............           MN          $5,576,250
Herkimer County...................  Herkimer County Broadband Expansion........           NY            $500,000
Village of Sherburne..............  Village of Sherburne Broadband Expansion...           NY            $212,022
Town of Westerlo..................  Westerlo Broadband Expansion...............           NY          $1,687,500
Garrett County....................  Garrett County Broadband Expansion.........           MD            $883,574
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Broadband and Tribal Colleges and Universities.--The 
Committee encourages the Secretary of Agriculture to explore 
opportunities to expand broadband for 1994 Institutions (as 
defined in Sec. 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant 
Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note) under the Rural 
Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.). Stronger 
efforts are needed to support expansion and maintenance of 
broadband connectivity, including, but not limited to, 
equipment costs, maintenance of broadband systems, broadband 
infrastructure expansion, and ongoing broadband operations 
expenses directly related to 1994 Institutions broadband 
systems.
    Broadband Technologies.--he Committee awaits the report 
requested in H. Rpt. 116-646 detailing the progress of the 
ReConnect program, including technologies used and communities 
served.
    Indian Country Broadband.--The Committee urges the USDA to 
responsibly and efficiently take action to increase access to 
broadband on rural Tribal lands and supports consultation with 
federally recognized Indian Tribes, Alaska Native villages and 
corporations, and entities related to Hawaiian homelands.
    Open Access.--The Committee recognizes the value of open 
access broadband fiber infrastructure projects as well as the 
challenges these projects face in qualifying for federal 
funding and directs the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to 
support financially-feasible open access infrastructure 
projects that meet its program goals.
    ReConnect Program.--The Committee provides an additional 
$800,000,000 for the ReConnect program to increase access to 
broadband connectivity in unserved and underserved rural 
communities, targeting areas of the country with the largest 
broadband coverage gaps, including those with mountainous 
terrain.
    ReConnect Awards.--The Committee recognizes the importance 
of quickly closing the digital divide to economic development, 
especially in rural communities, and further recognizes how the 
COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing digital disparities 
over the last year. Similarly, the Committee recognizes that 
the difficulties of operating in a pandemic can make the 
administration of broadband projects more difficult due to 
disruptions in workforce and supply chains. Therefore, the 
Committee encourages Rural Development to work to expeditiously 
disburse ReConnect funds once grants and loans are awarded. 
Additionally, the Committee encourages the Department to 
examine, and appropriately adjust and lower the collateral 
requirements within ReConnect Loan Agreements, Grant 
Agreements, or Loan/Grant Agreements to ensure greater Program 
access.
    ReConnect Service Areas.--RUS Telecommunications Program 
funds should not be awarded in any areas, study areas or census 
blocks where a recipient of FCC High-Cost USF support is 
already subject to a buildout obligation of 25/3 Mbps or 
greater for fixed terrestrial broadband, except that RUS 
Telecommunication Program funds may be awarded in such areas to 
help finance construction of the network. This shall not apply 
in cases where the FCC has not provided for final approval of 
an award of such funds.

                                TITLE IV


                         DOMESTIC FOOD PROGRAMS


    Office of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer 
                                Services


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................          $809,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         1,327,000
Provided in the bill..................................         1,327,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................          +518,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, 
and Consumer Services, the Committee provides an appropriation 
of $1,327,000.
    Dietary Guidelines for Americans.--The Committee 
acknowledges the work of USDA in publishing the 2020-2025 
Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). As work begins on the 
2025-2030 DGA, the Committee reminds the Department of the 
importance of a transparent, deliberative process that is 
rigorous, objective, and designed to avoid non-scientific 
notions of nutrition policy. The Committee looks forward to 
reviewing the analysis and findings in the upcoming National 
Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report as 
required in Section 796 of P.L. 116-260.
    Dietary Guidelines for Americans Implementation.--The 
Committee directs the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion 
(CNPP) to develop materials to educate consumers on how to use 
the new Dietary Guidelines to inform their dietary choices, 
including through developing and translating materials to other 
languages, and creating materials that represent a diversity of 
cultural food preferences. The Committee encourages CNPP to 
work with HHS to develop materials for comprehensive education 
campaigns aimed at: 1) educating consumers on how to use the 
new Dietary Guidelines to inform their dietary choices, and 2) 
educating health care professionals to enhance and align their 
dietary guidance with the new Guidelines. The Committee 
recognizes this is the first time that the guidelines included 
age-specific recommendations for children from birth to twenty-
four months old and encourages CNPP to engage key stakeholders 
such as pediatricians, nurses, and dietitians.
    Emergency Response.--The Committee directs the Secretary 
within 180 days of enactment of this Act to report on 
improvements needed to ensure that emergency feeding programs 
geared toward natural disasters are also adequately prepared 
for pandemic response. The report should include executive 
actions already able to be taken, as well as recommendations 
for Congress on needed statute changes to target pandemic 
response more appropriately.
    Local Food.--The Committee recognizes the growing demand 
for locally and regionally produced food. The Committee 
encourages all nutrition programs, to the extent feasible, to 
engage local agriculture producers to enhance small farmers and 
regional producers. The Committee directs FNS to review its 
Child Nutrition Programs and other food distribution programs 
to determine how many of their commodity purchases are locally 
sourced and how to improve procurement from local and small 
farmers.
    Public Release of Information.--The Committee directs FNS 
to continue making all policy documents related to the WIC 
program (including, but not limited to, instructions, 
memoranda, guidance, and questions and answers) available to 
the public on the Internet within one week of their release to 
WIC state administrators.
    School Meal Programs.--The Committee recognizes the wide-
reaching impacts COVID-19 has had on schools across the country 
and appreciates USDA's decision to extend several child 
nutrition waivers through June 2022 to ensure all schools can 
reopen safely. COVID-19 has also had severe consequences for 
school meal program budgets. The Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2021, provided financial assistance, but many schools 
still face meal program losses for the 2020-2021 School Year. 
The Committee supports additional assistance to help alleviate 
financial stress and to help schools avoid cutting into their 
education budgets.

                       Food And Nutrition Service


                        CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................   $25,118,440,000
2022 budget estimate..................................    26,887,922,000
Provided in the bill..................................    26,892,922,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................    +1,774,482,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        +5,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Child Nutrition Programs, the Committee provides 
$26,892,922,000, which includes $35,000,000 for school meals 
equipment grants, $45,000,000 for the Summer Electronic 
Benefits Transfer (EBT) for Children Demonstration, $12,000,000 
for Farm to School grants and $20,004,000 for Team Nutrition.
    Farm to School.--The Committee is interested in ensuring 
that the Farm to School program becomes scalable and replicable 
across states. Training states in maximizing the program is 
best managed by states that have excelled in implementing the 
program. Multiple regions of the country should act as 
locations for Farm to School Institutes. In order to expand the 
current outreach efforts, $1,000,000 of the Farm to School 
program will be directed toward cooperative agreements to 
support at least four Farm to School Institutes that represent 
the East, Midwest, West, and South regions of the country for 
the creation and dissemination of information on farm to school 
program development and to provide practitioner education, 
training, ongoing school year coaching, and technical 
assistance, for programs linking curriculum, local purchasing 
and community connections.
    Food Waste Education.--USDA's nutrition programs reach 
nearly one in four Americans every day, including approximately 
30 million children through school feeding programs. This reach 
provides a significant opportunity to increase public awareness 
of food loss and waste and ways to prevent it. The Committee 
encourages the USDA to include food waste education and 
prevention information as a priority for each of these 
programs, and incorporate food waste prevention and reduction 
information into all nutrition education materials geared 
toward teachers, students, and other program recipients.
    Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.--The Committee 
appreciates the collaboration between USDA and the Department 
of Defense on its Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which is 
available in over 48 states/territories and serves more than 
22,000 schools. The Committee encourages DOD and USDA FNS to 
review current practices to identify opportunities to increase 
food purchases from small, medium, women and minority farmers 
within their respective states, and, within 180 days of 
enactment, report back on their findings.
    Local Food in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).--
The Committee is aware that school meals are a vital source of 
food and nutrition for elementary and secondary students. The 
Committee recognizes the NSLP could do more to support local 
economies and businesses through increased participation with 
local producers and encourages efforts to increase local food 
purchases for the NSLP sourced from in-state or geographically 
local growers and producers.
    Meal Patterns.--The Committee supports efforts to provide 
children with the most nutritious meals possible through the 
National School Lunch and Breakfast Program. Over the last ten 
years, we have seen schools make great strides in improving the 
nutritional quality of meals served. As the Department 
considers further changes to the current meal pattern 
standards, the Committee acknowledges the need to be sensitive 
to financial viability, student participation and 
stigmatization in the program. We urge the Department to 
consider the impact of any new standards on schools' ability to 
serve nutrient dense components, including those that are dairy 
or meat protein based, as well to provide schools the necessary 
flexibility to serve regional and culturally-inclusive meals 
that also meet the wide variety of student dietary preferences.
    Persistent poverty counties.--The Committee is aware that 
the Administration has proposed to expand the Community 
Eligibility Provision (CEP) and make it more financially viable 
for schools by increasing the proportion of costs covered by 
the Federal government to make CEP a cost-effective option for 
more schools. The Committee is particularly concerned about CEP 
participation in persistent poverty counties. The Committee 
encourages USDA to explore what strategies might be adopted to 
address the unique participation challenges faced by persistent 
poverty counties and rural communities such as the border 
region colonias communities.
    School Breakfast Expansion Grants.--The Committee remains 
concerned that while participation in the School Breakfast 
Program is increasing, many children who are eligible for the 
School Breakfast Program are not participating. Therefore, the 
Committee provides $10,000,000 for grants for expansion of the 
School Breakfast Program, of which $2,000,000 is dedicated to 
the U.S. territories.
    Team Nutrition.--The Committee supports the promotion of 
nutritional health of school children by establishing team 
nutrition networks to promote physical fitness awareness and 
obesity prevention programs, and to establish programs such as 
school gardens. The Committee provides a $2,000,000 increase 
for training and technical assistance to help schools provide 
nutritious meals that meet meal standards and continues to 
direct $1,000,000 to support schools meet the sodium reduction 
targets.
    Training for School Food Service Personnel.--The Committee 
recognizes the limitations of the professional standards set 
for school food service personnel under the Healthy Hunger Free 
Kids Act of 2010. The Committee directs the Secretary to 
encourage training programs carried out under Section 
7(g)(2)(B) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 that are 
scheduled primarily during regular, paid working hours. 
Whenever appropriate, such training shall be offered in-person 
and incorporate hands-on training techniques.
    Unpaid School Lunch Fees.--The Committee is concerned with 
reports that some students with unpaid school lunch fees are 
treated unfairly and being publicly embarrassed. The Committee 
continues to direct the Secretary to issue recommended 
standards schools may adopt to address the issue of shaming 
school children for unpaid school lunch fees, including 
standards that protect children from public embarrassment; that 
strongly encourage all communications about unpaid school lunch 
fees be directed at the parent or guardian, not the child; and 
that encourage schools to take additional steps to work with 
families falling behind in their school lunch fees.
    Yogurt.--The Committee is aware that after soliciting 
Requests for Information on the food crediting system for the 
school lunch and breakfast programs, FNS decided to maintain 
the current crediting standard for strained, high-protein 
yogurt. The Committee encourages the Secretary to continue 
evaluating how strained, high protein yogurt is credited based 
on the best available science and provide an update to the 
Committee.
    The agreement provides the following for Child Nutrition 
Programs:

                      TOTAL OBLIGATIONAL AUTHORITY

                         [Dollars in thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
School lunch program.................................        $14,665,855
School breakfast program.............................          5,188,750
Child and adult care food program....................          4,314,605
Summer food service program..........................            581,074
Special milk program.................................              6,250
State administrative expenses........................            332,000
Commodity procurement................................          1,567,663
Team Nutrition.......................................             20,004
Food safety education................................              3,048
Coordinated review...................................             10,000
Computer support and processing......................             26,753
CACFP training and technical assistance..............             41,498
Child Nutrition Program studies and evaluations......             15,607
Child Nutrition payment accuracy.....................             11,656
Farm to school tactical team.........................              6,159
School meals equipment grants........................             35,000
Summer EBT demonstration.............................             45,000
School breakfast expansion grants....................             10,000
Farm to School grants................................             12,000
                                                      ------------------
    Total............................................        $26,892,922
------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN 
                                 (WIC)

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................    $6,000,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................     6,000,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................     6,000,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................             - - -
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, 
Infants, and Children, the Committee provides an appropriation 
of $6,000,000,000. The Committee provides $90,000,000 for the 
breastfeeding peer counselor program and $14,000,000 for 
infrastructure, and $75,000,000 for management information 
systems.
    After a decade of decline, the President's budget request 
includes a projection of an average monthly participation rate 
of 6.4 million women, infants, and children for fiscal year 
2022, an increase of about 200,000 participants compared to the 
prior fiscal year. The Committee provides funding that will 
ensure all eligible participants will be served and to increase 
the amounts of fruits and vegetables in the WIC Food Package.
    The Committee is steadfast in its commitment to fully fund 
WIC and recognizes funding needs might change as the country 
continues to respond to and recovery from the COVID-19 
pandemic. The Committee will continue to monitor WIC 
participation trends, carryover funds, and food costs and take 
additional action as necessary.
    Blood Lead Screening.--The Committee is concerned about 
reports that have found child blood lead screening has declined 
during the pandemic, in some states dropping by as much as 20% 
compared to the previous year. The Committee encourages WIC to 
continue making referrals and do screenings for a blood lead 
test when appropriate.
    Breastfeeding Rates.--The Committee recognizes that after a 
decade of decline, WIC participation is anticipated to increase 
in FY 2022. As more women participate in the program, the 
Committee recognizes there is an opportunity to have a 
substantial impact on childhood obesity by creating a more 
effective focus on increasing breastfeeding rates and is 
interested in better understanding the impediments to increased 
breastfeeding rates in WIC recipients, specifically impediments 
that may be unique to WIC as compared to the general 
population. As noted in USDA's WIC Participant and Program 
Characteristics 2018 Report, 23.3 percent of infant WIC 
participants were breastfed at 6 months of age compared with 
57.6 percent of infants in the general U.S. population and 
compared with the Nation's Healthy People 2020 goal of 60.6 
percent. The Committee directs FNS to consider additional 
efforts to further promote breastfeeding to improve 
breastfeeding rates over the next 5 years. Within 90 days, the 
Committee requests a briefing on FNS's current breastfeeding 
strategies, impediments unique to the WIC program, and possible 
solutions for improvement.
    Maternal Mortality Data.--The Committee remains concerned 
about maternal mortality and awaits the report detailed in H. 
Rpt. 116-446.
    Outreach.--The committee is concerned that the 2019 Final 
Rule (84 F.R. 41292) discouraged people from applying to WIC 
who otherwise would have been eligible. That rule is no longer 
in effect and the committee directs FNS to inform the Committee 
on how it plans to spend the $390 million provided in the 
American Rescue Plan, including specific outreach efforts to 
eligible individuals and households.
    WIC Food Package.--The Committee recognizes that up-to-date 
food packages, comprised of a diversity of foods and reflective 
of community preferences results in women and children 
consuming healthy diets. The Committee understands that FNS has 
already begun work to update the WIC food packages through a 
formal rulemaking.
    WIC Study.--The Committee directs FNS to publish state 
level estimates of the percentage of pregnant women, infants, 
and children under age five participating in the Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program under the Food and Nutrition Act 
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) but not in this program and the 
percentage of pregnant women, infants, and children up to age 
five participating in the Medicaid program (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 
seq.) with income less than the limit in section 17(d)(2)(A)(i) 
of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 but not in this program.

               SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

 
 
 
2021 appropriation.............................         $114,035,578,000
2022 budget estimate...........................          123,602,452,000
Provided in the bill...........................          105,796,197,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation.........................           -8,239,381,000
    2022 budget estimate.......................          -17,806,255,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the 
Committee provides $105,796,197,000. The total amount includes 
$3,000,000,000 for a contingency reserve to be used only in the 
event and in the amount necessary. The Committee also includes 
a such sums appropriation in the fourth quarter of the fiscal 
year, as requested by the Administration, in case participation 
exceeds expected levels or there is a disaster that cannot be 
managed through use of the contingency funds.
    Barriers to Accessing SNAP.--The Committee is concerned 
that eight million more families have fallen into poverty since 
the start of the pandemic, accelerating the poverty and hunger 
crisis in this nation. The Committee also understands that 
longstanding inequities stemming from structural racism have 
exacerbated the impact COVID-19 has had on the country and 
especially communities of color. Alaska Native, Native 
Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Black and Latino adults are all two 
times more likely to report food insecurity than white adults. 
The Committee directs the Secretary, within one year of 
enactment, to report on factors contributing to inequitable 
barriers of access to SNAP, such as the able-bodied adults 
without dependents (ABAWD) requirement, limited in-language 
resources, limited culturally responsive outreach standards, 
limited in-person and call center availability, and other 
factors that produce inequitable access to SNAP.
    College Hunger.--The Committee remains concerned that SNAP-
eligible students who are food-insecure lack proper information 
about resources available to them. Under regular SNAP 
eligibility requirements, students enrolled at least half time 
in an institution of higher education are typically ineligible 
for SNAP benefits unless they meet certain specific exemptions. 
Public Law 116-260 included provisions to temporarily expand 
SNAP eligibility to students. The Committee continues to direct 
FNS to make information available on its website regarding 
student SNAP eligibility requirements easier to understand and 
more accessible. The Committee directs FNS to report back on 
the number of students who enrolled in SNAP due to this 
increased flexibility and provide any lessons learned.
    Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).-- 
The Committee supports FDPIR and the ability of tribal 
organizations to enter into 638 self-determination contracts 
for the procurement of FDPIR foods. The Committee encourages 
FNS to ensure the SNAP program does not limit tribes from 
accessing the additional benefits of FDPIR and requests that 
within 60 day of enactment of this Act, FNS engage a dialogue 
with Congress on how to integrate SNAP and FDPIR.
    Military Food Insecurity.--The Committee recognizes that 
COVID-19 exacerbated food insecurity for millions of people, 
including members of the military. The Committee is also aware 
that the Basic Allowance for Housing that members of the 
military receive is not excluded as income when calculating 
eligibility for SNAP. The Committee supports a reevaluation and 
revision of this policy to reduce the number of military 
members relying on food banks and to ensure all members of the 
military have access to healthy, nutritious food.
    SNAP Online Pilot Program.--The Committee commends the 
expansion of online SNAP pilot program and encourages the 
Secretary to ensure that these programs include adequate 
language assistance and translation services for SNAP 
participants with limited English proficiency.
    TEFAP Administration.--The Committee encourages FNS to work 
with state and local agencies looking to use their 
administrative funds to procure delivery services to reach 
unique, high-density, food insecure populations in urban and 
rural areas lacking adequate transportation.
    TEFAP Local Purchase.--The Committee is aware that TEFAP 
distributors such as foodbanks, soup kitchens, and food 
pantries have a natural bond with their local farmers. The 
Committee encourages FNS to explore innovative ways to procure 
food directly from small and local farmers.
    Territories.--The Committee recognizes the inadequacy and 
inefficacy of the current Nutrition Assistance Program block 
grant funding for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa, which has had to be 
repeatedly supplemented in response to natural disasters and 
the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee encourages FNS to engage 
the appropriate stakeholders and directs FNS to provide the 
Committee with updates on the separate plans and discussions to 
includes theses territories in SNAP. The Committee directs FNS 
to provide cost estimates for including Puerto Rico, American 
Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in 
SNAP.
    The agreement provides the following for SNAP:

                      TOTAL OBLIGATIONAL AUTHORITY
                         [Dollars in thousands]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benefits.............................................        $93,243,036
Contingency reserve..................................          3,000,000
Administrative costs:
    State administrative costs.......................          5,536,316
    Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant             452,000
     Program.........................................
    Employment and Training..........................            635,829
    Mandatory other program costs....................            343,354
    Discretionary other program costs................              3,998
Administrative subtotal..............................          6,971,497
                                                      ------------------
Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico (NAP)...........          2,070,349
American Samoa.......................................              8,315
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.....            126,000
TEFAP commodities....................................            337,000
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.........             30,000
Community Food Projects..............................              5,000
Program access.......................................              5,000
    Subtotal.........................................          2,581,664
                                                      ------------------
        Total........................................       $105,796,197
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      COMMODITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................      $426,700,000
2022 budget estimate..................................       442,070,000
Provided in the bill..................................       448,070,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +21,370,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        +6,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    The Committee provides an appropriation of $448,070,000 for 
the Commodity Assistance Program. The recommended funding level 
for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program is $332,000,000. 
The Committee recognizes the importance of the CSFP, which 
improves the health of low-income elderly persons at least 60 
years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious 
foods. The amount provided fully funds expected caseload.
    The Committee recommendation includes $30,000,000 for the 
Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, an increase of $9,000,000, 
$85,000,000 for administrative funding for The Emergency Food 
Assistance Program (TEFAP), an increase of $5,370,000, and 
maintains the 2021 level of $1,070,000 for the Food Donations 
Programs for Pacific Island Assistance.
    TEFAP and food boxes--The Committee believes that all 
federal feeding programs must be accessible for those with 
culturally or religiously sensitive diets, including kosher and 
halal. The Committee urges the Secretary to seek input from 
Jewish and Muslim community leaders on this issue. The 
Committee requests a report within 120 days from the enactment 
of this Act on how to overcome the challenges of incorporating 
kosher and halal food into TEFAP, as well the amount of kosher 
and halal food purchased in the Farmers to Families Food Box 
Program, as well as TEFAP during the COVID-19 public health 
emergency.
    TEFAP Handling and Distribution Costs.--In addition to 
grant funds supporting commodity handling and distribution 
costs, the bill permits states to use up to 20 percent of the 
funds provided for purchasing TEFAP commodities to help with 
the costs of storing, transporting, and distributing 
commodities. The Committee expects state agencies to consult 
with their emergency feeding organizations on the need for the 
conversion of such funds.

                   NUTRITION PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................      $156,805,000
2022 budget estimate..................................       191,533,000
Provided in the bill..................................       191,533,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +34,728,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Nutrition Programs Administration, the Committee 
provides $191,533,000.

                                TITLE V


                FOREIGN ASSISTANCE AND RELATED PROGRAMS


   Office of the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural 
                                Affairs


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................          $887,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         1,408,000
Provided in the bill..................................           908,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................           +21,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................          -500,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign 
Agricultural Affairs, the Committee provides an appropriation 
of $908,000.

                      Office of Codex Alimentarius


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................        $4,805,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         4,841,000
Provided in the bill..................................         4,841,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................           +36,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Office of Codex Alimentarius, the Committee 
provides an appropriation of $4,841,000.

                      Foreign Agricultural Service


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                              Transfer from
                                                           Appropriation       export loan           Total
                                                                                 account
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021 appropriation.....................................       $221,835,000         $6,063,000       $227,898,000
2022 budget estimate...................................        228,644,000          6,063,000        234,707,000
Provided in the bill...................................        228,644,000          6,063,000        234,707,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation.................................         +6,809,000              - - -         +6,809,000
    2022 budget estimate...............................              - - -              - - -              - - -
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Foreign Agricultural Service, the Committee 
provides an appropriation of $228,644,000 and a transfer of 
$6,063,000 for a total appropriation of $234,707,000.
    The Committee provides increases in funding of $1,198,000 
for International Cooperative Administrative Support Services, 
$481,000 for Capital Security Cost Sharing, $1,800,000 for 
locally employed staff, and $3,330,000 for pay and retirement 
contributions.
    Farmer-to-Farmer.--Food insecure countries benefit from a 
diversity of expertise in developing sustainable agricultural 
practices as supported under Feed the Future, particularly 
curricula developed by land-grant colleges and universities 
that support agricultural extension services. The United States 
Agency for International Development-administered (USAID) 
Farmer to Farmer program can play a key role in maximizing 
these efforts. Within 30 days of enactment, the Committee 
directs USDA to consult with USAID in an effort to develop a 
deeper understanding of the operation of the Farmer to Farmer 
program. Following consultations with USAID, USDA shall provide 
the Committees an assessment of the benefits of USDA 
collaborating with USAID to operate Farmer to Farmer to help 
assure that the program is effective in meeting the goals of 
the Global Food Security Act, Feed the Future, and the mission 
of FAS. This assessment will provide beneficial information in 
the reauthorization of Feed the Future and as a guidepost for 
discussions during the next Farm Bill reauthorization.
    International Agricultural Education Fellowship.--The 
Committee maintains the 2021 level for this program. The 
Committee is interested in exploring how this program can 
support ongoing efforts at FAS. Prior to issuing any future 
funding awards, the Committee continues to direct USDA to brief 
the Committees on how the International Agricultural Education 
Fellowship program will work in collaboration with programs 
administered by USDA, USAID, and other relevant U.S. government 
agencies.
    U.S., Central America, and Mexico Cooperation.--The 
Committee directs FAS to work with its counterparts in Central 
America and Mexico to improve the efficiency of the 
agricultural inspection process and agricultural trade 
facilitation issues. FAS in partnership with USDA technical 
agencies, U.S. land grant universities, and USDA Cooperators 
can work effectively with counterparts in government agencies 
and regional agricultural institutions in Central America and 
Mexico to promote farmer resilience to climate change effects 
such as drought and flood, and achieve improvements in food 
security through capacity-building in climate-smart 
agricultural technologies and practices, and fostering relevant 
scientific exchanges. The Committee notes that last year's 
House report directed the Department to brief the Committees on 
these efforts. The Committee looks forward to receiving this 
briefing.

                     Food for Peace Title II Grants


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................    $1,740,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................     1,570,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................     1,740,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................             - - -
    2022 budget estimate..............................      +170,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Food for Peace Title II grants, the Committee provides 
$1,740,000,000.

  MCGOVERN-DOLE INTERNATIONAL FOOD FOR EDUCATION AND CHILD NUTRITION 
                             PROGRAM GRANTS

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................      $230,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................       230,112,000
Provided in the bill..................................       245,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +15,000,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       +14,888,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and 
Child Nutrition Program Grants (``McGovern-Dole''), the 
Committee pro- vides an appropriation of $245,000,000.

              COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION EXPORT (LOANS)

                    CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAM ACCOUNT

                     (INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................        $6,381,000
2022 budget estimate..................................         6,063,000
Provided in the bill..................................         6,063,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................          -318,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For administrative expenses of the Commodity Credit 
Corporation Export Loans Credit Guarantee Program Account, the 
Committee provides an appropriation of $6,063,000.

                                TITLE VI


           RELATED AGENCIES AND FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION


                DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES


                      Food and Drug Administration


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

                                             [Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Appropriation        User fees        Total, FDA S&E
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021 appropriation.....................................         $3,201,928         $2,765,580         $5,967,508
2022 budget estimate...................................          3,526,928          2,920,906          6,447,834
Provided in the bill...................................          3,449,869          2,816,540          6,266,409
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation.................................           +247,941            +50,960           +298,901
    2022 budget estimate...............................            -77,059           -104,366           -181,425
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Committee provides an appropriation of $3,449,869,000 
in new budget authority for the FDA. In addition, the Committee 
recommends the following user fee amounts: $1,141,861,000--
prescription drugs; $241,431,000--medical devices; 
$527,848,000--human generic drugs; $43,116,000--biosimilar 
biologicals; $33,836,000--animal drugs; $23,137,000--animal 
generic drugs; and $712,000,000--tobacco products.
    The combination of new budget authority and definite user 
fees provides the FDA with a total discretionary salaries and 
expenses level of $6,173,098,000. This total does not include 
permanent, indefinite user fees for: the Mammography Quality 
Standards Act; Export Certification; Priority Review Vouchers 
for Pediatric Disease; Food and Feed Recall; Food Reinspection; 
Voluntary Qualified Importer Program; Third-Party Auditor 
Program; Outsourcing Facilities; and Over-the-Counter 
Monograph.
    The Committee recommendation includes a net increase of 
$247,941,000, including increases for the following programs or 
initiatives: New Era of Smarter Food Safety; Maternal and 
Infant Health and Nutrition; Emerging Chemical and Toxicology 
Issues in Food; Advancing the Goal of Ending the Opioid Crisis; 
Device Shortages and Supply Chain; Predictive Toxicology 
Roadmap; Drug Safety Surveillance and Oversight; CVM Medical 
Product Supply Chain; Data Modernization and Enhanced 
Technologies; Inspections; Capacity Building Efforts; and the 
Office of Minority Health and Health Equity.
    The Committee recommendation includes the full requested 
level for pay costs.
    The Committee recommendation includes $3,000,000 for an 
educational campaign for consumers surrounding menu labeling 
and the updated Nutrition Facts panel.
    The Committee recommendation does not include proposed user 
fees that are not authorized.
    510(k) Guidance.--The Committee expresses concern that 
FDA's 510(k) guidance has not been updated since 2005. The 
Committee requests that FDA update this guidance including with 
the recommendations that ingredients, including fragrance, for 
menstrual tampons and pads be disclosed on the label; that 
products be tested for common contaminants such as phthalates, 
VOCs, pesticide residues, and dioxins and that steps should be 
taken to eliminate sources of contamination when found; and to 
implement testing to assess the impact of product use on the 
vaginal/vulvar microbiome.
    Access to Compounded Hormones.--As the FDA reviews 
recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, 
Engineering, and Medicine's report on the Clinical Utility of 
Compounded Hormones, the Committee urges FDA to engage with 
compounders and other stakeholders to help ensure access to 
compounded drugs for patients who need them.
    Actions on Menthol Flavors.--The Committee notes FDA's 
recent announcements on its plan to issue product standards 
related to menthol in cigarettes and characterizing flavors in 
cigars. The Committee will be closely monitoring FDA's 
rulemaking efforts and expects to be kept apprised of updates.
    Adulterated Pet Food.--The Committee is aware there is no 
requirement that animal food, including pet food, have pre-
market approval by the FDA, leaving the Comprehensive Animal 
Food Compliance Program as the ultimate line of defense between 
beloved pets, food-producing animals and the food they consume. 
The continuing number of animal illnesses due to adulterated 
animal food calls for urgent and immediate action by 
implementing the Comprehensive Animal Food Compliance Program.
    Adverse Drug Events.--As underrepresentation of women and 
minorities continues in clinical trials, the pharmacogenomic 
impact risks among such populations will continue to be less 
well understood. The Committee recognizes adverse drug events 
and related health disparities can be reduced when 
pharmacogenomic data is monitored, reported, and included in 
product labels. The Committee urges FDA to increase 
examinations of past drug approvals and related pharmacogenomic 
safety issues and to carry out any other activities related to 
pharmacogenomic data that would address reducing adverse drug 
events and related health disparities.
    Alzheimer's Clinical Trials.--The Committee recognizes the 
need to advance innovative clinical trials designs to increase 
diversity in clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease. The 
Committee notes that due to lack of diversity in clinical 
trials, those at the greatest risk may not be as well served by 
new treatments. The Committee encourages FDA to increase 
efforts to make Alzheimer's clinical trials more inclusive, 
innovative, and conduct necessary outreach to underrepresented 
populations.
    Alternative Testing.--As expressed in H. Rpt. 116-446, the 
Committee is encouraged by the FDA's efforts to reduce testing 
on dogs and other animals. The Committee commends the agency 
for the formation of its Alternative Methods Working Group to 
foster the advancement and regulatory acceptance of new 
research technologies that can improve the efficiency and 
effectiveness of the development of drugs and other FDA-
regulated products and reduce and replace testing on dogs and 
other animals. A number of these initiatives were outlined in 
the January 2021 FDA report `Advancing New Alternative 
Methodologies at FDA'. However, the Committee is concerned 
about a lack of performance goals and metrics to measure FDA's 
progress in this area, as outlined in the 2019 GAO report 
entitled `Animal Use in Research: Federal Agencies Should 
Assess and Report on Their Efforts to Develop and Promote 
Alternatives'. The Committee directs the FDA to deliver a 
report on FDA's acceptance of alternatives to animal tests for 
regulatory purposes. The report shall include the following: 
(1) a review of existing laws, policies and regulations 
allowing FDA acceptance of non-animal test data; (2) a review 
of non-animal test methods that the FDA has allowed to be used 
in place of animal tests for regulatory purposes; (3) a review 
of existing performance goals and metrics used by FDA to 
monitor progress and measure the success of its efforts to 
accept alternative tests methods and reduce animal use; and (4) 
recommendations to improve objective assessment of the impact 
of FDA programs to reduce animal use and advance alternative 
methods in the future. The Committee directs FDA to deliver a 
report to the Committees within one year of enactment of this 
Act.
    Animal Drug Compounding.--The Committee wants to ensure 
that GFI #256 on animal drug compounding, which FDA issued on 
November 20, 2019, does not create the same issues that 
resulted in withdrawal of the previous draft guidance, GFI 
#230. The Committee expects that any finalized guidance on 
compounding for animal health will preserve treatment options 
available to veterinarians, will reflect public input, and will 
recognize the need for compounded medications by pet owners, 
animal shelters, zoos and other stakeholders. In addition, the 
Committee directs FDA to conduct outreach to the veterinary 
community to explain the application of GFI #256 and how 
veterinarians will continue to be able to access safe and 
effective locally-compounded animal drugs.
    Animal Food Ingredients.--Animal food ingredients are 
reviewed and approved by CVM, which is responsible for ensuring 
the safety of ingredients as they enter the marketplace to be 
consumed by either livestock or pets. The Committee is 
concerned about the time associated with the ingredient review 
and approval process, and uniform acceptance of animal food 
ingredients by the delegated authorities. The Committee is also 
concerned that the Center for Veterinary Medicine Policy and 
Procedures Manual Guide 1240.3605 has not been updated since 
1998 and has not kept pace with science, prohibiting 
manufacturers of animal food ingredients from making certain 
marketing claims about the product's use because the Guide's 
outdated policy interpretation classifies the claim to be 
associated with an animal drug. The Committee directs the 
agency to review the Policy and Procedures Manual Guide 
1240.3605 for solutions on how ingredient claims for animal 
production, animal well-being, food safety and the environment 
can be regulated as animal food.
    Artificial Intelligence Assessments.--To better understand 
the role artificial intelligence can play in hardening supply 
chain logistics, FDA is directed to assess whether artificial 
intelligence techniques could be used effectively to help 
inform and identify new supply chain logistics strategies, 
better predict medical supply chain challenges, identify novel 
and non-traditional supply chain participants, and more 
accurately predict shortages, bottlenecks and supply chain 
choke points. FDA is directed to report on the status of this 
assessment within one year of the enactment of this Act.
    Automated Compounding.--The Committee encourages FDA to 
review policies, regulations, and guidance to incorporate and 
incentivize the use of automation technology to enhance safety, 
improve accuracy, and facilitate compliance in drug 
compounding.
    Biosimilars and Complex Generics.--The Committee directs 
FDA to enhance its efforts to facilitate the development and 
approval of biosimilar and interchangeable products and complex 
generics. The Committee recognizes FDA's efforts to develop 
recommendations to assist sponsors in demonstrating that 
proposed interchangeable products, including interchangeable 
insulins, meet the requirements for licensure and to help 
promote generic competition for complex drugs, including 
through providing recommendations on how to generate evidence 
needed to support approval for these products. However, there 
are still drugs on the market that are no longer protected by 
patents or exclusivities and that continue to lack generic 
competition. The Committee notes that funding has been provided 
in prior years to accelerate safe and effective lower cost 
drugs and the Committee continues to support FDA's efforts in 
advancing these regulatory processes.
    Blood Donor Procedures.--The Committee continues to 
recognize the need for scientifically sound, evidence-based 
policy relative to FDA blood donor guidelines. The committee 
urges FDA to complete its ongoing review of relevant 
recommendations for deferral and report to Congress no later 
than 180 days after enactment of its updated guidance.
    Boric Acid.--The Committee directs FDA to provide a 
briefing on the regulation of advertising and sales of boric 
acid suppositories.
    Botanical Dietary Supplements Quality and Safety.--The 
Committee encourages the continued work between the National 
Center for Natural Products Research and the FDA to conduct 
research on biological and chemical properties of plants used 
in dietary supplements, in order to ensure the quality and 
safety of these products. This collaborative effort helps 
develop the science base for ensuring the authenticity, quality 
and safety of botanicals sold as dietary supplements in the 
U.S.
    Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Trials and Combination 
Treatments.--The Committee commends FDA for its continued 
efforts to accelerate the review and approval of cell and gene 
therapies for cancer, which have provided hope for many 
patients when more traditional treatments have failed. Research 
suggests that therapies that combine cellular products and 
other cancer drugs may prove more effective for some patients, 
including those who do not benefit from single-drug treatments. 
These combination treatments increase the complexity of trial 
design, especially regarding treatment sequencing and the 
number of treatment arms per trial. Therefore, the Committee 
urges FDA to work with and provide guidance to industry and the 
broader research community on how to standardize clinical trial 
designs for cellular therapy treatments combined with other 
cancer therapies. This will allow sponsors to streamline trial 
designs, while still ensuring adequate safety and maximizing 
efficacy for patients.
    Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM).--FDA is encouraged to 
meet periodically with Congress to provide updates on the 
investigation it is undertaking regarding DCM. The update shall 
include: the scientific work completed at the agency and any 
ongoing work, including information about pending and planned 
collaborative efforts with academia, pet food and ingredient 
manufacturers, the veterinary cardiology community, and other 
stakeholders and the timing and nature of any future public 
reporting.
    Cannabidiol Enforcement.--The Committee expects further 
progress on regulatory pathways for cannabis-derived products 
that contain cannabidiol. Additionally, the Committee maintains 
at least the fiscal year 2021 funding level for cannabidiol 
related oversight and enforcement.
    Canned Tuna.--The Committee remains concerned that FDA has 
not revised the standard of identity for canned tuna to adopt 
the drained weight fill of container standard despite having 
received two citizens petitions, as far back as 1994. FDA is 
directed to promulgate proposed regulations revising the 
standard of identity for canned tuna consistent with the 
drained weight standard adopted for canned tuna by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission and the Association of Official 
Analytical Chemists canned tuna, FDA shall, to the extent 
consistent with applicable regulations, continue to approve in 
a timely manner temporary marketing permits that adopt the 
drained weight method consistent with international standards 
and to approve in a timely manner updates to product labeling 
under existing temporary marketing permits.
    Closer to Zero.--The Committee is concerned that lead, 
arsenic, cadmium, and mercury are often present in dangerous 
quantities in foods intended for consumption by infants and 
toddlers. Consumption of these toxic heavy metals, even in 
extremely small quantities, can impact a child's neurological 
development with lifelong implications. The Committee provides 
$12,900,000 for the FDA's Closer to Zero program to begin 
expeditious development of action levels and provide guidance 
on best practices for reducing and eliminating toxic heavy 
metals in infant and toddler foods. The Department shall brief 
the Appropriations Committee on these efforts within 120 days 
of enactment of this Act.
    Continuous Manufacturing.--The Committee encourages FDA to 
support development and implementation of continuous 
manufacturing technologies for the domestic, commercial 
production of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
    Contraceptives.--The Committee requests FDA update its 
Birth Control Chart and website to reflect new products that 
have entered the market since 2011 that do not fall under any 
of the existing methods of contraceptives.
    COVID-19 Impacts on Clinical Trials.--The Committee is 
concerned that the COVID-19 public health emergency prevented 
certain drugs from coming to market by delaying or permanently 
cancelling clinical trials. The Committee directs FDA to submit 
to the Committee not later than 90 days after enactment of this 
Act a report on the impact of COVID-19 on clinical trials, 
particularly for specialty drugs being developed to combat rare 
diseases, and include suggestions for facilitating the 
advancement of such studies.
    Dairy Standard of Identity.--The Committee is pleased that 
the FDA has begun a deliberative process to review how it will 
enforce the standards of identity for dairy products as 
described in 21 Code of Federal Regulations parts 131, 133, and 
135. The Committee continues to hear concerns with the labeling 
of certain foods and beverages as dairy products when the 
products are plant-based rather than derived from an animal. As 
such, the Committee urges the FDA to continue its work toward 
ultimately enforcing standards of identity for dairy products.
    Dietary Supplements.--The Committee is concerned with the 
lack of robust regulation of dietary supplements, some of which 
cause an estimated 23,000 emergency room visits per year that 
include life-threatening illnesses and deaths, and encourages 
the FDA to issue regulations requiring mandatory product 
listing and registration to create transparency in the supply 
chain.
    Diversity in Clinical Trials.--The Committee commends FDA 
for its recent guidance supporting increasing the number of 
women and minorities in clinical trials to represent their 
unique health needs, gather safety and efficacy information to 
inform proper product labeling, and prevent adverse drug events 
(ADEs), which are twice as high for women. However, incremental 
changes to address this problem have taken decades and are 
contributing to continued safety and efficacy issues for non-
white populations. The Committee supports broadening 
eligibility criteria, avoiding unnecessary exclusions from 
clinical trials, and improving recruitment, clinical trial 
designs and data reporting to reflect the U.S. population and 
including pregnant and lactating individuals. The FDA shall 
provide a report to the Committee within one year of enactment 
of this Act addressing participation barriers, such as travel 
costs, timing for trial appointments, appointment locations, 
the use of online clinical care and other factors that often 
exclude diverse populations, and reporting data for drug and 
biological product labeling that can guide safe use of the 
product in certain populations.
    Drug Compounding and Final MOU.--The Committee recognizes 
the FDA recently finalized the MOU for pharmacy compounding. 
The Committee requests that FDA engage further with 
stakeholders to address concerns and to ensure that all or 
nearly all states can sign this important document.
    Drug Compounding Pharmacist on Pharmacy Compounding 
Advisory Committee (PCAC).--The Committee recognizes that the 
PCAC established under the Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA) 
needs to adequately represent the interests and needs of 
providers and patients who use and depend on compounded 
medications. Compounding is often practiced in community 
settings. It is therefore vital that voting members of PCAC 
have a thorough understanding of compounding in a community 
setting in order to appropriately advise FDA. The Committee 
encourages FDA to appoint qualified voting members with recent, 
actual, and diverse experience in the preparation, prescribing, 
and use of compounded medications.
    DQSA Implementation.--The Committee is aware of concerns 
about FDA's implementation of the DQSA as it relates to USP 
dietary supplement monographs.
    Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.--In order to increase study 
power and minimize time on placebo in clinical trials longer 
than one year for potential Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy 
therapies, the Committee urges FDA to convene a multi-
stakeholder meeting to evaluate the use of external controls. 
The Committee also encourages FDA to explore the use of 
external control arms in novel trial designs.
    In addition, the Committee is aware of the 2018 Guidance on 
developing therapies for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and 
related dystrophinopathies. Given the potential that gene 
therapies may hold to treat these devastating diseases, the 
Committee urges FDA to consider whether the 2018 Guidance 
should be modified to reflect these developments. Any such 
effort should involve the relevant experts at both CBER and 
CDER.
    Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) Products.--The 
Committee is concerned that nearly 20 percent of high school 
students used e-cigarettes in 2020 and urges the Food and Drug 
Administration to use its full authority under the Family 
Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act to address this 
serious public health problem. As the FDA conducts premarket 
reviews of e-cigarettes and other deemed tobacco products for 
which manufacturers were required to submit applications by 
September 9, 2020, the Committee urges the agency to give 
careful consideration to the risk of youth initiation of 
nicotine or tobacco posed by any product under consideration. 
In addition, the Committee is pleased with FDA's recent action 
to post a list of products for which a premarket application 
was submitted via the premarket tobacco authorization pathway 
by September 9, 2020 and whose manufacturers have indicated 
were on the U.S. market as of August 8, 2016, and are currently 
marketed. This is an important action for increasing 
transparency and strengthening enforcement capabilities.
    Emerging Technologies Program.--The Committee commends the 
FDA for assessing the barriers that have slowed the adoption of 
novel manufacturing technologies by commissioning a report by 
the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. 
The Committee encourages FDA to continue to reduce regulatory 
barriers by considering innovative technology outside 
individual product submissions and expanding the scope of the 
current Emerging Technologies Program.
    Ethylene Oxide.--The Committee is aware that FDA has worked 
with stakeholders to create master files to facilitate 
reduction or elimination of the use of ethylene oxide to 
sterilize medical devices. The Committee urges the agency to 
increase efforts to make stakeholders aware of the existence 
and benefits of these master files and alternative 
sterilization methods.
    Expiration Date for Cosmetics.--The Committee remains 
concerned over the importance of ensuring the safety of 
cosmetics and reminds the FDA of its commitment to work with 
stakeholders and Congress to modernize the regulatory framework 
for cosmetics. The Committee also reminds the FDA of the 
requirement in P.L. 116-94 for it to report to the Committee on 
a path to establishing Good Manufacturing Practices for 
cosmetics, as a way to further ensure cosmetic safety.
    Food Additives.--The Commissioner should provide a report 
within one year of enactment on options to systematically 
reassess the safety of food additives and Generally Recognized 
as Safe substances including how to 1) set priorities for 
review; 2) obtain the information on use; and 3) update its 
safety assessment methods to more effectively utilize modern 
scientific tools to evaluate the toxicity of and exposure to 
substances added to foods. The report should include resource 
needs including staffing dedicated exclusively to performing 
reassessment.
    Foreign Unannounced Inspections Pilots.--The Committee 
continues to believe that physical inspections, especially when 
unannounced, are one of FDA's most important tools to ensure 
drug safety and quality. While COVID-19 has understandably 
delayed many routine inspections abroad, the Committee is 
concerned that FDA may not prioritize physical inspections as 
highly as other regulatory review methods. The Committee 
maintains its strong support of FDA's past effort to create a 
pilot program in India to increase short notice and unannounced 
inspections and continues to direct FDA to restart this pilot 
and establish an additional pilot in China. The Committee 
provides an additional $5,000,000 above the fiscal year 2021 
level to continue implementing these pilots.
    Food Traceability.--The Committee provides an increase of 
$9,500,000 to facilitate traceability and enhance outbreak 
response to prevent further illnesses. The Committee is 
encouraged by the work FDA has done in developing a blueprint 
to outline strategies to develop a wide-scale traceability 
system that helps companies and government agencies more 
rapidly trace foods implicated in disease outbreaks and subject 
to recall through their New Era of Smarter Food Safety 
Initiative.
    Foreign High-Risk Inspection.--The Committee maintains 
funding for the evaluation of foreign high-risk sites to allow 
FDA to continue efforts to develop and utilize a targeted, 
risk-based, and efficient inspection model that incorporates 
commercially available information, including onsite facility 
verification, about all foreign establishments for the purpose 
of regulatory compliance and surveillance of manufacturing 
quality management practices. FDA is directed to provide the 
Committees with an update on these efforts, including estimated 
efficiencies and concerns and plans to continue or expand this 
effort in the future. In addition, the funding can be used to 
support the Centers' ongoing efforts to improve the scientific 
evaluation of manufacturing for risk-based surveillance. The 
Committee expects this effort to provide FDA with data-driven 
models that will help it target its overseas inspection 
activities in a global economy.
    Front of Package Labeling.--The Committee is concerned with 
elevated rates of diet-related disease and encourages the FDA 
to explore issuing regulations requiring mandatory labeling to 
appear on the front of package for food products, allowing 
consumers to quickly assess the healthfulness of foods.
    FSMA Partnerships.--The Committee encourages FDA to work in 
partnership with existing government food safety programs and 
industry to share and coordinate information and data with 
industry partners and state and local government entities to 
better coordinate before, during, and after outbreaks occur.
    Gluten.--The Committee is aware that celiac disease is a 
serious, genetic autoimmune disorder, affecting nearly 3 
million Americans, in which ingesting gluten causes damage to 
the villi of the small intestine. The only treatment is the 
total elimination of gluten containing products. In 2017, FDA 
issued Draft Guidance encouraging drug manufacturers to 
disclose the presence of gluten. While some manufacturers have 
taken this step, it has not been implemented consistently. This 
may lead consumers to face continued uncertainty about whether 
their medicine will do more harm than good. The Committee 
continues to encourage FDA to consider docket comments received 
from stakeholders, including consumers, and to work 
expeditiously to publish a final guidance document.
    Hand Sanitizer Safety.--The Committee is concerned that the 
FDA has not issued communication on the risks of refillable 
hand sanitizer dispensers. The Committee directs FDA to 
consider guidance or other communication to stakeholders on the 
risks and requirements of using open refillable dispensers for 
hand sanitizers, which may result in adulterated and mislabeled 
products.
    Harmonizing International Pharmaceutical Quality 
Standards.--The Committee supports efforts of the FDA to 
facilitate the international harmonization of drug quality 
standards and collaborate with trusted regulators to improve 
the quality of pharmaceuticals worldwide. The Committee 
requests within 180 days of the enactment of this Act a report 
on FDA's efforts to collaborate with international regulators 
and other important stakeholders to advance international 
quality standards.
    Homeopathic Draft Guidance.--The Committee urges FDA to 
consider the views of commenters, including patients, 
proponents of homeopathy, and other stakeholders, in its 
approach to finalizing its revised draft guidance entitled 
``Drug Products Labeled as Homeopathic Guidance for FDA Staff 
and Industry.''
    Import Alerts.--The fiscal year 2021 Act required FDA to 
develop a plan to identify, detain, and refuse FDA-regulated 
products when FDA investigators were not allowed immediate 
physical access to registered establishments. The Committee 
continues to direct that for any foreign registered 
establishment that refuses physical access to the establishment 
or its records to determine compliance, the FDA may place the 
foreign establishment on import alert and the alert would focus 
on all products from this establishment.
    Infant Formula.--The Committee expresses concern with 
retailers who keep infant formula on the shelves past their 
``Use By'' date. The Committee encourages FDA to continue its 
efforts to inform retailers of the health risks for infants who 
consume infant formula past its ``Use By'' date.
    Inspections at Land Ports of Entry.--A record volume of 
FDA-regulated commodities are being introduced for import 
inspection at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Committee is 
concerned that this is outpacing the Administration's 
processing operations resources at Land Ports of Entry, and has 
resulted in increased cargo backlogs or otherwise compromised 
the Administration's ability to detect and seize violative 
products. In order to improve and streamline the inspection 
process and expedite the release of compliant products, the 
Committee directs FDA to support increased import operations at 
Land Ports of Entry, near the U.S.-Mexico border.
    Inspections Data. --The Committee appreciates FDAs 
adherence to Section 902 of the FDA Reauthorization Act which 
requires an annual report on inspections. Given that Congress 
has directed the agency to expedite the review of certain drugs 
that are life-supporting, life sustaining, or intended for use 
in the prevention or treatment of a debilitating disease or 
condition (described in 506C(a) of the Food Drug and Cosmetic 
Act), and that are in shortage or reasonably likely to be in 
shortage, the Committee requests that FDA provide a separate 
table in the existing Section 902 report on the median times 
described in Section 902 for generic applications for such 
products that underwent expedited review.
    Listeria.--The Committee emphasizes reducing incidence of 
foodborne illness as an important public health goal and 
believes that coordinated and targeted resources are required 
to appropriately assess and combat the public health risks of 
foodborne pathogens. The Committee is aware that FDA is in the 
process of finalizing industry guidance regarding Listeria 
monocytogenes (Lm) in foods under their jurisdiction. Reducing 
incidence of listeriosis is indeed an important public health 
goal and the Committee supports efforts to accomplish this 
objective. Accordingly, the Committee urges FDA to apply a 
risk-based approach and direct its regulatory efforts toward 
high risk ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, those which support the 
growth of Lm. Additionally, the Committee urges FDA to utilize 
current scientific knowledge regarding the public health impact 
of foods that do not support growth of Lm to inform compliance 
policies. Recently published scientific research from food 
safety and public health experts recommends a regulatory action 
level of Lm for these low-risk foods to encourage industry to 
adopt quantitative Lm testing schemes and facilitate robust 
environmental monitoring programs, and ultimately result in 
significant reductions in disease incidence. Policies 
reflecting these developments align with other national 
regulatory standards and restore a level playing field for U.S. 
food processors in the global marketplace. Further, the 
Committee calls on FDA to define not-ready-to-eat foods in its 
guidance in a manner that aligns with the approach of FSIS and 
to ensure that this guidance is protective of public health, 
science-based and practical.
    Lupus.--The Committee is aware of barriers that have long 
affected the development of therapeutics for lupus, a disease 
that primarily targets women and disproportionately impacts 
African Americans, Latinas, Native Americans, and Asian 
Americans. The Committee is pleased that FDA participated in an 
externally-led, patient-focused drug development meeting with 
the lupus community and identified some of these barriers and 
that potential treatments are now in clinical trials. The 
Committee urges FDA to expedite its ongoing work with the lupus 
community to develop solutions to identified barriers that will 
accelerate development of new therapies.
    Naloxone Expanded Access.--The Committee supports FDA's 
efforts to expand naloxone access for individuals with opioid 
use disorder. The Committee is concerned about increasing 
numbers of opioid overdose deaths for pregnant and postpartum 
individuals. As FDA continues to carry out initiatives to 
expand access to naloxone, the Committee encourages FDA to 
consider opportunities to focus specifically on naloxone 
availability and accessibility for pregnant and postpartum 
individuals with opioid use disorder. The Committee encourages 
FDA to collaborate with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration and relevant stakeholders on outreach 
and education initiatives to address maternal opioid use 
disorder.
    Nephrotic Syndrome.--The Committee recognizes the 
collaboration by FDA in continuing to support key clinical 
trials for patients with nephrotic syndrome. The Committee 
encourages FDA to continue collaborating with stakeholders on 
therapy access to ensure the viability of trials.
    Net Weights.--The Committee encourages FDA to continue 
devoting appropriate efforts to address suspected economic 
integrity issues, particularly with respect to net weights, and 
treatment of seafood. The Committee believes ``short-weighted'' 
labeled products are violating FDA laws and that, despite 
industry reporting such examples, FDA has not prioritized 
enforcement. The Committee requests an update from FDA on its 
efforts to enforce net weight requirements with respect to 
seafood products.
    Non-animal Approaches.--The Committee strongly supports 
activities to advance the assessment of nonanimal approaches 
for qualification within the Innovative Science and Technology 
Approaches for New Drugs (ISTAND) pilot program. The Committee 
is pleased that ISTAND provides a pathway for regulatory 
acceptance of innovative nonanimal methods that may better 
protect public health, improve the safety and efficacy of drug 
development, and reduce animal testing.
    Non-Human Primates.--The Committee continues to encourage 
the FDA to reduce primate testing, prioritize alternative 
research methods to relocate primates to sanctuaries and 
requests that a progress report be included in the FDA's fiscal 
year 2023 budget justification.
    Nutrient Value of Fish During Pregnancy.--In light of the 
directive included in section 773 of Division B of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, FDA is directed to 
perform appropriately designed studies, including pregnant and 
postpartum women as subjects, to inform its efforts to 
encourage fish consumption in pregnancy. The studies will be 
conducted, provided to Congress, and posted on FDA's website. 
The Committee is interested to understand consumer knowledge of 
seafood consumption benefits and to demonstrate they are able 
to adapt FDA guidance into dietary patterns during pregnancy 
and breastfeeding.
    Office Use Compounding.--The Committee continues to hear 
concerns that FDA has implemented and enforced the DQSA through 
guidance for industry documents rather than through the notice 
and comment rulemaking procedure called for by the underlying 
statute and the Administrative Procedures Act.
    Olive Oil Standards of Identity.--The Committee is aware 
that the United States continues to be an important producer of 
olive oils and one of the largest olive oil markets globally. 
Accordingly, the Committee believes that the establishment of a 
uniform set of standards would better protect and inform 
consumers, and directs the FDA to continue to explore a 
Standard of Identity for different grades of olive oil as 
required in H. Rpt. 116-446 and provide an updated report to 
the Committees no later than December 31, 2021.
    On-Dose Tracking.--The Committee directs FDA to hold, not 
later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, a public meeting on anti-counterfeiting technologies, 
including track and trace technologies at the package or dosage 
level, to learn how these technologies can help with securing 
the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain, help reduce domestic 
illegal distribution of prescription drugs, including opioids, 
help reduce the distribution of counterfeit drugs, and help 
understand the costs related to the implementation of the 
technologies and relevant implementation strategies.
    Opioid Abuse.--The Committee continues to be pleased that, 
with the Opioids Action Plan, Opioid Policy Steering Committee, 
and several significant regulatory actions, FDA is doing its 
part to help stem the tide of abuse. The use of opioids as 
first-line therapies for any form of pain has led to over-
prescribing, and the CDC has made clear that clinicians should 
consider opioid therapy only if expected benefits for both pain 
and function are anticipated to outweigh the risks to the 
patient. The Committee hopes that FDA will continue to support 
the development of alternative and non-addictive alternatives 
to opioid analgesics and, when opioids are medically necessary, 
will continue to incentivize development and use of abuse-
deterrent formulations. The Committee notes that every 
patient's treatment regimen should be tailored by his or her 
doctor to his or her unique needs. The federal government, 
therefore, should promote the full suite of available treatment 
options, including abstinence-based models and non-opioid 
medications. Finally, the Committee continues to be supportive 
of naloxone distribution among trained, licensed health care 
professionals and emergency responders. When considering the 
appropriateness of providing naloxone over the counter, the 
Committee urges the FDA to ensure that the administration of 
naloxone serves as a point of intervention to spur an honest 
conversation between the patient and his doctor about addiction 
and treatment.
    In addition, the Committee is pleased that the FDA took 
action to address increasing rates of opioid overdose deaths by 
issuing a Drug Safety Communication focused on opioids in July 
2020. The Committee requests a briefing from the FDA on the 
implementation of the required opioid labeling change to 
prescribing information and patient medication guides, as well 
as what efforts FDA is making to ensure healthcare prescribers 
are aware of the recommendation to discuss the co-prescription 
of naloxone alongside opioid prescription.
    Orphan Products Grants Program (OPGP).--The Committee 
includes an additional $5,000,000 for the Orphan Products 
Grants Program at FDA. The Committee notes that this program 
can fund ALS clinical trials and invest in regulatory science 
to speed the approval of ALS treatments. The Committee 
encourages FDA to increase the number of ALS clinical trials to 
help expedite treatment developments, foster innovative trial 
designs that complement and speed the FDA regulatory processes, 
and enable natural history studies to more quickly understand 
ALS progression and pathology. In addition, the Committee 
directs FDA to increase engagement between government agencies, 
such as FDA and NIH, and other entities such as academic 
institutions and industry with respect to ALS and other 
neurodegenerative diseases.
    OTC Acetaminophen Dosing Information for Children.--The 
Committee continues to be concerned that the lack of dosing 
information for children ages six months to two years may lead 
to dosing errors, adverse events, and inadequate treatment of 
fever and pain. The FDA is urged to provide to the Committee 
not later than 30 days after the enactment of this Act an 
update on the timing of amending the monograph label for 
acetaminophen to include weight-based dosing instructions for 
children ages six months to two years.
    Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids.--The Committee is concerned 
that while the FDA was statutorily required to release draft 
regulations for over-the-counter hearing aids by August 18, 
2020, the FDA has not done so. The Committee urges the 
Commissioner to work expeditiously to release the draft 
regulations.
    Outreach to Small Farmers.--The Committee expects CFSAN to 
provide funding for critical outreach and training services at 
not less than the level specified in the Fiscal Year 2021 
agreement.
    Oversight of Drug Manufacturing Facilities.--The Committee 
is concerned by gaps in FDA's information about certain foreign 
manufacturing facilities. The Committee directs FDA to report 
on the feasibility of implementing policies that require all 
drug manufacturing facilities to list all active pharmaceutical 
ingredients and drug products intended for the U.S. market 
whether or not directly imported or offered for import, 
improving the maturity of its quality management practices, and 
applying a letter grading system for drug manufacturing 
facilities.
    Pancreatitis Guidance Document.--The Committee notes the 
important ongoing work to ensure safe and effective therapies 
become available for patients impacted by pancreatitis. The 
Committee urges FDA to build on recent community engagement 
efforts, including the externally-led Patient-Focused Drug 
Development meeting on this topic by continuing engagement with 
stakeholders in this area with the aim of developing and 
releasing Guidance for Industry in this area to stimulate 
additional activity and further guide ongoing efforts.
    Pediatric Cancer International Collaboration.--The 
Committee encourages the FDA to engage more formally and 
extensively with international entities to promote greater 
collaboration between the U.S. and international partners 
around pediatric cancer drug development.
    Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).--The Committee 
is aware of and encourages the FDA to participate in ongoing 
efforts within the IBD community to streamline the development 
and approval of new pediatric IBD therapies and expand the 
indications for therapies approved to treat IBD in adults to 
children, particularly through innovative trial designs that 
minimize the burden to pediatric patients and their caregivers 
and through the use of real-world evidence to support 
regulatory decision-making.
    Perfusion Technologies and Organ Transplant.--The Committee 
is aware that advances in perfusion technologies have been 
critical to improving the viability of organs for 
transplantation. The Committee encourages CDRH to ensure that 
its workforce maintains a strong expertise in these 
technologies and their importance to improvements in organ 
transplantation and treats the review of device applications in 
this area as a priority.
    PFAS in Cosmetics.--The Committee remains concerned over 
the effects of toxic chemicals used in cosmetics, including 
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that have been 
linked to serious health problems. To promote safety, the 
Committee encourages FDA to examine the health effects of PFAS 
chemicals and evaluate efforts to phase out their use in 
cosmetic and personal care products.
    PFAS in Food.--FDA should continue its work to investigate 
PFAS in our national diet and in food packaging that contacts 
food.
    PFAS Testing.--FDA should upgrade its laboratory analytical 
method for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in food by 
expanding testing capabilities to include additional PFAS 
analytes and expanding the method to include additional foods. 
FDA should brief the Committee on its plans and progress within 
180 days of enactment.
    Plant Based Product Labeling.--The Committee is aware of 
the ongoing debate around plant-based product labels and the 
use of traditional meat, dairy and egg terminology. However, 
the Committee is concerned by the assertions being made that 
labeling of these products are misleading, deceptive, and 
confusing to consumers. The Committee encourages FDA to provide 
clarity around the labeling of plant-based foods that use 
traditional meat, dairy, and egg terminology, especially as it 
relates to such product labels with clear and conspicuous 
descriptors such as plant-based, veggie, vegetarian, or vegan.
    Poppy Seeds.--The Committee is concerned with reports of 
positive drug tests, addiction, overdose, and death related to 
contaminated imported poppy seeds, and directs the agency to 
establish a maximum permissible threshold of opiate alkaloid 
content for poppy seeds and carry out appropriate regulatory or 
enforcement measures to ensure the safety of poppy seeds.
    Predictive Toxicology Roadmaps.--The Committee is aware 
that, pursuant to its Predictive Toxicology Roadmap, FDA is 
offering training in new predictive toxicology methods and 
encouraging sponsors to submit scientifically valid approaches 
for using a new method early in the regulatory process. The 
Committee directs FDA to produce not later than 180 days after 
enactment of this Act a report detailing metrics regarding the 
number of trainings held, the number of participants that 
attended each training, and the agendas corresponding with each 
training. Additionally, the Committee directs the FDA to 
include in the report any methods used to measure the success 
of the trainings and continuous learning programs.
    Pregnant and Lactating Individuals in Clinical Trials.--The 
Committee encourages FDA to harmonize its regulations with 
changes to the protected status of pregnant individuals in 
federally funded research included in the most recent revisions 
to the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects. 
When relevant, FDA should consider requesting that sponsors 
provide justification for the exclusion of pregnant and 
lactating individuals within clinical trials. The Committee 
encourages FDA to continue to collaborate with NIH and CDC to 
strengthen cross-agency approaches to including pregnant and 
lactating individuals in federally funded research.
    Prescription to Over-the-Counter Switches.--The Committee 
is concerned with the multiple delays in FDA's promulgation of 
a proposed regulation that may broaden the types of products 
that may be approved for use in a nonprescription setting. The 
Agency initiated its Nonprescription Drug Safe Use Regulatory 
Expansion initiative in 2013 and issued draft guidance in 2018 
as a first step, promising sponsors and patients additional 
regulatory options through rulemaking in the near future. The 
Committee strongly encourages the Agency to issue this 
important proposed rule as soon as possible.
    RACE Implementation.--The Committee encourages FDA to hire 
additional staff to fully implement the Research to Accelerate 
Cures and Equity for Children (RACE) Act.
    Radiation Exposure in Medical Imaging.--The Committee 
directs FDA to continue to collaborate with the medical imaging 
industry and radiological professional societies to address the 
safety of all x-ray imaging modalities and promote the use of 
international consensus standards and alternative technologies 
when appropriate. In addition, the Committee encourages FDA to 
increase efforts to engage with stakeholders as part of FDA's 
Initiative to Reduce Unnecessary Radiation Exposure from 
Medical Imaging.
    Rare Cancer Therapeutics.--The Committee includes an 
additional $1,000,000 to address gaps in the system, streamline 
resources, hire rare cancer experts, help drug sponsors improve 
recruitment of rare cancer patients through clinical trials 
that reduce barriers to participation uniquely faced by rare 
cancer patients, low-income patients, those living in rural 
communities, and people of color, accelerate the development of 
rare cancer therapies and advance the field of cancer research 
overall, mirroring the efforts of the National Cancer 
Institute's Developmental Therapeutics Program. FDA is directed 
to continue to build lines of communications and processes 
between these two agencies in order to expedite review of rare 
cancer therapies.
    Rare Disease Cures Accelerator (RDCA).--The Committee 
supports the goal of the RDCA to provide a more centralized 
infrastructure and approach for understanding rare diseases, 
developing ways to measure patient success in clinical trials 
that are specifically relevant to rare conditions, and support 
conducting clinical trials in rare disease populations. The 
Committee encourages FDA to ensure the RDCA has robust funding.
    Rare Disease Drug Developments.--The Committee is concerned 
that the COVID 19 public health emergency prevented certain 
drugs from coming to market by delaying or permanently 
cancelling clinical trials. The Committee directs FDA to submit 
not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act a report on 
the impact of COVID 19 on clinical trials, particularly for 
specialty drugs being developed to combat rare diseases, and 
suggestions for Congress on facilitating the advancement of 
such studies.
    Recruitment of Investigators.--The Committee directs the 
FDA to develop a strategy to broaden talent pipelines to 
recruit and hire a wider array of multi-lingual STEM talent and 
identify barriers to language training for current STEM 
employees and viable options to address these barriers, 
including by prioritizing Minority Serving Institutions in 
talent recruitment. This strategy should be shared with the 
Committee and made publicly available within 120 days.
    Reducing Radiation Exposure for Patients and Healthcare 
Workers.--Despite the FDA's 1994 report warning patients and 
clinicians of radiation-induced burns, increased occupational 
exposure, and radiation-induced cancers linked to fluoroscopy, 
among other procedures, no subsequent reports, warnings or 
policy changes to improve radiation safety have occurred. 
Reducing incidence of avoidable radiation exposure in 
healthcare settings is an important public health goal. The 
Committee encourages the FDA to review policies, regulations, 
and guidance to incorporate and incentivize the use of 
technology that reduces radiation exposure during fluoroscopy 
and related procedures which involve high and/or repeated 
radiation exposure.
    Regulation of Unapproved FMT Drug Products.--The Committee 
urges FDA to finalize its March 2016 draft guidance regarding 
FMT to assure uninterrupted patient access from licensed health 
care providers, as well as compliance with FDA's 
Investigational New Drug regulations.
    Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS).--The 
Committee directs FDA to provide not later than 270 days after 
the enactment of this Act a report on the status of its review 
of the REMS for mifepristone.
    Seafood Product Labeling.--The Committee notes that certain 
foods are labeled as a fish or seafood product when the 
products arehighly-processed plant-based foods rather than 
derived from actual fish or seafood. The Committee directs the 
FDA to continue to assess products on the market to determine 
whether action is necessary to ensure consumers are not misled 
regarding such product labeling.
    Sesame.--The committee is concerned that the recent FDA 
Draft Guidance for Industry on Voluntary Disclosure of Sesame 
is insufficient to protect Americans with sesame allergy, and 
directs FDA to consider further action to require sesame to be 
labeled the same as other major allergens.
    Skin Lightening Products.--The Committee is concerned about 
the dangers of mercury and hydroquinone in skin lightening 
products, particularly those that are disproportionately 
targeted towards and used by minority men and women and girls 
of color. Regular application of creams containing mercury can 
lead to skin damage, while long-term exposure to high levels of 
mercury in cosmetic products can cause serious health 
consequences, including damage to the eyes, lungs, kidneys, 
digestive, immune, and nervous systems. Hydroquinone has been 
linked to ochronosis and other significant health risks. The 
Committee continues to provide $4,700,000 to the Office of 
Minority Health and Health Equity to educate the public on the 
dangers of skin lightening products containing these 
ingredients, including partnering with community-based 
organizations with records of reaching out to impacted 
communities. The FDA is directed to report back to the 
Committee within 120 days of enactment of this Act detailing 
how the funds provided for this work in 2021 were spent, 
including the outreach they did to community-based 
organizations, what organizations they partnered with and how 
that determination was made, what vulnerable communities were 
reached out to and how that determination was made, the 
specific actions taken to educate the public about these 
products, how they are evaluating the impact and success of 
this public education, and any lessons learned that should be 
given to the Committee. Further, the Committee has concerns 
about the overall safety of imported cosmetic products and 
directs the FDA to report back to Congress within 180 days of 
enactment of this Act on the staffing and budget resources it 
needs to enforce the physical inspection process, as well as 
the most up to date information on the number and kinds of 
personal care products imported each year, the number of 
imported products that were inspected, and the number of 
contaminated products that were intercepted.
    Sodium Guidance.--The Committee encourages FDA to continue 
monitoring progress towards the short-term targets and engaging 
with industry stakeholders prior to the issuance of any final 
guidance. Further, the Committee directs the FDA publicly 
release the short-term (two-year) Draft Guidance to Industry 
for Voluntarily Reducing Sodium, first published in the Federal 
Register on June 2, 2016 on FDA's website and submit to 
Committees within 120 days of enactment.
    Standard of Identity Activities for Foods.--The Committee 
is concerned with the lack of transparency and progress in 
modernizing the FDA's standards of identity regulations. To 
fulfill the Committee's previous instructions, not later than 
30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter, the FDA shall submit to the Committees, and make 
publicly available online, a report outlining its progress on 
modernizing its standards of identity regulations, including 
demonstration of improved transparency and improved progress.
    Traceback.--The Committee recognizes that the ability to 
trace back contaminated products is critical to containing food 
safety outbreaks but that challenges associated with tracing 
these products from the end-consumer through the supply chain 
continue to persist. The Committee directs FDA to emphasize in 
its final rulemaking the importance of capturing at the point 
of sale details such as the lot number and product identifier 
instead of prescribing the mechanism by which the information 
is shared through the supply chain. The Committee also directs 
FDA to ensure these details are maintained from the point of 
origination, creation, and/or transformation through to the 
retail food or food service establishment. To avoid 
duplication, the Committee urges FDA to clearly define 
traceability requirements that, where possible, align with 
existing consensus standards for traceability utilized by 
industry and allow for records to be maintained in electronic 
and paper form.
    Valley Fever.--The Committee notes that FDA decided in July 
2020 not to add coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley Fever, 
to the list of tropical diseases under section 524 of the 
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for purposes of PRV 
eligibility. The Committee directs the FDA to consider any 
additional data and information provided by subject matter 
experts and other stakeholders to its public docket, and make a 
new determination based on this additional information if 
appropriate.
    Vulnerabilities in Medical Device Supply Chain.--The 
Committee is concerned by vulnerabilities in our medical device 
supply chain that have been brought to light by the spread of 
COVID-19. The FDA is critical for overseeing our global medical 
device supply chain and ensuring interruptions and 
discontinuances of life-saving devices do not adversely affect 
patients. The Committee encourages the FDA to continue to work 
with Congress to ensure it has the necessary tools and 
resources to prevent shortages and maintain ample supply of 
critical devices.
    Youth E-cigarette Use.--The Committee is encouraged by the 
recent results of the National Youth Tobacco Survey and 
Monitoring the Future survey showing a decline in youth usage 
of tobacco and nicotine products in 2020. However, the 
Committee remains concerned about the levels of youth use of 
disposable flavored products and, in particular, underage 
access to electronic nicotine delivery system products. The 
Committee supports innovation and the ability to develop and 
incorporate new technologies relating to new tobacco products 
to address underage access. The Committee urges the FDA to 
exercise its existing authorities to review the use of age 
verification technologies that can prevent underage access as 
part of the Agency's review of ENDS products before they can be 
legally marketed.

                        BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $12,788,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        30,788,000
Provided in the bill..................................        21,788,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................        +9,000,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................        -9,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For Buildings and Facilities of the Food and Drug 
Administration, the Committee provides $21,788,000.

                   FDA INNOVATION ACCOUNT, CURES ACT

 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................       $70,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................        50,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................        50,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       -20,000,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the FDA Innovation Account as authorized in the 21st 
Century Cures Act, the Committee provides an appropriation of 
$50,000,000.

                          INDEPENDENT AGENCIES

                  Commodity Futures Trading Commission


 
 
 
2021 appropriation....................................      $304,000,000
2022 budget estimate..................................       394,000,000
Provided in the bill..................................       363,000,000
Comparison:
    2021 appropriation................................       +59,000,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................       -31,000,000
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the 
Committee provides an appropriation of $363,000,000.
    The Committee fully funds CFTC's salary and expense request 
and provides $31,000,000, half the funding requested, for the 
move of CFTC's Washington, D.C., office.
    The Committee understands that CFTC plans to move into GSA-
owned space. However, it needs more information to justify the 
requested funds and looks forward to working with CFTC on this 
matter.
    Climate-related Risks.--The Committee directs the CFTC to 
provide to the Committee, within 180 days of enactment of this 
Act, a report on how climate-related risks are impacting and 
could impact the markets and market participants under CFTC 
oversight. The report should include central counterparties, 
futures commission merchants, and speculative traders and 
funds. The report should discuss fintech's role regarding 
climate risks. The report should also cover how the CFTC's 
capabilities and supervisory role may need to adapt to fulfill 
its mandate in light of climate change and identify relevant 
gaps in the CFTC's regulatory and supervisory framework.

                       Farm Credit Administration


                 LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

 
 
 
2021 limitation.......................................     ($80,400,000)
2022 budget estimate..................................      (84,200,000)
Provided in the bill..................................      (84,200,000)
Comparison:
    2021 limitation...................................        +3,800,000
    2022 budget estimate..............................             - - -
 

                          COMMITTEE PROVISIONS

    For the limitation on the expenses of the Farm Credit 
Administration, the Committee provides $84,200,000.
    Public/private partnerships.--The Committee recognizes the 
value of public/private partnerships in financing rural 
communities and facilities and also recognizes that the Farm 
Credit Act of 1971, as amended, provides authority for Farm 
Credit System institutions to make investments in vital rural 
community facilities. The Committee recognizes that the Farm 
Credit Administration's current approach to approving these 
types of Farm Credit System investments on an individual basis 
does not meet the needs of rural communities. The Farm Credit 
Administration is encouraged to change its current process to 
create a clear, programmatic approval process which enables 
timely, comprehensive and cost effective rural community 
facilities financing packages by allowing and expediting Farm 
Credit System institutions' partnerships with community banks, 
other financial institutions, and USDA.

                               TITLE VII


                           GENERAL PROVISIONS


             (INCLUDING RESCISSIONS AND TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

    Section 701.--The bill includes language regarding 
passenger motor vehicles.
    Section 702.--The bill includes language regarding the 
Working Capital Fund of the Department of Agriculture.
    Section 703.--The bill includes language limiting funding 
pro- vided in the bill to one year unless otherwise specified.
    Section 704.--The bill includes language regarding indirect 
cost share.
    Section 705.--The bill includes language regarding the 
availability of loans funds in Rural Development programs.
    Section 706.--The bill includes language regarding new 
information technology systems.
    Section 707.--The bill includes language regarding fund 
availability in the Agriculture Management Assistance program.
    Section 708.--The bill includes language regarding Rural 
Utilities Service program eligibility.
    Section 709.--The bill includes language regarding funds 
for information technology expenses for the Farm Service Agency 
and the Rural Development mission area.
    Section 710.--The bill includes language prohibiting first-
class airline travel.
    Section 711.--The bill includes language regarding the 
availability of certain funds of the Commodity Credit 
Corporation.
    Section 712.--The bill includes language regarding funding 
for advisory committees.
    Section 713.--The bill includes language regarding IT 
system regulations.
    Section 714.--The bill includes language regarding Section 
32 activities.
    Section 715.--The bill includes language regarding user fee 
proposals without offsets.
    Section 716.--The bill includes language regarding the 
reprogramming of funds and notification requirements.
    Section 717.--The bill includes language regarding fees for 
the guaranteed business and industry loan program.
    Section 718.--The bill includes language regarding the 
appropriations hearing process.
    Section 719.--The bill includes language regarding 
government-sponsored news stories.
    Section 720.--The bill includes language regarding details 
and assignments of Department of Agriculture employees.
    Section 721.--The bill includes language requiring spend 
plans.
    Section 722.--The bill includes language regarding 
nutrition programs.
    Section 723.--The bill includes language regarding Rural 
Development programs.
    Section 724.--The bill includes language regarding USDA 
loan program levels.
    Section 725.--The bill includes language regarding credit 
card refunds and rebates.
    Section 726.--The bill includes language regarding the 
definition of the term ``variety'' in SNAP.
    Section 727.--The bill includes language regarding the 
Secretary's authority with respect to the 502 guaranteed loan 
programs.
    Section 728.--The bill includes language regarding new user 
fees.
    Section 729.--The bill includes language regarding FDA 
regulations with respect to spent grains.
    Section 730.--The bill includes language regarding the 
National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.
    Section 731.--The bill includes language regarding country 
or regional audits.
    Section 732.--The bill includes language related to Rural 
Development Programs.
    Section 733.--The bill includes language related to the 
Animal Welfare Act.
    Section 734.--The bill includes language regarding U.S. 
iron and steel products in public water or wastewater systems.
    Section 735.--The bill includes language regarding 
lobbying.
    Section 736.--The bill includes language related to 
persistent poverty counties.
    Section 737.--The bill includes language related to 
investigational use of drugs or biological products.
    Section 738.--The bill includes language related to the 
growing, harvesting, packing and holding of certain produce.
    Section 739.--The bill provides funding for grants to 
enhance farming and ranching opportunities for military 
veterans.
    Section 740.--The bill includes language related to the 
school breakfast program.
    Section 741.--The bill includes language regarding hemp.
    Section 742.--The bill provides funding for grants under 
the section 12502 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 743.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
section 1621 of Public Law 110-246.
    Section 744.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
section 3307 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 745.--The bill includes language related to 
matching fund requirements.
    Section 746.--The bill provides funding for a pilot program 
related to multi-family housing borrowers.
    Section 747.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
section 4208 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 748.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
section 12301 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 749.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
section 7120 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 750.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
section 7208 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 751.--The bill includes language related to potable 
water.
    Section 752.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
section 4206 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 753.--The bill includes language regarding Food for 
Peace.
    Section 754.--The bill includes language regarding 
facilities inspections.
    Section 755.--The bill includes language relating to the 
use of raw or processed poultry products from the People's 
Republic of China in various domestic nutrition programs.
    Section 756.--The bill includes language related to certain 
school food lunch prices.
    Section 757.--The bill provides funding for Centers of 
Excellence.
    Section 758.--The bill provides funding for rural hospital 
technical assistance.
    Section 759.--The bill provides funding for a pilot program 
for wastewater systems in historically impoverished areas.
    Section 760.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
section 23 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.
    Section 761.--The bill includes language related to 
biotechnology risk assessment research.
    Section 762.--The bill provides funding for rural 
broadband.
    Section 763.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
section 7209 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 764.--The bill includes funding for open data 
standards.
    Section 765.--The bill includes language related to certain 
reorganizations within the Department of Agriculture.
    Section 766.--The bill includes language extending the hemp 
pilot program.
    Section 767.--The bill includes language related to the 
Agriculture Conservation Experiences Services Program.
    Section 768.--The bill includes language related to school 
meals.
    Section 769.--The bill includes language related to the 
ReConnect program.
    Section 770.--The bill includes language related to the 
Goodfellow Federal facility.
    Section 771.--The bill includes language related to the 
Federal Meat Inspection Act.
    Section 772.--The bill includes funding for a blue-ribbon 
panel.
    Section 773.--The bill includes funding for a competitive 
research and education grant.
    Section 774.--The bill includes language related to the 
Animal Welfare Act inspections and reports.
    Section 775.--The bill includes language regarding 
electronically available information for prescribing healthcare 
professionals.
    Section 776.--The bill includes language related to line 
speed waivers.
    Section 777.--The bill includes language related to the 
purchase of agricultural land.

              HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPORT REQUIREMENTS


                          Full Committee Votes

    Pursuant to the provisions of clause 3(b) of rule XIII of 
the House of Representatives, the results of each roll call 
vote on an amendment or on the motion to report, together with 
the names of those voting for and those against, are printed 
below:


		[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
		
		

         Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the following is a statement of 
general performance goals and objectives for which this measure 
authorizes funding:
    The Committee on Appropriations considers program 
performance, including a program's success in developing and 
attaining outcome-related goals and objectives, in developing 
funding recommendations.

                          Program Duplication

    No provision of this bill establishes or reauthorizes a 
program of the Federal Government known to be duplicative of 
another Federal program, a program that was included in any 
report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress 
pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program 
related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance.

                           Transfers of Funds

    Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the following list includes the 
transfers included in the accompanying bill:
     Office of the Secretary.--The bill allows funds 
within the account to be transferred among the offices included 
in the account, as well as reimbursements for certain expenses 
and transfers out-side the account for certain activities.
     Hazardous Materials Management.--The bill allows 
the funds within the account to be transferred to any agency of 
the Department.
     Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.--
Authority is included to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to 
transfer from other appropriations or funds of the Department 
such sums as may be necessary to combat emergency outbreaks of 
certain diseases of animals and plants.
     Funds for Strengthening Markets, Income, and 
Supply.--The bill limits the transfer of section 32 funds to 
purposes specified in the bill.
     Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Business 
Center.-- The bill allows certain funds to be merged with the 
salaries and expenses account for the FPAC Business Center. The 
bill also pro-vides that funds provided to other accounts in 
the agency shall transferred to and merged with the salaries 
and expenses account of the Farm Service Agency.
     Dairy Indemnity Program.--The bill authorizes the 
transfer of funds to the Commodity Credit Corporation, by 
reference.
     Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund Program 
Account.--The bill provides funds to be transferred to the Farm 
Service Agency and for certain funds to be transferred within 
the account.
     Commodity Credit Corporation.--The bill includes 
language allowing certain funds to be transferred to the 
Foreign Agricultural Service Salaries and Expenses account for 
information resource management activities.
     Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program Account.--The 
bill includes language allowing funds to be transferred from 
the Multi-Family Housing Revitalization Program Account to this 
account and for funds to be transferred from this account to 
the Rural De- velopment Salaries and Expenses account.
     Rental Assistance Program.--The bill includes 
language allowing funds to be transferred from the Multi-Family 
Housing Revitalization Program Account to this account.
     Intermediary Relending Program Fund Account.--The 
bill provides funds in this account to be transferred to the 
Rural Development Salaries and Expenses account.
     Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account.--
The bill includes language allowing funds to be transferred 
from this account to the Rural Utilities Service, High Energy 
Cost Grants Account.
     Rural Electrification and Telecommunications 
Program Account.--The bill provides funds in this account to be 
transferred to the Rural Development Salaries and Expenses 
account.
     Child Nutrition Programs.--The bill includes 
authority to transfer section 32 funds to these programs.
     Foreign Agricultural Service, Salaries and 
Expenses.--The bill allows for the transfer of funds from the 
Commodity Credit Corporation Export Loan Program Account.
     Commodity Credit Corporation Export Loans 
Program.--The bill provides for transfer of funds to the 
Foreign Agricultural Service, Salaries and Expenses account.
     Food and Drug Administration, Salaries and 
Expenses.--The bill allows funds to be transferred among 
certain activities.
     Food and Drug Administration, FDA Innovation 
Account, Cures Act.--The bill allows funds to be transferred 
from the 21st Century Cures Act to the Food and Drug 
Administration, Salaries and Expenses account.
     Commodity Futures Trading Commission.--The bill 
allows cer-tain funds to be transferred to a no-year account in 
the Treasury.
     General Provisions.--Section 702 of the bill 
allows unobligated balances of discretionary funds to be 
transferred to the Working Capital Fund. Section 761 of the 
bill allows transfers to USDA for certain research programs.

                              Rescissions

    Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the following lists the rescissions 
included in the accompanying bill:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Program or activity                         Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
USDA FNS (prior year balances).......................       $225,000,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Disclosure of Earmarks and Congressionally Directed Spending Items

    The following table is submitted in compliance with clause 
9 of rule XXI, and lists the congressional earmarks (as defined 
in paragraph (e) of clause 9) contained in the bill or in this 
report. Neither the bill nor the report contain any limited tax 
benefits or limited tariff benefits as defined in paragraphs 
(f) or (g) of clause 9 of rule XXI.

                                    AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND RELATED AGENCIES
                                                            [Community Project Funding Items]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Agency                     Account             Recipient               Project            Location          Amount          Requestor(s)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Agricultural Research Service...  Buildings and        University of        National Center for               NE         $20,000,000  Fortenberry
                                   Facilities.          Nebraska, Lincoln.   Resilient and
                                                                             Regenerative Precision
                                                                             Agriculture.
Agricultural Research Service...  Buildings and        Sugarcane Research   Sugarcane Research Unit           LA         $10,000,000  Graves (LA)
                                   Facilities.          Unit.                Improvements.
Agricultural Research Service...  Buildings and        National Center for  National Center for               IL          $4,500,000  LaHood; Bustos
                                   Facilities.          Agricultural         Agricultural
                                                        Utilization          Utilization Research
                                                        Research.            Expansion.
Agricultural Research Service...  Buildings and        University of        Center for Agricultural           MO          $4,000,000  Luetkemeyer
                                   Facilities.          Missouri.            Animal Genetic
                                                                             Engineering and Health.
Agricultural Research Service...  Buildings and        University of        Plant Germplasm                   WI          $4,000,000  Pocan
                                   Facilities.          Wisconsin, Madison.  Research Facility.
Agricultural Research Service...  Buildings and        US Sheep Experiment  US Sheep Experiment               ID          $4,200,000  Simpson
                                   Facilities.          Station.             Station Infrastructure
                                                                             Improvements.
Rural Development...............  Community            Ringgold County      Ringgold County Child             IA            $725,366  Axne
                                   Facilities.          Child Care Center.   Care Center Re-Design.
Rural Development...............  Community            Stanton Child Care   Stanton Child Care                IA          $1,000,000  Axne
                                   Facilities.          Resource Center.     Resource Center
                                                                             Expansion.
Rural Development...............  Community            Northern Lights      Northern Lights                   MI          $1,750,000  Bergman
                                   Facilities.          YMCA.                Community Center
                                                                             Renovation.
Rural Development...............  Community            Fort Valley State    Fort Valley State                 GA            $746,250  Bishop (GA)
                                   Facilities.          University.          University and Albany
                                                                             State University Local
                                                                             Food Project.
Rural Development...............  Community            Delaware State       New Castle Agricultural           DE            $937,500  Blunt Rochester
                                   Facilities.          Fair, Inc..          Programming Building.
Rural Development...............  Community            Richard Allen        Richard Allen Historic            DE            $100,000  Blunt Rochester
                                   Facilities.          Coalition.           School Repair.
Rural Development...............  Community            Banks Fire District  Banks Fire District EMS           OR             $93,500  Bonamici
                                   Facilities.          #13.                 Equipment.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Mt. Vernon.  Mt. Vernon Police                 IL          $1,000,000  Bost
                                   Facilities.                               Station.
Rural Development...............  Community            Northampton County   Northampton County                 NC         $5,000,000  Butterfield
                                   Facilities.          Government.          Courthouse.
Rural Development...............  Community            Town of Nashville..  Nashville Fire Station.            NC         $1,338,750  Butterfield
                                   Facilities.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Guadalupe..  LeRoy Park Safety                   CA        $1,700,000  Carbajal
                                   Facilities.                               Modernization.
Rural Development...............  Community            Pride of Atmore....  Atmore Revitalization             AL            $885,000  Carl
                                   Facilities.                               Project.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Central      Holden Community Center           RI          $2,000,000  Cicilline
                                   Facilities.          Falls.
Rural Development...............  Community            Vital Aging of       Murdaugh Senior Center.            SC         $2,883,469  Clyburn
                                   Facilities.          Williamsburg
                                                        County, Inc.
Rural Development...............  Community            Rio Grande City....  Starr County Courthouse           TX          $2,392,763  Cuellar
                                   Facilities.
Rural Development...............  Community            Sullivan City......  El Faro Road Flood                TX          $3,539,318  Cuellar
                                   Facilities.                               Mitigation.
Rural Development...............  Community            Town of La Joya....  La Joya Fire Station...           TX          $1,275,000  Cuellar
                                   Facilities.
Rural Development...............  Community            Sauk-Suiattle        Sauk-Suiattle Community           WA            $210,000  DelBene
                                   Facilities.          Indian Tribe.        Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            Volunteers of        Sky Valley Teen Center.           WA            $500,000  DelBene
                                   Facilities.          America Western
                                                        Washington.
Rural Development...............  Community            Nooksack Indian      Nooksack Clinic and               WA          $1,000,000  DelBene
                                   Facilities.          Tribe.               Wellness Facility.
Rural Development...............  Community            Village of Philmont  Village of Philmont               NY             $82,000  Delgado
                                   Facilities.          Fire Department.     Fire Station.
Rural Development...............  Community            M-ARK Project, Inc.  M-ARK Child Care                  NY            $100,000  Delgado
                                   Facilities.                               Project.
Rural Development...............  Community            Liberty County.....  Liberty County EMS                FL            $825,000  Dunn
                                   Facilities.                               Facility.
Rural Development...............  Community            Medina County        Medina County Senior              TX            $562,500  Gonzales, Tony
                                   Facilities.          Senior Center,       Center.
                                                        Inc..
Rural Development...............  Community            East Wayne Fire      East Wayne Fire Station           OH            $958,392  Gonzalez (OH)
                                   Facilities.          District.
Rural Development...............  Community            VFW Lopez Williams   Brooks County VFW......           TX            $304,454  Gonzalez, Vicente
                                   Facilities.          Post.
Rural Development...............  Community            Township of          Hardwick Township                 NJ             $17,460  Gottheimer
                                   Facilities.          Hardwick.            Virtual Services.
Rural Development...............  Community            Douglass Community   Douglass Community                MO          $1,000,000  Graves (MO)
                                   Facilities.          Services.            Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            Northfield           Northfield Fire                     CT          $225,000  Hayes
                                   Facilities.          Volunteer Fire       Department
                                                        Company.             Modernization.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Torrington.  Northwest Hills Animal              CT        $1,100,000  Hayes
                                   Facilities.                               Control Facility.
Rural Development...............  Community            Protivin Community   Protivin Community Fire           IA            $100,000  Hinson
                                   Facilities.          Fire District.       Station.
Rural Development...............  Community            Sunflower Child      Sunflower Child                   IA            $200,000  Hinson
                                   Facilities.          Care Center, Inc..   Development Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            Prince George's      Prince George's County            MD          $1,350,000  Hoyer; Brown
                                   Facilities.          County.              Water Tanks.
Rural Development...............  Community            Royalton-Hartland    Royalton-Hartland                 NY            $515,685  Jacobs (NY)
                                   Facilities.          Central School       Agricultural Learning
                                                        District.            Lab.
Rural Development...............  Community            County of Wyoming..  Wyoming County Fire               NY            $597,289  Jacobs (NY)
                                   Facilities.                               Training Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            Cornell Cooperative  Cornell Cooperative               NY            $379,432  Jacobs (NY)
                                   Facilities.          Extension            Extension Learning
                                                        Association of       Center.
                                                        Orleans County.
Rural Development...............  Community            Waianae Community    MA'O Organic Farms                HI            $896,000  Kahele
                                   Facilities.          Redevelopment        Infrastructure.
                                                        Corporation.
Rural Development...............  Community            Port Angeles Food    Port Angeles Food Bank            WA            $900,000  Kilmer
                                   Facilities.          Bank.                Expansion.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Platteville  City of Platteville               WI          $7,000,000  Kind
                                   Facilities.                               Fire Station.
Rural Development...............  Community            Cochise County.....  Cochise County Animal             AZ          $1,100,000  Kirkpatrick
                                   Facilities.                               Shelter.
Rural Development...............  Community            County of Nevada...  North San Juan Fire                 CA        $1,050,000  LaMalfa
                                   Facilities.                               Suppression System.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Anderson...  Sewer and Storm Drain               CA          $262,900  LaMalfa
                                   Facilities.                               Cleaner Truck.
Rural Development...............  Community            Goosefoot Community  Goosefoot Community               WA            $346,625  Larsen (WA)
                                   Facilities.          Fund.                Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            Bradner Fire         Bradner Fire Station...           OH          $1,260,000  Latta
                                   Facilities.          Department.
Rural Development...............  Community            University of        Cherry Lake 4H Center..           FL          $1,125,000  Lawson (FL)
                                   Facilities.          Florida.
Rural Development...............  Community            Pueblo of San        San Felipe Community              NM          $1,500,000  Leger Fernandez
                                   Facilities.          Felipe.              Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            Town of              Phillipstown Highway              NY          $1,787,500  Maloney, Sean
                                   Facilities.          Phillipstown.        Facility Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            North San Juan       North San Joaquin Water             CA        $1,000,000  McNerney
                                   Facilities.          Water Conservation   Conservation District.
                                                        District.
Rural Development...............  Community            Berwick Area YMCA..  Berwick Community                 PA          $1,000,000  Meuser
                                   Facilities.                               Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            Borough of Jim       Jim Thorpe Facility               PA          $2,500,000  Meuser
                                   Facilities.          Thorpe.              Upgrade.
Rural Development...............  Community            IQHub..............  IQHub Community                   MI            $137,671  Moolenaar
                                   Facilities.                               Classroom.
Rural Development...............  Community            Four Lakes Task      Four Lakes Public                 MI            $795,000  Moolenaar
                                   Facilities.          Force.               Safety Booms.
Rural Development...............  Community            Yakima Nation......  Yakima Nation Water               WA            $742,500  Newhouse
                                   Facilities.                               Canal Maintenance.
Rural Development...............  Community            Town of Superior...  Superior                          AZ          $2,000,000  O'Halleran
                                   Facilities.                               Entrepreneurship and
                                                                             Innovation Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            Maine 4-H            4-H Innovation and                ME            $450,000  Pingree
                                   Facilities.          Foundation.          Learning Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            Virgin Islands       Krum Bay Marine                   VI            $750,000  Plaskett
                                   Facilities.          Department of        Enforcement Pier.
                                                        Planning and
                                                        Natural Resources.
Rural Development...............  Community            Virgin Islands       Gallows Bay Marine                VI            $750,000  Plaskett
                                   Facilities.          Department of        Enforcement Pier.
                                                        Planning and
                                                        Natural Resources.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Reedsburg..  City of Reedsburg                 WI            $220,000  Pocan
                                   Facilities.                               Community Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            Desert Valley        Desert Valley Senior              AZ             $16,800  Raul M. Grijalva
                                   Facilities.          Senior Center.       Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            Greene County Board  Greene County Business            PA          $1,395,000  Reschenthaler
                                   Facilities.          of Commissioners.    Incubator.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Morehead...  Morehead Fire Station..           KY            $300,000  Rogers (KY)
                                   Facilities.
Rural Development...............  Community            Commonwealth         Peritoneal Dialysis               MP            $391,500  Sablan
                                   Facilities.          Healthcare           Expansion Project.
                                                        Corporation.
Rural Development...............  Community            Commonwealth         Health IT Upgrades.....           MP            $980,639  Sablan
                                   Facilities.          Healthcare
                                                        Corporation.
Rural Development...............  Community            Guam Fisherman's     Guam Fisherman's Co-Op            GU          $3,000,000  San Nicolas
                                   Facilities.          Cooperative          Facility.
                                                        Association.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Ellensburg.  Friends in Service to             WA            $900,000  Schrier
                                   Facilities.                               Humanity Food Bank.
Rural Development...............  Community            Shoshone Bannock     Shoshone Bannock Tribal           ID          $7,000,000  Simpson
                                   Facilities.          Tribe.               Fire Station.
Rural Development...............  Community            Town of Blackstone.  Blackstone Aerial                 VA            $923,937  Spanberger
                                   Facilities.                               Ladder Fire Truck.
Rural Development...............  Community            County of Amelia...  Amelia County Court               VA            $375,000  Spanberger
                                   Facilities.                               Office.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Moriarty...  Moriarty Fire Station..           NM          $5,250,000  Stansbury
                                   Facilities.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Little       Little Falls Child Care           MN            $825,000  Stauber
                                   Facilities.          Falls.               Facility.
Rural Development...............  Community            Essex County.......  Essex County Ag and               NY            $997,000  Stefanik
                                   Facilities.                               Youth Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            Cary Christian       Cary Christian Center             MS             $37,500  Thompson (MS)
                                   Facilities.          Center.              Facility.
Rural Development...............  Community            BDT Housing          IT Montgomery Home                MS          $2,250,000  Thompson (MS)
                                   Facilities.          Services             Restoration.
                                                        Enterprise.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Rosedale...  Bolivar County                    MS            $225,000  Thompson (MS)
                                   Facilities.                               Community Facility.
Rural Development...............  Community            Fannie Lou Hamer     Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer           MS          $2,250,000  Thompson (MS)
                                   Facilities.          Cancer Foundation.   Foundation Facility
                                                                             Revitalization.
Rural Development...............  Community            Central              Mississippi Delta                 MS            $300,000  Thompson (MS)
                                   Facilities.          Mississippi, Inc..   Disaster Relief
                                                                             Shelter.
Rural Development...............  Community            Indiana University   IUP Academy of Culinary           PA            $500,000  Thompson (PA)
                                   Facilities.          of Pennsylvania.     Arts Building.
Rural Development...............  Community            Jefferson County-    Farm to Refrigerator              PA          $1,125,000  Thompson (PA)
                                   Facilities.          Dubois Area          Training Facility.
                                                        Vocational
                                                        Technical School.
Rural Development...............  Community            United Way of Tri    Marlborough Community             MA             $26,838  Trahan
                                   Facilities.          County.              Covered Food Pantry.
Rural Development...............  Community            Allegany College of  Allegany College                  MD            $187,500  Trone
                                   Facilities.          Maryland.            Facility
                                                                             Revitalization.
Rural Development...............  Community            Office of the Salem  Salem County Courthouse           NJ          $3,750,000  Van Drew
                                   Facilities.          County               Revitalization.
                                                        Administrator.
Rural Development...............  Community            Fairbanks Museum     St Johnsbury Science              VT          $2,465,176  Welch
                                   Facilities.          and Planetarium.     Annex.
Rural Development...............  Community            Pocono Family YMCA.  Pocono Family Community           PA          $1,000,000  Wild
                                   Facilities.                               Center.
Rural Development...............  Community            Mount Bethel Fire    Mount Bethel Fire                 PA            $247,500  Wild
                                   Facilities.          Department.          Department Emergency
                                                                             Shelter.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Kodiak.....  Kodiak Fire Station               AK          $7,000,000  Young
                                   Facilities.                               Replacement.
Rural Development...............  Community            City of Kiana......  Kiana Fire Response and           AK          $3,350,000  Young
                                   Facilities.                               Equipment.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Northern Michigan    Rural Broadband                   MI          $1,200,000  Bergman
                                                        University.          Expansion for Northern
                                                                             Michigan University.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Goodhue County.....  Goodhue County                    MN          $3,210,000  Craig
                                                                             Broadband Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Town of Ghent......  Upstate New York                  NY            $829,594  Delgado
                                                                             Broadband Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  County of El Paso..  Cotton Valley Broadband           TX          $2,850,000  Escobar
                                                                             Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Niagara County.....  Niagara-Orleans                   NY          $3,877,500  Jacobs (NY)
                                                                             Broadband Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Illinois Department  Pembroke Township                 IL          $3,000,000  Kelly (IL)
                                                        of Commerce and      Broadband Expansion.
                                                        Economic
                                                        Opportunity.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Impact Corry.......  Corry Area Tech Center            PA            $500,000  Kelly (PA)
                                                                             and Hub.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Plumas-Sierra        Plumas-Sierra Broadband             CA        $4,000,198  LaMalfa
                                                        Telecommunications.  Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  City of Espanola...  Espanola Broadband                NM            $879,506  Leger Fernandez
                                                                             Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Charles City County  Charles City County               VA          $2,643,508  McEachin
                                                                             Broadband Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Town of Sandwich...  Sandwich Broadband                NH          $1,650,000  Pappas
                                                                             Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Chelan County PUD..  Chelan County Broadband           WA          $1,286,390  Schrier
                                                                             Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  County of Isle of    Isle of Wight Broadband           VA            $318,750  Scott (VA)
                                                        Wight.               Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Brazos Valley        Bremond Broadband                 TX          $1,500,000  Sessions
                                                        Council of           Expansion.
                                                        Governments.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Pine County........  Pine County Broadband             MN          $5,576,250  Stauber
                                                                             Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Herkimer County....  Herkimer County                   NY            $500,000  Stefanik
                                                                             Broadband Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Village of           Village of Sherburne              NY            $212,022  Tenney
                                                        Sherburne.           Broadband Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Town of Westerlo...  Westerlo Broadband                NY          $1,687,500  Tonko
                                                                             Expansion.
Rural Development...............  ReConnect..........  Garrett County.....  Garrett County                    MD            $883,574  Trone
                                                                             Broadband Expansion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

               Changes in the Application of Existing Law

    Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)(A) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, the following statements are 
submitted describing the effect of provisions in the 
accompanying bill that directly or indirectly change the 
application of existing law.
    The bill includes a number of provisions which place 
limitations on the use of funds in the bill or change existing 
limitations and that might, under some circumstances, be 
construed as changing the application of existing law:
    Office of the Secretary.--Language is included to limit the 
amount of funds for official reception and representation 
expenses, as determined by the Secretary and to reimburse 
Departmental Administration for travel expenses incident to the 
holding of hearings.
    Agricultural Research Service.--Language is included that 
allows the Agricultural Research Service to grant easements at 
the Beltsville, MD, agricultural research center and to grant 
easements at any facility for the construction of a research 
facility for use by the agency.
    National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Integrated 
Activities.--The bill includes language limiting indirect 
costs.
    Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.--Language is 
included to limit the amount of funds for representational 
allow- ances.
    Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.--The bill 
includes language regarding state matching funds and the 
brucellosis con- trol program.
    Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.--Language is 
included to allow APHIS to recoup expenses incurred from 
providing technical assistance goods, or services to non-APHIS 
personnel, and to allow transfers of funds for agricultural 
emergencies.
    Agricultural Marketing Service, Limitation on 
Administrative Expenses.--The bill includes language to allow 
AMS to exceed the limitation on administrative expenses by up 
to 10 percent with notification to the Appropriations 
Committees.
    Agricultural Marketing Service, Inspection and Weighing 
Services.--The bill includes authority to exceed the limitation 
on inspec- tion and weighing services by up to 10 percent with 
notification to the Appropriations Committees.
    Food Safety and Inspection Service.--Language is included 
to limit the amount of funds for representational allowances.
    Dairy Indemnity Program.--Language is included by reference 
that allows the Secretary to utilize the services of the 
Commodity Credit Corporation for the purpose of making dairy 
indemnity pay- ments.
    Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund Program Account.--
Language is included that deems the pink bollworm a boll weevil 
for the purposes of administering the boll weevil loan program.
    Risk Management Agency.--Language is included to limit the 
amount of funds for official reception and representation 
expenses.
    Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations.--Language is in- 
cluded that limits the application of certain activities in 
watersheds of a certain size.
    Commodity Credit Corporation Fund.--Language is included to 
allow certain funds transferred from the Commodity Credit Cor- 
poration to be used for information resource management.
    Hazardous Waste Management.--Language is included which 
limits the amount of funds that can be spent on operation and 
maintenance costs of CCC hazardous waste sites.
    Rural Development Salaries and Expenses.--Language is 
included to allow funds to be used for advertising and 
promotional activities.
    Rental Assistance Program.--Language is included that 
provides that agreements entered into during the current fiscal 
year be funded for a one-year period. Language also is included 
to renew contracts once during any 12-month period.
    Rural Electrification and Telecommunications Loans Program 
Account.--The bill includes language related to loan rates on 
renew- able energy loans.
    The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, 
Infants, and Children (WIC).--Language notwithstands section 
17(h)(10)(B)(ii) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 
17 1786), as it relates to management information systems. 
Language is included to purchase infant formula except in 
accordance with law and pay for activities that are not fully 
reimbursed by other departments or agencies unless authorized 
by law.
    Office of Codex Alimentarius.--Language is included to 
limit the amount of funds for official reception and 
representation expenses.
    Foreign Agricultural Service.--Language is included to 
enable the agency to use funds received by an advance or by 
reimburse- ment to carry out its activities. The bill also 
limits the amount of funds for representation expenses.
    McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child 
Nutrition Program Grants.--Language is included to specify the 
amount of funds available to purchase commodities described by 
subsection 3107(a)(2) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 
Act of 2002.
    Food and Drug Administration, Salaries and Expenses.--
Language is included to limit the amount of funds for official 
reception and representation expenses and to limit the usage of 
certain user fees.
    FDA Innovation Account.--The bill provides additional 
transfer authority.
    Commodity Futures Trading Commission.--Language is included 
to limit the amount of funds for official reception and 
representa- tion expenses. Language is also included to allow 
the Commission to record prior year lease obligations and to 
liquidate certain obligations.
    Farm Credit Administration.--The bill includes authority to 
exceed the limitation on assessments by 10 percent with 
notification to the Appropriations Committees and to allow 
certain banks to exceed the statutory cap on export financing.
    General Provisions.--
    Section 701.--The bill includes language regarding 
passenger motor vehicles.
    Section 702.--The bill includes language regarding the 
Working Capital Fund of the Department of Agriculture.
    Section 703.--The bill includes language limiting funding 
provided in the bill to one year unless otherwise specified.
    Section 704.--The bill includes language regarding indirect 
cost share.
    Section 705.--The bill includes language regarding the 
availability of loans funds in Rural Development programs.
    Section 706.--The bill includes language regarding new 
information technology systems.
    Section 707.--The bill includes language regarding fund 
availability in the Agriculture Management Assistance program.
    Section 708.--The bill includes language regarding Rural 
Utilities Service program eligibility.
    Section 709.--The bill includes language regarding funds 
for information technology expenses for the Farm Service Agency 
and the Rural Development mission area.
    Section 710.--The bill includes language prohibiting first-
class airline travel.
    Section 711.--The bill includes language regarding the 
availability of certain funds of the Commodity Credit 
Corporation.
    Section 712.--The bill includes language regarding funding 
for advisory committees.
    Section 713.--The bill includes language regarding IT 
system regulations.
    Section 714.--The bill includes language regarding Section 
32 activities.
    Section 715.--The bill includes language regarding user fee 
proposals without offsets.
    Section 716.--The bill includes language regarding the 
reprogramming of funds and notification requirements.
    Section 717.--The bill includes language regarding fees for 
the guaranteed business and industry loan program.
    Section 718.--The bill includes language regarding the 
appropriations hearing process.
    Section 719.--The bill includes language regarding 
government sponsored news stories.
    Section 720.--The bill includes language regarding details 
and assignments of Department of Agriculture employees.
    Section 721.--The bill includes language requiring spend 
plans.
    Section 722.--The bill includes language regarding 
nutrition programs.
    Section 723.--The bill includes language regarding Rural 
Development programs.
    Section 724.--The bill includes language regarding USDA 
loan program levels.
    Section 725.--The bill includes language regarding credit 
card refunds and rebates.
    Section 726.--The bill includes language regarding the 
definition of the term ``variety'' in SNAP.
    Section 727.--The bill includes language regarding the 
Secretary's authority with respect to the 502 guaranteed loan 
programs.
    Section 728.--The bill includes language regarding new user 
fees.
    Section 729.--The bill includes language regarding FDA 
regulations with respect to spent grains.
    Section 730.--The bill includes language regarding the 
National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.
    Section 731.--The bill includes language regarding country 
or regional audits.
    Section 732.--The bill includes language related to Rural 
Development Programs.
    Section 733.--The bill includes language related to the 
Animal Welfare Act.
    Section 734.--The bill includes language regarding U.S. 
iron and steel products in public water or wastewater systems.
    Section 735.--The bill includes language regarding 
lobbying.
    Section 736.--The bill includes language related to 
persistent poverty counties.
    Section 737.--The bill includes language related to 
investigational use of drugs or biological products.
    Section 738.--The bill includes language related to the 
growing, harvesting, packing and holding of certain produce.
    Section 739.--The bill provides funding for grants to 
enhance farming and ranching opportunities for military 
veterans.
    Section 740.--The bill includes language related to the 
school breakfast program.
    Section 741.--The bill includes language regarding hemp.
    Section 742.--The bill provides funding for grants under 
the Section 12502 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 743.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
Section 1621 of Public Law 110-246.
    Section 744.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
Section 3307 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 745.--The bill includes language related to 
matching fund requirements.
    Section 746.--The bill provides funding for a pilot program 
related to multi-family housing borrowers.
    Section 747.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
Section 4208 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 748.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
Section 12301 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 749.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
Section 7120 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 750.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
Section 7208 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 751.--The bill includes language related to potable 
water.
    Section 752.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
Section 4206 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 753.--The bill includes language regarding Food for 
Peace.
    Section 754.--The bill includes language regarding 
facilities inspections.
    Section 755.--The bill includes language relating to the 
use of raw or processed poultry products from the People's 
Republic of China in various domestic nutrition programs.
    Section 756.--The bill includes language related to certain 
school food lunch prices.
    Section 757.--The bill provides funding for Centers of 
Excellence.
    Section 758.--The bill provides funding for rural hospital 
technical assistance.
    Section 759.--The bill provides funding for a pilot program 
for wastewater systems in historically impoverished areas.
    Section 760.--The bill provides funding to carry out 
Section 23 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.
    Section 761.--The bill includes language related to 
biotechnology risk assessment research.
    Section 762.--The bill provides funding for rural 
broadband.
    Section 763.-- The bill provides funding to carry out 
Section 7209 of Public Law 115-334.
    Section 764.--The bill includes funding for open data 
standards.
    Section 765.--The bill includes language related to certain 
reorganizations within the Department of Agriculture.
    Section 766.--The bill includes language extending the hemp 
pilot program.
    Section 767.--The bill includes language related to the 
Agriculture Conservation Experiences Services Program.
    Section 768.--The bill includes language related to school 
meals.
    Section 769.--The bill includes language related to the 
ReConnect program.
    Section 770.--The bill includes language related to the 
Goodfellow Federal facility.
    Section 771.--The bill includes language related to the 
Federal Meat Inspection Act.
    Section 772.--The bill includes funding for a blue-ribbon 
panel.
    Section 773.--The bill includes funding for a competitive 
research and education grant.
    Section 774.--The bill includes language related to the 
Animal Welfare Act inspections and reports.
    Section 775.--The bill includes language regarding 
electronically available information for prescribing healthcare 
professionals.
    Section 776.--The bill includes language related to line 
speed waivers.
    Section 777.--The bill includes language related to the 
purchase of agricultural land.

                  Appropriations Not Authorized by Law

    Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)(B) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, the following table lists the 
appropriations in the accompanying bill which are not 
authorized by law for the period concerned:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                             Appropriation in
          Agency or Program              Last year of      Authorization       last year of     Appropriation in
                                        authorization          level          authorization        this bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Farmers' Market Nutrition Prog......               2015          Such Sums        $16,548,000        $30,000,000
CNP State Administrative Expenses...               2015          Such Sums        263,686,000        332,000,000
Summer Food Service Program.........               2015          Such Sums        495,521,000        581,074,000
WIC.................................               2015          Such Sums      6,623,000,000      6,000,000,000
School Breakfast Expansion Grants...               2015          Such Sums                  0         10,000,000
Farm to School Grants...............               2015          Such Sums                  0         12,000,000
Multi-family Revitalization Program.               2016          Such Sums         28,000,000         60,000,000
Broadband Telecommunications Program               2016          Such Sums         35,000,000         35,000,000
Commodity Futures Trading Commission               2013          Such Sums       205,294,000*        363,000,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Reduced by an across the board cut and sequestration to $194,556,000.

                           Committee Hearings

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(6) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the following hearings were used to 
develop or consider the bill:
    The Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on February 25, 
2021, with the Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector 
General. The Subcommittee received testimony from:
           Ms. Phyllis K. Fong, Inspector General, USDA 
        Office of Inspector General
           Ms. Ann Coffey, Deputy Inspector General, 
        USDA Office of Inspector General
           Mr. Gil H. Harden, Assistant Inspector 
        General for Audit, USDA Office of Inspector General
           Ms. Jenny Rone, Assistant Inspector General 
        for Analytics and Innovation.
    The Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on March 9, 
2021, on the Food and Drug Administration's Foreign Drug 
Inspections Program. The Subcommittee received testimony from:
           Dr. Mary Denigan-Macauley, Director, Health 
        Care, Public Health & Private Markets, Government 
        Accountability Office.
    The Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on March 24, 
2021, on the Rural Economy. The Subcommittee received testimony 
from:
           Mr. Glen R. Smith, Chairman and CEO, Farm 
        Credit Administration
           Mr. Jeffery S. Hall, Chairman, Farm Credit 
        System Insurance Corporation
    The Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on April 14, 
2021, on the Department of Agriculture--The Year Ahead. The 
Subcommittee received testimony from:
           The Honorable Thomas J. Vilsack, Secretary, 
        the Department of Agriculture.
    The Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on April 20, 
2021, with USDA's Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. The 
Subcommittee received testimony from:
           Ms. Stacy Dean, Deputy Under Secretary, 
        Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, FNS, USDA
    The Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on May 6, 2021, 
with USDA's Rural Development Mission Area. The Subcommittee 
received testimony from:
           Mr. Justin Maxson, Deputy Under Secretary 
        for Rural Development, USDA
           Dr. Karama Neal, Administrator, Rural 
        Business-Cooperative Service, USDA
           Mr. Chad Parker, Acting Administrator, Rural 
        Housing Service, USDA
           Mr. Christopher McLean, Acting 
        Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, USDA
    The Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on May 12, 2021, 
with USDA's Research, Education and Economics Mission Area. The 
Subcommittee received testimony from:
           Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Acting Under 
        Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics
           Dr. Simon Y. Liu, Acting Administrator, 
        Agricultural Research Service, USDA
           Dr. Spiro Stefanou. Administrator, Economic 
        Research Service, USDA
           Mr. Hubert Hamer, Administrator, National 
        Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA
           Dr. Carrie Castille, Director, National 
        Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA
    The Subcommittee held a hearing on May 18, 2021, entitled 
``Member Day.'' The Subcommittee received testimony from:
           The Honorable Jim Hagedorn, Member of 
        Congress
           The Honorable Kim Schrier, MD, Member of 
        Congress
           The Honorable Pat Fallon, Member of Congress
           The Honorable Jeff Van Drew, Member of 
        Congress
           The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, Member of 
        Congress
           The Honorable Veronica Escobar, Member of 
        Congress
           The Honorable Claudia Tenney, Member of 
        Congress
           The Honorable John Rose, Member of Congress
           The Honorable Jim Baird, Member of Congress
           The Honorable Raja Krishnamoorthi, Member of 
        Congress
           The Honorable Ed Case, Member of Congress.

          Compliance With Rule XIII, Cl. 3(e) (Ramseyer Rule)

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italics, existing law in which no change 
is proposed is shown in roman):

              RICHARD B. RUSSELL NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH ACT




           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
               NUTRITIONAL AND OTHER PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

  Sec. 9. (a)(1)(A) Lunches served by schools participating in 
the school lunch program under this Act shall meet minimum 
nutritional requirements prescribed by the Secretary on the 
basis of tested nutritional research, except that the minimum 
nutritional requirements--
          (i) shall not be construed to prohibit the 
        substitution of foods to accommodate the medical or 
        other special dietary needs of individual students; and
          (ii) shall, at a minimum, be based on the weekly 
        average of the nutrient content of school lunches.
  (B) The Secretary shall provide technical assistance and 
training, including technical assistance and training in the 
preparation of lower-fat versions of foods commonly used in the 
school lunch program under this Act, to schools participating 
in the school lunch program to assist the schools in complying 
with the nutritional requirements prescribed by the Secretary 
pursuant to subparagraph (A) and in providing appropriate meals 
to children with medically certified special dietary needs. The 
Secretary shall provide additional technical assistance to 
schools that are having difficulty maintaining compliance with 
the requirements.
          (2) Fluid milk.--
                  (A) In general.--Lunches served by schools 
                participating in the school lunch program under 
                this Act--
                          (i) shall offer students a variety of 
                        fluid milk. Such milk shall be 
                        consistent with the most recent Dietary 
                        Guidelines for Americans published 
                        under section 301 of the National 
                        Nutrition Monitoring and Related 
                        Research Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5341);
                          (ii) may offer students flavored and 
                        unflavored fluid milk and lactose-free 
                        fluid milk; and
                          (iii) shall provide a substitute for 
                        fluid milk for students whose 
                        disability restricts their diet, on 
                        receipt of a written statement from a 
                        licensed physician that identifies the 
                        disability that restricts the student's 
                        diet and that specifies the substitute 
                        for fluid milk.
                  (B) Substitutes.--
                          (i) Standards for substitution.--A 
                        school may substitute for the fluid 
                        milk provided under subparagraph (A), a 
                        nondairy beverage that is nutritionally 
                        equivalent to fluid milk and meets 
                        nutritional standards established by 
                        the Secretary (which shall, among other 
                        requirements to be determined by the 
                        Secretary, include fortification of 
                        calcium, protein, vitamin A, and 
                        vitamin D to levels found in cow's 
                        milk) for students who cannot consume 
                        fluid milk because of a medical or 
                        other special dietary need other than a 
                        disability described in subparagraph 
                        (A)(iii).
                          (ii) Notice.--The substitutions may 
                        be made if the school notifies the 
                        State agency that the school is 
                        implementing a variation allowed under 
                        this subparagraph, and if the 
                        substitution is requested by written 
                        statement of a medical authority or by 
                        a student's parent or legal guardian 
                        that identifies the medical or other 
                        special dietary need that restricts the 
                        student's diet, except that the school 
                        shall not be required to provide 
                        beverages other than beverages the 
                        school has identified as acceptable 
                        substitutes.
                          (iii) Excess expenses borne by school 
                        food authority.--Expenses incurred in 
                        providing substitutions under this 
                        subparagraph that are in excess of 
                        expenses covered by reimbursements 
                        under this Act shall be paid by the 
                        school food authority.
                  (C) Restrictions on sale of milk 
                prohibited.--A school that participates in the 
                school lunch program under this Act shall not 
                directly or indirectly restrict the sale or 
                marketing of fluid milk products by the school 
                (or by a person approved by the school) at any 
                time or any place--
                          (i) on the school premises; or
                          (ii) at any school-sponsored event.
  (3) Students in senior high schools that participate in the 
school lunch program under this Act (and, when approved by the 
local school district or nonprofit private schools, students in 
any other grade level) shall not be required to accept offered 
foods they do not intend to consume, and any such failure to 
accept offered foods shall not affect the full charge to the 
student for a lunch meeting the requirements of this subsection 
or the amount of payments made under this Act to any such 
school for such lunch.
          (4) Provision of information.--
                  (A) Guidance.--Prior to the beginning of the 
                school year beginning July 2004, the Secretary 
                shall issue guidance to States and school food 
                authorities to increase the consumption of 
                foods and food ingredients that are recommended 
                for increased serving consumption in the most 
                recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans 
                published under section 301 of the National 
                Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act 
                of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5341).
                  (B) Rules.--Not later than 2 years after the 
                date of enactment of this paragraph, the 
                Secretary shall promulgate rules, based on the 
                most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 
                that reflect specific recommendations, 
                expressed in serving recommendations, for 
                increased consumption of foods and food 
                ingredients offered in school nutrition 
                programs under this Act and the Child Nutrition 
                Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.).
                  (C) Procurement and processing of food 
                service products and commodities.--The 
                Secretary shall--
                          (i) identify, develop, and 
                        disseminate to State departments of 
                        agriculture and education, school food 
                        authorities, local educational 
                        agencies, and local processing 
                        entities, model product specifications 
                        and practices for foods offered in 
                        school nutrition programs under this 
                        Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 
                        (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.) to ensure that 
                        the foods reflect the most recent 
                        Dietary Guidelines for Americans 
                        published under section 301 of the 
                        National Nutrition Monitoring and 
                        Related Research Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 
                        5341);
                          (ii) not later than 1 year after the 
                        date of enactment of this 
                        subparagraph--
                                  (I) carry out a study to 
                                analyze the quantity and 
                                quality of nutritional 
                                information available to school 
                                food authorities about food 
                                service products and 
                                commodities; and
                                  (II) submit to Congress a 
                                report on the results of the 
                                study that contains such 
                                legislative recommendations as 
                                the Secretary considers 
                                necessary to ensure that school 
                                food authorities have access to 
                                the nutritional information 
                                needed for menu planning and 
                                compliance assessments; and
                          (iii) to the maximum extent 
                        practicable, in purchasing and 
                        processing commodities for use in 
                        school nutrition programs under this 
                        Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 
                        (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), purchase the 
                        widest variety of healthful foods that 
                        reflect the most recent Dietary 
                        Guidelines for Americans.
          (5) Water.--Schools participating in the school lunch 
        program under this Act shall make available to children 
        free of charge, as nutritionally appropriate, potable 
        water for consumption in the place where meals are 
        served during meal service.
  (b)(1)(A) Not later than June 1 of each fiscal year, the 
Secretary shall prescribe income guidelines for determining 
eligibility for free and reduced price lunches during the 12-
month period beginning July 1 of such fiscal year and ending 
June 30 of the following fiscal year. The income guidelines for 
determining eligibility for free lunches shall be 130 percent 
of the applicable family size income levels contained in the 
nonfarm income poverty guidelines prescribed by the Office of 
Management and Budget, as adjusted annually in accordance with 
subparagraph (B). The income guidelines for determining 
eligibility for reduced price lunches for any school year shall 
be 185 percent of the applicable family size income levels 
contained in the nonfarm income poverty guidelines prescribed 
by the Office of Management and Budget, as adjusted annually in 
accordance with subparagraph (B). The Office of Management and 
Budget guidelines shall be revised at annual intervals, or at 
any shorter interval deemed feasible and desirable.
  (B) The revision required by subparagraph (A) of this 
paragraph shall be made by multiplying--
          (i) the official poverty line (as defined by the 
        Office of Management and Budget); by
          (ii) the percentage change in the Consumer Price 
        Index during the annual or other interval immediately 
        preceding the time at which the adjustment is made.
Revisions under this subparagraph shall be made not more than 
30 days after the date on which the consumer price index data 
required to compute the adjustment becomes available.
  (2)(A) Following the determination by the Secretary under 
paragraph (1) of this subsection of the income eligibility 
guidelines for each school year, each State educational agency 
shall announce the income eligibility guidelines, by family 
size, to be used by schools in the State in making 
determinations of eligibility for free and reduced price 
lunches. Local school authorities shall, each year, publicly 
announce the income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced 
price lunches on or before the opening of school.
          (B) Applications and descriptive material.--
                  (i) In general.--Applications for free and 
                reduced price lunches, in such form as the 
                Secretary may prescribe or approve, and any 
                descriptive material, shall be distributed to 
                the parents or guardians of children in 
                attendance at the school, and shall contain 
                only the family size income levels for reduced 
                price meal eligibility with the explanation 
                that households with incomes less than or equal 
                to these values would be eligible for free or 
                reduced price lunches.
                  (ii) Income eligibility guidelines.--Forms 
                and descriptive material distributed in 
                accordance with clause (i) may not contain the 
                income eligibility guidelines for free lunches.
                  (iii) Contents of descriptive material.--
                          (I) In general.--Descriptive material 
                        distributed in accordance with clause 
                        (i) shall contain a notification that--
                                  (aa) participants in the 
                                programs listed in subclause 
                                (II) may be eligible for free 
                                or reduced price meals; and
                                  (bb) documentation may be 
                                requested for verification of 
                                eligibility for free or reduced 
                                price meals.
                          (II) Programs.--The programs referred 
                        to in subclause (I)(aa) are--
                                  (aa) the special supplemental 
                                nutrition program for women, 
                                infants, and children 
                                established by section 17 of 
                                the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 
                                (42 U.S.C. 1786);
                                  (bb) the supplemental 
                                nutrition assistance program 
                                established under the Food and 
                                Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
                                2011 et seq.);
                                  (cc) the food distribution 
                                program on Indian reservations 
                                established under section 4(b) 
                                of the Food and Nutrition Act 
                                of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2013(b)); and
                                  (dd) a State program funded 
                                under the program of block 
                                grants to States for temporary 
                                assistance for needy families 
                                established under part A of 
                                title IV of the Social Security 
                                Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).
          (3) Household applications.--
                  (A) Definition of household application.--In 
                this paragraph, the term ``household 
                application'' means an application for a child 
                of a household to receive free or reduced price 
                school lunches under this Act, or free or 
                reduced price school breakfasts under the Child 
                Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), 
                for which an eligibility determination is made 
                other than under paragraph (4) or (5).
                  (B) Eligibility determination.--
                          (i) In general.--An eligibility 
                        determination shall be made on the 
                        basis of a complete household 
                        application executed by an adult member 
                        of the household or in accordance with 
                        guidance issued by the Secretary.
                          (ii) Electronic signatures and 
                        applications.--A household application 
                        may be executed using an electronic 
                        signature if--
                                  (I) the application is 
                                submitted electronically; and
                                  (II) the electronic 
                                application filing system meets 
                                confidentiality standards 
                                established by the Secretary.
                  (C) Children in household.--
                          (i) In general.--The household 
                        application shall identify the names of 
                        each child in the household for whom 
                        meal benefits are requested.
                          (ii) Separate applications.--A State 
                        educational agency or local educational 
                        agency may not request a separate 
                        application for each child in the 
                        household that attends schools under 
                        the same local educational agency.
                  (D) Verification of sample.--
                          (i) Definitions.--In this 
                        subparagraph:
                                  (I) Error prone 
                                application.--The term ``error 
                                prone application'' means an 
                                approved household application 
                                that--
                                          (aa) indicates 
                                        monthly income that is 
                                        within $100, or an 
                                        annual income that is 
                                        within $1,200, of the 
                                        income eligibility 
                                        limitation for free or 
                                        reduced price meals; or
                                          (bb) in lieu of the 
                                        criteria established 
                                        under item (aa), meets 
                                        criteria established by 
                                        the Secretary.
                                  (II) Non-response rate.--The 
                                term ``non-response rate'' 
                                means (in accordance with 
                                guidelines established by the 
                                Secretary) the percentage of 
                                approved household applications 
                                for which verification 
                                information has not been 
                                obtained by a local educational 
                                agency after attempted 
                                verification under 
                                subparagraphs (F) and (G).
                          (ii) Verification of sample.--Each 
                        school year, a local educational agency 
                        shall verify eligibility of the 
                        children in a sample of household 
                        applications approved for the school 
                        year by the local educational agency, 
                        as determined by the Secretary in 
                        accordance with this subsection.
                          (iii) Sample size.--Except as 
                        otherwise provided in this paragraph, 
                        the sample for a local educational 
                        agency for a school year shall equal 
                        the lesser of--
                                  (I) 3 percent of all 
                                applications approved by the 
                                local educational agency for 
                                the school year, as of October 
                                1 of the school year, selected 
                                from error prone applications; 
                                or
                                  (II) 3,000 error prone 
                                applications approved by the 
                                local educational agency for 
                                the school year, as of October 
                                1 of the school year.
                          (iv) Alternative sample size.--
                                  (I) In general.--If the 
                                conditions described in 
                                subclause (IV) are met, the 
                                verification sample size for a 
                                local educational agency shall 
                                be the sample size described in 
                                subclause (II) or (III), as 
                                determined by the local 
                                educational agency.
                                  (II)  3,000/3 percent 
                                option.--The sample size 
                                described in this subclause 
                                shall be the lesser of 3,000, 
                                or 3 percent of, applications 
                                selected at random from 
                                applications approved by the 
                                local educational agency for 
                                the school year, as of October 
                                1 of the school year.
                                  (III)  1,000/1 percent plus 
                                option.--
                                          (aa) In general.--The 
                                        sample size described 
                                        in this subclause shall 
                                        be the sum of--
                                                  (AA) the 
                                                lesser of 
                                                1,000, or 1 
                                                percent of, all 
                                                applications 
                                                approved by the 
                                                local 
                                                educational 
                                                agency for the 
                                                school year, as 
                                                of October 1 of 
                                                the school 
                                                year, selected 
                                                from error 
                                                prone 
                                                applications; 
                                                and
                                                  (BB) the 
                                                lesser of 500, 
                                                or \1/2\ of 1 
                                                percent of, 
                                                applications 
                                                approved by the 
                                                local 
                                                educational 
                                                agency for the 
                                                school year, as 
                                                of October 1 of 
                                                the school 
                                                year, that 
                                                provide a case 
                                                number (in lieu 
                                                of income 
                                                information) 
                                                showing 
                                                participation 
                                                in a program 
                                                described in 
                                                item (bb) 
                                                selected from 
                                                those approved 
                                                applications 
                                                that provide a 
                                                case number (in 
                                                lieu of income 
                                                information) 
                                                verifying the 
                                                participation.
                                          (bb) Programs.--The 
                                        programs described in 
                                        this item are--
                                                  (AA) the 
                                                supplemental 
                                                nutrition 
                                                assistance 
                                                program 
                                                established 
                                                under the Food 
                                                and Nutrition 
                                                Act of 2008 (7 
                                                U.S.C. 2011 et 
                                                seq.);
                                                  (BB) the food 
                                                distribution 
                                                program on 
                                                Indian 
                                                reservations 
                                                established 
                                                under section 
                                                4(b) of the 
                                                Food and 
                                                Nutrition Act 
                                                of 2008 (7 
                                                U.S.C. 
                                                2013(b)); and
                                                  (CC) a State 
                                                program funded 
                                                under the 
                                                program of 
                                                block grants to 
                                                States for 
                                                temporary 
                                                assistance for 
                                                needy families 
                                                established 
                                                under part A of 
                                                title IV of the 
                                                Social Security 
                                                Act (42 U.S.C. 
                                                601 et seq.) 
                                                that the 
                                                Secretary 
                                                determines 
                                                complies with 
                                                standards 
                                                established by 
                                                the Secretary 
                                                that ensure 
                                                that the 
                                                standards under 
                                                the State 
                                                program are 
                                                comparable to 
                                                or more 
                                                restrictive 
                                                than those in 
                                                effect on June 
                                                1, 1995.
                                  (IV) Conditions.--The 
                                conditions referred to in 
                                subclause (I) shall be met for 
                                a local educational agency for 
                                a school year if--
                                          (aa) the nonresponse 
                                        rate for the local 
                                        educational agency for 
                                        the preceding school 
                                        year is less than 20 
                                        percent; or
                                          (bb) the local 
                                        educational agency has 
                                        more than 20,000 
                                        children approved by 
                                        application by the 
                                        local educational 
                                        agency as eligible for 
                                        free or reduced price 
                                        meals for the school 
                                        year, as of October 1 
                                        of the school year, 
                                        and--
                                                  (AA) the 
                                                nonresponse 
                                                rate for the 
                                                preceding 
                                                school year is 
                                                at least 10 
                                                percent below 
                                                the nonresponse 
                                                rate for the 
                                                second 
                                                preceding 
                                                school year; or
                                                  (BB) in the 
                                                case of the 
                                                school year 
                                                beginning July 
                                                2005, the local 
                                                educational 
                                                agency attempts 
                                                to verify all 
                                                approved 
                                                household 
                                                applications 
                                                selected for 
                                                verification 
                                                through use of 
                                                public agency 
                                                records from at 
                                                least 2 of the 
                                                programs or 
                                                sources of 
                                                information 
                                                described in 
                                                subparagraph 
                                                (F)(i).
                          (v) Additional selected 
                        applications.--A sample for a local 
                        educational agency for a school year 
                        under clauses (iii) and (iv)(III)(AA) 
                        shall include the number of additional 
                        randomly selected approved household 
                        applications that are required to 
                        comply with the sample size 
                        requirements in those clauses.
                  (E) Preliminary review.--
                          (i) Review for accuracy.--
                                  (I) In general.--Prior to 
                                conducting any other 
                                verification activity for 
                                approved household applications 
                                selected for verification, the 
                                local educational agency shall 
                                ensure that the initial 
                                eligibility determination for 
                                each approved household 
                                application is reviewed for 
                                accuracy by an individual other 
                                than the individual making the 
                                initial eligibility 
                                determination, unless otherwise 
                                determined by the Secretary.
                                  (II) Waiver.--The 
                                requirements of subclause (I) 
                                shall be waived for a local 
                                educational agency if the local 
                                educational agency is using a 
                                technology-based solution that 
                                demonstrates a high level of 
                                accuracy, to the satisfaction 
                                of the Secretary, in processing 
                                an initial eligibility 
                                determination in accordance 
                                with the income eligibility 
                                guidelines of the school lunch 
                                program.
                          (ii) Correct eligibility 
                        determination.--If the review indicates 
                        that the initial eligibility 
                        determination is correct, the local 
                        educational agency shall verify the 
                        approved household application.
                          (iii) Incorrect eligibility 
                        determination.--If the review indicates 
                        that the initial eligibility 
                        determination is incorrect, the local 
                        educational agency shall (as determined 
                        by the Secretary)--
                                  (I) correct the eligibility 
                                status of the household;
                                  (II) notify the household of 
                                the change;
                                  (III) in any case in which 
                                the review indicates that the 
                                household is not eligible for 
                                free or reduced-price meals, 
                                notify the household of the 
                                reason for the ineligibility 
                                and that the household may 
                                reapply with income 
                                documentation for free or 
                                reduced-price meals; and
                                  (IV) in any case in which the 
                                review indicates that the 
                                household is eligible for free 
                                or reduced-price meals, verify 
                                the approved household 
                                application.
                  (F) Direct verification.--
                          (i) In general.--Subject to clauses 
                        (ii) and (iii), to verify eligibility 
                        for free or reduced price meals for 
                        approved household applications 
                        selected for verification, the local 
                        educational agency may (in accordance 
                        with criteria established by the 
                        Secretary) first obtain and use income 
                        and program participation information 
                        from a public agency administering--
                                  (I) the supplemental 
                                nutrition assistance program 
                                established under the Food and 
                                Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
                                2011 et seq.);
                                  (II) the food distribution 
                                program on Indian reservations 
                                established under section 4(b) 
                                of the Food and Nutrition Act 
                                of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2013(b));
                                  (III) the temporary 
                                assistance for needy families 
                                program funded under part A of 
                                title IV of the Social Security 
                                Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.);
                                  (IV) the State medicaid 
                                program under title XIX of the 
                                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
                                1396 et seq.); or
                                  (V) a similar income-tested 
                                program or other source of 
                                information, as determined by 
                                the Secretary.
                          (ii) Free meals.--Public agency 
                        records that may be obtained and used 
                        under clause (i) to verify eligibility 
                        for free meals for approved household 
                        applications selected for verification 
                        shall include the most recent available 
                        information (other than information 
                        reflecting program participation or 
                        income before the 180-day period ending 
                        on the date of application for free 
                        meals) that is relied on to 
                        administer--
                                  (I) a program or source of 
                                information described in clause 
                                (i) (other than clause 
                                (i)(IV)); or
                                  (II) the State plan for 
                                medical assistance under title 
                                XIX of the Social Security Act 
                                (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) in--
                                          (aa) a State in which 
                                        the income eligibility 
                                        limit applied under 
                                        section 1902(l)(2)(C) 
                                        of that Act (42 U.S.C. 
                                        1396a(l)(2)(C)) is not 
                                        more than 133 percent 
                                        of the official poverty 
                                        line described in 
                                        section 1902(l)(2)(A) 
                                        of that Act (42 U.S.C. 
                                        1396a(l)(2)(A)); or
                                          (bb) a State that 
                                        otherwise identifies 
                                        households that have 
                                        income that is not more 
                                        than 133 percent of the 
                                        official poverty line 
                                        described in section 
                                        1902(l)(2)(A) of that 
                                        Act (42 U.S.C. 
                                        1396a(l)(2)(A)).
                          (iii) Reduced price meals.--Public 
                        agency records that may be obtained and 
                        used under clause (i) to verify 
                        eligibility for reduced price meals for 
                        approved household applications 
                        selected for verification shall include 
                        the most recent available information 
                        (other than information reflecting 
                        program participation or income before 
                        the 180-day period ending on the date 
                        of application for reduced price meals) 
                        that is relied on to administer--
                                  (I) a program or source of 
                                information described in clause 
                                (i) (other than clause 
                                (i)(IV)); or
                                  (II) the State plan for 
                                medical assistance under title 
                                XIX of the Social Security Act 
                                (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) in--
                                          (aa) a State in which 
                                        the income eligibility 
                                        limit applied under 
                                        section 1902(l)(2)(C) 
                                        of that Act (42 U.S.C. 
                                        1396a(l)(2)(C)) is not 
                                        more than 185 percent 
                                        of the official poverty 
                                        line described in 
                                        section 1902(l)(2)(A) 
                                        of that Act (42 U.S.C. 
                                        1396a(l)(2)(A)); or
                                          (bb) a State that 
                                        otherwise identifies 
                                        households that have 
                                        income that is not more 
                                        than 185 percent of the 
                                        official poverty line 
                                        described in section 
                                        1902(l)(2)(A) of that 
                                        Act (42 U.S.C. 
                                        1396a(l)(2)(A)).
                          (iv) Evaluation.--Not later than 3 
                        years after the date of enactment of 
                        this subparagraph, the Secretary shall 
                        complete an evaluation of--
                                  (I) the effectiveness of 
                                direct verification carried out 
                                under this subparagraph in 
                                decreasing the portion of the 
                                verification sample that must 
                                be verified under subparagraph 
                                (G) while ensuring that 
                                adequate verification 
                                information is obtained; and
                                  (II) the feasibility of 
                                direct verification by State 
                                agencies and local educational 
                                agencies.
                          (v) Expanded use of direct 
                        verification.--If the Secretary 
                        determines that direct verification 
                        significantly decreases the portion of 
                        the verification sample that must be 
                        verified under subparagraph (G), while 
                        ensuring that adequate verification 
                        information is obtained, and can be 
                        conducted by most State agencies and 
                        local educational agencies, the 
                        Secretary may require a State agency or 
                        local educational agency to implement 
                        direct verification through 1 or more 
                        of the programs described in clause 
                        (i), as determined by the Secretary, 
                        unless the State agency or local 
                        educational agency demonstrates (under 
                        criteria established by the Secretary) 
                        that the State agency or local 
                        educational agency lacks the capacity 
                        to conduct, or is unable to implement, 
                        direct verification.
                  (G) Household verification.--
                          (i) In general.--If an approved 
                        household application is not verified 
                        through the use of public agency 
                        records, a local educational agency 
                        shall provide to the household written 
                        notice that--
                                  (I) the approved household 
                                application has been selected 
                                for verification; and
                                  (II) the household is 
                                required to submit verification 
                                information to confirm 
                                eligibility for free or reduced 
                                price meals.
                          (ii) Phone number.--The written 
                        notice in clause (i) shall include a 
                        toll-free phone number that parents and 
                        legal guardians in households selected 
                        for verification can call for 
                        assistance with the verification 
                        process.
                          (iii) Followup activities.--If a 
                        household does not respond to a 
                        verification request, a local 
                        educational agency shall make at least 
                        1 attempt to obtain the necessary 
                        verification from the household in 
                        accordance with guidelines and 
                        regulations promulgated by the 
                        Secretary.
                          (iv) Contract authority for school 
                        food authorities.--A local educational 
                        agency may contract (under standards 
                        established by the Secretary) with a 
                        third party to assist the local 
                        educational agency in carrying out 
                        clause (iii).
                  (H) Verification deadline.--
                          (i) General deadline.--
                                  (I) In general.--Subject to 
                                subclause (II), not later than 
                                November 15 of each school 
                                year, a local educational 
                                agency shall complete the 
                                verification activities 
                                required for the school year 
                                (including followup 
                                activities).
                                  (II) Extension.--Under 
                                criteria established by the 
                                Secretary, a State may extend 
                                the deadline established under 
                                subclause (I) for a school year 
                                for a local educational agency 
                                to December 15 of the school 
                                year.
                          (ii) Eligibility changes.--Based on 
                        the verification activities, the local 
                        educational agency shall make 
                        appropriate modifications to the 
                        eligibility determinations made for 
                        household applications in accordance 
                        with criteria established by the 
                        Secretary.
                  (I) Local conditions.--In the case of a 
                natural disaster, civil disorder, strike, or 
                other local condition (as determined by the 
                Secretary), the Secretary may substitute 
                alternatives for--
                          (i) the sample size and sample 
                        selection criteria established under 
                        subparagraph (D); and
                          (ii) the verification deadline 
                        established under subparagraph (H).
                  (J) Individual review.--In accordance with 
                criteria established by the Secretary, the 
                local educational agency may, on individual 
                review--
                          (i) decline to verify no more than 5 
                        percent of approved household 
                        applications selected under 
                        subparagraph (D); and
                          (ii) replace the approved household 
                        applications with other approved 
                        household applications to be verified.
                  (K) Feasibility study.--
                          (i) In general.--The Secretary shall 
                        conduct a study of the feasibility of 
                        using computer technology (including 
                        data mining) to reduce--
                                  (I) overcertification errors 
                                in the school lunch program 
                                under this Act;
                                  (II) waste, fraud, and abuse 
                                in connection with this 
                                paragraph; and
                                  (III) errors, waste, fraud, 
                                and abuse in other nutrition 
                                programs, as determined to be 
                                appropriate by the Secretary.
                          (ii) Report.--Not later than 180 days 
                        after the date of enactment of this 
                        paragraph, the Secretary shall submit 
                        to the Committee on Education and the 
                        Workforce of the House of 
                        Representatives and the Committee on 
                        Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of 
                        the Senate a report describing--
                                  (I) the results of the 
                                feasibility study conducted 
                                under this subsection;
                                  (II) how a computer system 
                                using technology described in 
                                clause (i) could be 
                                implemented;
                                  (III) a plan for 
                                implementation; and
                                  (IV) proposed legislation, if 
                                necessary, to implement the 
                                system.
          (4) Direct certification for children in supplemental 
        nutrition assistance program households.--
                  (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (D), 
                each State agency shall enter into an agreement 
                with the State agency conducting eligibility 
                determinations for the supplemental nutrition 
                assistance program established under the Food 
                and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 
                seq.).
                  (B) Procedures.--Subject to paragraph (6), 
                the agreement shall establish procedures under 
                which a child who is a member of a household 
                receiving assistance under the supplemental 
                nutrition assistance program shall be certified 
                as eligible for free lunches under this Act and 
                free breakfasts under the Child Nutrition Act 
                of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), without 
                further application.
                  (C) Certification.--Subject to paragraph (6), 
                under the agreement, the local educational 
                agency conducting eligibility determinations 
                for a school lunch program under this Act and a 
                school breakfast program under the Child 
                Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.) 
                shall certify a child who is a member of a 
                household receiving assistance under the 
                supplemental nutrition assistance program as 
                eligible for free lunches under this Act and 
                free breakfasts under the Child Nutrition Act 
                of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), without 
                further application.
                  (D) Applicability.--This paragraph applies 
                to--
                          (i) in the case of the school year 
                        beginning July 2006, a school district 
                        that had an enrollment of 25,000 
                        students or more in the preceding 
                        school year;
                          (ii) in the case of the school year 
                        beginning July 2007, a school district 
                        that had an enrollment of 10,000 
                        students or more in the preceding 
                        school year; and
                          (iii) in the case of the school year 
                        beginning July 2008 and each subsequent 
                        school year, each local educational 
                        agency.
                  (E) Performance awards.--
                          (i) In general.--Effective for each 
                        of the school years beginning July 1, 
                        2011, July 1, 2012, and July 1, 2013, 
                        the Secretary shall offer performance 
                        awards to States to encourage the 
                        States to ensure that all children 
                        eligible for direct certification under 
                        this paragraph are certified in 
                        accordance with this paragraph.
                          (ii) Requirements.--For each school 
                        year described in clause (i), the 
                        Secretary shall--
                                  (I) consider State data from 
                                the prior school year, 
                                including estimates contained 
                                in the report required under 
                                section 4301 of the Food, 
                                Conservation, and Energy Act of 
                                2008 (42 U.S.C. 1758a); and
                                  (II) make performance awards 
                                to not more than 15 States that 
                                demonstrate, as determined by 
                                the Secretary--
                                          (aa) outstanding 
                                        performance; and
                                          (bb) substantial 
                                        improvement.
                          (iii) Use of funds.--A State agency 
                        that receives a performance award under 
                        clause (i)--
                                  (I) shall treat the funds as 
                                program income; and
                                  (II) may transfer the funds 
                                to school food authorities for 
                                use in carrying out the 
                                program.
                          (iv) Funding.--
                                  (I) In general.--On October 
                                1, 2011, and each subsequent 
                                October 1 through October 1, 
                                2013, out of any funds in the 
                                Treasury not otherwise 
                                appropriated, the Secretary of 
                                the Treasury shall transfer to 
                                the Secretary--
                                          (aa) $2,000,000 to 
                                        carry out clause 
                                        (ii)(II)(aa); and
                                          (bb) $2,000,000 to 
                                        carry out clause 
                                        (ii)(II)(bb).
                                  (II) Receipt and 
                                acceptance.--The Secretary 
                                shall be entitled to receive, 
                                shall accept, and shall use to 
                                carry out this clause the funds 
                                transferred under subclause 
                                (I), without further 
                                appropriation.
                          (v) Payments not subject to judicial 
                        review.--A determination by the 
                        Secretary whether, and in what amount, 
                        to make a performance award under this 
                        subparagraph shall not be subject to 
                        administrative or judicial review.
                  (F) Continuous improvement plans.--
                          (i) Definition of required 
                        percentage.--In this subparagraph, the 
                        term ``required percentage'' means--
                                  (I) for the school year 
                                beginning July 1, 2011, 80 
                                percent;
                                  (II) for the school year 
                                beginning July 1, 2012, 90 
                                percent; and
                                  (III) for the school year 
                                beginning July 1, 2013, and 
                                each school year thereafter, 95 
                                percent.
                          (ii) Requirements.--Each school year, 
                        the Secretary shall--
                                  (I) identify, using data from 
                                the prior year, including 
                                estimates contained in the 
                                report required under section 
                                4301 of the Food, Conservation, 
                                and Energy Act of 2008 (42 
                                U.S.C. 1758a), States that 
                                directly certify less than the 
                                required percentage of the 
                                total number of children in the 
                                State who are eligible for 
                                direct certification under this 
                                paragraph;
                                  (II) require the States 
                                identified under subclause (I) 
                                to implement a continuous 
                                improvement plan to fully meet 
                                the requirements of this 
                                paragraph, which shall include 
                                a plan to improve direct 
                                certification for the following 
                                school year; and
                                  (III) assist the States 
                                identified under subclause (I) 
                                to develop and implement a 
                                continuous improvement plan in 
                                accordance with subclause (II).
                          (iii) Failure to meet performance 
                        standard.--
                                  (I) In general.--A State that 
                                is required to develop and 
                                implement a continuous 
                                improvement plan under clause 
                                (ii)(II) shall be required to 
                                submit the continuous 
                                improvement plan to the 
                                Secretary, for the approval of 
                                the Secretary.
                                  (II) Requirements.--At a 
                                minimum, a continuous 
                                improvement plan under 
                                subclause (I) shall include--
                                          (aa) specific 
                                        measures that the State 
                                        will use to identify 
                                        more children who are 
                                        eligible for direct 
                                        certification, 
                                        including improvements 
                                        or modifications to 
                                        technology, information 
                                        systems, or databases;
                                          (bb) a timeline for 
                                        the State to implement 
                                        those measures; and
                                          (cc) goals for the 
                                        State to improve direct 
                                        certification results.
                  (G) Without further application.--
                          (i) In general.--In this paragraph, 
                        the term ``without further 
                        application'' means that no action is 
                        required by the household of the child.
                          (ii) Clarification.--A requirement 
                        that a household return a letter 
                        notifying the household of eligibility 
                        for direct certification or eligibility 
                        for free school meals does not meet the 
                        requirements of clause (i).
          (5) Discretionary certification.--Subject to 
        paragraph (6), any local educational agency may certify 
        any child as eligible for free lunches or breakfasts, 
        without further application, by directly communicating 
        with the appropriate State or local agency to obtain 
        documentation of the status of the child as--
                  (A) a member of a family that is receiving 
                assistance under the temporary assistance for 
                needy families program funded under part A of 
                title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
                601 et seq.) that the Secretary determines 
                complies with standards established by the 
                Secretary that ensure that the standards under 
                the State program are comparable to or more 
                restrictive than those in effect on June 1, 
                1995;
                  (B) a homeless child or youth (defined as 1 
                of the individuals described in section 725(2) 
                of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 
                (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2));
                  (C) served by the runaway and homeless youth 
                grant program established under the Runaway and 
                Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5701 et seq.);
                  (D) a migratory child (as defined in section 
                1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6399)); or
                  (E)(i) a foster child whose care and 
                placement is the responsibility of an agency 
                that administers a State plan under part B or E 
                of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 
                U.S.C. 621 et seq.); or
                  (ii) a foster child who a court has placed 
                with a caretaker household.
          (6) Use or disclosure of information.--
                  (A) In general.--The use or disclosure of any 
                information obtained from an application for 
                free or reduced price meals, or from a State or 
                local agency referred to in paragraph (3)(F), 
                (4), or (5), shall be limited to--
                          (i) a person directly connected with 
                        the administration or enforcement of 
                        this Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 
                        1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.) 
                        (including a regulation promulgated 
                        under either Act);
                          (ii) a person directly connected with 
                        the administration or enforcement of--
                                  (I) a Federal education 
                                program;
                                  (II) a State health or 
                                education program administered 
                                by the State or local 
                                educational agency (other than 
                                a program carried out under 
                                title XIX or XXI of the Social 
                                Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 
                                seq.; 42 U.S.C. 1397aa et 
                                seq.)); or
                                  (III) a Federal, State, or 
                                local means-tested nutrition 
                                program with eligibility 
                                standards comparable to the 
                                school lunch program under this 
                                Act;
                          (iii)(I) the Comptroller General of 
                        the United States for audit and 
                        examination authorized by any other 
                        provision of law; and
                          (II) notwithstanding any other 
                        provision of law, a Federal, State, or 
                        local law enforcement official for the 
                        purpose of investigating an alleged 
                        violation of any program covered by 
                        this paragraph or paragraph (3)(F), 
                        (4), or (5);
                          (iv) a person directly connected with 
                        the administration of the State 
                        medicaid program under title XIX of the 
                        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 
                        seq.) or the State children's health 
                        insurance program under title XXI of 
                        that Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.) 
                        solely for the purposes of--
                                  (I) identifying children 
                                eligible for benefits under, 
                                and enrolling children in, 
                                those programs, except that 
                                this subclause shall apply only 
                                to the extent that the State 
                                and the local educational 
                                agency or school food authority 
                                so elect; and
                                  (II) verifying the 
                                eligibility of children for 
                                programs under this Act or the 
                                Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 
                                U.S.C. 1771 et seq.); and
                          (v) a third party contractor 
                        described in paragraph (3)(G)(iv).
                  (B) Limitation on information provided.--
                Information provided under clause (ii) or (v) 
                of subparagraph (A) shall be limited to the 
                income eligibility status of the child for whom 
                application for free or reduced price meal 
                benefits is made or for whom eligibility 
                information is provided under paragraph (3)(F), 
                (4), or (5), unless the consent of the parent 
                or guardian of the child for whom application 
                for benefits was made is obtained.
                  (C) Criminal penalty.--A person described in 
                subparagraph (A) who publishes, divulges, 
                discloses, or makes known in any manner, or to 
                any extent not authorized by Federal law 
                (including a regulation), any information 
                obtained under this subsection shall be fined 
                not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more 
                than 1 year, or both.
                  (D) Requirements for waiver of 
                confidentiality.--A State that elects to 
                exercise the option described in subparagraph 
                (A)(iv)(I) shall ensure that any local 
                educational agency or school food authority 
                acting in accordance with that option--
                          (i) has a written agreement with 1 or 
                        more State or local agencies 
                        administering health programs for 
                        children under titles XIX and XXI of 
                        the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 
                        et seq. and 1397aa et seq.) that 
                        requires the health agencies to use the 
                        information obtained under subparagraph 
                        (A) to seek to enroll children in those 
                        health programs; and
                          (ii)(I) notifies each household, the 
                        information of which shall be disclosed 
                        under subparagraph (A), that the 
                        information disclosed will be used only 
                        to enroll children in health programs 
                        referred to in subparagraph (A)(iv); 
                        and
                          (II) provides each parent or guardian 
                        of a child in the household with an 
                        opportunity to elect not to have the 
                        information disclosed.
                  (E) Use of disclosed information.--A person 
                to which information is disclosed under 
                subparagraph (A)(iv)(I) shall use or disclose 
                the information only as necessary for the 
                purpose of enrolling children in health 
                programs referred to in subparagraph (A)(iv).
          (7) Free and reduced price policy statement.--
                  (A) In general.--After the initial 
                submission, a local educational agency shall 
                not be required to submit a free and reduced 
                price policy statement to a State educational 
                agency under this Act unless there is a 
                substantive change in the free and reduced 
                price policy of the local educational agency.
                  (B) Routine change.--A routine change in the 
                policy of a local educational agency (such as 
                an annual adjustment of the income eligibility 
                guidelines for free and reduced price meals) 
                shall not be sufficient cause for requiring the 
                local educational agency to submit a policy 
                statement.
          (8) Communications.--
                  (A) In general.--Any communication with a 
                household under this subsection or subsection 
                (d) shall be in an understandable and uniform 
                format and, to the maximum extent practicable, 
                in a language that parents and legal guardians 
                can understand.
                  (B) Electronic availability.--In addition to 
                the distribution of applications and 
                descriptive material in paper form as provided 
                for in this paragraph, the applications and 
                material may be made available electronically 
                via the Internet.
          (9) Eligibility for free and reduced price lunches.--
                  (A) Free lunches.--Any child who is a member 
                of a household whose income, at the time the 
                application is submitted, is at an annual rate 
                which does not exceed the applicable family 
                size income level of the income eligibility 
                guidelines for free lunches, as determined 
                under paragraph (1), shall be served a free 
                lunch.
                  (B) Reduced price lunches.--
                          (i) In general.--Any child who is a 
                        member of a household whose income, at 
                        the time the application is submitted, 
                        is at an annual rate greater than the 
                        applicable family size income level of 
                        the income eligibility guidelines for 
                        free lunches, as determined under 
                        paragraph (1), but less than or equal 
                        to the applicable family size income 
                        level of the income eligibility 
                        guidelines for reduced price lunches, 
                        as determined under paragraph (1), 
                        shall be served a reduced price lunch.
                          (ii) Maximum price.--The price 
                        charged for a reduced price lunch shall 
                        not exceed 40 cents.
                  (C) Duration.--Except as otherwise specified 
                in paragraph (3)(E), (3)(H)(ii), and section 
                11(a), eligibility for free or reduced price 
                meals for any school year shall remain in 
                effect--
                          (i) beginning on the date of 
                        eligibility approval for the current 
                        school year; and
                          (ii) ending on a date during the 
                        subsequent school year determined by 
                        the Secretary.
  (10) No physical segregation of or other discrimination 
against any child eligible for a free lunch or a reduced price 
lunch under this subsection shall be made by the school nor 
shall there be any overt identification of any child by special 
tokens or tickets, announced or published list of names, or by 
other means.
  (11) Any child who has a parent or guardian who (A) is 
responsible for the principal support of such child and (B) is 
unemployed shall be served a free or reduced price lunch, 
respectively, during any period (i) in which such child's 
parent or guardian continues to be unemployed and (ii) the 
income of the child's parents or guardians during such period 
of unemployment falls within the income eligibility criteria 
for free lunches or reduced price lunches, respectively, based 
on the current rate of income of such parents or guardians. 
Local educational agencies shall publicly announce that such 
children are eligible for free or reduced price lunch, and 
shall make determinations with respect to the status of any 
parent or guardian of any child under clauses (A) and (B) of 
the preceding sentence on the basis of a statement executed in 
such form as the Secretary may prescribe by such parent or 
guardian. No physical segregation of, or other discrimination 
against, any child eligible for a free or reduced price lunch 
under this paragraph shall be made by the school nor shall 
there be any overt identification of any such child by special 
tokens or tickets, announced or published lists of names, or by 
any other means.
  (12)(A) A child shall be considered automatically eligible 
for a free lunch and breakfast under this Act and the Child 
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), respectively, 
without further application or eligibility determination, if 
the child is--
          (i) a member of a household receiving assistance 
        under the supplemental nutrition assistance program 
        authorized under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
        U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);
          (ii) a member of a family (under the State program 
        funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)) that the Secretary 
        determines complies with standards established by the 
        Secretary that ensure that the standards under the 
        State program are comparable to or more restrictive 
        than those in effect on June 1, 1995;
          (iii) enrolled as a participant in a Head Start 
        program authorized under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 
        9831 et seq.), on the basis of a determination that the 
        child meets the eligibility criteria prescribed under 
        section 645(a)(1)(B) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 
        9840(a)(1)(B));
                  (iv) a homeless child or youth (defined as 1 
                of the individuals described in section 725(2) 
                of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 
                (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)));
                  (v) served by the runaway and homeless youth 
                grant program established under the Runaway and 
                Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5701 et seq.);
                  (vi) a migratory child (as defined in section 
                1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6399)); or
                  (vii)(I) a foster child whose care and 
                placement is the responsibility of an agency 
                that administers a State plan under part B or E 
                of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 
                U.S.C. 621 et seq.); or
                          (II) a foster child who a court has 
                        placed with a caretaker household.
  (B) Proof of receipt of supplemental nutrition assistance 
program benefits or assistance under the State program funded 
under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
601 et seq.) that the Secretary determines complies with 
standards established by the Secretary that ensure that the 
standards under the State program are comparable to or more 
restrictive than those in effect on June 1, 1995, or of 
enrollment or participation in a Head Start program on the 
basis described in subparagraph (A)(iii), shall be sufficient 
to satisfy any verification requirement imposed under this 
subsection.
          (13) Exclusion of certain military housing 
        allowances.--The amount of a basic allowance provided 
        under section 403 of title 37, United States Code, on 
        behalf of a member of a uniformed service for housing 
        that is acquired or constructed under subchapter IV of 
        chapter 169 of title 10, United States Code, or any 
        related provision of law, shall not be considered to be 
        income for the purpose of determining the eligibility 
        of a child who is a member of the household of the 
        member of a uniformed service for free or reduced price 
        lunches under this Act.
          (14) Combat pay.--
                  (A) Definition of combat pay.--In this 
                paragraph, the term ``combat pay'' means any 
                additional payment under chapter 5 of title 37, 
                United States Code, or otherwise designated by 
                the Secretary to be appropriate for exclusion 
                under this paragraph, that is received by or 
                from a member of the United States Armed Forces 
                deployed to a designated combat zone, if the 
                additional pay--
                          (i) is the result of deployment to or 
                        service in a combat zone; and
                          (ii) was not received immediately 
                        prior to serving in a combat zone.
                  (B) Exclusion.--Combat pay shall not be 
                considered to be income for the purpose of 
                determining the eligibility for free or reduced 
                price meals of a child who is a member of the 
                household of a member of the United States 
                Armed Forces.
          (15) Direct certification for children receiving 
        medicaid benefits.--
                  (A) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
                          (i) Eligible child.--The term 
                        ``eligible child'' means a child--
                                  (I)(aa) who is eligible for 
                                and receiving medical 
                                assistance under the Medicaid 
                                program; and
                                  (bb) who is a member of a 
                                family with an income as 
                                measured by the Medicaid 
                                program before the application 
                                of any expense, block, or other 
                                income disregard, that does not 
                                exceed 133 percent of the 
                                poverty line (as defined in 
                                section 673(2) of the Community 
                                Services Block Grant Act (42 
                                U.S.C. 9902(2), including any 
                                revision required by such 
                                section)) applicable to a 
                                family of the size used for 
                                purposes of determining 
                                eligibility for the Medicaid 
                                program; or
                                  (II) who is a member of a 
                                household (as that term is 
                                defined in section 245.2 of 
                                title 7, Code of Federal 
                                Regulations (or successor 
                                regulations) with a child 
                                described in subclause (I).
                          (ii) Medicaid program.--The term 
                        ``Medicaid program'' means the program 
                        of medical assistance established under 
                        title XIX of the Social Security Act 
                        (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).
                  (B) Demonstration project.--
                          (i) In general.--The Secretary, 
                        acting through the Administrator of the 
                        Food and Nutrition Service and in 
                        cooperation with selected State 
                        agencies, shall conduct a demonstration 
                        project in selected local educational 
                        agencies to determine whether direct 
                        certification of eligible children is 
                        an effective method of certifying 
                        children for free lunches and 
                        breakfasts under section 9(b)(1)(A) of 
                        this Act and section 4(e)(1)(A) of the 
                        Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 
                        1773(e)(1)(A)).
                          (ii) Scope of project.--The Secretary 
                        shall carry out the demonstration 
                        project under this subparagraph--
                                  (I) for the school year 
                                beginning July 1, 2012, in 
                                selected local educational 
                                agencies that collectively 
                                serve 2.5 percent of students 
                                certified for free and reduced 
                                price meals nationwide, based 
                                on the most recent available 
                                data;
                                  (II) for the school year 
                                beginning July 1, 2013, in 
                                selected local educational 
                                agencies that collectively 
                                serve 5 percent of students 
                                certified for free and reduced 
                                price meals nationwide, based 
                                on the most recent available 
                                data; and
                                  (III) for the school year 
                                beginning July 1, 2014, and 
                                each subsequent school year, in 
                                selected local educational 
                                agencies that collectively 
                                serve 10 percent of students 
                                certified for free and reduced 
                                price meals nationwide, based 
                                on the most recent available 
                                data.
                          (iii) Purposes of the project.--At a 
                        minimum, the purposes of the 
                        demonstration project shall be--
                                  (I) to determine the 
                                potential of direct 
                                certification with the Medicaid 
                                program to reach children who 
                                are eligible for free meals but 
                                not certified to receive the 
                                meals;
                                  (II) to determine the 
                                potential of direct 
                                certification with the Medicaid 
                                program to directly certify 
                                children who are enrolled for 
                                free meals based on a household 
                                application; and
                                  (III) to provide an estimate 
                                of the effect on Federal costs 
                                and on participation in the 
                                school lunch program under this 
                                Act and the school breakfast 
                                program established by section 
                                4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 
                                1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) of direct 
                                certification with the Medicaid 
                                program.
                          (iv) Cost estimate.--For each of 2 
                        school years of the demonstration 
                        project, the Secretary shall estimate 
                        the cost of the direct certification of 
                        eligible children for free school meals 
                        through data derived from--
                                  (I) the school meal programs 
                                authorized under this Act and 
                                the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 
                                (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.);
                                  (II) the Medicaid program; 
                                and
                                  (III) interviews with a 
                                statistically representative 
                                sample of households.
                  (C) Agreement.--
                          (i) In general.--Not later than July 
                        1 of the first school year during which 
                        a State agency will participate in the 
                        demonstration project, the State agency 
                        shall enter into an agreement with the 
                        1 or more State agencies conducting 
                        eligibility determinations for the 
                        Medicaid program.
                          (ii) Without further application.--
                        Subject to paragraph (6), the agreement 
                        described in subparagraph (D) shall 
                        establish procedures under which an 
                        eligible child shall be certified for 
                        free lunches under this Act and free 
                        breakfasts under section 4 of the Child 
                        Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773), 
                        without further application (as defined 
                        in paragraph (4)(G)).
                  (D) Certification.--For the school year 
                beginning on July 1, 2012, and each subsequent 
                school year, subject to paragraph (6), the 
                local educational agencies participating in the 
                demonstration project shall certify an eligible 
                child as eligible for free lunches under this 
                Act and free breakfasts under the Child 
                Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.), 
                without further application (as defined in 
                paragraph (4)(G)).
                  (E) Site selection.--
                          (i) In general.--To be eligible to 
                        participate in the demonstration 
                        project under this subsection, a State 
                        agency shall submit to the Secretary an 
                        application at such time, in such 
                        manner, and containing such information 
                        as the Secretary may require.
                          (ii) Considerations.--In selecting 
                        States and local educational agencies 
                        for participation in the demonstration 
                        project, the Secretary may take into 
                        consideration such factors as the 
                        Secretary considers to be appropriate, 
                        which may include--
                                  (I) the rate of direct 
                                certification;
                                  (II) the share of individuals 
                                who are eligible for benefits 
                                under the supplemental 
                                nutrition assistance program 
                                established under the Food and 
                                Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
                                2011 et seq.) who participate 
                                in the program, as determined 
                                by the Secretary;
                                  (III) the income eligibility 
                                limit for the Medicaid program;
                                  (IV) the feasibility of 
                                matching data between local 
                                educational agencies and the 
                                Medicaid program;
                                  (V) the socioeconomic profile 
                                of the State or local 
                                educational agencies; and
                                  (VI) the willingness of the 
                                State and local educational 
                                agencies to comply with the 
                                requirements of the 
                                demonstration project.
                  (F) Access to data.--For purposes of 
                conducting the demonstration project under this 
                paragraph, the Secretary shall have access to--
                          (i) educational and other records of 
                        State and local educational and other 
                        agencies and institutions receiving 
                        funding or providing benefits for 1 or 
                        more programs authorized under this Act 
                        or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 
                        U.S.C. 1771 et seq.); and
                          (ii) income and program participation 
                        information from public agencies 
                        administering the Medicaid program.
                  (G) Report to congress.--
                          (i) In general.--Not later than 
                        October 1, 2014, the Secretary shall 
                        submit to the Committee on Education 
                        and Labor of the House of 
                        Representatives and the Committee on 
                        Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of 
                        the Senate, an interim report that 
                        describes the results of the 
                        demonstration project required under 
                        this paragraph.
                          (ii) Final report.--Not later than 
                        October 1, 2015, the Secretary shall 
                        submit a final report to the committees 
                        described in clause (i).
                  (H) Funding.--
                          (i) In general.--On October 1, 2010, 
                        out of any funds in the Treasury not 
                        otherwise appropriated, the Secretary 
                        of the Treasury shall transfer to the 
                        Secretary to carry out subparagraph (G) 
                        $5,000,000, to remain available until 
                        expended.
                          (ii) Receipt and acceptance.--The 
                        Secretary shall be entitled to receive, 
                        shall accept, and shall use to carry 
                        out subparagraph (G) the funds 
                        transferred under clause (i), without 
                        further appropriation.
  (c) School lunch programs under this Act shall be operated on 
a nonprofit basis. Commodities purchased under the authority of 
section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935, may be donated by the 
Secretary to schools, in accordance with the needs as 
determined by local school authorities, for utilization in the 
school lunch program under this Act as well as to other schools 
carrying out nonprofit school lunch programs and institutions 
authorized to receive such commodities. The requirements of 
this section relating to the service of meals without cost or 
at a reduced cost shall apply to the lunch program of any 
school utilizing commodities donated under any provision of 
law.
  (d)(1) The Secretary shall require as a condition of 
eligibility for receipt of free or reduced price lunches that 
the member of the household who executes the application 
furnish the last 4 digits of the social security account number 
of the parent or guardian who is the primary wage earner 
responsible for the care of the child for whom the application 
is made, or that of another appropriate adult member of the 
child's household, as determined by the Secretary.
  (2) No member of a household may be provided a free or 
reduced price lunch under this Act unless--
          (A) appropriate documentation relating to the income 
        of such household (as prescribed by the Secretary) has 
        been provided to the appropriate local educational 
        agency so that the local educational agency may 
        calculate the total income of such household;
          (B) documentation showing that the household is 
        participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance 
        program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 has 
        been provided to the appropriate local educational 
        agency;
          (C) documentation has been provided to the 
        appropriate local educational agency showing that the 
        family is receiving assistance under the State program 
        funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security 
        Act that the Secretary determines complies with 
        standards established by the Secretary that ensure that 
        the standards under the State program are comparable to 
        or more restrictive than those in effect on June 1, 
        1995;
          (D) documentation has been provided to the 
        appropriate local educational agency showing that the 
        child meets the criteria specified in clauses (iv) or 
        (v) of subsection (b)(12)(A);
          (E) documentation has been provided to the 
        appropriate local educational agency showing the status 
        of the child as a migratory child (as defined in 
        section 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6399));
          (F)(i) documentation has been provided to the 
        appropriate local educational agency showing the status 
        of the child as a foster child whose care and placement 
        is the responsibility of an agency that administers a 
        State plan under part B or E of title IV of the Social 
        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621 et seq.); or
                  (ii) documentation has been provided to the 
                appropriate local educational agency showing 
                the status of the child as a foster child who a 
                court has placed with a caretaker household; or
          (G) documentation has been provided to the 
        appropriate local educational agency showing the status 
        of the child as an eligible child (as defined in 
        subsection (b)(15)(A)).
  (e) A school or school food authority participating in a 
program under this Act may not contract with a food service 
company to provide a la carte food service unless the company 
agrees to offer free, reduced price, and full-price 
reimbursable meals to all eligible children.
  (f) Nutritional Requirements.--
          (1) In general.--Schools that are participating in 
        the school lunch program or school breakfast program 
        shall serve lunches and breakfasts that--
                  (A) are consistent with the goals of the most 
                recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans 
                published under section 301 of the National 
                Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act 
                of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5341); and
                  (B) consider the nutrient needs of children 
                who may be at risk for inadequate food intake 
                and food insecurity.
  (2) To assist schools in meeting the requirements of this 
subsection, the Secretary--
          (A) shall--
                  (i) develop, and provide to schools, 
                standardized recipes, menu cycles, and food 
                product specification and preparation 
                techniques; and
                  (ii) provide to schools information regarding 
                nutrient standard menu planning, assisted 
                nutrient standard menu planning, and food-based 
                menu systems; and
          (B) may provide to schools information regarding 
        other approaches, as determined by the Secretary.
  (3) Use of any reasonable approach.--
          (A) In general.--A school food service authority may 
        use any reasonable approach, within guidelines 
        established by the Secretary in a timely manner, to 
        meet the requirements of this subsection, including--
                  (i) using the school nutrition meal pattern 
                in effect for the 1994-1995 school year; and
                  (ii) using any of the approaches described in 
                paragraph (3).
          (B) Nutrient analysis.--The Secretary may not require 
        a school to conduct or use a nutrient analysis to meet 
        the requirements of this subsection.
          (4) Waiver of requirement for weighted averages for 
        nutrient analysis.--During the period ending on 
        September 30, 2010, the Secretary shall not require the 
        use of weighted averages for nutrient analysis of menu 
        items and foods offered or served as part of a meal 
        offered or served under the school lunch program under 
        this Act or the school breakfast program under section 
        4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773).
  (g) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
subsection, the Secretary shall provide a notification to 
Congress that justifies the need for production records 
required under section 210.10(b) of title 7, Code of Federal 
Regulations, and describes how the Secretary has reduced 
paperwork relating to the school lunch and school breakfast 
programs.
  (h) Food Safety.--
          (1) In general.--A school participating in the school 
        lunch program under this Act or the school breakfast 
        program under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 
        1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) shall--
                  (A) at least twice during each school year, 
                obtain a food safety inspection conducted by a 
                State or local governmental agency responsible 
                for food safety inspections;
                  (B) post in a publicly visible location a 
                report on the most recent inspection conducted 
                under subparagraph (A); and
                  (C) on request, provide a copy of the report 
                to a member of the public.
          (2) State and local government inspections.--Nothing 
        in paragraph (1) prevents any State or local government 
        from adopting or enforcing any requirement for more 
        frequent food safety inspections of schools.
          (3) Audits and reports by states.--[For fiscal year 
        2021] For fiscal year 2022, each State shall annually--
                  (A) audit food safety inspections of schools 
                conducted under paragraphs (1) and (2); and
                  (B) submit to the Secretary a report of the 
                results of the audit.
          (4) Audit by the secretary.--[For fiscal year 2021] 
        For fiscal year 2022, the Secretary shall annually 
        audit State reports of food safety inspections of 
        schools submitted under paragraph (3).
          (5) School food safety program.--
                  (A) In general.--Each school food authority 
                shall implement a school food safety program, 
                in the preparation and service of each meal 
                served to children, that complies with any 
                hazard analysis and critical control point 
                system established by the Secretary.
                  (B) Applicability.--Subparagraph (A) shall 
                apply to any facility or part of a facility in 
                which food is stored, prepared, or served for 
                the purposes of the school nutrition programs 
                under this Act or section 4 of the Child 
                Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773).
  (i) Single Permanent Agreement Between State Agency and 
School Food Authority; Common Claims Form.--
          (1) In general.--If a single State agency administers 
        any combination of the school lunch program under this 
        Act, the school breakfast program under section 4 of 
        the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773), the 
        summer food service program for children under section 
        13 of this Act, or the child and adult care food 
        program under section 17 of this Act, the agency 
        shall--
                  (A) require each school food authority to 
                submit to the State agency a single agreement 
                with respect to the operation by the authority 
                of the programs administered by the State 
                agency; and
                  (B) use a common claims form with respect to 
                meals and supplements served under the programs 
                administered by the State agency.
          (2) Additional requirement.--The agreement described 
        in paragraph (1)(A) shall be a permanent agreement that 
        may be amended as necessary.
  (j) Purchases of Locally Produced Foods.--The Secretary 
shall--
          (1) encourage institutions receiving funds under this 
        Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 
        et seq.) to purchase unprocessed agricultural products, 
        both locally grown and locally raised, to the maximum 
        extent practicable and appropriate;
          (2) advise institutions participating in a program 
        described in paragraph (1) of the policy described in 
        that paragraph and paragraph (3) and post information 
        concerning the policy on the website maintained by the 
        Secretary; and
          (3) allow institutions receiving funds under this Act 
        and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et 
        seq.), including the Department of Defense Fresh Fruit 
        and Vegetable Program, to use a geographic preference 
        for the procurement of unprocessed agricultural 
        products, both locally grown and locally raised.
  (k) Information on the School Nutrition Environment.--
          (1) In general.--The Secretary shall--
                  (A) establish requirements for local 
                educational agencies participating in the 
                school lunch program under this Act and the 
                school breakfast program established by section 
                4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 
                1773) to report information about the school 
                nutrition environment, for all schools under 
                the jurisdiction of the local educational 
                agencies, to the Secretary and to the public in 
                the State on a periodic basis; and
                  (B) provide training and technical assistance 
                to States and local educational agencies on the 
                assessment and reporting of the school 
                nutrition environment, including the use of any 
                assessment materials developed by the 
                Secretary.
          (2) Requirements.--In establishing the requirements 
        for reporting on the school nutrition environment under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--
                  (A) include information pertaining to food 
                safety inspections, local wellness policies, 
                meal program participation, the nutritional 
                quality of program meals, and other information 
                as determined by the Secretary; and
                  (B) ensure that information is made available 
                to the public by local educational agencies in 
                an accessible, easily understood manner in 
                accordance with guidelines established by the 
                Secretary.
          (3) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
        subsection such sums as are necessary for each of 
        fiscal years 2011 through 2015.
  (l) Food Donation Program.--
          (1) In general.--Each school and local educational 
        agency participating in the school lunch program under 
        this Act may donate any food not consumed under such 
        program to eligible local food banks or charitable 
        organizations.
          (2) Guidance.--
                  (A) In general.--Not later than 180 days 
                after the date of the enactment of this 
                subsection, the Secretary shall develop and 
                publish guidance to schools and local 
                educational agencies participating in the 
                school lunch program under this Act to assist 
                such schools and local educational agencies in 
                donating food under this subsection.
                  (B) Updates.--The Secretary shall update such 
                guidance as necessary.
          (3) Liability.--Any school or local educational 
        agency making donations pursuant to this subsection 
        shall be exempt from civil and criminal liability to 
        the extent provided under the Bill Emerson Good 
        Samaritan Food Donation Act (42 U.S.C. 1791).
          (4) Definition.--In this subsection, the term 
        ``eligible local food banks or charitable 
        organizations'' means any food bank or charitable 
        organization which is exempt from tax under section 
        501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 
        U.S.C. 501(c)(3)).

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 26. INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE.

  (a) In General.--The Secretary shall enter into a contract 
with a nongovernmental organization described in subsection (b) 
to establish and maintain a clearinghouse to provide 
information to nongovernmental groups located throughout the 
United States that assist low-income individuals or communities 
regarding food assistance, self-help activities to aid 
individuals in becoming self-reliant, and other activities that 
empower low-income individuals or communities to improve the 
lives of low-income individuals and reduce reliance on Federal, 
State, or local governmental agencies for food or other 
assistance.
  (b) Nongovernmental Organization.--The nongovernmental 
organization referred to in subsection (a) shall be selected on 
a competitive basis and shall--
          (1) be experienced in the gathering of first-hand 
        information in all the States through onsite visits to 
        grassroots organizations in each State that fight 
        hunger and poverty or that assist individuals in 
        becoming self-reliant;
          (2) be experienced in the establishment of a 
        clearinghouse similar to the clearinghouse described in 
        subsection (a);
          (3) agree to contribute in-kind resources towards the 
        establishment and maintenance of the clearinghouse and 
        agree to provide clearinghouse information, free of 
        charge, to the Secretary, States, counties, cities, 
        antihunger groups, and grassroots organizations that 
        assist individuals in becoming self-sufficient and 
        self-reliant;
          (4) be sponsored by an organization, or be an 
        organization, that--
                  (A) has helped combat hunger for at least 10 
                years;
                  (B) is committed to reinvesting in the United 
                States; and
                  (C) is knowledgeable regarding Federal 
                nutrition programs;
          (5) be experienced in communicating the purpose of 
        the clearinghouse through the media, including the 
        radio and print media, and be able to provide access to 
        the clearinghouse information through computer or 
        telecommunications technology, as well as through the 
        mails; and
          (6) be able to provide examples, advice, and guidance 
        to States, counties, cities, communities, antihunger 
        groups, and local organizations regarding means of 
        assisting individuals and communities to reduce 
        reliance on government programs, reduce hunger, improve 
        nutrition, and otherwise assist low-income individuals 
        and communities become more self-sufficient.
  (c) Audits.--The Secretary shall establish fair and 
reasonable auditing procedures regarding the expenditures of 
funds to carry out this section.
  (d) Funding.--Out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise 
appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall pay to the 
Secretary to provide to the organization selected under this 
section, to establish and maintain the information 
clearinghouse, $200,000 for each of fiscal years 1995 and 1996, 
$150,000 for fiscal year 1997, $100,000 for fiscal year 1998, 
$166,000 for each of fiscal years 1999 through 2004, and 
$250,000 for each of fiscal years [2010 through 2022] 2010 
through 2023. The Secretary shall be entitled to receive the 
funds and shall accept the funds, without further 
appropriation.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                              ----------                              


                  AGRICULTURE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2018




           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
TITLE VII--RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND RELATED MATTERS

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


Subtitle F--Other Matters

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 7605. LEGITIMACY OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP RESEARCH.

  (a) In General.--Section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 
(7 U.S.C. 5940) is amended--
          (1) by redesignating subsections (a) and (b) as 
        subsections (b) and (a), respectively, and moving the 
        subsections so as to appear in alphabetical order;
          (2) in subsection (a) (as so redesignated)--
                  (A) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 
                paragraph (4); and
                  (B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the 
                following:
          ``(3) State.--The term `State' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 297A of the Agricultural Marketing 
        Act of 1946.'';
          (3) in subsection (b) (as so redesignated), in the 
        subsection heading, by striking ``In General'' and 
        inserting ``Industrial Hemp Research''; and
          (4) by adding at the end the following:
  ``(c) Study and Report.--
          ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a 
        study of agricultural pilot programs--
                  ``(A) to determine the economic viability of 
                the domestic production and sale of industrial 
                hemp; and
                  ``(B) that shall include a review of--
                          ``(i) each agricultural pilot 
                        program; and
                          ``(ii) any other agricultural or 
                        academic research relating to 
                        industrial hemp.
          ``(2) Report.--Not later than 12 months after the 
        date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary 
        shall submit to Congress a report describing the 
        results of the study conducted under paragraph (1).''.
  (b) Repeal.--Effective on [January 1, 2022] January 1, 2023, 
section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 5940) is 
repealed.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                              ----------                              


    SECTION 788 OF THE FURTHER CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020


  Sec. 788. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
shall, notwithstanding any other provision of law:
  (a) within 60 calendar days, restore on its website the 
searchable database and its contents that were available on 
January 30, 2017, and all content generated since that date; 
and
  (b) hereafter, make publicly available via searchable 
database, in their entirety without redactions except 
signatures, the following records after enactment of this Act 
for a subsequent period of three years:
          [(1) all final Animal Welfare Act inspection reports, 
        including all reports documenting all Animal Welfare 
        Act non-compliances observed by USDA officials and all 
        animal inventories;
          [(2) all final Animal Welfare Act and Horse 
        Protection Act enforcement records;
          [(3) all reports or other materials documenting any 
        non-compliances observed by USDA officials; and]
          (1) all final Animal Welfare Act inspection reports, 
        including all reports documenting all Animal Welfare 
        Act violations and non-compliances observed by USDA 
        officials and all animal inventories for the current 
        year and preceding three years;
          (2) all final Animal Welfare Act and Horse Protection 
        Act enforcement records for the current year and the 
        preceding three years;
          (3) all reports or other materials documenting any 
        violations and non-compliances observed by USDA 
        officials for the current year and preceding three 
        years; and
          (4) within six months of receipt by the agency, all 
        final Animal Welfare Act research facility annual 
        reports, including their attachments with appropriate 
        redactions made for confidential business information 
        that USDA could withhold under FOIA Exemption 4.

 BUDGETARY IMPACT OF THE FY 2022 AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD 
   AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL 
PREPARED IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE PURSUANT 
             TO SEC. 308(A), PUBLIC LAW 93-344, AS AMENDED

                        [In millions of dollars]


                   COMPARISON WITH BUDGET RESOLUTION

    Section 308(a)(1)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974 requires the report accompanying a bill providing new 
budget authority to contain a statement comparing the levels in 
the bill to the suballocations submitted under section 302(b) 
of the Act for the most recently agreed to concurrent 
resolution on the budget for the applicable fiscal year.

                                            [In millions of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         302(b) Allocation                   This Bill
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Budget                          Budget
                                                     Authority        Outlays        Authority        Outlays
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comparison of amounts in the bill with Committee
 allocations to its subcommittees: Subcommittee
 on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and
 Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
    Discretionary...............................          26,550          26,000          26,550       \1\25,428
    Mandatory...................................         150,271         137,918         150,271      \1\137,918
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Includes outlays from prior-year budget authority.

    NOTE.--The amounts in this report do not include $50 
million in discretionary budget authority and $66 million in 
associated outlays provided for the purposes specified in the 
21st Century Cures Act (Public Law 114-255). Pursuant to title 
I of that act, such funding does not count for the purposes of 
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 or the Balanced Budget and 
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

                      FIVE-YEAR OUTLAY PROJECTIONS

    In compliance with section 308(a)(1)(B) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the following table contains 
five-year projections associated with the budget authority 
provided in the accompanying bill.

                                            [In millions of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                       Outlays
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Projection of outlays associated with the recommendation:
    2022....................................................  ...........  ...........  ...........   \1\140,844
    2023....................................................  ...........  ...........  ...........        7,353
    2024....................................................  ...........  ...........  ...........        1,753
    2025....................................................  ...........  ...........  ...........          945
    2026 and future years...................................  ...........  ...........  ...........          902
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Excludes outlays from prior-year budget authority.

          FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

    In accordance with section 308(a)(1)(C) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Congressional Budget 
Office has provided the following estimates of new budget 
authority and outlays provided by the accompanying bill for 
financial assistance to State and local governments.

                        [In millions of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Budget Authority       Outlays
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Financial assistance to State and              48,800          \1\34,685
 local governments for 2022.......
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Excludes outlays from prior-year budget authority.



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                             MINORITY VIEWS

    We appreciate the collegial and collaborative efforts of 
Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Sanford Bishop and the Full 
Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro in producing this Agriculture 
appropriations bill that addresses critical priorities of 
Members on both sides of the aisle. The bill includes several 
bipartisan priorities that support investments for rural high-
speed internet, water and wastewater infrastructure in our 
rural communities, and critical agricultural research, 
including the Farm of the Future initiative. We generally agree 
with the Majority on funding provided for a number of other 
programs and initiatives in this bill.
    Unfortunately, due to concerns about unsustainable 
government-wide spending levels and a number of controversial 
policy provisions, we are unable to support the bill as written 
at this time. The bill provides $26,550,000,000 in new 
discretionary budget authority for fiscal year 2022. This 
record high spending level for the bill is $2,851,000,000, or 
12 percent above the comparable fiscal year 2021 enacted level.
    There are also several controversial policy changes 
included in the bill such as allowing new and unauthorized bill 
language granting unlimited spending in the fourth quarter of 
the year for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 
(SNAP and formerly Food Stamps). This type of major policy 
change in a mandatory spending program falls under the 
jurisdiction of the Agriculture Committee and so the decision 
to make such a change should wait for the next Farm Bill 
deliberations.
    Unfortunately, the Majority rejected several Republican 
amendments offered in the Committee. If passed, these 
amendments would have improved the bill. One amendment would 
have disallowed USDA employees from being detailed to the 
southern border to help manage the flow of illegal immigrants. 
We find it highly counterproductive for the Department to 
recruit employees from the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service (NRCS), the agency taking a lead on many climate change 
related initiatives championed by the Majority, to try to help 
with the crisis of caring for illegal immigrants at the 
Southern border. USDA's move is especially troubling when 
USDA's own fiscal year 2022 budget request notes that NRCS is 
working on new information technology systems in order ``[t]o 
address the growing disparity between workload and staffing. . 
.''. An agency that currently cannot keep up with workload 
demands should not divert staff away from critical conservation 
services to the American farmer.
    Another amendment offered and accepted by the Majority 
relates to withdrawing line speed waivers during the COVID-19 
emergency. The Majority's continued attack on this modernized 
inspection system and its link to COVID-19 is puzzling. The 
language in this bill gives the appearance of protecting worker 
safety, yet the bill language only affects a very small 
fraction of the meat and poultry inspection plants and it could 
negatively impact food supply chains while the Nation is still 
in a pandemic. In 2014, when the current Secretary of 
Agriculture Tom Vilsack was serving in the Obama 
Administration, he made the following remarks when he launched 
the new line speed waiver program: ``The United States has been 
relying on a poultry inspection model that dates back to 1957, 
while rates of foodborne illness due to Salmonella and 
Campylobacter remain stubbornly high. The system we are 
announcing today imposes stricter requirements on the poultry 
industry and places our trained inspectors where they can 
better ensure food is being processed safely. These 
improvements make use of sound science to modernize food safety 
procedures and prevent thousands of illnesses each year.'' USDA 
can protect its workers in these impacted plants without having 
to revert back to an antiquated inspection model that provides 
less benefit to the public's safety.
    While we have several concerns with the bill at this stage 
in the process, we are hopeful that, at some point in the near 
future, we will be able to reach a bipartisan and bicameral 
agreement on spending and eliminate controversial policy 
changes.
    We are confident that as this process moves forward, we can 
continue working together to find bipartisan agreement on the 
items that matter most.

                                   Kay Granger.
                                   Jeff Fortenberry.

                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  [all]