Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

This bill is the fiscal year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. It provides funding for a wide range of USDA agencies (and related programs) and for the FDA, outlining how money in the Treasury should be spent through September 30, 2026. Key agencies funded include the Office of the Secretary, Agricultural Research Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, Risk Management Agency, Rural Development agencies (including the Rural Housing Service), and the Food Safety and Inspection Service, among others. The act also authorizes various loan programs, grant programs, and direct payments, and directs funding toward specific programs such as tribal health initiatives, a Seafood Industry Liaison, and IT/cybersecurity upgrades across the department. In addition to routine appropriations, the bill contains policy directives and administrative provisions. These include limits on how much can be shifted between offices, reporting requirements (notably a 2026 performance report for county offices and investments), authorization for certain fees to cover agency costs (e.g., APHIS technical assistance, and 538 loan guarantees), and targeted program provisions (e.g., indigenous food sovereignty efforts, a rural hospital pilot program, and preservation/restructuring provisions for multi-family housing loans). It also sets up some governance and oversight mechanics, such as mandatory cybersecurity funding floor, and notification requirements for emergency or high-dollar transfers.