To amend the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to waive the matching funds requirement under the specialty crop research initiative, and for other purposes.

This bill would amend the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 to give the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to waive the matching-funds requirement for grants awarded under the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). Specifically, it adds a new provision allowing a discretionary waiver for grants issued on or after the date of enactment. The change signals an intent to make SCRI funding more accessible by reducing or altering the cost-share requirement for certain grantees, at the secretary’s discretion and on a grant-by-grant basis. The bill was introduced in the House (H.R. 3656) on May 29, 2025, and referred to the Committee on Agriculture.