HR-7913-119
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
Sponsored by April McClain Delaney (D-MD)
What it does
This bill would amend the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 to add a new priority category for grant applications: teaching enhancement projects, including paid work-based learning, that train professionals in food and agricultural sciences or rural economic and business development. It would also authorize $60 million per year in federal funding for these grants and fellowships for fiscal years 2026 through 2035.
Who benefits
Colleges and universities with agricultural science programs, students pursuing degrees or fellowships in food/agricultural sciences, rural economic development organizations, and students in paid work-based learning programs. Agricultural employers seeking trained workers would indirectly benefit from an expanded talent pipeline.
Who is hurt
Taxpayers fund the $60 million annual appropriation. Other USDA education or research programs competing for limited discretionary funding could see relatively less support if overall agriculture budgets remain fixed. Institutions and fields outside food/agricultural sciences and rural development are not eligible for this specific funding stream.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that the agricultural sector faces a persistent shortage of trained professionals, particularly in rural areas, and that paid work-based learning helps students afford training while gaining practical skills employers need. They contend that a decade-long authorization provides the funding stability universities and rural development programs need to build durable partnerships with employers and plan multi-year curricula.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that the bill authorizes $60 million annually for ten years without provisions requiring outcome measurement, such as graduate employment rates in targeted fields, making it difficult to assess whether the spending achieves its stated workforce goals. They contend that funding decisions for niche workforce priorities are better left to existing competitive grant processes rather than locking in a decade of dedicated appropriations authority.
Constitutional context
This bill raises no significant constitutional questions; it is a routine reauthorization of an existing federal spending program under Congress's spending power (Art. I, §8), similar to prior extensions of the Food and Agriculture Act.
Checks and balances
Congress retains full control by setting the funding authorization level and eligible uses; USDA implements the grant program administratively within these statutory limits, and future Congresses can adjust or decline actual appropriations.
Historical precedent
This bill reauthorizes and modestly expands an existing grant program under the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977, which has been periodically reauthorized and amended over decades.