H.R. 8646

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2027

Sponsor: Andy Harris · 0 cosponsors

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Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2027

This bill provides FY2027 appropriations for the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies.

The bill provides appropriations to USDA for agricultural programs, including

  • the Office of the Secretary,
  • Executive Operations,
  • the Economic Research Service,
  • the National Agricultural Statistics Service,
  • the Agricultural Research Service,
  • the National Institute of Food and Agriculture,
  • the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service,
  • the Agricultural Marketing Service, and
  • the Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The bill also provides appropriations to USDA for farm production and conservation programs, including

  • the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center,
  • the Farm Service Agency,
  • the Risk Management Agency, and
  • the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The bill provides appropriations to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fund and the Commodity Credit Corporation Fund.

For USDA rural development programs, the bill includes appropriations for

  • Salaries and Expenses,
  • the Rural Housing Service,
  • the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and
  • the Rural Utilities Service.

The bill provides appropriations to the Food and Nutrition Service for

  • Child Nutrition Programs;
  • the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC);
  • the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
  • the Commodity Assistance Program; and
  • Nutrition Programs Administration.

The bill provides appropriations to the Foreign Agricultural Service for (1) Food for Peace Title II Grants, and (2) McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program Grants.

The bill also provides appropriations for

  • the Food and Drug Administration,
  • the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and
  • the Farm Credit Administration.

Additionally, the bill sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.

It also includes provisions that address the regulation of animal food, liability for donations of pet-related products, and payments for the construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit. 

Text of the bill

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I AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS

II

III RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

IV

V FOREIGN ASSISTANCE AND RELATED PROGRAMS

VI

VII GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 774. Since introduced

(a) In general

(1) Liability of persons. A person shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of an apparently fit pet-related product that the person donates in good faith to a State or unit of local government or a nonprofit organization for ultimate distribution to qualified animals.

(2) Liability of nonprofit organizations. A nonprofit organization shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of an apparently fit pet-related product that the nonprofit organization received as a donation from a person in good faith for ultimate distribution to qualified animals.

(3) Liability of state and local governments. A State or unit of local government shall not be subject to liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of an apparently fit pet-related product that the State or unit of local government received as a donation from a person in good faith for ultimate distribution to qualified animals.

(4) Waiver not applicable to gross negligence or intentional misconduct. Paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) shall not apply to an injury to, or death of, an ultimate user or recipient of the apparently fit pet-related product that results from an act or omission of the person, nonprofit organization, or State or unit of local government, as applicable, constituting gross negligence or intentional misconduct.

(b) Partial compliance. If a person donates in good faith pet food or pet supplies that do not meet all quality and labeling standards imposed by Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, such person shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability in accordance with this section if the State or unit of local government or nonprofit organization to which the food or supplies are donated—

(1) is informed by such person of the distressed or defective condition of the food or supplies;

(2) agrees to recondition such food or supplies to comply with such quality and labeling standards prior to distribution of such food or supplies; and

(3) is knowledgeable of such quality and labeling standards to properly recondition such food or supplies.

(c) Construction. Nothing in this section shall be construed to—

(1) create any liability; or

(2) supersede State or local health regulations.

(d) Definitions. In this section:

(1) Apparently fit pet-related product. The term “apparently fit pet-related product” means any pet food or pet supply that meets all quality and labeling standards imposed by Federal, State, and local laws and regulations even though the product may not be readily marketable due to appearance, age, freshness, grade, size, surplus, or other conditions.

(2) Child nutrition act of 1966 terms. The terms “donate”, “gross negligence”, “intentional misconduct”, “nonprofit organization”, and “person” have the meanings given such terms in section 22(b) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1791(b)).

(3) Emotional support animal. The term “emotional support animal” means an animal that—

(A) is covered by the exclusion specified in section 5.303 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulation); and

(B) is not a service animal.

(4) Pet. The term “pet” means a domesticated animal, such as a dog, cat, bird, rodent, fish, turtle, or other animal that is kept for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes.

(5) Pet food. The term “pet food” means any raw, cooked, processed, or prepared edible substance, ice, beverage, or ingredient used or intended for use in whole or in part for consumption by a qualified animal.

(6) Pet supply. The term “pet supply” means tangible personal property used for qualified animals, including pet carriers, crates, kennels, houses, cages, clothing, bedding, toys, collars, leashes, leads, tie-outs, feeders, bowls, dishes, pet gates, or pet doors.

(7) Qualified animal. The term “qualified animal” means a pet, an emotional support animal, or a service animal.

(8) Service animal. The term “service animal” has the meaning given the term in section 36.104 of title 28, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulation).