H.R. 7567 — Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026

This section expands the Tree Assistance Program to cover losses of biennial crops and losses caused by pests. It authorizes assistance when trees no longer produce an economically viable crop due to natural disaster. It requires replanting and rehabilitation activities to be completed within 2 years (or longer if needed for survival), permits use of alternative varieties, stand densities, or locations with payments capped at the amount for the original planting, directs the Secretary to approve or deny applications within 120 days, and allows initial payments equal to estimated costs before expenses are incurred, with authority for such payments terminating September 30, 2035.

This section establishes a specialty crop emergency assistance framework under which the Secretary provides direct payments to producers of specialty crops whose production is impacted by an adverse event, including an economic crisis or market disruption. Payments are calculated using the producer’s prior-year or multi-year average sales multiplied by a payment factor determined by the Secretary. The total amount a person or legal entity may receive for any crop year is limited to the amount specified in section 1001(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985, as adjusted, except that entities deriving at least 75 percent of average gross income from farming, ranching, or silviculture face a minimum cap of $900,000 set by the Secretary.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to deliver assistance for covered losses in the form of block grants when additional funds become available after the date of enactment. Covered losses include revenue, quality, or production losses to crops, trees, bushes, vines, poultry, or livestock caused by natural disasters when no other federal assistance applies.

This section makes permanent the forward pricing program authorizing voluntary contracts between milk producers and handlers for non-Class I milk, and extends two other dairy programs through 2031 (from 2023). (1) It removes the prohibition on new forward contracts after September 30, 2023, and the bar on contracts extending beyond September 30, 2028. (2) It extends the dairy indemnity program. (3) It extends the dairy promotion and research program.

This section expands the mandatory dairy product information reporting program to require each covered manufacturer to report production cost and product yield data for all products processed in the same facility or facilities. It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to publish a report containing that information not later than two years after enactment and every two years thereafter. It also exempts program actions from review under Executive Order 12866.

This section delays the deadline for the annual report on activities conducted under the dairy products promotion and research order, and on the receipt and disbursement of funds by the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, to no later than 18 months after the end of each calendar year (from July 1 of the following year) for reports covering calendar years beginning after enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.

This section deems the servicing of marketing assistance loans under section 1201 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 and loans under the sugar program in section 156 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to be emergency services for the safety of human life or the protection of property. It thereby permits Department of Agriculture officers and employees to continue such servicing during a lapse in appropriations under the exception in 31 U.S.C. 1342.

This section expands the storage facility loan program to include loans for producers to construct or upgrade storage facilities for propane primarily used for agricultural production (as defined in 7 CFR 4279.2).

This section establishes the preservation and strengthening of domestic production of agricultural commodities described in subtitle C of title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014 as a priority objective of the President for any federal policy, rule, or guidance affecting programs under that subtitle, when the commodity yields a food ingredient that serves an important function in the domestic food production supply chain.

This section extends expedited rulemaking procedures—exempt from notice-and-comment requirements and the Paperwork Reduction Act—to title I of the Farm Food and National Security Act of 2026 and its amendments by defining that title as a covered provision of law alongside the Agricultural Act of 2014 and the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. It makes conforming changes to loan implementation rules under subtitles B and C, including updated definitions of covered provisions and repayment requirements.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on the feasibility of providing storage facility loans to producers for constructing or maintaining on-farm fertilizer storage. The study must examine the number of equipped farms, overall availability and demand, producer access to financing, and a comparison of commercial versus USDA loan rates and terms, with a report due to the House and Senate agriculture committees within one year of enactment.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to make electronic forms available on the Department of Agriculture website, in addition to paper forms, for producers to enroll online in covered disaster assistance programs as soon as practicable after enactment. The requirement covers each program under section 1501 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 and the emergency conservation program under the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978.

This section increases to 4 (from 3) the minimum number of regionally located dairy product and business innovation initiatives that the Secretary must establish to diversify dairy product markets, promote business development for dairy farmers, and encourage regional milk production.

This section revises evidence standards for livestock indemnity payments under the Livestock Indemnity Program for depredation losses caused by Mexican wolves. It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to accept proof of death that does not rely predominantly on subcutaneous hemorrhaging, effective no later than 180 days after enactment.

This section requires the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, to provide procuring agencies with educational materials on product longevity, economic savings, and performance when making biobased procurement decisions. It mandates annual public reporting on agencies’ biobased procurement programs, unavailable product categories, and compliance failures. It directs the Secretary to submit a report within 90 days on bioeconomy data under North American Industry Classification System and North American Product Classification System codes and recommendations for 2027 revisions. It reauthorizes the Biobased Markets Program through FY2031 (from FY2024) and related activities through FY2031 (from FY2023).

This section expands the biorefinery assistance program by including innovative commercial-scale facilities and allowing conversion to renewable chemicals or biobased products. It authorizes the Secretary to waive the commercial viability demonstration for projects using commercially available technology and establishes a technical review agreement process with specific timelines, evaluation criteria, third-party assessments, and a 90-day corrective action period for noncompliance. It increases the maximum loan guarantee to $400 million (from $250 million) and extends funding authorization through FY2031 (from FY2023). It also rescinds $18 million in unobligated balances.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to issue rules within one year establishing national uniform labeling standards for the terms bio-attributed plastic, bio-attributed product, biobased plastic, and plant-based product. It requires inclusion of the defined terms biobased product, intermediate ingredient or feedstock, renewable biomass, and renewable chemical, and mandates consultation with biomanufacturers, bioproduct researchers, feedstock growers, and other industry stakeholders.

This section expands the Rural Energy for America Program by adding agricultural cooperatives with fewer than 2,500 employees to the entities eligible for grants and loan guarantees. It increases the maximum grant amount to $50 million (from $25 million), adds cost savings and financial-condition improvements as selection criteria, and requires a streamlined application process. It reauthorizes the program through FY2031 (from FY2023) and reserves at least 10 percent of funds each year for underutilized renewable energy technologies, with grants covering up to 25 percent of project costs and at least two solicitations annually. It also requires technical assistance and education on integrating renewables with crops or livestock and mandates diversity across approved project types.

This section extends the feedstock flexibility program through crop year 2031 (from 2026). The program requires the Secretary to purchase eligible sugar commodities from U.S. marketers and sell them to bioenergy producers, using competitive procedures, to ensure the sugar loan program under section 7272 operates at no cost to the Federal Government by avoiding Commodity Credit Corporation forfeitures.

This section requires the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and stakeholders including farmers, ranchers, State agencies, and solar developers, to study the economic and environmental effects of solar panel installations on covered farmland. The study must examine impacts on crop yields, land values, soil health, water resources, livestock compatibility, tax incentives, and agricultural production losses, and recommend ways to shift installations to built environments and brownfields. The Secretary must submit findings and recommendations to the House and Senate agriculture and energy committees within 2 years.

This section prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture from providing financial assistance for projects that convert covered farmland (including farmland and nonindustrial private forest land) to solar energy production. It excepts projects converting less than 5 acres, or less than 50 acres when the majority of energy is for on-farm use and local governments approve; requires a farmland conservation plan and decommissioning funds for the 50-acre exception; and bars assistance for projects using solar components produced in or by foreign countries of concern.

This section directs the Secretary to establish a Departmentwide strategy to advance sustainable aviation fuels production. The strategy must facilitate collaboration across Department mission areas, identify opportunities to maximize development and commercialization, leverage farmers, ranchers, and producers, support rural economic development, and promote public-private partnerships.

This section expands conservation activities eligible under the Conservation Stewardship Program to include energy-efficient pumping systems. It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop and publish, within 180 days, information on cost, energy, water, and emissions savings from such systems and a user-friendly preassessment tool for farmers, and to establish education for Department energy auditors on pumping system efficiency.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, to study the feasibility, costs, benefits, and barriers to deploying second-use electric drive vehicle batteries on farms and ranches. The study must assess power outage support, retired battery supply, cost-effectiveness versus new systems, safety and liability standards, and federal program adequacy, and recommend grant or cost-share programs to accelerate rural deployment. The Secretary must submit findings and recommendations to the House and Senate agriculture and energy committees within one year of enactment.

This section establishes a grant program under the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, to fund tree planting projects that reduce residential energy consumption. It authorizes $50 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2030, limits the federal share to 90 percent of project costs, sets priorities for awards including service to low-income areas and households with high energy burdens, and directs grants toward planting at least 300,000 trees each year.

This section establishes a Specialty Crop Advisory Committee, no later than 180 days after enactment, to advise the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation on specialty crop insurance policies, with a chairperson experienced in crop insurance and 5 to 10 members including at least one producer from each of the West, Midwest, South, and Northeast regions. It adds the Committee chairperson to the Corporation’s Board of Directors, changes one Board producer position from specialty crop to livestock experience, updates the Specialty Crops Coordinator to serve as liaison to the Committee, and requires Corporation consultation with the Committee when reviewing new and specialty crop insurance policies.

This section allows crop insurance policyholders to identify holders of substantial beneficial interests at any time during the applicable crop year if the information is not provided by the prescribed deadline, except for policyholders that would receive disproportionate benefits or that failed to provide the information to avoid a legal obligation. It also raises the threshold defining a substantial beneficial interest to 10 percent (from 5 percent).

This section requires the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to periodically review each policy or product developed under section 508(h) for actuarial soundness. It also directs the Corporation to take actions, in consultation with the persons described in section 508(h)(1)(A), to improve the actuarial soundness of those policies and products.

This section expands crop insurance coverage under the Federal Crop Insurance Act to include losses from a decline in the market price of the insured commodity, provided the decline was not directly caused by the producer (as determined by the Secretary).

This section limits farms obtaining Stacked Income Protection Plan coverage for upland cotton under the Federal Crop Insurance Act to eligibility for that plan only for the 2019 through 2025 crop years. Beginning with the 2026 crop year, such farms become ineligible for seed cotton payments under price loss coverage or agriculture risk coverage.

This section limits interest charges on delinquent crop insurance premiums and administrative fees. Effective with the 2026 reinsurance year, approved insurance providers may charge a delinquent producer no more than 1 percent of simple interest per month on the delinquent amount, for a maximum of 60 consecutive months.

This section extends the qualifying period for veteran farmers or ranchers to 10 years (from 5 years) following discharge or release from active duty. It expands the increased premium assistance available under the Federal crop insurance program to veteran farmers or ranchers.

This section revises procedures for Board review and implementation of new crop insurance policies and plans. It grants approved insurance providers submitting support letters access to data during review while subjecting them to confidentiality rules, requires the Board to make handbooks, training materials, and other resources available at least 90 days before the sales closing date for any product approved after the July 1 Standard Reinsurance Agreement closing date, and deems a product marketable if at least one supporting provider expresses support without requiring such letters for approval.

This section freezes the rate used to reimburse approved insurance providers and agents for administrative and operating costs under the federal crop insurance program at the level applicable for the 2026 reinsurance year, for each of the 2027 and subsequent reinsurance years.

This section requires the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to contract for a review of its quality loss adjustment procedures beginning in calendar year 2027 and every five years thereafter, with each review completed within one year and incorporating input from regionally diverse industry stakeholders for each covered commodity. It directs the Corporation to submit a report on the findings, resulting changes, stakeholder engagement, and plans for region-specific procedures to the House and Senate agriculture committees.

This section establishes a pilot program, beginning with the 2027 crop year, to evaluate the effectiveness of reductions in federal crop insurance benefits for corn and other crops planted during the late planting period. The program operates for at least four crop years in no fewer than 10 counties in or adjacent to the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District or the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District in Texas; suspends the benefit reductions during the pilot; collects data on yield impacts and reduced irrigation withdrawals from the Ogallala Aquifer; and requires a report to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees no later than 90 days after the end of crop year 2031. The Corporation may use up to $200,000 for partnerships with nonprofit organizations, state agencies, or public universities to conduct the required research.

This section requires the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to review, within 12 months of enactment and annually thereafter, all limitations on insurable revenue—including overall caps and those specific to animals, animal products, greenhouse and nursery, and aquaculture—to ensure they cover financial risks for high-value agricultural products. It also requires the Corporation to submit a report on each review and any expected policy changes to the House and Senate agriculture committees.

This section establishes a multi-step process for the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to notify approved insurance providers of errors, omissions, or regulatory failures through an initial written finding, with providers given 90 days to appeal, the Corporation 90 days to issue a final finding, providers 90 days to request a final administrative determination, the Corporation 90 days to respond, and providers 90 days to appeal to the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals. It relieves providers of resulting debts if the Corporation misses deadlines, except for matters referred to the Office of the Inspector General or Department of Justice, and makes final agency determinations binding.

This section directs the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to carry out research and development, or contract for it, to expand revenue-based insurance policies for oilseeds including camelina, carinata, and pennycress, alfalfa, pulse crops, sugarbeets, sugarcane, blueberries, and other crops currently limited to individual yield-based coverage, and to make such policies available if section 508(h) requirements are met. It further requires research and development on policies covering wine grape losses from wildfire smoke exposure, with a policy to be made available within 18 months and reports due at 1 and 2 years. It also mandates research and development on policies for mushroom growing media and production, evaluating specified risks, causes of loss, and streamlined options, with a report due within 2 years.

This section directs the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to submit a report within 90 days after enactment to the House and Senate agriculture committees analyzing modifications to the Standard Reinsurance Agreement needed to expand policies meeting producers' risk management needs across states, regions, and commodities. The report must address budget neutrality requirements, additional reinsurance funds for high-loss states and area plans, administrative and operating cost reimbursements for risk management delivery and agent workforce assistance at historical levels, and agent compensation consistent with historical norms.

This section directs the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to submit a report within one year of enactment to the House and Senate agriculture committees analyzing outages of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio stations over the prior five years that affected the hurricane insurance protection-wind index, including data on producers who lost coverage and outage causes, plus a contingency plan evaluating data from land-grant colleges and universities or other third-party sources, after consulting with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study analyzing modifications to existing livestock protection and risk management programs, including dairy margin coverage and livestock risk protection, that could enhance protection for domestic lamb producers. The study must consider market access, feed sources and costs, imports, consumer demand, labor costs, and market data accuracy, with a report due to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees within one year of enactment.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study evaluating modifications to the livestock risk protection policy under section 523(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act to improve flexibility for feeder cattle producers affected by adverse weather events, including drought and wildfires. The study must assess marketing decision impacts, coverage endorsement penalties when events occur more than 60 days before the end date, potential exemptions, and other recommendations, with a report due to the House and Senate agriculture committees within one year.