S. 4483 — Promoting Access to Local Agriculture Act of 2026

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a streamlined application process for direct marketing farmers and ranchers to become vendors under covered nutrition programs, which include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (including its farmers’ market nutrition program component), and the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program. The process may consist of a single application usable across all programs or an information-sharing system that deems a farmer or rancher approved under one program as a prequalified vendor for the others. This section also requires the Secretary to submit a report on implementation progress to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the House Committee on Agriculture within one year of enactment. In addition, this section directs the Secretary to create a streamlined benefits processing system for such vendors that uses standardized technology, such as a single piece of equipment or mobile application.

This section requires the Secretary of Agriculture to ensure that equipment or systems made available to farmers markets and other direct-to-consumer markets are appropriate for the entity, including wireless or mobile processing equipment and technology systems.