H.R.3944 - Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2026 119th Congress (2025-2026) Section Summary:

Farm Service Agency salaries and expenses (including transfers of funds) For necessary expenses of the Farm Service Agency, $1,209,307,000, of which not less than $15,000,000 shall be for the hiring of new employees to fill vacancies and anticipated vacancies at Farm Service Agency county offices and farm loan officers and shall be available until September 30, 2027: Provided, That the agency shall submit a report by the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress that identifies for each project/investment that is operational (a) current performance against key indicators of customer satisfaction, (b) current performance of service level agreements or other technical metrics, (c) current performance against a pre-established cost baseline, (d) a detailed breakdown of current and planned spending on operational enhancements or upgrades, and (e) an assessment of whether the investment continues to meet business needs as intended as well as alternatives to the investment: Provided further, That the Secretary is authorized to use the services, facilities, and authorities (but not the funds) of the Commodity Credit Corporation to make program payments for all programs administered by the Agency: Provided further, That other funds made available to the Agency for authorized activities may be advanced to and merged with this account: Provided further, That of the amount appropriated under this heading, $696,594,000 shall be made available to county offices, to remain available until expended: Provided further, That, notwithstanding the preceding proviso, any funds made available to county offices in the current fiscal year that the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency deems to exceed or not meet the amount needed for the county offices may be transferred to or from the Farm Service Agency for necessary expenses: Provided further, That none of the funds available for any department or agency in this or any other appropriations Acts, including prior year Acts, shall be used to close Farm Service Agency county offices: Provided further, That none of the funds available to the Farm Service Agency shall be used to permanently relocate county based employees that would result in an office with two or fewer employees without prior notification and approval of the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress. state mediation grants For grants pursuant to section 502(b) of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987, as amended (7 U.S.C. 5101–5106), $6,500,000: Provided, That the Secretary of Agriculture may determine that United States territories and Federally recognized Indian tribes are “States” for the purposes of Subtitle A of such Act. grassroots source water protection program For necessary expenses to carry out wellhead or groundwater protection activities under section 1240O of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839bb–2), $7,000,000, to remain available until expended. dairy indemnity program (including transfer of funds) For necessary expenses involved in making indemnity payments to dairy farmers and manufacturers of dairy products under a dairy indemnity program, such sums as may be necessary, to remain available until expended: Provided, That such program is carried out by the Secretary in the same manner as the dairy indemnity program described in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (Public Law 106–387, 114 Stat. 1549A–12). geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers For necessary expenses to carry out direct reimbursement payments to geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers under section 1621 of the Food Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8792), $3,500,000, to remain available until expended. agricultural credit insurance fund program account (including transfers of funds) For gross obligations for the principal amount of direct and guaranteed farm ownership (7 U.S.C. 1922 et seq.) and operating (7 U.S.C. 1941 et seq.) loans, emergency loans (7 U.S.C. 1961 et seq.), Indian tribe land acquisition loans (25 U.S.C. 5136), boll weevil loans (7 U.S.C. 1989), guaranteed conservation loans (7 U.S.C. 1924 et seq.), and relending program (7 U.S.C. 1936c), to be available from funds in the Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund, as follows: $3,500,000,000 for guaranteed farm ownership loans and $3,100,000,000 for farm ownership direct loans; $2,000,000,000 for unsubsidized guaranteed operating loans and $1,633,000,000 for direct operating loans; emergency loans, $14,388,000; Indian tribe land acquisition loans, $20,000,000; guaranteed conservation loans, $150,000,000; and for boll weevil eradication program loans, $60,000,000: Provided, That the Secretary shall deem the pink bollworm to be a boll weevil for the purpose of boll weevil eradication program loans. For the cost of direct and guaranteed loans and grants, including the cost of modifying loans as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as follows: $1,000,000 for emergency loans, to remain available until expended; $39,370,000 for farm ownership direct loans, and $84,000 for boll weevil eradication program loans. In addition, for administrative expenses necessary to carry out the direct and guaranteed loan programs, $326,053,000: Provided, That of this amount, $305,803,000 shall be paid to the appropriation for “Farm Service Agency, Salaries and Expenses”. Funds appropriated by this Act to the Agricultural Credit Insurance Program Account for farm ownership, operating, conservation, and emergency direct loans and loan guarantees may be transferred among these programs: Provided, That the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress are notified at least 15 days in advance of any transfer.