SUMMARY of TITLE I – AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION RECONCILIATION PROVISIONS

(February 10, 2021)

SUBTITLE A - AGRICULTURE

SEC. 1001. FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN AND AGRICULTURE PANDEMIC RESPONSE. – Continues to provide additional funds ($3.6 billion) to USDA for purchasing and distributing food and agricultural commodities, making grants and loans to small and midsized farmers, farmers markets, food processors, and distributors to respond to and protect workers from COVID-19, and to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resilience. Provides $100 million to reduce the cost of Federal inspector overtime for small and very small meat and poultry processors, who are still working through processing backlogs. Provides $300 million to conduct surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in animals.

SEC. 1002. EMERGENCY RURAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS FOR RURAL HEALTH CARE. - Provides $500 million for targeted grants for health and nutritional-related infrastructure and distribution critical to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. 

SEC. 1003. PANDEMIC PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION FUNDS. - Provides $47.5 million for timely, targeted implementation by USDA.

SEC. 1004. FUNDING FOR THE USDA OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR OVERSIGHT OF COVID-19 RELATED PROGRAMS. – Continues to provide resources to the USDA Office of the Inspector General for oversight of projects and activities carried out with funds made available to USDA related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides $2.5 million for these activities.

SEC. 1005. FARM LOAN ASSISTANCE FOR SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS. – Provides funds for payment or modification of existing USDA FSA loans and CCC Farm Storage Facility Loans held by socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers. Sets payments at up to 120 percent of outstanding indebtedness, with amounts remaining after obligations to USDA or the guaranteed lender are paid, provided to the farmer to account for tax treatment. Such payments do not affect the eligibility of farmers or ranchers for farm loans.

SEC. 1006. USDA ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT FOR SOCIALLY DISADDVANTAGED FARMERS, RANCHERS, FOREST LAND OWNERS AND OPERATORS, AND GROUPS. – Provides $1.01 billion to the Secretary for assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who have historically faced discrimination by USDA, with such assistance provided directly to producers and through community-based organizations, land-grant universities, other minority serving institutions of higher learning.  These funds will support:

·       Outreach, financial training, cooperative development and capacity building, and other technical assistance to socially disadvantaged groups;

·       Grants and loans to improve land access, including heirs’ property issues, and aid former farm loan borrowers that suffered adverse actions or past discrimination or bias;

·       The creation and activities of equity commissions; and,

·       Research, education, and extension activities at minority serving institutions, including scholarships, internships, and pathways to Federal employment for students; eligible institutions include 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, 1994 Tribal Land-Grant Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Insular Area Institutions. 

SEC. 1007. USE OF THE COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION FOR COMMODITIES AND ASSOCIATED EXPENSES. – Provides $800 million for Food for Peace Title II grants to support U.S.-led humanitarian food aid. According to a February 1, 2021, USDA Economic Research Service Amber Waves report, 921 million people in low and middle-income countries were food insecure in 2020, a 20% increase from before the pandemic.

SUBTITLE B - NUTRITION

SEC. 1101. SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. - Continues the 15% increase in SNAP benefits through September 30, 2021. Provides additional administrative funds to states to administer the program as caseloads are expected to remain higher than normal due to the economy.

SEC. 1102. Additional assistance for SNAP online purchasing and technology improvements. - Provides $25 million to promote technological improvements for SNAP online purchasing, modernize the electronic benefit transfer system, and support SNAP mobile payment technologies.

SEC. 1103. Additional FUNDING FOR NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. – Continues to provide additional funding for nutrition assistance programs to support the continued temporary 15% increase in benefits. Provides $1 billion to Puerto Rico and American Samoa for nutrition assistance, of which $30 million is for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Island.

SEC. 1104. COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM. - Provides an additional $37 million to the Commodity Supplemental Food Program to ensure low-income seniors can continue to access nutritious foods.