HR5030-119

What This Bill Does

The Specialty Crop Domestic Market Promotion and Development Program Act establishes a USDA Agricultural Marketing Service grant program to develop, maintain, and expand the domestic commercial market for U.S.-produced specialty crops. Eligible organizations must apply with a marketing plan and certify that federal funds supplement rather than supplant nonfederal funds. Marketing plans must describe generic domestic promotion activities, spending, market goals, and other USDA-required information. USDA must justify grant and matching-fund levels in writing, require nonfederal matching funds of at least 25 percent unless another amount is justified, allow in-kind support, review multiyear grants annually, terminate grants for noncompliance, monitor expenditures beginning within 15 months after the first award, evaluate marketing-plan effectiveness, restrict direct assistance to certain for-profit corporations, require independent audits when needed, define eligible organizations, and receive $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each year after.

Who Benefits and How

Specialty crop growers benefit from domestic promotion grants aimed at increasing U.S. purchases of their commodities. Agricultural trade organizations benefit because they can apply for grants to run demand-oriented generic promotion programs. State agriculture agencies benefit because eligible state-related or cooperative organizations can support domestic specialty crop marketing. Small business food companies benefit from grant restrictions that limit direct assistance to large for-profit corporations.

Who Bears the Burden and How

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service staff must administer applications, marketing plan approvals, written funding justifications, monitoring, audits, and annual reviews. Grant recipients must provide at least 25 percent nonfederal matching funds unless USDA sets another justified amount. Eligible organizations must avoid supplanting nonfederal funds and cannot use grants for foreign-produced product promotion. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of the $75,000,000 annual authorization beginning in fiscal year 2026.

Key Provisions

• Establishes USDA grants for domestic specialty crop market promotion and development.
• Requires applications, marketing plans, supplement-not-supplant certifications, and written funding justifications.
• Requires at least 25 percent nonfederal matching funds unless USDA justifies another level.
• Provides annual review, expenditure monitoring, possible termination, and independent audit authority.
• Authorizes $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter.