HR5468-119

What This Bill Does

The Community College Agriculture Advancement Act creates a new USDA capacity-building grant program for junior and community colleges that support agriculture advancement, including consortia or alliances of two-year public colleges. USDA must make competitive grants to help eligible entities maintain and expand workforce training, education, research, and outreach activities in agriculture and similar disciplines. The Secretary must prioritize applicants coordinating with local agriculture industry operators to provide experiential training and other student opportunities. Grant funds may help colleges compete for other federal and nonfederal grants, offer agricultural job training including farm business management, accounting, paralegal studies, and finance, disseminate information to agriculture communities and the public, provide matching funds, buy equipment and infrastructure other than building construction or renovation, support faculty growth, and develop apprenticeships and work-based learning. USDA must evaluate the program and report to House and Senate Agriculture and Appropriations committees. The bill authorizes $20 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2031.

Who Benefits and How

Community college agriculture programs benefit from a dedicated USDA competitive grant stream. Agriculture students benefit from experiential training, apprenticeships, work-based learning, and farm-business coursework. Local agriculture operators benefit from partnerships that build a local workforce pipeline. Rural communities benefit if two-year colleges expand agriculture education, outreach, and applied research capacity.

Who Bears the Burden and How

USDA higher education grant staff must administer competitions, priorities, evaluations, and congressional reports. Community college grant recipients must coordinate with industry operators, document eligible uses, and manage federal grant requirements. Federal taxpayers fund $20 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2031. Colleges seeking building renovation funds are limited because construction, alteration, repair, and renovation are excluded.

Key Provisions

• Creates USDA capacity-building grants for community college agriculture and natural-resources programs.
• Prioritizes colleges working with local agriculture operators on experiential training.
• Funds equipment, faculty development, apprenticeships, outreach, grant capacity, and agriculture business education.
• Requires USDA evaluation and reports to Agriculture and Appropriations committees.
• Authorizes $20 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2031.