To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program for making payments to covered producers for the cost of carrying out GAP audits, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Vindman (for himself and Mr. Lawler) introduced the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Cutting COSTS Act of 2025 creates a new federal program to pay for food safety audits that small farms need to sell their produce at grocery stores. Many retail stores require farmers to pass "Good Agricultural Practices" (GAP) audits before purchasing their products, but these audits can be expensive for small operations. This bill would have the federal government fully reimburse eligible farmers for these audit costs for 5 years.
Who Benefits and How
Small farm operators with income under $350,000 per year and beginning farmers benefit most directly - they would receive full reimbursement for the cost of GAP audits, removing a significant financial barrier to accessing retail food store markets. GAP audit providers would also see increased business as more small farms pursue certification knowing the cost will be covered. This could help diversify the supply chain for grocery stores and improve market access for smaller agricultural operations.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal taxpayers bear the primary cost through the Commodity Credit Corporation, which provides the funding. The USDA must administer the program, process payments, and submit annual reports to Congress on program participation and effectiveness, adding to agency workload and administrative costs.
Key Provisions
- Full cost reimbursement for GAP audits for eligible small farms (under $350,000 AGI) and beginning farmers
- Funded through existing Commodity Credit Corporation resources (no new appropriation required)
- Mandatory annual congressional reports for 5 years tracking participation and market access improvements
- 5-year sunset provision - program automatically terminates after this period
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Establishes a federal payment program to reimburse small farms and beginning farmers for the full costs of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) audits required to access retail food store markets.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Reduce financial barriers for small farms to comply with food safety requirements demanded by retail food stores, using existing Commodity Credit Corporation funds."
Likely Beneficiaries
- Small farm operators (under $350,000 AGI)
- Beginning farmers and ranchers
- Small-scale produce growers seeking retail market access
Likely Burden Bearers
- Federal government/taxpayers (via Commodity Credit Corporation funds)
- USDA administrative resources
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Agriculture
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A person operating a small farm with average adjusted gross income less than $350,000/year, OR a beginning farmer or rancher as defined in 7 CFR 3430.602, who meets other requirements the Secretary determines appropriate.
An audit under the Agricultural Marketing Service Audit Verification and Accreditation Programs (7 CFR part 62) relating to good agricultural practices and FDA food safety guidance under 21 U.S.C. 350h(e)(1).
As defined in section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012).
The Secretary of Agriculture.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology