S4690-118

Section 1

That the following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, and for other purposes, namely:

Section 2

701. The Secretary may use any appropriations made available to the Department of Agriculture in this Act to purchase new passenger motor vehicles, in addition to specific appropriations for this purpose, so long as the total number of vehicles purchased in fiscal year 2025 does not exceed the number of vehicles owned or leased in fiscal year 2018: Provided, That, prior to purchasing additional motor vehicles, the Secretary must determine that such vehicles are necessary for transportation safety, to reduce operational costs, and for the protection of life, property, and public safety: Provided further, That the Secretary may not increase the Department of Agriculture's fleet above the 2018 level unless the Secretary notifies in writing, and receives approval from, the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress within 30 days of the notification.

Section 3

702. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture may transfer unobligated balances of discretionary funds appropriated by this Act or any other available unobligated discretionary balances that are remaining available of the Department of Agriculture to the Working Capital Fund for the acquisition of property, plant and equipment and for the improvement, delivery, and implementation of Department financial, and administrative information technology services, and other support systems necessary for the delivery of financial, administrative, and information technology services, including cloud adoption and migration, of primary benefit to the agencies of the Department of Agriculture, such transferred funds to remain available until expended: Provided, That none of the funds made available by this Act or any other Act shall be transferred to the Working Capital Fund without the prior approval of the agency administrator: Provided further, That none of the funds transferred to the Working Capital Fund pursuant to this section shall be available for obligation without written notification to and the prior approval of the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress: Provided further, That none of the funds appropriated by this Act or made available to the Department’s Working Capital Fund shall be available for obligation or expenditure to make any changes to the Department’s National Finance Center without written notification to and prior approval of the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress as required by section 716 of this Act: Provided further, That none of the funds appropriated by this Act or made available to the Department’s Working Capital Fund shall be available for obligation or expenditure to initiate, plan, develop, implement, or make any changes to remove or relocate any systems, missions, personnel, or functions of the offices of the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Information Officer, co-located with or from the National Finance Center prior to written notification to and prior approval of the Committee on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress and in accordance with the requirements of section 716 of this Act: Provided further, That the National Finance Center Information Technology Services Division personnel and data center management responsibilities, and control of any functions, missions, and systems for current and future human resources management and integrated personnel and payroll systems (PPS) and functions provided by the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Information Officer shall remain in the National Finance Center and under the management responsibility and administrative control of the National Finance Center: Provided further, That the Secretary of Agriculture and the offices of the Chief Financial Officer shall actively market to existing and new Departments and other government agencies National Finance Center shared services including, but not limited to, payroll, financial management, and human capital shared services and allow the National Finance Center to perform technology upgrades: Provided further, That of annual income amounts in the Working Capital Fund of the Department of Agriculture attributable to the amounts in excess of the true costs of the shared services provided by the National Finance Center and budgeted for the National Finance Center, the Secretary shall reserve not more than 4 percent for the replacement or acquisition of capital equipment, including equipment for the improvement, delivery, and implementation of financial, administrative, and information technology services, and other systems of the National Finance Center or to pay any unforeseen, extraordinary cost of the National Finance Center: Provided further, That none of the amounts reserved shall be available for obligation unless the Secretary submits written notification of the obligation to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress: Provided further, That the limitations on the obligation of funds pending notification to Congressional Committees shall not apply to any obligation that, as determined by the Secretary, is necessary to respond to a declared state of emergency that significantly impacts the operations of the National Finance Center; or to evacuate employees of the National Finance Center to a safe haven to continue operations of the National Finance Center.

Section 4

703. No part of any appropriation contained in this Act shall remain available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year unless expressly so provided herein.

Section 5

704. No funds appropriated by this Act may be used to pay negotiated indirect cost rates on cooperative agreements or similar arrangements between the United States Department of Agriculture and nonprofit institutions in excess of 10 percent of the total direct cost of the agreement when the purpose of such cooperative arrangements is to carry out programs of mutual interest between the two parties. This does not preclude appropriate payment of indirect costs on grants and contracts with such institutions when such indirect costs are computed on a similar basis for all agencies for which appropriations are provided in this Act.

Section 6

705. Appropriations to the Department of Agriculture for the cost of direct and guaranteed loans made available in the current fiscal year shall remain available until expended to disburse obligations made in the current fiscal year for the following accounts: the Rural Development Loan Fund program account, the Rural Electrification and Telecommunication Loans program account, and the Rural Housing Insurance Fund program account.

Section 7

706. None of the funds made available to the Department of Agriculture by this Act may be used to acquire new information technology systems or significant upgrades, as determined by the Office of the Chief Information Officer, without the approval of the Chief Information Officer and the concurrence of the Executive Information Technology Investment Review Board: Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be transferred to the Office of the Chief Information Officer without written notification to and the prior approval of the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress: Provided further, That notwithstanding section 11319 of title 40, United States Code, none of the funds available to the Department of Agriculture for information technology shall be obligated for projects, contracts, or other agreements over $25,000 prior to receipt of written approval by the Chief Information Officer: Provided further, That the Chief Information Officer may authorize an agency to obligate funds without written approval from the Chief Information Officer for projects, contracts, or other agreements up to $250,000 based upon the performance of an agency measured against the performance plan requirements described in the explanatory statement accompanying Public Law 113–235.

Section 8

707. Funds made available under section 524(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1524(b)) in the current fiscal year shall remain available until expended to disburse obligations made in the current fiscal year.

Section 9

708. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any former Rural Utilities Service borrower that has repaid or prepaid an insured, direct or guaranteed loan under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, or any not-for-profit utility that is eligible to receive an insured or direct loan under such Act, shall be eligible for assistance under section 313B(a) of such Act in the same manner as a borrower under such Act.

Section 10

709. Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, not more than $20,000,000 in unobligated balances from appropriations made available for salaries and expenses in this Act for the Farm Service Agency shall remain available through September 30, 2026, for information technology expenses.

Section 11

710. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for first-class travel by the employees of agencies funded by this Act in contravention of sections 301–10.122 through 301–10.124 of title 41, Code of Federal Regulations.

Section 12

711. In the case of each program established or amended by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–79) or by a successor to that Act, other than by title I or subtitle A of title III of such Act, or programs for which indefinite amounts were provided in that Act, that is authorized or required to be carried out using funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation— such funds shall be available for salaries and related administrative expenses, including technical assistance, associated with the implementation of the program, without regard to the limitation on the total amount of allotments and fund transfers contained in section 11 of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714i); and the use of such funds for such purpose shall not be considered to be a fund transfer or allotment for purposes of applying the limitation on the total amount of allotments and fund transfers contained in such section.

Section 13

712. Of the funds made available by this Act, not more than $2,900,000 shall be used to cover necessary expenses of activities related to all advisory committees, panels, commissions, and task forces of the Department of Agriculture, except for panels used to comply with negotiated rule makings and panels used to evaluate competitively awarded grants.

Section 14

713. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography. Nothing in subsection (a) shall limit the use of funds necessary for any Federal, State, tribal, or local law enforcement agency or any other entity carrying out criminal investigations, prosecution, or adjudication activities.

Section 15

714. Notwithstanding subsection (b) of section 14222 of Public Law 110–246 (7 U.S.C. 612c–6; in this section referred to as section 14222), none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this or any other Act shall be used to pay the salaries and expenses of personnel to carry out a program under section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c; in this section referred to as section 32) in excess of $1,622,930,000 (exclusive of carryover appropriations from prior fiscal years), as follows: Child Nutrition Programs Entitlement Commodities—$485,000,000; State Option Contracts—$5,000,000; Removal of Defective Commodities—$2,500,000; Administration of section 32 Commodity Purchases—$37,729,000: Provided, That, of the total funds made available in the matter preceding this proviso that remain unobligated on October 1, 2025, such unobligated balances shall carryover into fiscal year 2026 and shall remain available until expended for any of the purposes of section 32, except that any such carryover funds used in accordance with clause (3) of section 32 may not exceed $350,000,000 and may not be obligated until the Secretary of Agriculture provides written notification of the expenditures to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least two weeks in advance: Provided further, That, with the exception of any available carryover funds authorized in any prior appropriations Act to be used for the purposes of clause (3) of section 32, none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this or any other Act shall be used to pay the salaries or expenses of any employee of the Department of Agriculture to carry out clause (3) of section 32.

Section 16

715. None of the funds appropriated by this or any other Act shall be used to pay the salaries and expenses of personnel who prepare or submit appropriations language as part of the President's budget submission to the Congress for programs under the jurisdiction of the Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies that assumes revenues or reflects a reduction from the previous year due to user fees proposals that have not been enacted into law prior to the submission of the budget unless such budget submission identifies which additional spending reductions should occur in the event the user fees proposals are not enacted prior to the date of the convening of a committee of conference for the fiscal year 2025 appropriations Act.

Section 17

716. None of the funds provided by this Act, or provided by previous appropriations Acts to the agencies funded by this Act that remain available for obligation or expenditure in the current fiscal year, or provided from any accounts in the Treasury derived by the collection of fees available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming, transfer of funds, or reimbursements as authorized by the Economy Act, or in the case of the Department of Agriculture, through use of the authority provided by section 702(b) of the Department of Agriculture Organic Act of 1944 (7 U.S.C. 2257) or section 8 of Public Law 89–106 (7 U.S.C. 2263), that— creates new programs; eliminates a program, project, or activity; increases funds or personnel by any means for any project or activity for which funds have been denied or restricted; relocates an office or employees; reorganizes offices, programs, or activities; or contracts out or privatizes any functions or activities presently performed by Federal employees; None of the funds provided by this Act, or provided by previous Appropriations Acts to the agencies funded by this Act that remain available for obligation or expenditure in the current fiscal year, or provided from any accounts in the Treasury derived by the collection of fees available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall be available for obligation or expenditure for activities, programs, or projects through a reprogramming or use of the authorities referred to in subsection (a) involving funds in excess of $500,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, that— augments existing programs, projects, or activities; reduces by 10 percent funding for any existing program, project, or activity, or numbers of personnel by 10 percent as approved by Congress; or results from any general savings from a reduction in personnel which would result in a change in existing programs, activities, or projects as approved by Congress; The Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall notify in writing and receive approval from the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress before implementing any program or activity not carried out during the previous fiscal year unless the program or activity is funded by this Act or specifically funded by any other Act. None of the funds provided by this Act, or provided by previous Appropriations Acts to the agencies funded by this Act that remain available for obligation or expenditure in the current fiscal year, or provided from any accounts in the Treasury derived by the collection of fees available to the agencies funded by this Act, shall be available for— modifying major capital investments funding levels, including information technology systems, that involves increasing or decreasing funds in the current fiscal year for the individual investment in excess of $500,000 or 10 percent of the total cost, whichever is less; realigning or reorganizing new, current, or vacant positions or agency activities or functions to establish a center, office, branch, or similar entity with five or more personnel; or carrying out activities or functions that were not described in the budget request; As described in this section, no funds may be used for any activities unless the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of Health and Human Services receives from the Committee on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress written or electronic mail confirmation of receipt of the notification as required in this section.

Section 18

717. Notwithstanding section 310B(g)(5) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(g)(5)), the Secretary may assess a one-time fee for any guaranteed business and industry loan in an amount that does not exceed 3 percent of the guaranteed principal portion of the loan.

Section 19

718. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, or the Farm Credit Administration shall be used to transmit or otherwise make available reports, questions, or responses to questions that are a result of information requested for the appropriations hearing process to any non-Department of Agriculture, non-Department of Health and Human Services, or non-Farm Credit Administration employee.

Section 20

719. Unless otherwise authorized by existing law, none of the funds provided in this Act, may be used by an executive branch agency to produce any prepackaged news story intended for broadcast or distribution in the United States unless the story includes a clear notification within the text or audio of the prepackaged news story that the prepackaged news story was prepared or funded by that executive branch agency.

Section 21

720. No employee of the Department of Agriculture may be detailed or assigned from an agency or office funded by this Act or any other Act to any other agency or office of the Department for more than 60 days in a fiscal year unless the individual's employing agency or office is fully reimbursed by the receiving agency or office for the salary and expenses of the employee for the period of assignment.

Section 22

721. Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and the Chairman of the Farm Credit Administration shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress a detailed spending plan by program, project, and activity for all the funds made available under this Act including appropriated user fees, as defined in the report accompanying this Act.

Section 23

722. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to propose, promulgate, or implement any rule, or take any other action with respect to, allowing or requiring information intended for a prescribing health care professional, in the case of a drug or biological product subject to section 503(b)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 353(b)(1)), to be distributed to such professional electronically (in lieu of in paper form) unless and until a Federal law is enacted to allow or require such distribution.

Section 24

723. For the purposes of determining eligibility or level of program assistance for Rural Housing Service programs the Secretary shall not include incarcerated prison populations.

Section 25

724. For loans and loan guarantees that do not require budget authority and the program level has been established in this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture may increase the program level for such loans and loan guarantees by not more than 25 percent: Provided, That prior to the Secretary implementing such an increase, the Secretary notifies, in writing, the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 15 days in advance.

Section 26

725. None of the credit card refunds or rebates transferred to the Working Capital Fund pursuant to section 729 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002 (7 U.S.C. 2235a; Public Law 107–76) shall be available for obligation without written notification to, and the prior approval of, the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress: Provided, That the refunds or rebates so transferred shall be available for obligation only for the acquisition of property, plant and equipment, including equipment for the improvement, delivery, and implementation of Departmental financial management, information technology, and other support systems necessary for the delivery of financial, administrative, and information technology services, including cloud adoption and migration, of primary benefit to the agencies of the Department of Agriculture.

Section 27

726. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce the variety requirements of the final rule entitled Enhancing Retailer Standards in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) published by the Department of Agriculture in the Federal Register on December 15, 2016 (81 Fed. Reg. 90675) until the Secretary of Agriculture amends the definition of the term variety as defined in section 278.1(b)(1)(ii)(C) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, and variety as applied in the definition of the term staple food as defined in section 271.2 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, to increase the number of items that qualify as acceptable varieties in each staple food category so that the total number of such items in each staple food category exceeds the number of such items in each staple food category included in the final rule as published on December 15, 2016: Provided, That until the Secretary promulgates such regulatory amendments, the Secretary shall apply the requirements regarding acceptable varieties and breadth of stock to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program retailers that were in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–79).

Section 28

727. In carrying out subsection (h) of section 502 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1472), the Secretary of Agriculture shall have the same authority with respect to loans guaranteed under such section and eligible lenders for such loans as the Secretary has under subsections (h) and (j) of section 538 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1490p–2) with respect to loans guaranteed under such section 538 and eligible lenders for such loans.

Section 29

728. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act shall be available for the United States Department of Agriculture to propose, finalize or implement any regulation that would promulgate new user fees pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 9701 after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Section 30

729. Section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321) is amended by adding at the end the following: The term zootechnical animal food substance means a substance that— is added to the food or drinking water of animals; is intended to— affect the byproducts of the digestive process of an animal; reduce the presence of foodborne pathogens of human health significance in an animal intended to be used for food; or affect the structure or function of the body of the animal, other than by providing nutritive value, by altering the animal’s gastrointestinal microbiome; and achieves its intended effect by acting solely within the gastrointestinal tract of the animal. Such term does not include a substance that— is intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in an animal; is a hormone; is an active moiety in an animal drug, which, prior to the filing of a petition under section 409 was approved under section 512, conditionally approved under section 571, indexed under section 572, or for which substantial clinical investigations have been instituted and for which the existence of such investigations has been made public; is an ionophore; or is otherwise excluded from the definition based on criteria established by the Secretary through notice and comment rulemaking. A zootechnical animal food substance shall be deemed to be a food additive within the meaning of paragraph (s) and its introduction into interstate commerce shall be in accordance with a regulation issued under section 409. A zootechnical animal food substance shall not be considered a drug under paragraph (g)(1)(C) solely because the substance has an intended effect described in subparagraph (1). Section 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 348) is amended— in subsection (b)— by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (5) as paragraphs (4) through (6), respectively; and by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: In the case of a zootechnical animal food substance, such petition shall, in addition to any explanatory or supporting data, contain— all relevant data bearing on the effect the zootechnical animal food substance is intended to have and the quantity of such substance required to produce the intended effect; and full reports of investigations made with respect to the intended use of such substance, including full information as to the methods and controls used in conducting such investigations. in subsection (c)— by amending subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) to read as follows: by order establish a regulation (whether or not in accord with that proposed by the petitioner) prescribing— with respect to one or more proposed uses of the food additive involved, the conditions under which such additive may be safely used (including specifications as to the particular food or classes of food in or on which such additive may be used, the maximum quantity which may be used or permitted to remain in or on such food, the manner in which such additive may be added to or used in or on such food, and any directions or other labeling or packaging requirements for such additive as the Secretary determines necessary to assure the safety of such use); and in the case of a zootechnical animal food substance, the conditions under which such substance may be used to achieve the intended effect; and notify the petitioner of such order and the reasons for such action; or in paragraph (3)— in subparagraph (A), by striking ; or and inserting a semicolon; in subparagraph (B), by striking the period and inserting ; or; and by adding at the end the following: in the case of a zootechnical animal food substance, fails to establish that the proposed use of the substance, under the conditions of use to be specified in the regulation, will achieve the intended effect. by adding at the end the following: The labeling of a zootechnical animal food substance— shall include the statement: Not for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in animals.; and may include statements regarding the intended effect of the substance on the structure or function of the body of animals, as set forth in section 201(tt)(1). Section 403 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 343) is amended by adding at the end the following: If it is a zootechnical animal food substance and the labeling of the food does not include the statement required by section 409(l)(1). Nothing in this section, or the amendments made by this section, shall be construed to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to require the use of any zootechnical food substance or food additive (as those terms are defined in section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by subsection (a)). (tt)(1)The term zootechnical animal food substance means a substance that—(A)is added to the food or drinking water of animals;(B)is intended to—(i)affect the byproducts of the digestive process of an animal;(ii)reduce the presence of foodborne pathogens of human health significance in an animal intended to be used for food; or(iii)affect the structure or function of the body of the animal, other than by providing nutritive value, by altering the animal’s gastrointestinal microbiome; and(C)achieves its intended effect by acting solely within the gastrointestinal tract of the animal.(2)Such term does not include a substance that—(A)is intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in an animal;(B)is a hormone;(C)is an active moiety in an animal drug, which, prior to the filing of a petition under section 409 was approved under section 512, conditionally approved under section 571, indexed under section 572, or for which substantial clinical investigations have been instituted and for which the existence of such investigations has been made public;(D)is an ionophore; or(E)is otherwise excluded from the definition based on criteria established by the Secretary through notice and comment rulemaking.(3)A zootechnical animal food substance shall be deemed to be a food additive within the meaning of paragraph (s) and its introduction into interstate commerce shall be in accordance with a regulation issued under section 409. A zootechnical animal food substance shall not be considered a drug under paragraph (g)(1)(C) solely because the substance has an intended effect described in subparagraph (1).. (3)In the case of a zootechnical animal food substance, such petition shall, in addition to any explanatory or supporting data, contain—(A)all relevant data bearing on the effect the zootechnical animal food substance is intended to have and the quantity of such substance required to produce the intended effect; and(B)full reports of investigations made with respect to the intended use of such substance, including full information as to the methods and controls used in conducting such investigations.; (A)(i)by order establish a regulation (whether or not in accord with that proposed by the petitioner) prescribing—(I)with respect to one or more proposed uses of the food additive involved, the conditions under which such additive may be safely used (including specifications as to the particular food or classes of food in or on which such additive may be used, the maximum quantity which may be used or permitted to remain in or on such food, the manner in which such additive may be added to or used in or on such food, and any directions or other labeling or packaging requirements for such additive as the Secretary determines necessary to assure the safety of such use); and(II)in the case of a zootechnical animal food substance, the conditions under which such substance may be used to achieve the intended effect; and(ii)notify the petitioner of such order and the reasons for such action; or; and (C)in the case of a zootechnical animal food substance, fails to establish that the proposed use of the substance, under the conditions of use to be specified in the regulation, will achieve the intended effect.; and (l)Zootechnical animal food substancesThe labeling of a zootechnical animal food substance—(1)shall include the statement: Not for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in animals.; and(2)may include statements regarding the intended effect of the substance on the structure or function of the body of animals, as set forth in section 201(tt)(1).. (z)If it is a zootechnical animal food substance and the labeling of the food does not include the statement required by section 409(l)(1)..

Section 31

730. Notwithstanding any provision of law that regulates the calculation and payment of overtime and holiday pay for FSIS inspectors, the Secretary may charge establishments subject to the inspection requirements of the Poultry Products Inspection Act, 21 U.S.C. 451 et seq., the Federal Meat Inspection Act, 21 U.S.C. 601 et seq, and the Egg Products Inspection Act, 21 U.S.C. 1031 et seq., for the cost of inspection services provided outside of an establishment’s approved inspection shifts, and for inspection services provided on Federal holidays: Provided, That any sums charged pursuant to this paragraph shall be deemed as overtime pay or holiday pay under section 1001(d) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117–2, 135 Stat. 242): Provided further, That sums received by the Secretary under this paragraph shall, in addition to other available funds, remain available until expended to the Secretary without further appropriation for the purpose of funding all costs associated with FSIS inspections.

Section 32

731. The Secretary of Agriculture shall— conduct audits in a manner that evaluates the following factors in the country or region being audited, as applicable— veterinary control and oversight; disease history and vaccination practices; livestock demographics and traceability; epidemiological separation from potential sources of infection; surveillance practices; diagnostic laboratory capabilities; and emergency preparedness and response; and promptly make publicly available the final reports of any audits or reviews conducted pursuant to paragraph (1). This section shall be applied in a manner consistent with United States obligations under its international trade agreements.

Section 33

732. Of the unobligated balances from amounts made available to carry out section 749(g) of the Agricultural Appropriations Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–80), $30,000,000 are hereby rescinded: Provided, That no amounts may be rescinded from amounts that were designated by the Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

Section 34

733. No more than 90 percent of the funding, specified for Other Activities in the table titled Food and Drug Administration—Salaries & Expenses in the report accompanying this Act, shall be obligated until the Food and Drug Administration: updates its Guidance for Industry on its Enforcement Priorities published in January 2020 and updated in April 2020, to expand its prioritized enforcement to flavored disposable ENDS products in addition to cartridge-based products (on pages 10–11 and 18) and to define disposable ENDS product on page 9; Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) issues a proposed rule requiring Foreign Manufacturer Registration (RIN #0910–AH59); Issues monthly Import Alerts, if applicable, to help address the importation of tobacco products that appear to be in violation of applicable laws; and Submits a quarterly written report to the Committees on Appropriations of the House and Senate detailing the number of pending Premarket Tobacco Applications for vapor products the agency is reviewing, whether the application was received on or before September 9, 2020.

Section 35

734. No Federal funds made available for this fiscal year for the rural water, waste water, waste disposal, and solid waste management programs authorized by sections 306, 306A, 306C, 306D, 306E, and 310B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926 et seq.) shall be used for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public water or wastewater system unless all of the iron and steel products used in the project are produced in the United States. In this section, the term iron and steel products means the following products made primarily of iron or steel: lined or unlined pipes and fittings, manhole covers and other municipal castings, hydrants, tanks, flanges, pipe clamps and restraints, valves, structural steel, reinforced precast concrete, and construction materials. Subsection (a) shall not apply in any case or category of cases in which the Secretary of Agriculture (in this section referred to as the Secretary) or the designee of the Secretary finds that— applying subsection (a) would be inconsistent with the public interest; iron and steel products are not produced in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities or of a satisfactory quality; or inclusion of iron and steel products produced in the United States will increase the cost of the overall project by more than 25 percent. If the Secretary or the designee receives a request for a waiver under this section, the Secretary or the designee shall make available to the public on an informal basis a copy of the request and information available to the Secretary or the designee concerning the request, and shall allow for informal public input on the request for at least 15 days prior to making a finding based on the request. The Secretary or the designee shall make the request and accompanying information available by electronic means, including on the official public Internet Web site of the Department. This section shall be applied in a manner consistent with United States obligations under international agreements. The Secretary may retain up to 0.25 percent of the funds appropriated in this Act for Rural Utilities Service—Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account for carrying out the provisions described in subsection (a)(1) for management and oversight of the requirements of this section. Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to a project for which the engineering plans and specifications include use of iron and steel products otherwise prohibited by such subsection if the plans and specifications have received required approvals from State agencies prior to the date of enactment of this Act. For purposes of this section, the terms United States and State shall include each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and each Federally recognized Indian Tribe.

Section 36

735. None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be used in any way, directly or indirectly, to influence congressional action on any legislation or appropriation matters pending before Congress, other than to communicate to Members of Congress as described in 18 U.S.C. 1913.

Section 37

736. Of the total amounts made available by this Act for direct loans and grants under the following headings: Rural Housing Service—Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program Account; Rural Housing Service—Mutual and Self-Help Housing Grants; Rural Housing Service—Rural Housing Assistance Grants; Rural Housing Service—Rural Community Facilities Program Account; Rural Business-Cooperative Service—Rural Business Program Account; Rural Business-Cooperative Service—Rural Economic Development Loans Program Account; Rural Business-Cooperative Service—Rural Cooperative Development Grants; Rural Business-Cooperative Service—Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program; Rural Utilities Service—Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account; Rural Utilities Service—Rural Electrification and Telecommunications Loans Program Account; and Rural Utilities Service—Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program, to the maximum extent feasible, at least 10 percent of the funds shall be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty counties under this section, including, notwithstanding any other provision regarding population limits, any county seat of such a persistent poverty county that has a population that does not exceed the authorized population limit by more than 10 percent: Provided, That for purposes of this section, the term persistent poverty counties means any county that has had 20 percent or more of its population living in poverty over the past 30 years, as measured by the Economic Research Service, or any territory or possession of the United States: Provided further, That with respect to specific activities for which program levels have been made available by this Act that are not supported by budget authority, the requirements of this section shall be applied to such program level.

Section 38

737. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to notify a sponsor or otherwise acknowledge receipt of a submission for an exemption for investigational use of a drug or biological product under section 505(i) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355(i)) or section 351(a)(3) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262(a)(3)) in research in which a human embryo is intentionally created or modified to include a heritable genetic modification. Any such submission shall be deemed to have not been received by the Secretary, and the exemption may not go into effect.

Section 39

738. None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be used to enforce the final rule promulgated by the Food and Drug Administration entitled Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption, and published on November 27, 2015, with respect to the regulation of entities that grow, harvest, pack, or hold wine grapes, hops, pulse crops, or almonds.

Section 40

739. For school years 2024–2025 and 2025–2026, none of the funds made available by this Act may be used to implement or enforce the matter following the first comma in the second sentence of footnote (c) of section 220.8(c) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, with respect to the substitution of vegetables for fruits under the school breakfast program established under section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773).

Section 41

740. None of the funds made available by this Act or any other Act may be used— in contravention of section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 5940), subtitle G of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, or section 10114 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018; or to prohibit the transportation, processing, sale, or use of hemp, or seeds of such plant, that is grown or cultivated in accordance with section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 or subtitle G of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, within or outside the State in which the hemp is grown or cultivated.

Section 42

741. The Secretary of Agriculture may waive the matching funds requirement under section 412(g) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632(g)).

Section 43

742. There is hereby appropriated $2,000,000, to remain available until expended, for a pilot program for the Secretary to provide grants to qualified non-profit organizations and public housing authorities to provide technical assistance, including financial and legal services, to RHS multi-family housing borrowers to facilitate the acquisition of RHS multi-family housing properties in areas where the Secretary determines a risk of loss of affordable housing, by non-profit housing organizations and public housing authorities as authorized by law that commit to keep such properties in the RHS multi-family housing program for a period of time as determined by the Secretary.

Section 44

743. Funds made available under title II of the Food for Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1721 et seq.) may only be used to provide assistance to recipient nations if adequate monitoring and controls, as determined by the Administrator, are in place to ensure that emergency food aid is received by the intended beneficiaries in areas affected by food shortages and not diverted for unauthorized or inappropriate purposes.

Section 45

744. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to procure raw or processed poultry products or seafood imported into the United States from the People’s Republic of China for use in the school lunch program under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.), the Child and Adult Care Food Program under section 17 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1766), the Summer Food Service Program for Children under section 13 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1761), or the school breakfast program under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.).

Section 46

745. For school year 2025–2026, only a school food authority that had a negative balance in the nonprofit school food service account as of June 30, 2024, shall be required to establish a price for paid lunches in accordance with section 12(p) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(p)).

Section 47

746. Any funds made available by this or any other Act that the Secretary withholds pursuant to section 1668(g)(2) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5921(g)(2)), as amended, shall be available for grants for biotechnology risk assessment research: Provided, That the Secretary may transfer such funds among appropriations of the Department of Agriculture for purposes of making such grants.

Section 48

747. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds available to the Department of Agriculture may be used to move any staff office or any agency from the mission area in which it was located on August 1, 2018, to any other mission area or office within the Department in the absence of the enactment of specific legislation affirming such move.

Section 49

748. The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, may use funds appropriated under this Act or any other Act for the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program and the Watershed Rehabilitation Program carried out pursuant to the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), and for the Emergency Watershed Protection Program carried out pursuant to section 403 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2203) to provide technical services for such programs pursuant to section 1252(a)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3851(a)(1)), notwithstanding subsection (c) of such section.

Section 50

749. In administering the pilot program established by section 779 of division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115–141), the Secretary of Agriculture may, for purposes of determining entities eligible to receive assistance, consider those communities which are Areas Rural in Character: Provided, That not more than 10 percent of the funds made available under the heading Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program for the purposes of the pilot program established by section 779 of Public Law 115–141 may be used for this purpose.

Section 51

750. In addition to amounts otherwise made available by this Act and notwithstanding the last sentence of 16 U.S.C. 1310, there is appropriated $2,000,000, to remain available until expended, to implement non-renewable agreements on eligible lands, including flooded agricultural lands, as determined by the Secretary, under the Water Bank Act (16 U.S.C. 1301–1311).

Section 52

751. Out of amounts appropriated to the Food and Drug Administration under title VI, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall, not later than September 30, 2025, and following the review required under Executive Order No. 12866 (5 U.S.C. 601 note; relating to regulatory planning and review), issue advice revising the advice provided in the notice of availability entitled Advice About Eating Fish, From the Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration; Revised Fish Advice; Availability (82 Fed. Reg. 6571 (January 19, 2017)), in a manner that is consistent with nutrition science recognized by the Food and Drug Administration on the net effects of seafood consumption.

Section 53

752. The Secretary shall set aside for Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Zones, until August 15, 2025, an amount of funds made available in title III under the headings of Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program Account, Mutual and Self-Help Housing Grants, Rural Housing Assistance Grants, Rural Community Facilities Program Account, Rural Business Program Account, Rural Development Loan Fund Program Account, and Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account, equal to the amount obligated in REAP Zones with respect to funds provided under such headings in the most recent fiscal year any such funds were obligated under such headings for REAP Zones, excluding the funding provided through any Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending.

Section 54

753. For an additional amount for the Office of the Secretary, $2,000,000, to remain available until expended, for the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out no more than 10 pilot projects, under the terms and conditions determined by the Secretary for a period not to exceed 2 years, that award grants to an Indian tribe; a tribal organization approved by an Indian tribe; a tribal educational agency; a consortium of Indian tribes; or a partnership between an Indian tribe and either a State educational agency, a local educational agency, a tribal educational agency, or the Bureau of Indian Education to operate and implement the school lunch program as authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769), the summer food service program as established under section 13 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, the child and adult care food program as established by section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, or the school breakfast program established by the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) in either a Bureau-funded school (as defined in section 1141 of the Education Amendments of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 2021)); a school (as defined in section 12(d) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1760(d)) on or near an Indian reservation; or an early child care and education facility: Provided, That to carry out this pilot program each grant awarded shall be no less than $10,000 and no more than $100,000 for each school year and shall not increase state administrative costs or the amount of benefits provided in any program: Provided further, That the term Indian tribe has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a pilot project grant recipient shall be reimbursed for meals served under the school lunch program, the summer food service program, and the child and adult care food program as if the recipient were a State under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; and under the school breakfast program as if the recipient were a State educational agency. Not later than 1 year after the conclusion of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the outcomes of the pilot program.

Section 55

754. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue or promote any new guidelines or regulations applicable to food manufacturers for Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) until the FDA considers the available new science in developing the Compliance Policy Guide (CPG), Guidance for FDA Staff, Sec. 55.320 Listeria monocytogenes—regarding Lm in low-risk foods, meaning foods that do not support the growth of Lm.

Section 56

755. There is hereby appropriated $2,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026, for a Bison Production and Marketing Grant Program that the Agricultural Marketing Service shall develop and maintain: Provided, That this program shall be similar, as determined by the Secretary, to the Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program the Department of Agriculture currently maintains pursuant to section 209(c) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1627a(c)), and shall prioritize grants to national non-profits and federally chartered Tribal organizations that have expertise in bison production or marketing.

Section 57

756. For an additional amount for the Office of the Secretary, $700,000, for the Office of Tribal Relations to cover costs incurred for the slaughtering, processing, and voluntary meat inspection fees, notwithstanding the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1622 et seq.) and 9 CFR part 352, for bison owned by Tribal governments (as defined by the List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131)), Tribal entities (including Tribal organizations and corporations), and Tribal members that slaughter and process bison at establishments that receive USDA voluntary inspection or state inspection. If this Act is enacted before September 30, 2024, section 765 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118–42) is amended immediately upon enactment of this Act to read as follows: For an additional amount for the Office of the Secretary, $700,000, for the Office of Tribal Relations, to cover costs for the voluntary meat inspection fees, notwithstanding the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1622 et seq.) and 9 CFR part 352, for bison owned by Tribal governments (as defined by the List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131)), Tribal entities (including Tribal organizations and corporations), and Tribal members that slaughter and process bison at establishments that receive USDA voluntary inspection or state inspection..

Section 58

757. If services performed by APHIS employees are determined by the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to be in response to an animal disease or plant health emergency outbreak, any premium pay that is funded, either directly or through reimbursement, shall be exempted from the aggregate of basic pay and premium pay calculated under section 5547(b)(1) and (2) of title 5, United States Code, and any other provision of law limiting the aggregate amount of premium pay payable on a biweekly or calendar year basis: Provided, That this section shall take effect as if enacted on January 1, 2024.

Section 59

758. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to pay the salaries or expenses of personnel— to inspect horses under section 3 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 603); to inspect horses under section 903 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 1901 note; Public Law 104–127); or to implement or enforce section 352.19 of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation).

Section 60

759. There is hereby appropriated $2,000,000, to remain available until expended, to carry out section 2103 of Public Law 115–334: Provided, That the Secretary shall prioritize the wetland compliance needs of areas with significant numbers of individual wetlands, wetland acres, and conservation compliance requests.

Section 61

760. There is appropriated $3,000,000 for the emergency and transitional pet shelter and housing assistance grant program established under section 12502(b) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (34 U.S.C. 20127).

Section 62

761. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) were tasked with providing findings and recommendations on alcohol consumption for the purposes of inclusion in the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as required by section 772 of division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117–328): Provided, That the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture shall consider the findings and recommendations of the NASEM report in the development of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and further, both Secretaries shall ensure that the alcohol consumption recommendations in the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans shall be based on the preponderance of scientific and medical knowledge consistent with section 5341 of title 7 of United States Code.

Section 63

762. Section 313B(a) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 940c–2(a)), shall be applied for fiscal year 2025 and each fiscal year thereafter until the specified funding has been expended as if the following were inserted after the final period: In addition, the Secretary shall use $9,465,000 of the funds available to carry out this section in fiscal year 2025 for an additional amount for the same purpose and under the same terms and conditions as the Rural Business Development Grants authorized by section 310B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(c)), and shall use $9,953,000 of the funds available to carry out this section in fiscal year 2025 for an additional amount for the same purpose and under the same terms and conditions as the Rural Business Development Grants authorized by section 310B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(c))..

Section 64

763. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the acceptable market name of any engineered animal approved prior to the effective date of the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (February 19, 2019) shall include the words genetically engineered prior to the existing acceptable market name.

Section 65

764. For an additional amount for the Office of the Secretary, $6,000,000, to remain available until expended, to continue the Institute for Rural Partnerships as established in section 778 of Public Law 117–103: Provided, That the Institute for Rural Partnerships shall continue to dedicate resources to researching the causes and conditions of challenges facing rural areas, and develop community partnerships to address such challenges: Provided further, That administrative or other fees shall not exceed one percent: Provided further, That such partnership shall coordinate and publish an annual report.

Section 66

765. There is hereby appropriated $500,000 to carry out the duties of the working group established under section 770 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 116–6; 133 Stat. 89).

Section 67

766. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this or any other Act may be used to purchase, deploy, or train third parties on the use of M–44 sodium cyanide ejector devices (M–44s), including any components or parts, or sodium fluoroacetate (Compound 1080), except for activities directly related to the removal of M–44s that have been placed on Federal, Tribal, State and private land.

Section 68

767. The agencies and offices of the Department of Agriculture may reimburse the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), out of the funds provided in this Act, for costs incurred by OGC in providing services to such agencies or offices under time-limited agreements entered into with such agencies and offices: Provided, That such transfer authority is in addition to any other transfer authority provided by law.

Section 69

768. Of the unobligated balances from amounts made available for the supplemental nutrition program as authorized by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), $300,000,000 are hereby rescinded: Provided, That no amounts may be rescinded from amounts that were designated by the Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

Section 70

769. Of the unobligated balances from prior year appropriations made available under the heading Rural Cooperative Development Grants for Agriculture Innovation Centers authorized by section 6402 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 1632b), as amended, $1,000,000 are hereby rescinded: Provided, That no amounts may be rescinded from amounts that were designated by the Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

Section 71

770. The Secretary of Agriculture may close the Agricultural Research Service Federal laboratory located at 4279 East Mount Hope Road, East Lansing, Michigan once operations have ceased and ongoing research missions are, or will be, relocated to a different facility. With respect to the Agricultural Research Service facility to be closed pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary of Agriculture may convey, with or without consideration, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to any real property, including improvements and equipment thereon, of the facility, to a land grant college or university (as defined in section 1404(13) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103(13)) that previously owned that parcel of real property.

Section 72

771. Section 363 of the Multifamily Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1981 (12 U.S.C. 3702) is amended at paragraph (2)— in subparagraph (D), by striking and; in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following: (F) section 514 or 515 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1484, 1485)..

Section 73

772. For purposes of applying the Federal Food Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), Pacific Snapper is an acceptable market name for each of the following food fishes: Sebastes alutus, Sebastes borealisn, Sebastes ciliatus, Sebastes crameri, Sebastes entomelas, Sebastes flavidus, Sebastes goodei, Sebastes levis, Sebastes melanops, Sebastes miniatus, Sebastes ovalis, Sebastes paucispinis, Sebastes pinniger, Sebastes proriger, Sebastes reedi, Sebastes ruberrimus, Sebastes rufus, and Sebastes serranoides.

Section 74

773. Title I of division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117–328) is amended— in the matter preceding the first proviso under the heading Rural Housing Assistance Grants and the first proviso under the heading Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account by substituting calendar years 2022, 2023, and 2024 for calendar year 2022; and in the first proviso under the heading Rural Community Facilities Program Account by substituting calendar years 2022 and 2024 for calendar year 2022. Amounts repurposed pursuant to this section that were previously designated by the Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to a concurrent resolution on the budget are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

Section 75

774. Section 260 of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1636i) is amended by striking 2024 and inserting 2025. Section 942 of the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999 (7 U.S.C. 1635 note; Public Law 106–78) is amended by striking 2024 and inserting 2025.

Section 76

775. There is hereby appropriated $1,000,000 for the Agricultural Marketing Service to carry out regular testing for the purposes of verifying and validating the methodology and protocols of the inspection of molasses at any United States ports of entry, as directed in the report accompanying this Act: Provided, That the results of such testing shall be shared with U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the purposes of necessary and required enforcement actions and shall be made publicly available upon request.

Section 77

776. The last proviso in the second paragraph under the heading Rural Community Facilities Program Account in division B of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118–42) shall be amended to read as follows: Provided further, That in addition to any other available funds, the Secretary may expend not more than $1,000,000 total, from the program funds made available under this heading for administrative expenses for activities funded under this heading and in section 778(1)..