USDA would be directed to streamline the application process for direct-marketing farmers and ranchers seeking to be vendors under four nutrition programs: SNAP, the senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, and the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program — under a bill from Reps. Scholten and Valadao. USDA would either develop a single shared application or an information-sharing system that prequalifies a vendor approved in one program for the others. The bill also requires USDA to standardize the technology used to process benefits — single equipment or a mobile app — and ensures small farmers' markets have access to wireless and mobile processing equipment, lowering the barrier for small producers to accept federal nutrition benefits.
Average Household Impact
- Farmers' market access to nutrition-program benefits — streamlined via single application or vendor-prequalification across SNAP, WIC, and senior FMNP
Congressional Summary
Promoting Access to Local Agriculture Act of 2026This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a streamlined process for farmers and ranchers to provide benefits under certain federal nutrition programs. These programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP); the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP).Specifically, USDA must establish a streamlined application process for farmers and ranchers to apply to be vendors under the nutrition programs, including by developing a single application for the programs or an information sharing system. USDA must also develop a streamlined process for these vendors to use standardized technology to process program benefits (such as a single piece of equipment or a mobile application).Further, USDA must ensure that the program benefit processing equipment and systems made available by a state agency are appropriate for the entity. For example, this includes ensuring wireless or mobile processing equipment and technology systems are appropriate for farmers markets and other direct-to-consumer markets.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-04-21
- Date Added
- 2026-05-07
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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