Community colleges and 2-year public college consortiums could compete for federal grants of up to $20 million per year from 2027 through 2031 to build and maintain agriculture and natural resources programs. Funds can cover equipment purchases, faculty development, apprenticeships, and coursework in farm business management, accounting, and finance. Priority goes to schools that partner with local agriculture employers to give students hands-on training opportunities. The Secretary of Agriculture must evaluate the program and report to Congress within three years of enactment.
Average Household Impact
- grant-funded agricultural workforce training at 2-year colleges serving lower-income students
Congressional Summary
Community College Agriculture Advancement Act of 2026This bill allows the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make competitive grants to assist eligible entities (i.e., a junior or community college, or a consortium or alliance of two-year public colleges, supporting agriculture advancement) in maintaining and expanding their capacity to conduct workforce training, education, research, and outreach activities related to agriculture and similar disciplinesIn awarding grants, USDA must give priority to entities coordinating with a local agriculture industry operator to provide experiential training and other opportunities for students.Grant funds may be used to expand and maintain the capacity of the eligible entity, including through the purchase or other acquisition of equipment and other infrastructure, the professional growth and development of faculty, and the development of apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities.An eligible entity may submit to USDA an application for designation and funding as a Center of Excellence for Agriculture Advancement. Funding received as a result of such a designation must be used to demonstrate agriculture best practices and to provide leadership in capacity building at a regional or national level.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2026-06-10
- Date Added
- 2026-06-24
- Source
- Congress.gov →
Like reading a bill in plain English?
We're building an app that does this for every bill in Congress and lets you tell your reps how you want them to vote. We're a small team getting ready to launch, and we're trying to show investors that real people want this. Be one of them. Help us get it built. Leave your email and we'll tell you the moment the app is ready.