April 28, 2026

Contents

• What We’re Watching
• Notable News
• This Week’s Legislation
• Upcoming Hearings
• Contact the Team

What We’re Watching

Congress 

Appropriations

Congress is moving forward with their FY 2027 spending bills, while also still working to address FY 2026 funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which is still in a shutdown. 

The House Agriculture-FDA Appropriations Subcommittee marked up and passed their FY 2027 bill (text can be found here, report language can be found here).Overall, the House bill provides $26.27 billion in discretionary funds, which is nearly $400 million less than FY2026 levels. $22.5 billion of that is appropriated toward the Department of Agriculture, and $7.1 billion is appropriated for the FDA. The House will move forward with a full Appropriations Committee markup of the Ag-FDA appropriations bill this week. The Senate Agriculture-FDA Appropriations Subcommittee held their FY 2027 USDA budget hearing last week, featuring Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins as the sole witness. 

Farm Bill

The 2026 Farm Bill is set for a full House floor proceeding, likely this Thursday, though the timing is still fluid with other legislative priorities planned for the floor. 

The House Rules Committee met on Monday to discuss which of the 300+ amendments would be brought to the floor for a vote. After opening statements and multiple different panels to discuss amendments, the Committee adjourned until further notice. The main topics of discussion were around pesticide liability, input costs for farmers, E15, nutrition provisions enacted through HR 1, and other amendments for conservation and rural economic development.  

Hearings

The House Energy and Commerce Committee will be holding a legislative hearing on Thursday, April 29 titled “Healthier America: Legislative Proposals on the Regulation and Oversight of Food.” The hearing agenda lists over three dozen bills around the regulation of food, including the Grocery Reform and Safety (GRAS) Act, the GRAS Oversight and Transparency Act, the FDA Review and Evaluation for Safe, Healthy and Affordable Foods Act of 2026, the Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2026, the Ban Harmful Food Dyes Act, the Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, Milk, and Cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday (DAIRY PRIDE) Act, and others around FDA approvals, infant formula, food additives, and allergens. The full list of bills can be found here.  

Agriculture Committee Member David Scott Passes Away

Congressman David Scott (D-GA-13) passed away on April 22, 2026. He was the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and served on the Committee until he passed. He was in Congress for over 13 terms and focused on issues around Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and underserved farmers. It is unclear when the House Agriculture Committee Democrats will appoint another House member to serve in his role on the Committee. 

Administration

USDA FSIS Reorganization Plan Announced

Last week, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a reorganization of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). USDA will establish a new National Food Safety Center (NFSC) in Urbandale, Iowa, which will be the primary hub for FSIS around support functions, including resource management, training, food safety education, financial operations, information technology and administrative services. The hub is also anticipated to host over 200 employees. Additionally, FSIS will establish a Science Center in Athens, Georgia to build on the Eastern Field Services Laboratory capabilities in microbiology, chemistry, and epidemiology. About 100 positions will remain in Washington, DC to support congressional engagement, policy development, and interagency coordination.  

USDA REE Reorganization Plans Announced

In addition to the FSIS announcement, the USDA Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Mission Area will also be reorganizing and relocating certain positions based in Washington, DC. The majority of Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) staff were relocated to Kansas City, MO during the first Trump administration and this week’s announcement reemphasized that those staff would need to be based in Kansas City. Also, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will be relocating some positions to St. Louis, MO, or other NASS offices. Finally, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will begin decommissioning the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) and relocating research programs to facilities across the country. 

USDA to Expand Acreage Surveys

In an effort to modernize and streamline farmer surveys and respond to concerns regarding the accuracy of data, USDA is expanding the sample size for certain surveys. For the June acreage survey, USDA has proposed increasing the sample size by approximately 35%, and then subsequently will increase survey sizes by 10%.  

CBP Moves Ahead on Tariff Refunds

The U.S.  Customs and Border Protection issued an update on their new tariff refund process with respect to duties collected related to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). CBP has developed the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE), a new automated functionality in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) that will streamline and consolidate refunds and interest payments for entries subject to the IEEPA duties, rather than issuing entry-by-entry refunds. CAPE Phase I opened on April 20 at 8:00 AM EDT. In order to engage in the refund process, Importers of Record and authorized Customs brokers will need to have an established ACE Secure Data Portal account and provide CBP with bank account information and submit their CAPE Declarations in the ACE Portal. 

Notable News

• Canada’s prime minister says the US does not get to dictate terms for a trade agreement – Associated Press
• Grocery inflation picks up as fuel, fertilizer costs rise due to Iran war – Wisconsin State Farmer
• Opinion: Farmer-led research is good for the planet – AgriPulse
• Bipartisan Group of House Lawmakers Push to Remove Pesticide Shield from Farm Bill – Civil Eats
• Would You Want to Be a Farmer? – New York Times
• The AI boom’s hidden cost: a bigger trade deficit – Axios
• Rep. Scott, first Black person to chair Agriculture Committee, has died – MS Now
• This fast-food chain just hired a ‘Chief MAHA Officer’ – Fast Company 

This Week’s Legislation

• Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Zoe Lofgren (D-FL), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act, to support migration patterns and establish a National Wildlife Corridor System.
• Reps. Greg Landsman (D-OH) and Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) introduced the Family Farm Transition Act to create a federal pilot program connecting retiring or transitioning farmers with beginning farmers looking for land. 
• Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL) introduced the Homegrown Fertilizer Act to boost domestic fertilizer production and storage, lower costs for farmers, and reduce reliance on unstable global supply chains.
• Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) introduced the Healthy Obtainable Tasty (HOT) Rotisserie Chicken Act to allow for the purchase of hot rotisserie chicken with SNAP benefits. 
• Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL and Jerry Moran (R-KS) introduced the America Grows Act to restore and promote publicly funded agriculture research at USDA 

Upcoming Hearings

Monday, April 27 

• 1:00 PM: The House Rules Committee will meet on the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. 
• 4:00 PM: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies will hold a Budget Hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency 

Tuesday, April 28 

• 9:00 AM: The House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Environment will hold a hearing to Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• 10:00 AM: The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment will hold a budget hearing on the FY 2027 Environmental Protection Agency Budget. 

Wednesday, April 29 

• 9:30 AM: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing to examine the President’s proposed budget request for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of the Interior.
• 10:00 AM: The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold an oversight hearing titled “Powering the 21st Century with American Copper.”
• 10:00 AM: House Appropriations Committee will hold a Markup on Fiscal Year 2027 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, Related Agencies Bill
• 2:00 PM: The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a legislative hearing on H.R. 7287, H.R. 7331, H.R. 7515 and H.R. 8259.
• 2:00 PM: The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a legislative hearing titled “Healthier America: Legislative Proposals on the Regulation and Oversight of Food.”
• 2:30 PM: The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold a hearing to Examine the President’s proposed budget request for fiscal year 2027 for the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Thursday, April 30  

• 10:30 AM: Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Hearing to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the U.S. Forest Service 

Contact the Team

Feel free to contact Michael Torrey, Tara Smith, Cassandra Kuball, Barbara Patterson, Katie Naessens, Julie McClure, Nona McCoy, Danielle Nelson, Ashley Smith, Olivia Lucanie, Caroline Sowinski, Eden Lambert, Tracy Boyle, or Grace Walker with any questions or comments.

Food and agricultural organizations that need the right results in Washington, D.C. can trust Torrey Advisory Group to put its relationships, reputation, and expertise to work on your issue. Since 2005, the firm has successfully provided legislative and regulatory guidance, issues management, and association management services to a wide variety of clients. Learn more about us at torreydc.com.