Ag Appropriations Bill gets committee approval

This measure supports U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agriculture, rural communities and cooperative conservation programs. The Senate bill contains $143.8 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding, $24 billion below the President’s budget request and $3.7 billion below the FY2015 enacted level.  The discretionary funding portion of the bill totals $20.51 billion, $65 million below the FY2015 enacted level.  Required mandatory spending in the bill, which is outside the discretionary funding jurisdiction of the Senate Appropriations Committee, totals $123.3 billion.
 
Highlights of the FY2016 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill:
 
Agricultural Research – The bill provides a total of $2.7 billion to support agricultural research conducted by the Agricultural Research Service and land grant and non-land grant universities.  This amount includes $325 million for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, $244 million for Hatch Act formula funding for research at state agriculture experiment stations, and $402 million for Smith-Lever programs to support overall extension service activities.
 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) – The legislation includes $876 million for APHIS, $20 million above the President’s budget request and $5 million above the FY2015 enacted level.  Overall funding will continue programs to control or eradicate plant and animal pests and diseases that threaten U.S. agriculture production.  The increase will help address wildlife damage management issues, establish prevention and early animal disease response methods, provide equipment upgrades for forest product import verification, and improve pre-departure inspections of agriculture imports.
 
Natural Resources Conservation Service – The bill provides $855 million, $8.8 million above the FY2015 enacted level and $24 million over the budget request, to help farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners conserve and protect their land. The bill rejects the President’s budget proposal to reduce conservation technical assistance to landowners and producers.
   
Rural Development – The bill provides $682.7 million for salaries and expenses for Rural Development, a $4.5 million increase above the FY2015 enacted level.  USDA rural development programs are designed to help foster economic growth in rural regions by supporting basic rural infrastructure, rural business and industry loans, and rural housing.
 
International Programs – The legislation contains $1.46 billion for Food for Peace grants, which support the delivery of American-grown food, transported by U.S. ships, to foreign countries experiencing chronic hunger crises.  The McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program is given a $10 million increase for the Local and Regional Food Aid Procurement at the Foreign Agriculture Service.
 

For more: http://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/fy2016-agriculture-appropriations-bill-gets-committee-approval