[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5030 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5030
To amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to direct the
Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program under which the
Secretary will award grants to eligible organizations to encourage the
development, maintenance, and expansion of commercial domestic market
for domestically produced specialty crop commodities.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 22, 2025
Mr. Valadao (for himself, Mr. Harder of California, Ms. Brownley, Mr.
Panetta, Mr. Costa, and Mr. LaMalfa) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to direct the
Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program under which the
Secretary will award grants to eligible organizations to encourage the
development, maintenance, and expansion of commercial domestic market
for domestically produced specialty crop commodities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Specialty Crop Domestic Market
Promotion and Development Program Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. SPECIALTY CROP DOMESTIC MARKET PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM.
Title II of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7
U.S.C. 7712a et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 204. SPECIALTY CROP DOMESTIC MARKET PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--For purposes of encouraging the development,
maintenance, and expansion of the commercial domestic market for
domestically produced specialty crop commodities, the Secretary of
Agriculture, acting through the Administrator of the Agricultural
Marketing Service, shall establish a program under which the Secretary
will award grants to eligible organizations to implement a domestic
market development program for specialty crops.
``(b) Application.--An eligible organization seeking a grant under
this section shall submit to the Secretary--
``(1) an application at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require;
``(2) a marketing plan that meets the requirements of
subsection (c); and
``(3) a certification that any Federal funds received by
such organization under this section will supplement, but not
supplant, funds from non-Federal sources (including a private
entity) to carry out a domestic market development program for
specialty crops.
``(c) Marketing Plan.--
``(1) In general.--A marketing plan submitted under
subsection (b) shall--
``(A) describe the advertising or other demand-
oriented, generic domestic promotion activities to be
carried out by the eligible organization using funds
awarded through a grant under this section; and
``(B) contain--
``(i) a description of the manner in which
funds received by the eligible organization
through a grant under this section, in
conjunction with funds and services provided by
the eligible organization, will be expended in
implementing the marketing plan;
``(ii) the market goals to be achieved
under the marketing plan; and
``(iii) such additional information as may
be required by the Secretary.
``(2) Amendments.--A marketing plan approved under this
section may be amended by the eligible organization submitting
such plan at any time, subject to the approval of the
Secretary.
``(d) Amount of Grant.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall justify, in writing,
the level of funds awarded through a grant to an eligible
organization and the level of matching funds to be required of
the organization.
``(2) Matching funds.--The recipient of a grant under this
section shall provide non-Federal matching funds equal to not
less than 25 percent of the amount of the grant, or such other
amount determined by the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (1).
``(3) In-kind support.--Non-Federal matching funds
described in paragraph (2) may include in-kind support.
``(e) Multiyear Basis.--The Secretary may provide assistance under
this section on a multiyear basis. The Secretary shall conduct an
annual review of any grant awarded on a multiyear basis to ensure that
the eligible organization has complied with the marketing plan
submitted under subsection (c).
``(f) Termination.--The Secretary may terminate any grant made, or
to be made, under this section if the Secretary determines that the
eligible organization receiving such grant--
``(1) is not adhering to the terms and conditions
applicable to the grant;
``(2) is not implementing the marketing plan submitted
under subsection (b) or is not adequately meeting the
established goals of the plan; or
``(3) is not adequately contributing its own resources to
the implementation of the plan.
``(g) Evaluations.--Beginning not later than 15 months after the
first grant is awarded under this section to an eligible organization,
the Secretary shall monitor the expenditures by eligible organizations
made using grant funds, including the following:
``(1) A thorough accounting of such expenditures.
``(2) An evaluation of the effectiveness of the marketing
plan of the eligible organization in developing, maintaining,
or expanding the commercial domestic market for specialty
crops.
``(h) Limitation on Use of Funds.--Funds received through a grant
under this section may not be used--
``(1) to provide direct assistance to any domestic or
foreign for-profit corporation for the corporation's use in
promoting foreign-produced products; or
``(2) to provide direct assistance to any for-profit
corporation that is not recognized as a small business concern
(as described in section 3(a) of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 632(a))), other than--
``(A) a cooperative;
``(B) an association described in the Act of
February 18, 1922 (7 U.S.C. 291); or
``(C) a nonprofit trade association.
``(i) Audits.--If, as a result of an evaluation or audit of
activities of an eligible organization using funds made available
through a grant under this section, the Secretary determines that a
further review is justified in order to ensure compliance with the
requirements of this section, the Secretary shall require the eligible
organization to contract for an independent audit of the activities
carried out using funds awarded under a grant under this section,
including activities of any subcontractor of an eligible organization.
``(j) Eligible Organization Defined.--In this section, the term
`eligible organization' means--
``(1) a United States agricultural trade organization or
regional State-related organization that promotes the sale of
United States produced and grown specialty crops and that does
not profit directly from specific sales of United States
specialty crops;
``(2) a cooperative organization or State agency that
promotes the sale of United States produced and grown specialty
crops;
``(3) a private organization that promotes the sale of
United States produced and grown specialty crop commodities if
the Secretary determines that such organization would
significantly contribute to increased domestic purchases of
United States produced specialty crop commodities; or
``(4) a specialty crop organization operating under Federal
marketing orders.
``(k) Funding.--
``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $75,000,000 for
fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter.
``(2) Administrative expenses.--The Secretary may use funds
made available under paragraph (1) to carry out this section
for a fiscal year for expenses related to administering the
program under this section.''.
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