Selected Horticultural Provisions in FY2025 Budget Reconciliation (P.L. 119-21, Title I)

In July 2025, Congress enacted H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21), providing for FY2025 budget reconciliation. Title 1 (Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry) of P.L. 119-21 makes changes to nutrition assistance, farm support, conservation, horticulture, and other agricultural programs typically authorized and funded through omnibus farm bills. As enacted, Title I of P.L. 119-21 extends funding beyond FY2025 for several existing—but not all—horticultural programs in the farm bill. The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 farm bill; P.L. 115-334) expired in 2023 and has been extended twice to continue to fund most farm bill programs and policies in FY2024 (P.L. 118-22, Division B, §102) and in FY2025 (P.L. 118-158, Division D, §4101). In the 118th Congress, the House Committee on Agriculture ordered H.R. 8467 to be reported, which did not advance to the floor. The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry’s chair introduced S. 5335, but the bill was not considered by the committee. Neither committee has introduced a farm bill in the 119th Congress. P.L. 119-21 reduces the budget baseline in the farm bill by a net $120 billion over 10 years (FY2025-FY2034), according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score. This net change includes reductions to nutrition assistance programs (primarily to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and net increases to the farm safety net and other agricultural programs. Increases for agricultural programs include increased funding for horticultural programs and extended funding for certain horticultural programs without a budget baseline that are assumed to be unfunded. The farm bill’s horticulture title covers a range of programs and policies administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting the specialty crop, certified organic, and locally sourced food sectors, among others. The horticulture section of P.L. 119-21 (§10606) includes a CBO-reported total increase of $334 million over 10 years (FY2025-FY2034) in spending for programs supporting specialty crops and USDA-certified organic agriculture. Other provisions in Title I of P.L. 119-21 could further benefit horticultural crops, such as increased spending for specialty crop and urban agriculture research (§10604) and emergency citrus disease research (§10607). P.L. 119-21 also changes adjusted gross income (AGI) requirements for certain disaster assistance and conservation programs (§10308), which could allow for increased participation from some horticultural operations with average AGIs greater than $900,000 annually. Increased spending for export promotion (§10602) and changes to federal crop insurance (§10503) also could benefit the specialty crop sector through expanded markets and disaster assistance protection. P.L. 119-21 does not include funding that is scheduled to expire at the end of FY2025 for certain farm bill programs that benefit horticultural crops. These include programs and related policies contained in the farm bill’s horticulture, research, nutrition, and trade titles. Farm bill proposals in the 118th Congress, H.R. 8467 and S. 5335, contained provisions that would have increased spending across a range of programs as well as extended USDA’s authority to continue to operate these programs. P.L. 119-21 provides funding for certain programs, but some of these programs could require additional congressional action to extend the authority for them to operate. For these programs, P.L. 119-21 does not extend program authority and some could expire if not reauthorized, despite having baseline funding. Following are two lists of horticultural programs in P.L. 119-21. The first shows programs that receive increased mandatory funding from USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation, and the second shows programs without a budget baseline beyond the original expiration of the 2018 farm bill that receive extended mandatory funding. Increased Program Funding Title I of P.L. 119-21 increased funding for horticultural programs, including Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program (P.L. 110-246, §§10201-10202; 7 U.S.C. §7721). Increases annual funding to $90 million (FY2026-FY2035), up from $75 million (§10606(a)). Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (P.L. 108-465, §101(l)(1); 7 U.S.C. §1621 note). Increases annual funding to $100 million (FY2026-FY2035), up from $85 million (§10606(b)). Specialty Crop Research Initiative (P.L. 110-246, §7311; 7 U.S.C. §7632). Increases annual funding to $175 million (FY2026-FY2035), up from $80 million (§10604(e)). P.L. 119-21 (§10602) also creates a new Supplemental Agricultural Trade Promotion Program, providing $285 million for FY2027 and “each fiscal year thereafter,” supporting all agricultural export commodities (total increased spending of $2.2 billion, according to CBO). Exporters of U.S. horticultural crops benefit from most USDA trade-related programs. Funding Programs Without Baseline P.L. 119-21 provides funding for horticultural programs without a budget baseline assumed to be unfunded, despite having received mandatory budget authority in the farm bill. P.L. 119-21 extends funding for the following programs at current authorized or at increased levels: Organic Production and Market Data Initiative (P.L. 107-171, §7407; 7 U.S.C. §5925c). Provides $10 million for FY2026-FY2031 to remain available until expended (TRAUE). Funding reflects an increase compared to 2018 farm bill authorized spending of $1 million annually (§10606(c)). Organic Certification, and Trade Tracking and Data Collection (P.L. 101-624, §2123; 7 U.S.C. §6522(c)). Provides $1 million for FY2024-FY2025 and $5 million for FY2026. This reflects similar funding levels in the 2018 farm bill that provided $5 million in FY2019 (§10606(d)). National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (P.L. 107-171, §10606; 7 U.S.C. §6523). Provides $8 million annually through FY2031 TRAUE, the same as 2018 farm bill levels (§10606(e)). Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust Fund (P.L. 115-334, §12605; 7 U.S.C. §7632 note). Provides $25 million annually through FY2031 TRAUE, the same as 2018 farm bill levels (§10607(f)). Multiple Crop and Pesticide Use Survey (P.L. 115-334, §10109; not codified). Provides $5 million for FY2026 TRAUE. Funding reflects an increase in current authorized spending of $500,000 for FY2019 TRAUE (§10606(f)). Urban, Indoor, and Other Emerging Agricultural Production Research, Education, and Extension Initiative (P.L. 115-334, §7212; 7 U.S.C. §5925g). Provides $2 million annually (FY2024-FY2031), the same as 2018 farm bill levels (§10604(a)).