H.R. 6496

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6496 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6496

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program to make 
direct payments to certain specialty crop growers or wine producers who 
experience certain losses due to increased tariff burdens, and for 
other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 5, 2025

Mr. Thompson of California (for himself, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. LaMalfa, and 
Ms. Salinas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program to make 
direct payments to certain specialty crop growers or wine producers who 
experience certain losses due to increased tariff burdens, and for 
other purposes.

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 & Wine Producer 
Tariff Relief Act''.

SEC. 2. USDA ASSISTANCE TO CERTAIN SPECIALTY CROP GROWERS AND WINE 
PRODUCERS; AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE SURPLUS CROPS.

(a) Direct Payment Program.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture 
(hereinafter the ``Secretary'') shall establish a program to 
make direct payments for covered losses, and distribute such 
payments, to the following persons:
(A) Specialty crop growers.
(B) Wine producers.
(2) Administration.--The Secretary shall administer the 
program established under this subsection in a manner 
substantially similar to the Marketing Assistance for Specialty 
Crops program authorized by section 5(e) of the Commodity 
Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714c(e)).
(b) Purchase of Surplus Crops.--The Secretary may purchase surplus 
crops (other than wine grapes) to be distributed for nutrition 
assistance programs.
(c) Reporting.--Beginning not later than 120 days after the date on 
which the Secretary first exercises any authority under subsections (a) 
or (b), and annually thereafter until 2030, the Secretary shall provide 
to Congress a report, organized by crop and region, on--
(1) the direct payments distributed under subsection (a); 
and
(2) any surplus crops purchased under subsection (b).
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are necessary to carry out 
this section for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
(e) Administrative Costs.--Out of any funds made available to carry 
out this section, the Secretary may use not more than 1 percent for 
administrative costs.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered loss.--
(A) In general.--The term ``covered loss'' 
includes--
(i) increased costs related to--
(I) the tenderness and 
perishability of specialty crops;
(II) the need to use specialized 
handling and transport equipment with 
temperature and humidity control;
(III) packaging to prevent damage;
(IV) moving perishables to market 
quickly; and
(V) higher labor costs;
(ii) reduced exports due to an increased 
tariff burden;
(iii) lost export revenue due to decreased 
foreign demand;
(iv) economic loss due to reduced market 
access;
(v) reduced contracts with a foreign buyer; 
and
(vi) cancelled or reduced contracts due to 
reduced foreign demand.
(B) Wine or wine grape producers.--With respect to 
a wine producer or a specialty crop grower who produces 
wine grapes, the term ``covered loss''--
(i) has the meaning given such term under 
paragraph (A); and
(ii) includes lost qualifying export 
revenue for wine.
(2) Increased tariff burden.--The term ``increased tariff 
burden'' means a tariff that was introduced by another country 
on United States products on or after January 20, 2025.
(3) Nutrition programs.--The term ``nutrition programs'' 
includes the following:
(A) The school breakfast program established under 
section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 
1773).
(B) The school lunch program under the Richard B. 
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et 
seq.).
(C) The supplemental nutrition assistance program 
under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 
et seq.).
(D) Any other such programs as determined by the 
Secretary.
(4) Qualifying export revenue.--The term ``qualifying 
export revenue'' means the percentage of lost export revenue 
for wine in an amount equal to the percentage of such wine 
produced in the United States with United States-grown grapes.
(5) Specialty crop.--The term ``specialty crop''--
(A) has the meaning given such term in section 3 of 
the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7 
U.S.C. 1621 note); and
(B) includes wine grapes.
(6) Wine.--The term ``wine'' means the product obtained 
from normal alcoholic fermentation of the juice of sound ripe 
grapes or other agricultural products containing natural or 
added sugar or any such alcoholic beverage to which is added 
grape brand, fruit brandy, or spirits of wine, which is 
distilled from the particular agricultural product or products 
of which the wine is made and other rectified wine products and 
by whatever name and which does not contain more than 15 
percent added flavoring, coloring, and blending material and 
which contains not more than 24 percent of alcohol by volume, 
and includes vermouth and sake, known as Japanese rick wine.
(7) Wine producer.--The term ``wine producer'' means any 
person who--
(A) owns, or has access to, a facility and 
equipment for the conversion of grapes, berries, or 
other fruit into wine;
(B) is engaged in the production of wine for 
commercial sale; and
(C) holds all licenses, permits, or approvals 
required under Federal or State law for the activities 
described under subparagraphs (A) and (B).
<all>