H.R. 8424

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8424 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8424

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to streamline applications from 
farmers to be vendors under certain nutrition programs, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 21, 2026

Ms. Scholten (for herself and Mr. Valadao) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in 
addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to streamline applications from 
farmers to be vendors under certain nutrition programs, 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 ``Promoting Access to Local 
Agriculture Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. STREAMLINING APPLICATIONS FOR FARMERS.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered nutrition program.--The term ``covered 
nutrition program'' means--
(A) the supplemental nutrition assistance program 
established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);
(B) the senior farmers' market nutrition program 
established under section 4402 of the Farm Security and 
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3007);
(C) the special supplemental nutrition program for 
women, infants, and children established by section 17 
of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), 
including the farmers' market nutrition program under 
that program; and
(D) the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program 
established under section 4405 of the Food, 
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 7517), 
as practicable with respect to the activities carried 
out by the Secretary under subsections (b) and (c).
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
of Agriculture.
(b) Streamlined Application Process.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a 
streamlined application process--
(A) for direct marketing farmers and ranchers to 
apply to be vendors under each of the covered nutrition 
programs; and
(B) by--
(i) developing a single application that a 
direct marketing farmer or rancher may use to 
apply to each of the covered nutrition 
programs; or
(ii) developing an information sharing 
system that--
(I) shares the information of a 
direct marketing farmer or rancher who 
is approved as an authorized vendor 
under a covered nutrition program with 
each of the other covered nutrition 
programs; and
(II) deems that direct marketing 
farmer or rancher as a prequalified 
eligible vendor for those other covered 
nutrition programs.
(2) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate 
and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
Representatives a report describing progress made in carrying 
out paragraph (1).
(c) Streamlined Processing of Benefits.--The Secretary shall 
establish a streamlined process for direct marketing farmers and 
ranchers that are vendors under any of the covered nutrition programs 
to process benefits under those programs through the use of 
standardized technology, such as a single piece of equipment or a 
mobile application.

SEC. 3. SUPPORT FOR WIRELESS AND MOBILE EQUIPMENT FOR CERTAIN ENTITIES.

Section 7(f)(2) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
2016(f)(2)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D); 
and
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
``(C) Requirement.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
equipment or systems made available to entities 
described in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (B) 
by a State agency or an implementing partner of a State 
agency is appropriate for the entity, including, with 
respect to farmers markets and other direct-to-consumer 
markets, wireless or mobile processing equipment and 
technology systems.''.
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