One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, House-Passed Version): Selected Horticultural Provisions (Title I, Subtitle B)

One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, House-Passed Version): Selected Horticultural Provisions (Title I, Subtitle B)

One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, House-Passed Version): Selected Horticultural Provisions (Title I, Subtitle B)

June 6, 2025 (IN12559)

On May 22, 2025, the House passed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, providing for budget reconciliation pursuant to H.Con.Res. 14, the budget resolution for FY2025. Title 1 (House Committee on Agriculture) of H.R. 1 would make changes to nutrition assistance, farm support, conservation, and other programs typically authorized and funded through omnibus farm bills. 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.

The budget reconciliation process allows Congress to develop and consider certain legislation affecting direct spending, revenues, and/or the debt limit using expedited procedures. H.Con.Res. 14 included a reconciliation directive to the House Committee on Agriculture to develop and submit changes in laws within its jurisdiction. In total, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), these provisions would reduce the deficit by $238.1 billion from FY2025 to FY2034.

Estimated cost savings in H.R. 1 would offset increased spending for selected programs in the 2018 farm bill's horticulture title. The farm bill's horticultural 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 H.R. 1 (§10107) includes a CBO-reported total increase of $332 million (FY2025-FY2034) in spending for programs supporting specialty crops and USDA-certified organic agriculture. Other H.R. 1 sections could further benefit horticultural crops, such as increased spending for specialty crop and urban agriculture research (§10104) and emergency citrus disease research (§10108). H.R. 1 would change adjusted gross income (AGI) requirements for certain disaster assistance and conservation programs (§10101(h)), which could allow for increased participation from some horticultural operations with average AGIs greater than $900,000 annually. Increased spending for export promotion (§10103) and changes to federal crop insurance (§10101(u)(11)) also could benefit the specialty crop sector through expanded markets and disaster assistance protection.

Other programs that benefit horticultural crops not included in H.R. 1 are scheduled to expire at the end of FY2025. These include programs and related policies contained in the farm bill's horticulture, research, nutrition, trade, and crop insurance 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. H.R. 1 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, H.R. 1 does not extend program authority and some could expire if not reauthorized, despite having baseline funding.

Following are two lists of horticultural programs in H.R. 1. The first shows programs that would 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 had received mandatory funding but are currently assumed to be unfunded.

Increased Program Funding

Horticultural programs in H.R. 1 that would receive increased funding include the following:

Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program (P.L. 110-246, §§10201-10202; 7 U.S.C. §7721): H.R. 1 would increase annual funding to $90 million (FY2026-FY2035), up from $75 million (§10107(a)).

Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (P.L. 108-465, §101(l)(1); 7 U.S.C. §1621 note): H.R. 1 would increase annual funding to $100 million (FY2026-FY2035), up from $85 million (§10107(b)).

Specialty Crop Research Initiative (P.L. 110-246, §7311; 7 U.S.C. §7632): H.R. 1 would increase annual funding to $175 million (FY2026-FY2035), up from $80 million (§10104(e)).

H.R. 1 (§10103) also would create 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

Currently, there are horticultural programs without a budget baseline assumed to be unfunded, despite having received mandatory budget authority in the farm bill. H.R. 1 would provide funding for these programs at current authorized or at increased levels. Programs include the following:

Organic Production and Market Data Initiative (P.L. 107-171, §7407; 7 U.S.C. §5925c): H.R. 1 would provide $10 million for FY2026-FY2031 to remain available until expended (TRAUE). Proposed funding reflects an increase compared to 2018 farm bill authorized spending of $1 million annually (§10107(c)).

Organic Certification, and Trade Tracking and Data Collection (P.L. 101-624, §2123; 7 U.S.C. §6522(c)): H.R. 1 would provide $1 million for FY2025 and $5 million for FY2026. This reflects similar funding levels in the 2018 farm bill that provided $5 million in FY2019 (§10107(d)).

National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (P.L. 107-171, §10606; 7 U.S.C. §6523): H.R. 1 would provide $8 million annually through FY2031 TRAUE, the same as 2018 farm bill levels (§10107(e)).

Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust Fund (P.L. 115-334, §12605; 7 U.S.C. §7632 note): H.R. 1 would provide $25 million annually through FY2031 TRAUE, the same as 2018 farm bill levels (§10108(c)(4)).

Multiple Crop and Pesticide Use Survey (P.L. 115-334, §10109; not codified): H.R. 1 would provide $5 million for FY2026 TRAUE. Funding reflects an increase in current authorized spending of $100,000 annually (§10107(f)).

Urban, Indoor, and Other Emerging Agricultural Production Research, Education, and Extension Initiative (P.L. 115-334, §7212; 7 U.S.C. §5925g): H.R. 1 would provide $2 million annually (FY2024-FY2031), the same as 2018 farm bill levels (§10104(a)).