Specialty Crop Domestic Market Promotion and Development Program Act of 2025
In Committee
Introduced:Aug 26, 2025
Primary Sponsor
David G. Valadao
Representative
Republican
CA-22
Cosponsors
6
Quick Stats
Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Summary
This bill allows states to receive cash from the federal government instead of physical food products through the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). States can then use that cash to directly purchase agricultural commodities from private suppliers to distribute to people in need.
Latest Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill allows states to receive cash from the federal government instead of physical food products through the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). States can then use that cash to directly purchase agricultural commodities from private suppliers to distribute to people in need.
Last updated: 12/30/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p>This bill allows a state to receive cash funds under The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to directly purchase agricultural commodities through the private commercial marketplace.</p><p>TEFAP is a federal program that helps supplement the diets of people with low income by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost. Through TEFAP, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchases a variety of commodities and makes those food products (e.g., canned, frozen, dried, and fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, meat, dairy, and whole-grain and enriched grain products) available to state distributing agencies.</p><p>Specifically, the bill allows an eligible state agency to elect to receive as cash the dollar amount used by USDA to purchase the commodities to distribute to the state.</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
States can choose to receive cash rather than physical food products through TEFAP
The cash can be used by states to purchase agricultural commodities directly from private suppliers
This gives states more flexibility in how they provide emergency food assistance to people in need
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
If this bill becomes law, states would have more control over the types of agricultural products they provide through TEFAP, allowing them to better meet the needs of their local communities. It could benefit both farmers who sell their products directly to states, as well as low-income individuals who receive the emergency food assistance.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Related Subjects
Alaska
American Samoa
Food assistance and relief
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Guam
Hawaii
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Northern Mariana Islands
Nutrition and diet
+5 more
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
5059, 119th Congress (2025). "Specialty Crop Domestic Market Promotion and Development Program Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-5059
