Modernizing Rural Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Utilization Act of 2025
In Committee
Introduced:Sep 8, 2025
Primary Sponsor
Don Bacon
Representative
Republican
NE-2
Cosponsors
4
Quick Stats
Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Summary
This bill would provide increased funding for USDA research programs that support specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, and nuts. It would boost funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and reauthorize the IR-4 Project, which helps get pesticides approved for use on these types of crops.
Latest Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill would provide increased funding for USDA research programs that support specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, and nuts. It would boost funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and reauthorize the IR-4 Project, which helps get pesticides approved for use on these types of crops.
Last updated: 12/30/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Specialty Crop Research Act of 2023</strong></p><p>This bill reauthorizes and provides funding for Department of Agriculture (USDA) research programs for specialty crops (i.e., fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, including floriculture).</p><p>Specifically, the bill increases FY2024-FY2028 funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension activities that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food production systems.</p><p>The bill also reauthorizes and provides funding through FY2028 for the Inter-Regional Research Project Number 4 (IR-4 Project). The IR-4 Project conducts the research necessary for obtaining registrations of pest control agents for minor agricultural use and for use on specialty crops. USDA carries out the program in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency, state agricultural experiment stations, colleges and universities, extension services, private industry, and others. </p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Increases funding from FY2024-FY2028 for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, which supports research and extension activities on key challenges facing the specialty crop industry
Reauthorizes and provides funding through FY2028 for the IR-4 Project, which conducts the necessary research to obtain pesticide registrations for minor agricultural uses and specialty crops
The increased funding aims to address critical needs and sustain all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic production systems
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
This bill would have a direct impact on specialty crop farmers, producers, and researchers across the country. The additional federal funding for research and development would help improve crop yields, manage pests and diseases, and develop new technologies to support the specialty crop industry. Consumers would also benefit from the potential improvements in quality, availability, and affordability of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other specialty crops.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Related Subjects
Agricultural research
Fruit and vegetables
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
5199, 119th Congress (2025). "Modernizing Rural Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Utilization Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-5199
