House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees are working on fiscal year 2021 funding bills. Highlights from the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Bill include:
- $3.3 billion for agricultural research programs, with $1.51 billion for the Agricultural Research Service and $1.54 billion for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
- $1.06 billion for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and $1.07 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
- $1.43 billion for the Farm Service Agency, which is an increase of $20 million over FY20 enacted levels.
- $832 million for Natural Resources Conservation Service.
- $400 million for the ReConnect Broadband Pilot Program. The House-passed FY21 funding bill included $990 million for the ReConnect Program.
While the new fiscal year began on October 1, a continuing resolution has kept the government funded since that time. The current continuing resolution is set to expire on December 11.
