The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), marked up and approved by voice vote yesterday its version of the fiscal year 2016 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies appropriations.
The bill would provide $20.7 billion in discretionary spending, which would represent a 1-percent reduction from the fiscal year 2015 enacted level, and it is $1.1 billion less than the administration’s budget request. The overall bill totals $143.9 billion.
The bill provides $2.7 billion for agriculture research programs, including the Agricultural Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
The legislation includes $871 million, which is $15 million above the president’s budget request and approximately the same as the fiscal year 2015 enacted level – for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The increase will help address outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, the subcommittee said.
The bill also includes a policy provision delaying the implementation of a new menu labeling regulation by a year, to give restaurants, local supermarkets, grocery stores, and similar retail establishments adequate time to comply with the law.
The legislation includes $1 billion for food safety and inspection programs – approximately the same as the 2015 enacted level.
The Senate Appropriations Committee has not yet acted on its own version of the FY 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill, but consideration could occur soon.
