WASHINGTON, DC – As a member of the Appropriations Committee, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped secure federal funding to deliver food assistance to Michigan communities and support our state’s robust agriculture sector in bipartisan legislation recently signed into law. The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides new, full-year funding for the federal agencies and programs that help Michigan families afford food, improve public health, promote food safety, and help our famers succeed.
“At a time when Michigan’s families are struggling to put food on the table, it’s essential that we are making investments that meet the needs of our communities,” said Senator Peters. “This bill provides funding for the programs Michiganders depend on to feed their families while supporting famers, improving food safety, and strengthening our local food systems.”
The bill includes numerous provisions Peters fought for and secured, including:
Fund Nutrition Assistance & Strengthen Public Health
Supporting Nutrition Assistance: The bill funds critical programs that help meet the nutrition needs of American families across the country. The bill funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which assists millions of Americans every month. Additionally, the bill funds vital nutrition programs aimed at supporting children in school, such as the federal school lunch and breakfast programs, and the Summer EBT program. The funding provided by this bill will support approximately 5 billion lunches and 2.7 billion breakfasts to children across the country.?The bill also funds the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which provides nutrition assistance to millions of women and children nationwide and includes funding to support fruit and vegetable benefits.
Improving Food Safety: The bill provides funding for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a vital agency that helps protect the safety and resiliency of America’s food supply.
Funding to Improve Food Safety: The bill includes funding for the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Human Foods Program, which aims to ensure the food we consume is safe and nutritious, including baby food and infant formula. The bill’s report language addresses FDA’s oversight of baby formula production and will support updated food labeling and consumer guidance. This language lays the groundwork for Peters’ Protect Infant Formula from Contamination Act, which would strengthen FDA’s oversight of infant formula manufacturing and improve the security of our nation’s infant formula supply, ensuring American families have access to safe, affordable formula.
Funding to Protect Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Pets: Peters secured $3 million in funding for the Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grant Program, which provides funding to facilities who harbor survivors of domestic violence, along with their pets, as well as animal shelters that partner with domestic violence service providers. This program was established by Peters’ PAWS Act, which was signed into law in 2018.
Language Requiring the FDA to Develop Monitoring Guidelines for Human Cell and Tissue Products (HCT/P): The bill includes language Peters secured to require the FDA to examine the feasibility of implementing tissue-tracking protocols for HCT/Ps, similar to those required for solid organs and blood products. The bill also requests that the FDA works with other federal agencies to develop routine post HCT/P implant monitoring guidelines similar to current practices for all tissue allograft recipients. This provision builds on Senator Peters’ previous efforts to prevent tuberculosis contaminations in HCT/Ps, including introduction last Congress of the Shandra Eisenga Human Cell and Tissue Products Safety Act,?which would establish an education campaign to prevent tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks from infected HCT/P donations.
Supporting Farmers & Michigan’s Agricultural Sector
Funding for Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS): This bill includes funding for APHIS, which helps farmers combat specialty crop pests. This funding will support Peters’ Spotted Wing Abatement Trust (SWAT) Act, legislation that aims to reduce the spread of, and advance research on, the spotted wing drosophila (SWD). SWD an invasive insect that harms fruit growers and their crops in Michigan and across the country.
Boosting Agricultural Research: The bill includes funding for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which provides funding for key research projects that can contribute to substantial breakthroughs in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences. Investments from NIFA help ensure that farmers, ranchers, and foresters have access to fair and competitive markets, while supporting resilient growing practices that produce nutritious and affordable foods for American families.
Promoting Conservation: The bill includes $850 million in funding for the Natural Resources Conservation Service for technical and financial assistance to farmers and ranchers to support America’s working lands. This includes $50 million for Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations to support locally led water management projects.
Improving Public Infrastructure
Strengthening Dam Infrastructure: The bill includes $3 million for the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Watershed Rehabilitation Program. This program provides technical and financial assistance to communities seeking to extend the service life of aging dam infrastructure and bring dams into compliance with current safety and performance standards.
Rental Assistance in Rural Communities: The bill provides funding for rental assistance for Americans living in rural areas to help expand access to safe and affordable housing options.
Investing in Rural Broadband: This bill includes $109 million for rural broadband grants and loans aimed at the nation’s most hard-to-reach areas.
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