Why It Matters
Rural development programs under the 2018 farm bill are operating on their third consecutive one-year extension, now running through fiscal 2026, while Congress weighs competing proposals to reauthorize them, according to a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. The most recent extension came through H.R. 5371, sponsored by Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK-4), which became P.L. 119-37 on Nov. 12, 2025.
The Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program received $41 million in fiscal 2026 appropriations, 50% of its $82 million annual authorization. The Emergency Community Water Assistance Program received $7 million, just 14% of its $50 million annual authorization.
The Big Picture
The rural development title has appeared in every omnibus farm bill since 1973, making the current reauthorization debate part of a more than 50-year legislative series. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, P.L. 115-334, originally authorized many of these programs through fiscal 2023, meaning they have run on extensions for at least three fiscal years.
Two competing proposals would reshape those programs. The House-passed H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, sponsored by Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15), would amend and reauthorize existing rural development programs and create new ones. The Senate committee-reported S. 5526, the Agricultural Act of 2026, was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar on Sept. 24.
The bills diverge sharply on a proposed new meat processing grant program: H.R. 7567 would authorize $3 million annually through fiscal 2031, while S. 5526 would authorize $25 million annually for the same period.
Both bills would expand rural health care prioritization in programs such as the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program and the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program, with H.R. 7567 covering behavioral, maternal, and mental health projects and S. 5526 covering substance use disorder, mental health, and behavioral health projects.
Congress directed USDA to address food-supply-chain disruptions through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2, providing $4 billion for programs including the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program and the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program. The report notes the proposed meat processing grant program could bring processing to more remote rural locations but may in some cases duplicate existing rural development business programs.
The Bottom Line
H.R. 7567 passed the House on April 30 and was received in the Senate on May 19, with no further Senate action on record. S. 5526 was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar on Sept. 24 and has seen no further action since. If the Senate does not act before the fiscal 2026 extensions lapse, Congress would need to pass another extension or allow program authorities to expire.
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