Letter
Dear Chairman Boozman and Ranking Member Klobuchar:
On behalf of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), we support the Agricultural Act of 2026 and encourage you to advance it out of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry in a bipartisan manner.
NASDA is a nonpartisan organization representing the unified voice of the commissioners, secretaries, and directors of the state departments of agriculture in all 50 states and four U.S. territories. Our members serve as co-regulators with the federal agencies and are strong advocates for American agriculture.
The Agricultural Act of 2026 provides for the much-needed modernization of key programs that support farmers, ranchers, and rural communities across the country. U.S. agriculture is facing significant economic headwinds, which is compounded by the lack of a full five-year reauthorization of a Farm Bill since 2018. NASDA supported the bipartisan passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 in the U.S. House in April and urges the Committee to build on that progress by advancing the Agricultural Act of 2026 to a floor vote.
The Agricultural Act of 2026 addresses many key priorities for U.S. agriculture, including, but not limited to:
• Allowing the nationwide, year-round sale of E15 fuels (Sec. 12501)
• Bolstering our nation’s agricultural research system (Secs. 7101-7515)
• Increasing support for state-led rural mental health resources (Sec. 7412)
• Reinvesting in proven trade promotion programs (Sec. 3204)
• Providing greater regulatory certainty for crop protection tools and innovative crop inputs (Secs. 10201-10211)
• Supporting foreign animal disease surveillance and response efforts (Sec. 12102)
• Providing additional domestic marketing opportunities for U.S. producers (Sec. 4306)
• Allowing for expedited approval of innovative livestock feed additives (Sec. 12607)
We appreciate your consideration of our request and look forward to working with members of the committee as they advance this critical piece of legislation.
Sincerely,
Ted McKinney
Chief Executive Officer
NASDA
CC:
The Honorable Mitch McConnell, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable John Hoeven, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Joni Ernst, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Cindy Hyde-Smith, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Roger Marshall, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Tommy Tuberville, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable James Justice, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Charles Grassley, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable John Thune, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Deb Fischer, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Jerry Moran, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Michael Bennet, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Tina Smith, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Richard Durbin, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Cory Booker, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Ben Ray Luján, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Raphael Warnock, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Peter Welch, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable John Fetterman, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Adam Schiff, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
The Honorable Elissa Slotkin, Senate Agriculture Committee Member
