Bill · S. 4654· Senate(119-S-4654)
Expanding Market Access Act
- Introduced
- 6/2/2026
- Last activity
- 6/2/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Sponsored by
- Adam Schiff
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill amends the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 to expand agricultural market access and modify agricultural trade promotion programs. It requires the Secretary to provide technical assistance and infrastructure improvements in foreign markets to prevent damage or loss of United States agricultural commodities. The legislation mandates a biennial report detailing the competitiveness of United States specialty crops, including foreign trade barriers and food safety regulations. It modifies and extends funding amounts for the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program through fiscal year 2031. Finally, the bill repeals certain older provisions of law related to agricultural trade.
Yes· 3 of 13
Would farmers be better off under this?+6
Farmers and specialty crop producers gain significant financial support and expanded access to foreign markets.
Does this make trade with other countries easier?+6
The legislation explicitly expands agricultural market access and modifies trade promotion programs to boost U.S. exports.
Would business owners be better off under this?+4
Agricultural business owners and specialty crop producers benefit directly from increased export promotion and reduced trade barriers.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-2
The legislation authorizes significant funding increases through the Commodity Credit Corporation for agricultural trade promotion.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Section 2(a) requires the Secretary to enter into contracts or agreements to provide needs assessments, training, and technical assistance to enhance foreign market infrastructure. This is positive because it helps ensure that United States agricultural commodities are not damaged or lost due to deficiencies in foreign cold chain capacity and port improvements.
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Section 2(b) mandates a biennial report on the competitiveness of United States specialty crops submitted to appropriate congressional committees and made available to the public in a machine-readable format. This is a positive step for accountability because it identifies foreign tariffs, nontariff barriers, and differences in food safety regulations that pose risks to United States consumers.
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Section 2(c) increases and extends funding amounts through the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out agricultural trade promotion and facilitation. This provides stable funding levels ranging from $255,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 up to $533,000,000 for fiscal years 2028 through 2031.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Section 2(a)(4)(B) sets financial limitations on technical assistance, specifying that not more than $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2027 and not more than $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2028 and thereafter may be used for foreign infrastructure improvements. This could be viewed as a negative burden if these capped amounts prove insufficient to fully protect United States agricultural commodities from being damaged or lost in developing foreign markets.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Farmers+6Good For Business Owners+4Good For Rural Residents+4
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+4Improves Consumer Protection+3Improves Economic Growth+2Increases Job Creation+2Reduces Government Spending-2
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves International Trade+6Improves Diplomatic Engagement+2
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+3Improves Interstate Commerce+2Increases Federal Power+1
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+4
- 6/11/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/2/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat · Michigan