Bill > S2131

This bill makes appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024. * **Child Nutrition Programs:** $1,573,666,000 is allocated for Child Nutrition Programs, including Entitlement Commodities, State Option Contracts, Removal of Defective Commodities, and Administration of Section 32 Commodity Purchases. Unobligated balances from this appropriation can carry over to fiscal year 2025 for specific purposes, with certain limitations and notification requirements. * **Pilot Program for Veteran Farming and Ranching:** $3,000,000 is appropriated to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture for grants to non-profit organizations to establish and enhance farming and ranching opportunities for military veterans. These funds remain available until September 30, 2025. * **Pilot Program for RHS Multi-Family Housing:** $2,000,000 is appropriated to provide grants to non-profit organizations and public housing authorities to assist with the acquisition of Rural Housing Service (RHS) multi-family housing properties in areas at risk of losing affordable housing. These funds remain available until expended. * **Bison Production and Marketing Grant Program:** $3,000,000 is appropriated to establish and maintain a Bison Production and Marketing Grant Program, similar to the Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program. These funds remain available until September 30, 2025. * **Working Capital Fund:** Unobligated discretionary funds from the Department of Agriculture can be transferred to the Working Capital Fund for IT services, cloud adoption, and other support systems, with prior approval from agency administrators and Congressional notification for certain expenditures. * **Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account:** Up to 0.25 percent of funds appropriated for this account may be retained for management and oversight of domestic iron and steel product requirements for construction projects. * **Institute for Rural Partnerships:** An additional $9,000,000 is appropriated to continue the Institute for Rural Partnerships, focusing on research into rural challenges and developing community partnerships. These funds remain available until expended. The bill also includes various provisions regarding the use of funds, such as restrictions on first-class travel, requirements for blocking pornography on computer networks, and limitations on the use of funds for lobbying Congress. It also outlines specific conditions for reprogramming funds and requires notification to Congressional committees for certain financial actions. Additionally, several sections detail the cancellation of unobligated balances from various rural development and housing programs.