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H.R. 9884House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

CHILE Act of 2026

Sponsored by Gabe VasquezRep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM)
Introduced July 22, 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated July 30, 2026 at 3:21 AM UTC

The Cultivating Horticultural Innovation in Local Economies Act of 2026 (the CHILE Act) amends the 1996 Farm Bill to create a federal program that can quickly provide financial help to producers of specialty crops when they suffer losses from events like market disruptions or economic crises. It establishes how assistance is calculated, sets rules to reflect the higher value and costs of specialty crops, limits how much any producer can receive, and earmarks $5 billion for the first year of the program.

Key Provisions

  • Adds a new Section 197 to the 1996 Farm Bill creating a “specialty crop emergency assistance framework” that the USDA Secretary must set up to give direct aid to specialty‑crop producers when an adverse event (like a market disruption or economic crisis) hurts production.
  • Defines “specialty crop” by reference to the 2004 Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act.
  • Payments are calculated by multiplying a producer’s prior‑year (or average prior‑year) specialty‑crop sales by a payment factor the Secretary determines, subject to available funds.
  • When deciding aid, the Secretary must consider the higher market value of specialty crops, their higher input costs, and the varied business structures of producers.
  • Sets payment limits: generally, a producer’s total assistance can’t exceed the cap used for other commodities under the Food Security Act, but farms where at least 75 % of income comes from farming can receive at least $900,000, with the exact maximum set by the Secretary.
  • Applies existing eligibility, notification, and denial rules from the Food Security Act to specialty‑crop producers.
  • Appropriates $5 billion for FY 2027 (available until spent) to fund the new assistance program.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

July 22, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

July 22, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

July 22, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued July 22, 2026

I

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 9884

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 22, 2026

Mr. Vasquez (for himself and Mr. Gray) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To amend the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to establish a specialty crop emergency assistance framework, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Cultivating Horticultural Innovation in Local Economies Act of 2026 or the CHILE Act of 2026.

2.

Specialty crop emergency assistance framework

(a)

In general

The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 is amended by inserting after section 196 (7 U.S.C. 7333) the following:

197.

Specialty crop emergency assistance framework

(a)

Definition of specialty crop

In this section, the term specialty crop has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. 1621 note; Public Law 108–465).

(b)

Framework

The Secretary shall establish a framework to provide direct assistance to producers of specialty crops the production of which is impacted by an adverse event (including an economic crisis or market disruption), as determined by the Secretary, in accordance with this section.

(c)

Payment calculation

In determining a payment calculation for purposes of direct assistance to a producer of specialty crops under subsection (b), the Secretary shall calculate payments based on the product obtained by multiplying—

(1)

the producer’s sales of specialty crops for a calendar year that precedes the year in which the adverse event described in that subsection occurred or the average of those sales over a set of consecutive calendar years that precedes the year in which that adverse event occurred, as determined by the Secretary; by

(2)

a payment factor the Secretary determines, subject to the availability of funds, to address losses of those specialty crops from that adverse event.

(d)

Special rules

Subject to subsection (e), in providing direct assistance pursuant to this section, the Secretary shall consider—

(1)

the higher value of specialty crops relative to other crops;

(2)

the greater input costs required to grow specialty crops relative to other crops; and

(3)

the diverse types of legal entities and business structures used by specialty crop producers.

(e)

Limitations

(1)

Total amount

(A)

In general

Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the total amount of payments received, directly or indirectly, by a person or legal entity (except a qualified pass through entity) (as those terms are defined in section 1001(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(a))) for any crop year under this section may not exceed the amount specified in subsection (b) of section 1001 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308), as adjusted pursuant to subsection (i) of that section.

(B)

Exception

In the case of a person or legal entity with an average gross income (as calculated under subparagraph (B) of section 1001D(b)(4) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–3a(b)(4))) for which greater than or equal to 75 percent of the average derives from farming, ranching, or silviculture activities (as defined in subparagraph (A) of that section)—

(i)

subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall not apply; and

(ii)

the total maximum amount of payments received, directly or indirectly, by that person or legal entity for any crop year under this section shall be set by the Secretary, except that amount may not be less than $900,000.

(2)

Notification of interests; eligibility; denials

Sections 1001A(a), 1001B, and 1001C of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–1(a), 1308–2, 1308–3) shall apply to a producer of a specialty crop under this section in the same manner as those sections apply to a person or legal entity with respect to a covered commodity, except to the extent those sections relate to the application of subsections (b) through (d) of section 1001A of that Act (7 U.S.C. 1308–1).

(f)

Default structure

The Secretary shall administer any program to deliver direct assistance to producers of specialty crops described in subsection (b), including any direct assistance administered under the authority of section 5 of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714c), through the framework established under subsection (b).

.

(b)

Appropriation

There is appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture, out of any amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $5,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2027, to remain available until expended, to provide direct assistance to producers of specialty crops pursuant to section 197 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (as added by subsection (a)).