S. 4951 – Opening Programs to Organic Farms Act

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Updated July 17, 2026 at 4:44 PM UTC

The Opening Programs to Organic Farms Act requires the USDA Secretary to study and report on why certified organic farms and farms planning to become organic have trouble accessing USDA programs. The report, due within 180 days, will detail barriers, provide participation data, and suggest actions and possible law changes to improve access. Annual updates must be issued for the next three years to track progress. The bill mainly affects organic producers and the USDA agencies that run farm support programs.

Key Provisions

The Secretary of Agriculture must deliver a report to the Senate Agriculture Committee and the House Agriculture Committee, and post it online, within 180 days of the law’s enactment.
The report must examine obstacles that certified organic farms and farms wanting to go organic face when trying to use USDA programs, covering areas such as conservation, credit, disaster aid, insurance, export promotion, market development, technical help, rural development, data collection, procurement, and cost‑share for organic certification.
It must include data (where possible) on application, approval, denial, funding levels, geographic spread, farm size, and reasons for non‑participation.
The report must identify specific barriers related to eligibility rules, payment rates, ranking criteria, paperwork, record‑keeping, insurance pricing, disaster valuation, conservation standards, certification documentation, supply‑chain gaps, staff knowledge of organic issues, and data availability.
It must assess the need for organic‑focused training and technical assistance for USDA field staff across relevant agencies.
The Secretary must outline administrative steps the USDA will take to eliminate identified barriers and suggest any changes to laws that may be needed.
For the three years after the initial report, the Secretary must provide yearly updates showing progress, completed or ongoing actions, remaining barriers, and any new statutory recommendations.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

July 13, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

July 13, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

July 13, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued July 13, 2026

II

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4951

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 13, 2026

Mr. Schiff (for himself and Mr. McCormick) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to submit to Congress a report on barriers to participation in Department of Agriculture programs faced by certified organic farms and farms that may be interested in transitioning to organic production, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Opening Programs to Organic Farms Act.

2.

Study on barriers to participation in Department of Agriculture programs faced by certified organic farms and farms interested in transitioning to organic production

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Appropriate committees of Congress

The term appropriate committees of Congress means—

(A)

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate; and

(B)

Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives.

(2)

Certified organic farm

The term certified organic farm has the meaning given the term in section 2103 of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6502).

(3)

Department

The term Department means the Department of Agriculture.

(4)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.

(b)

Report

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress, and make publicly available on the website of the Department, a report on barriers to participation in Department programs faced by certified organic farms and farms that may be interested in transitioning to organic production.

(c)

Contents

The report required under subsection (b) shall include the following:

(1)

Program review

An assessment of barriers to participation in Department programs faced by certified organic farms and farms that may be interested in transitioning to organic production, including barriers in programs relating to conservation, credit, disaster assistance, risk management, export promotion, market development, technical assistance, rural development, data collection, procurement, and organic certification cost-share.

(2)

Participation data

To the extent practicable, data on application rates, approval rates, denial rates, funding levels, geographic distribution, farm size, production type, and reasons for denial or nonparticipation by certified organic farms and farms that may be interested in transitioning to organic production.

(3)

Specific barriers

An assessment of barriers relating to program eligibility, payment rates, ranking criteria, application forms, recordkeeping requirements, crop insurance price elections, disaster assistance valuation, conservation practice standards, certification documentation, supply-chain infrastructure, organic literacy among Department staff, and the availability of organic-specific data.

(4)

Staff training and technical assistance

An assessment of the need for organic-specific training, guidance, and technical assistance for Department field staff, including staff of the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Risk Management Agency, Rural Development, the Foreign Agricultural Service, and other relevant agencies and offices.

(5)

Administrative actions

A description of administrative actions that the Secretary intends to take to remove barriers identified in the report.

(6)

Statutory recommendations

Any recommendations for statutory changes needed to remove barriers identified in the report.

(d)

Annual updates

For each of the first 3 years following submission of the report required under subsection (b), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress, and make publicly available on the website of the Department, an annual update to that report that describes—

(1)

any progress made to remove barriers identified in that report;

(2)

any administrative actions completed or underway;

(3)

any remaining barriers to participation in Department programs faced by certified organic farms and farms that may be interested in transitioning to organic production; and

(4)

any additional recommendations for statutory changes.