I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5468 
To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy 
Act of 1977 to authorize capacity building grants for community college 
agriculture and natural resources programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 
Mr. KELLY of Mississippi (for himself and Mr. CARBAJAL) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 
and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to authorize capacity 
building grants for community college agriculture and 
natural resources programs. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Community College 
Agriculture Advancement Act of 2025’’. 
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SEC. 2. CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY 
COLLEGE AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RE-
SOURCES PROGRAMS. 
Subtitle K of the National Agricultural Research, Ex-
tension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3310 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 1473I. CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY 
COLLEGE AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RE-
SOURCES PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means— 
‘‘(A) a junior or community college sup-
porting agriculture advancement; and 
‘‘(B) a consortium or alliance of 2-year 
public colleges supporting agriculture advance-
ment. 
‘‘(2) JUNIOR OR COMMUNITY COLLEGE.—The 
term ‘junior or community college’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 312 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058). 
‘‘(b) COMPETITIVE GRANTS.—The Secretary shall 
make competitive grants to eligible entities to assist the 
eligible entities in maintaining and expanding the capacity 
of the eligible entities to conduct workforce training, edu-
cation, research, and outreach activities relating to— 
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‘‘(1) agriculture; and 
‘‘(2) other similar disciplines. 
‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—In making grants under subsection 
(b), the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity 
coordinating with a local agriculture industry operator to 
provide experiential training and other opportunities for 
students. 
‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under subsection (b) may use the funds made 
available through the grant to expand and maintain the 
capacity of the eligible entity— 
‘‘(1) to successfully compete for funds from 
Federal grants and other sources to carry out edu-
cational, research, and outreach activities that ad-
dress priority concerns of national, regional, State, 
and local interest; 
‘‘(2) to offer educational programming on agri-
cultural industry jobs, including farm business man-
agement-related subjects, such as accounting, para-
legal studies, and finance; 
‘‘(3) to disseminate information relating to the 
priority concerns described in paragraph (1) to in-
terested members of the agriculture and other rel-
evant communities and to the public; 
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‘‘(4) to encourage members of those commu-
nities to participate in priority education, research, 
and outreach activities through providing matching 
funding from sources other than funds received 
through the grant; and 
‘‘(5) through— 
‘‘(A) the purchase or other acquisition of 
equipment and other infrastructure (not includ-
ing the alteration, repair, renovation, or con-
struction of buildings); 
‘‘(B) the professional growth and develop-
ment of faculty; and 
‘‘(C) the development of apprenticeships 
and other work-based learning opportunities. 
‘‘(e) CENTERS OF AGRICULTURE ADVANCEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity may sub-
mit to the Secretary an application for designation 
and funding as a center of excellence for agriculture 
advancement. 
‘‘(2) USE OF FUNDS.—A center of excellence 
for agriculture advancement designated under para-
graph (1) shall use funding received as a result of 
that designation— 
‘‘(A) to demonstrate best practices relating 
to agriculture; and 
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‘‘(B) to provide leadership in capacity 
building at a regional or national level. 
‘‘(f) EVALUATION AND REPORT.—Not later than 3 
years after the date of enactment of this section, the Sec-
retary shall— 
‘‘(1) conduct an evaluation of activities carried 
out under this section; and 
‘‘(2) submit a report describing the evaluation 
conducted under paragraph (1) to— 
‘‘(A) the Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives; 
‘‘(B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry of the Senate; 
‘‘(C) the Committee on Appropriations of 
the House of Representatives; and 
‘‘(D) the Committee on Appropriations of 
the Senate. 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031.’’. 
Æ 
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