A Democratic bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Tropical Plant Health Initiative Act seeks to amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. This bill aims to provide research and extension grants specifically to study insects and pests that affect tropical plants. The scope includes developing tools to combat pests and noxious weeds, establishing integrated pest management programs, and surveying plant production and health. It also focuses on investigating the biology, ecology, and genomics of these plants. Finally, the bill updates the authorization of appropriations through the year 2030.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +6
Would farmers be better off under this?
The bill provides direct benefits to farmers of tropical crops through science-based tools and pest management programs.
- Scored +5
Does this put more money into scientific research?
The bill explicitly provides for research and extension grants to investigate the biology, genomics, and immunology of tropical plants.
- Scored +4
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
The initiative targets agricultural areas that are often central to rural economies.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Development of combat tools: The bill allows for the development and dissemination of science-sased tools and treatments to fight plant pests and noxious weeds that impact tropical plants (Section 2(a)(21)(A)).
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Integrated pest management: It provides for establishing areawide integrated pest management programs in areas where tropical plants are at risk or affected by pests or weeds (Section 2(a)(21)(B)).
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Data collection and research: The initiative supports surveying and collecting data on the production and health of tropical plants, as well as investigating their biology, immunology, ecology, genomics, and bioinformatics (Section 2(a)(21)(C) and (D)).
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Protection of specific crops: The provisions target several specific tropical plants, including coffee plants, macadamia trees, cacao trees, plantains and bananas, mangos, floriculture and nursery crops, and vanilla plants (Section 2(a)(21)(A)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill provides direct benefits to farmers of tropical crops through science-based tools and pest management programs. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The initiative targets agricultural areas that are often central to rural economies. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Protecting staple tropical crops like plantains and bananas can contribute to food security for low-income populations.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill supports the production of crops like coffee, cacao, and vanilla which are often managed by smaller scale producers. Is this likely to create jobs? — The funding for research and extension grants in tropical plant health may support job growth in the agricultural research and agricultural sectors.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill explicitly provides for research and extension grants to investigate the biology, genomics, and immunology of tropical plants.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill focuses on combating noxious weeds and pests through integrated pest management to protect plant ecosystems.
- 9/18/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Brian SchatzDemocrat · Hawaii