John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Community College Agriculture Advancement Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 5 Republican cosponsors · See all 9 cosponsors
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 Community College Agriculture Advancement Act of 2026 amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977. It authorizes competitive grants for junior or community colleges and consortia of 2-year public colleges. These grants aim to help these institutions maintain and expand their capacity for workforce training, education, research, and outreach in agriculture and similar disciplines. The bill also allows for the designation of centers of excellence for agriculture advancement. A total of $20,000,000 is authorized for appropriation annually from fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
Yes· 3 of 16
- Scored +8
Would students be better off under this?
Expands resources, equipment, and apprenticeship opportunities for community college students.
- Scored +8
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
Community college agricultural programs are primarily located in and serve rural communities.
- Scored +7
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?
Provides increased educational and vocational training opportunities for students at 2-year colleges.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
Increases government expenditures by authorizing new grant funding.
- Scored -1
Does this reduce what the federal government owes?
Authorizes new federal spending of $20 million annually.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Workforce Training and Education: Eligible entities can use grants to conduct workforce training and education in agriculture and similar disciplines, which helps prepare people for jobs (SEC. 2(b)).
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Industry Experience: Students may benefit from experiential training and opportunities because priority is given to colleges coordinating with local agriculture industry operators (SEC. 2(c)).
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Diverse Educational Programming: Grants can be used to offer programming on agricultural industry jobs, including finance, accounting, and paralegal studies related to farm business management (SEC. 2(d)(2)).
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Professional and Technical Growth: The bill allows for the professional growth of faculty and the development of apprenticeships and work-based learning opportunities (SEC. 2(d)(5)(B)-(C)).
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Infrastructure and Equipment: Funds can be used to purchase equipment and infrastructure to support educational and research activities (SEC. 2(d)(5)(A)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limited Funding Access: Because the grants are competitive, not all junior or community colleges supporting agriculture advancement will receive funding (SEC. 2(b)).
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Restrictions on Building Improvements: Funds cannot be used for the construction, repair, renovation, or alteration of buildings, which may limit how colleges improve their physical facilities (SEC. 2(d)(5)(A)).
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 people in rural areas be better off under this? — Community college agricultural programs are primarily located in and serve rural communities. Would students be better off under this? — Expands resources, equipment, and apprenticeship opportunities for community college students. Would farmers be better off under this? — Increases training in farm business management, accounting, and finance specifically for the agricultural sector. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Provides increased educational and vocational training opportunities for students at 2-year colleges. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Community colleges are primary access points for low-income students to enter the agricultural workforce. Would business owners be better off under this? — Agricultural industry operators benefit from a better-trained workforce and experiential training partnerships. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Supports professional growth for faculty and workforce retraining for adult learners. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Provides better educational infrastructure and job training options.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — Provides grants for workforce training and apprenticeship development in the agriculture sector. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Enhances agricultural workforce capacity and education which supports economic productivity. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Supports farm business management education including accounting and finance for agricultural operators. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — Increases government expenditures by authorizing new grant funding. Does this reduce what the federal government owes? — Authorizes new federal spending of $20 million annually.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — Authorizes funding specifically for agricultural research and outreach activities. Does this make college cost less? — Increases funding for community college programs, potentially lowering costs for students via institutional grants.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — Directly funds capacity building for agricultural education and research in community colleges.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — Expands federal grant-making authority over community college agricultural programs.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Increases educational and employment opportunities in rural agricultural sectors.
- 6/18/2026
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- 6/10/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 5 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
3 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.
Deb FischerRepublican · Nebraska
Cindy Hyde-SmithRepublican · Mississippi
Jon HustedRepublican · Ohio
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Mark KellyDemocrat · Arizona
Angus KingIndependent · Maine
Pete RickettsRepublican · Nebraska
Roger WickerRepublican · Mississippi
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon