H.R. 4205: Fairness in Vineyard Data Act

The Fairness in Vineyard Data Act aims to enhance transparency and access to information regarding grape production in the United States. The bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture, specifically through the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), to conduct and publish comprehensive surveys and data on grape production. Here are the key components of the bill:

Survey Requirements

The Secretary of Agriculture must:

• Conduct a survey on grape production within one year after the bill becomes law. The survey will gather information on:
• Total acreage dedicated to grape cultivation.
• Production volumes, how the grapes are used, and the acreage by type, variety, and county of the grapes, as well as the year they were planted.
• Make the results of the initial grape production survey publicly available on the NASS website.

Annual Data Publication

Following the initial survey:

• Within two years after the enactment of the bill, and then every year for the next three years, the Secretary must also publish data specifically concerning the five states that produced the most grapes in the previous year, based on the survey data.

Funding Provisions

The bill includes funding provisions to support the required activities:

• For the initial survey, $2,500,000 is authorized for the fiscal year 2026.
• For the publication of annual data on states with high grape production, $1,500,000 is authorized for each of the fiscal years 2027 through 2030.

Overall Objectives

The primary objective of the Fairness in Vineyard Data Act is to ensure that grape production data is systematically collected and made available to the public. This aims to support farmers, researchers, and stakeholders in the agricultural sector by providing them with relevant data to make informed decisions.

Relevant Companies

• None found