S. 500: Securing our Agriculture and Food Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-03-02 · Emergency Management · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 38.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-03-02 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 38. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Securing our Agriculture and Food Act

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) Securing our Agriculture and Food Act (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to carry out a program to coordinate DHS efforts relating to defending the food, agriculture, and veterinary systems of the United States against terrorism and other high-consequence events that pose a high risk to homeland security. Such program shall: provide oversight and management of DHS's responsibilities under Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9 - Defense of United States Agriculture and Food; provide oversight and integration of DHS activities relating to veterinary public health, food defense, and agricultural security; lead DHS policy initiatives relating to food, animal, and agricultural incidents and to overall domestic preparedness for, and collective response to, agricultural terrorism; coordinate with other DHS components on activities relating to food and agriculture security and screening procedures for domestic and imported products; and coordinate with appropriate federal departments and agencies.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Securing our Agriculture and Food Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 500, Securing our Agriculture and Food Act (2017-03-24)

Cosponsors on this site

Joni Ernst (R-IA)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (4)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Ballot initiative: A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate without amendment)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115s500.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/s>

Record fed-us-cong115-s500 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115