S. 1119 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Mar 25, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryHelps U.S. farmers reach emerging markets
American agricultural products sometimes get spoiled or damaged when they reach developing countries because those places lack proper storage and transportation systems. This bill expands an existing government program to provide funding and technical help to build better refrigeration and port infrastructure in these emerging markets. The goal is to reduce waste and help U.S. farmers sell more crops overseas.
How it affects you
If you work in agriculture or farm exports, this could open new opportunities to sell American crops in developing countries. For most other people, the main benefit is indirect—better infrastructure in other countries could eventually mean more reliable access to agricultural products and potentially more stable prices at home.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Mar 25, 2025)
Fortifying Refrigeration Infrastructure and Developing Global Exports Act of 2025 or the FRIDGE Act of 2025
This bill expands the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program to include funding for technical assistance for infrastructure-related projects to ensure U.S. agricultural commodities are not damaged or lost due to infrastructure deficiencies in new and developing markets. This Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) program funds projects that address long-term opportunities to reduce foreign import constraints or expand export growth opportunities.
Specifically, the bill directs FAS to enter into contracts or other agreements with trade organizations to enhance the infrastructure capabilities (including cold chain capacity and port improvements) in new and developing foreign markets through needs assessments, training, and other technical assistance.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 1119
A BILL
FRIDGE Act of 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) · Introduced Mar 25, 2025 · Agriculture and Food · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 25, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.”