Investments in organic dairy processing infrastructure

(a) Infrastructure investment funding program Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a program to provide funding for investments in infrastructure to enhance regional organic milkshed markets that seek to drive a greater affinity for regionally sourced and processed organic dairy products by incentivizing support for— (1) the development of new organic dairy processing plants that support multiple regional small dairy operations (as determined based on the small business size standard for the applicable North American Industry Classification System code described in section 121.201 of title 13, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation)); (2) initiatives that establish institutional purchasing of local organic dairy products; (3) investment in infrastructure on farms and in sites that aggregate raw milk to gain transport and processing efficiencies; (4) the establishment of on-farm organic dairy processing and storage; (5) producers and processors that want to expand regional organic processing infrastructure serving regionally produced organic milk from multiple regional small dairy operations (as determined based on the small business size standard for the applicable North American Industry Classification System code described in section 121.201 of title 13, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation)), including by— (A) supporting work to finalize business plans; and (B) providing processor start-up capital; and (6) initiatives that support increasing regional processing capacity to facilitate co-packing and tolling for regionally produced organic milk from multiple regional small dairy operations (as determined based on the small business size standard for the applicable North American Industry Classification System code described in section 121.201 of title 13, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation)). (b) Regional organic dairy market specialists (1) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish regional positions in each major organic dairy producing region, to be known as Regional Organic Dairy Market Specialists — (A) to conduct research on the marketing of organic dairy, including research relating to— (i) quality standards, including changes in those standards over time; (ii) cost-of-production data; (iii) consolidation of, and lack of competition among, buyers; (iv) requirements for certification, including changes in those requirements over time; (v) direct marketing of value-added products at the farm level; and (vi) the establishment and promotion of new or existing regional organic dairy brands that source regional milk; and (B) to provide reports, recommendations, and advice to the Secretary, organic dairy producers and processors, Congress, and the public with respect to the matters described in clauses (i) through (vi) of subparagraph (A) and other matters relating to the marketing of organic dairy, including a report describing the options, costs, and feasibility of establishing an organic dairy insurance program through the Department of Agriculture. (2) Requirement A Regional Organic Dairy Market Specialist may be— (A) an employee of the Department of Agriculture; or (B) a position at a relevant institution of higher education. (3) Research teams A Regional Organic Dairy Market Specialist shall establish a research team to assist the Regional Organic Dairy Market Specialist in conducting the research described in paragraph (1)(A). (4) Period of support (A) In general The Secretary shall enter into a commitment to provide support for Regional Organic Dairy Market Specialists, and the research teams established under paragraph (3), for a period of 5 years. (B) Renewal of support Subject to the availability of appropriations, at the end of a 5-year period of support, the Secretary may renew the support of a Regional Organic Dairy Market Specialist (and the research team of that Regional Organic Dairy Market Specialist) for 1 or more successive 5-year periods, pursuant to such commitments as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. (c) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029— (1) $20,000,000 to carry out subsection (a); and (2) $5,000,000 to carry out subsection (b).