House · HR 9394 · 119th Congress
Civil Preparedness for Agroterrorism Exercise Act of 2026
Summary
This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to run a practice drill within four years. The drill must test how the government and private groups would respond to a terrorist attack on the U.S. food and farm supply. After the drill, DHS must send Congress a report with lessons learned and ideas for new laws.
In Favor
A terrorist attack on the food supply could harm millions of people and damage the economy. This drill forces agencies, businesses, and local governments to practice working together before a real crisis hits. Finding gaps now makes the country far better prepared to respond quickly and limit serious harm.
Against
This bill creates a large, complex drill but gives agencies no extra money to pay for it. Planning and running a multi-agency exercise takes real staff time and resources away from other security work. The bill may produce a report that sits unused, delivering little real improvement for the cost spent.
Additional Considerations
Purpose & Problem
Is the problem real and worth federal action?
The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to run a practice exercise focused on attacks targeting the U.S. food and farming system. It aims to test how well agencies and businesses can prevent, respond to, and recover from such an attack.
Scope & Related Provisions
Does it stay focused, or carry unrelated add-ons?
The bill stays focused on planning and running one agroterrorism exercise and then reporting findings to Congress. All provisions connect directly to that core purpose.
Who Is Affected
Who benefits, and who bears the cost?
Federal agencies, state and local governments, tribal groups, and private food and farm businesses would all take part in the exercise. The Department of Homeland Security carries the main duty of organizing and completing the exercise within four years.
Cost & Funding
Is it affordable and responsibly funded?
The bill does not state a dollar amount or authorize specific funding. It shifts costs onto the Department of Homeland Security to plan, run the exercise, and produce a report, using existing agency resources and programs.
Risks & Implementation
What could go wrong in practice?
The bill requires coordination among many federal, state, local, tribal, private, and expert groups, which could make scheduling and participation difficult. Completing the exercise and submitting a full report within the required time limits adds further planning pressure.
For the actual bill text, see congress.gov.
AI-generated · Published 10/3/2026