WASHINGTON — Today, the House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 9394, the Civil Preparedness for Agroterrorism Exercise Act of 2026, legislation introduced by Representative Dale Strong (AL-05) to strengthen the nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to acts of agroterrorism.

“America’s agriculture and food supply are critical to both our national security and our economy, and we cannot afford to wait until an attack occurs to determine whether we are prepared,” said Representative Strong. “This legislation will ensure our federal, state, and local partners, first responders, and the private sector are prepared to work together to protect our food supply and respond quickly in the event of an agroterrorism attack. I’m proud to see this commonsense legislation pass the House and move one step closer to becoming law.”

The Civil Preparedness for Agroterrorism Exercise Act directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct a nationwide exercise focused on preventing, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating an agroterrorism attack on America’s food and agriculture sector. The exercise will bring together federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners, along with private-sector stakeholders, to identify preparedness gaps and strengthen coordination before a real-world incident occurs.

House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino (NY-02) applauded House passage of the legislation:

“A threat to our nation’s agricultural sector is a threat to every American. Our food supply chain is vital not just to our economy, but to our homeland security. I am proud to join my House colleagues in passing Subcommittee Chairman Strong’s ‘Civil Preparedness for Agroterrorism Exercise Act of 2026’ to ensure DHS is working with state and local partners to stay ahead of our adversaries and defend this critical infrastructure from evolving threats.”

The legislation builds on Strong’s work as Chairman of the Emergency Management and Technology Subcommittee to protect critical infrastructure and improve preparedness for emerging threats, including a two-part hearing series last year examining agroterrorism and threats to America’s food and agriculture sector.

Passage of H.R. 9394 marks the fifth homeland security bill authored by Strong to pass the House during the 119th Congress. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

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