This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently introduced and sent to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry for review. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
Senate
House
President
Law
Could go either way
The bill has support from both parties and does not cost extra money, which helps its chances. However, small changes like this are often held until a larger farm bill is debated.
Key Points
This bill, called the FENCE Act, allows farmers and ranchers to use federal emergency money to upgrade their fences with new technology. Right now, these funds are mostly used to fix fences exactly as they were before they were damaged by disasters like fires or floods.
The new rules would apply to the Emergency Conservation Program. If a farmer needs to replace a fence, they can choose to use modern tools instead of old ones. This could include things like virtual fencing or more durable materials that were not available when the original law was written in 1978.
There is a specific rule that these high-tech upgrades cannot cost more than the traditional repairs. This ensures that the program stays within its budget while still helping rural communities modernize their equipment.
Sen. Ricketts and a bipartisan group of senators introduced the bill to help the agriculture industry stay competitive. By allowing for better technology, the government helps land owners manage their livestock and property more effectively after a crisis.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
2 milestones2 actions
Jun 9, 2026Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Jun 9, 2026
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
FENCE Act
Bill NumberS 4714
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
