Congress Enacts Major Government Funding Bill Including Key Wine Institute Priorities

Congress has enacted a fiscal year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill to avoid a government shutdown and fund the federal government through September 2023. The legislation includes a number of critical provisions for which Wine Institute has been advocating:

• $5 million for continued U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research into winegrape smoke exposure, which reflects an increase of $500,000 over the fiscal year 2022 level.
• $148.8 million in annual operating funds for the Alcohol and Tobacco Trade and Tax Bureau (TTB) — an increase of more than 15% over last year — which will allow TTB to complete technology upgrades and fully implement the Craft Beverage Modernization Act enacted in 2020, as well as respond efficiently to increased labeling approval submissions.
• $216 million for the USDA Specialty Crop Pest Program — of which $500,000 will be set aside for eradication of the spotted lanternfly.
• $4.3 billion for wildfire suppression operations — an increase of more than 14% above fiscal year 2022.
• An extension of the Emergency Relief Program (formerly known as the WHIP+ Program) to cover financial losses suffered by winegrape growers due to natural disasters in 2022.

The legislation now goes to President Biden for his immediate signature. A summary of the legislation can be found here.