HR 9821: Shared Values Act

HR 9821 in plain English: The Shared Values Act is a wide-ranging bill that would make changes across many policy areas, including agriculture funding, nursing workforce development, tax deduction limits, and commemorative coins. Among specific provisions, it would double certain agricultural program funding from $50 million to $100 million, appropriate $610 million for nursing workforce development, and raise the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap to $15,000 for individuals and $30,000 for joint filers.

Stated purpose

The bill aims to promote shared values by reauthorizing and expanding funding for farmers' markets and local food programs, appropriating funds for nursing workforce development, and expressing congressional support for recognizing Black Midwives Day and addressing racial disparities in maternal health.

Key points

• Doubles an agricultural program funding cap from $50,000,000 to $100,000,000, with $50,000,000 annually from fiscal year 2027 onward
• Appropriates $610,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 for Nursing Workforce Development programs
• Appropriates $110,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each year after for a continued health program
• Raises the SALT deduction cap from $10,000 to $15,000 for individuals, and to $30,000 for joint filers
• Authorizes minting of up to 400,000 commemorative $1 silver coins

Arguments supporters make

• Expanding farmers' market funding and easing matching requirements helps rural and underserved communities access fresh, local food while supporting small agricultural businesses.
• A $610 million investment in nursing workforce development addresses well-documented shortages of nurses and could improve healthcare access for millions of Americans.
• Supporting Black midwifery and reducing barriers to culturally congruent maternal care directly targets racial disparities in maternal mortality, which disproportionately affect Black mothers.

Arguments opponents make

• The bill bundles a wide range of unrelated policy areas into one broad act, making it difficult for Congress to evaluate or debate each program on its own merits.
• Doubling farmers' market grant funding and appropriating $610 million for nursing programs adds significant federal spending without a clear offset, raising concerns about fiscal responsibility.
• The congressional 'sense of Congress' language on Black Midwives Day and midwifery policy is non-binding and may be seen as symbolic rather than delivering concrete, measurable improvements in maternal health outcomes.

Tradeoffs

The bill increases federal investment in food access, healthcare workforce, and maternal health equity, but does so by significantly expanding federal spending across many programs simultaneously, raising questions about cost, prioritization, and whether combining unrelated provisions into one bill allows for adequate legislative scrutiny of each.

Current status in Congress: In committee.

NewsClear — neutral news & congressional tracking · Bill of the Week