# Plain Language Summary: Fairness in Vineyard Data Act

This bill requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct a detailed survey of grape production across all states and then publish the results online for anyone to access. Right now, there's no comprehensive national data on how many grapes are being grown where, what varieties are being planted, or how the grapes are being used. This bill fixes that gap by requiring the Agriculture Department to gather information about total acreage devoted to grapes in each state, the specific types and varieties being grown, production numbers broken down by county, and when vineyards were planted.

The practical effect is that grape growers, wine producers, agricultural researchers, and anyone else interested in the industry will have reliable, detailed information about the grape market. This kind of data helps farmers make better decisions about what to plant and where, helps businesses understand market trends, and gives policymakers the information they need to support the industry effectively. The bill requires this initial survey to be completed within a year of the law passing, and then for the next three years, the Agriculture Department must annually publish updated data specifically for the five states that produce the most grapes.

To make this happen, the bill authorizes $2.5 million in funding for fiscal year 2026 to conduct the initial survey and publish those results, and then $1.5 million per year for 2027 through 2030 to keep the data current. This is a relatively modest investment that essentially creates a public information resource about an important agricultural sector that currently lacks transparent, centralized data.