Farm Bill 2.0 up next on House Ag Committee agenda
Although the majority of farm bill provisions were included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4, the House Agriculture Committee has now turned its attention to “Farm Bill 2.0.”
In an ongoing effort to update and reauthorize the 2018 Farm Bill, which is set to expire in September, Farm Bill 2.0 also aims to ensure essential priorities left out of the original reconciliation package are also addressed in legislation.
OBBBA highlights
In an Aug. 6 Farm Progress article, Southeast Farm Press Associate Editor John Hart reports House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) made comments during the Southern Peanut Growers Conference on July 25 in Panama City Beach, Fla., where he noted roughly 80 percent of farm bill provisions were included in the OBBBA.
Chief among these were updates to commodity and risk management programs; enhancements to crop insurance programs; changes to taxes and depreciation measures for ag businesses; an increase in funding for conservation programs and water infrastructure and roughly $66 billion in additional funding for ag trade, research, Extension and commodity support.
Specifically, the original reconciliation package extends core programs such as Price Loss Coverage, Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC), Dairy Margin Coverage and marketing assistance loans through 2031 and raises the statutory reference prices by 10 to 21 percent.
Additionally, OBBBA increases premium subsidies by three to five percent across all coverage levels, makes Supplemental Coverage Option available to ARC participants to boost insurable flexibility and extends benefits for beginning farmers and ranchers.
It also provides 100 percent bonus depreciation on farm equipment, machinery and vehicles made permanent, enabling immediate expense deductions, and offers permanent small business deduction benefits for farm enterprises.
Additional provisions
To address the 20 percent of ag-related priorities left out of the OBBBA, Thompson notes Farm Bill 2.0 will include support for rural broadband expansion and economic development programs, which he believes are critical investments for modernizing farm operations and digital access.
Thompson also infers the bill may tackle reforms related to industrial hemp regulations, legal challenges tied to pesticide manufacturers and compliance with California’s controversial Proposition 12.
Other provisions include updates and changes related to conservation, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), rural loan limits and chnages to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility and stability, as well as eliminating the poverty cliff and extending benefits to families of young adults and ex-offenders.
In a July 23 press release, Brian Glenn, American Farm Bureau Federation director of government affairs, reiterates the importance of these measures, stating, “Many critical programs still need updating through a new farm bill. Among the most pressing needs are reauthorization of the CRP and continued support for rural broadband expansion under the rural development title. Additionally, funding for agricultural research and Extension programs remain a priority.”
He adds, “As farmers and ranchers await the completion of this important legislation, it’s clear the next farm bill will be vital in shaping the future of U.S. agriculture.”
Fast-paced timeline
With the 2018 Farm Bill’s expiration date quickly approaching, Thompson says he aims to markup Farm Bill 2.0 in committee by the end of September.
However, some lawmakers have voiced concern the window to act is too narrow.
In an interview with Brownfield Ag News, Congressman Eric Sorensen (D-IL) says, “I really do worry we’re not going to have those in Congress who want to get this done.”
Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) agrees with this sentiment in her interview with Brownfield Ag News, further noting while the OBBBA secured major wins on the ag front, it also created some issues.
“The Republicans broke apart the Farm Bill Coalition with the OBBBA,” she says. “So, how do we, after that, come back to the table so we can make sure the safety net is there for our farmers, like supporting agricultural research? There is still a lot of work we are going to have to do.”
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
