Farm Bill 2.0: New legislation provides a modern farm bill for modern challenges
After years of delay and mounting pressure, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) delivered the long-awaited text for the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 on Feb. 19.
Also known as Farm Bill 2.0, the legislation represents the first full farm bill reauthorization since 2018 and comes at a time when American producers are grappling with volatile commodity prices, rising input costs, persistent drought conditions and ongoing global competition.
“This bill provides modern policies for modern challenges and is shaped by years of listening to the needs of farmers, ranchers and rural Americans,” Thompson states. “The farm bill affects our entire country, regardless of whether you live on a farm, and I look forward to seeing my colleagues in Congress work together to get this critical legislation across the finish line.”
Draft bill highlights
According to multiple sources, the draft legislation would provide a five-year reauthorization of commodity, conservation, credit, development and crop insurance programs and includes a wide range of policy changes and program updates.
Specifically, the proposal would increase funding for commodity and crop insurance programs, which are widely considered the foundation of the farm safety net, as these programs help producers recover from weather disasters, market downturns and other uncontrollable risks.
The legislation also includes provisions aimed at improving conservation programs for working lands, allowing producers to continue grazing and farming while implementing resource stewardship practices.
Those in support of the bill believe strengthening conservation programs will allow producers to maintain productive ag operations while voluntarily improving soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat.
They also note streamlining these programs may make participation easier for ranchers and farmers.
According to National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Gene Copenhaver, the bill includes provisions to expand support for rural veterinary services – an issue continuing to affect livestock producers across much of the West.
Expanding credit access is another major component of Farm Bill 2.0.
Industry officials say agricultural loan limits have not kept pace with rising land values, equipment costs and operational expenses.
By increasing these limits, beginning farmers and ranchers would have an easier path into the industry and established producers would have the opportunity to expand or modernize.
The legislation also proposes a five-year pilot program to expand custom-exempt meat processing, which could improve marketing opportunities and increase consumer access to locally raised beef.
Farm Bill 2.0 further aims to restore regulatory certainty in interstate agricultural commerce and address ongoing debates involving state-level livestock regulations, including a fix to the controversial Proposition 12.
“America’s pork producers thank Thompson for continuing to take bold steps once again to protect our livelihoods from an unsustainable patchwork of state laws,” says National Pork Producers Council President and Ohio Pork Producer Duane Stateler in a Feb. 23 article published by Ohio’s Country Journal. “We implore the full House Agriculture Committee to stand up for the American farmer, preserve states’ rights and help keep pork affordable for American consumers.”
Additionally, rural development programs included in the bill could help fund infrastructure, energy projects and economic development in agricultural communities.
Ag industry support
Since the draft bill’s proposal, multiple ag organizations have voiced their support for the legislation, calling for swift passage and emphasizing the need for continued improvement.
“Across wheat growing states, I hear directly from farmers who are navigating sustained economic challenges driven by volatile commodity prices, stubbornly high input costs and increasing global competition,” states National Association of Wheat Growers Chief Executive Officer Sam Kieffer. “For a crop depending heavily on export markets and reliable risk management tools, strong policy at home is essential.”
“Advancing this legislation without delay is critical, not just for wheat farmers but for the rural communities and American families who depend on them,” Kieffer adds.
NCBA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane comments, “This bill is the culmination of the years-long farm bill process addressing the needs of cattle producers which weren’t included in the reconciliation bill last year. Cattlemen and women are already seeing the benefits of the historic achievements included in the reconciliation bill, and NCBA members look forward to building on this progress by passing Farm Bill 2.0.”
“We strongly urge the House and Senate to swiftly pass this bill to fill the remaining legislative gaps facing animal agriculture,” Lane continues.
Scott Metzger, president of the American Soybean Association and an Ohio soybean farmer, also praised lawmakers for taking producers’ perspectives into consideration.
“We appreciate Thompson heard the concerns and needs of soybean farmers and addressed them in the bill,” Metzger says. “The provisions included will provide much-needed market and regulatory certainty for producers facing new risks and difficult business decisions.”
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall states, “This legislation is needed more than ever as America’s farmers and ranchers struggle through the worst economic storm in generations.”
The House Agriculture Committee was scheduled to begin markup on Farm Bill 2.0 on Feb. 23, but due to weather impacts, they pushed the markup to the week of March 1.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
