House Agriculture Committee advances Farm Bill 2.0
Two weeks after House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) released the final text for the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026, also known as Farm Bill 2.0, the House Agriculture Committee advanced the legislation to the House floor with a vote of 34 to 17 on March 4.
“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,” Thompson states in a Feb. 27 press release.
Farm Bill 2.0
According to Thompson, Farm Bill 2.0 represents the first full five-year farm bill reauthorization since 2018 and is intended to provide updated policy tools and long-term certainty for the U.S. ag industry, offering “modern policies for modern challenges shaped by years of listening to the needs of farmers, ranchers and rural Americans.”
The new farm bill, he says, will address challenges facing today’s producers such as rising production costs, market volatility and supply chain pressures, and like previous farm bills, the legislation covers a broad range of agricultural policy areas.
Key provisions in the bill aim to strengthen commodity programs and crop insurance, improve disaster assistance for producers and expand access to credit for farmers and ranchers. The bill also proposes investments in ag research, rural development and precision ag technologies.
In addition, Farm Bill 2.0 addresses conservation and forestry programs, global trade promotion for American commodities and policies intended to reduce energy costs in rural areas.
It also includes policy changes related to interstate livestock and agricultural markets and regulatory protections for pesticide manufacturers and users, along with provisions addressing livestock production rules such as California’s controversial Proposition 12.
Widespread support
The bill has garnered widespread industry support with over 230 stakeholder organizations offering public endorsement.
This includes the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, AmericanHort, American Veterinary Medical Association, Farm Credit Council, National Cotton Council of America, National Crop Insurance Services, International Dairy Foods Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), National Turkey Federation, National Chicken Council, American Sheep Industry Association, United Egg Producers, American Frozen Food Institute, National Grocers Association, National Association of Convenience Stores, Food Industry Association, Plant-Based Product Council, National Association of Conservation Districts, American Wood Concil, National Association of State Foresters, National Wild Turkey Federation, National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and USA Rice Federation, to name a few.
Most recently, NCBA and NAWG released statements on March 5 praising the House Agriculture Committee for advancing the bill.
“The provisions included in the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 build upon the legislative successes in the farm bill title of the One Big Beautiful Bill for American cattle producers,” says NCBA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “This legislation finally completes the farm bill cycle and gives producers the operational tools and programmatic investments they need.”
“NCBA thanks Thompson and House Agriculture Committee members for passing this crucial legislation for rural America,” he adds.
NAWG President and Idaho Grower Jamie Kress further comments, “NAWG thanks Thompson for his leadership in moving the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 forward. We applaud the committee’s work and bipartisan support to provide much-needed certainty.”
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
