Farm Bill Update: Senate and House Bills Pass

As of late June, both the Senate and House versions of the 2018 Farm Bill have passed. Now, Congress has to collaborate to create one bill before the 2014 Farm Bill expires. We may see compromise and action by the end of this week. 

The farm bill, also known as the Agricultural Act, is the food and agricultural budget and policy for the United States. The current bill includes twelve titles that impact farming commodities and livelihood, conservation, trade, rural development, energy, research, horticulture, and nutrition. The SNAP program (formerly known as food stamps) receives its funding from the bill under the nutrition title.
 
The House bill was originally voted down, but it narrowly passed in a second vote. The bill was largely opposed because of its unfair increases to workforce training and work requirements for SNAP/EBT (formerly food stamps) recipients.
 
The Senate bill passed without much opposition. This bipartisan version of the Farm Bill did not include the House’s proposed SNAP changes, which made it perform better.
 
Now that both bills have passed, they will have to be consolidated into one. However, with opposing ideas on many aspects of the bill, this could be increasingly difficult.
 
The 2014 Farm Bill expires on September 30, 2018. Over the next few months, lawmakers will have to come up with a plan to get a bill passed. If no bill is passed on time, the current Farm Bill can be extended.
 
To get updates on the 2018 Farm Bill, visit these sites:

• Senate Agriculture Committee

• House Committee on Agriculture

Also, stay tuned to our Twitter, Facebook and blog for updates.