Nearly six months after the 2018 Farm Bill was extended for one year, we are seeing some movement on the next version of the bill. Yesterday (May 1), both the House and Senate shared details about their proposals for the new bill.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow unveiled the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, a proposal that contains more than 100 bipartisan bills.

“This is a serious proposal that reflects bipartisan priorities to keep farmers farming, families fed, and rural communities strong,” noted Stabenow in a press release. The act addresses foreign ownership of farmland, rural communities, farm safety next programs, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and climate-smart conservation practices. More details and a full summary of the Senate’s bill are available here.

Meanwhile, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson released a high-level summary of his version of the bill with a short description of each title.

“The bill is a product of an extensive and transparent process, which included soliciting feedback from members of both political parties, stakeholder input from across the nation, and some tough conversations. Each title of this farm bill reflects a commitment to the American farmer and viable pathways to funding those commitments and is equally responsive to the politics of the 118th Congress,” said Thompson in a press release.

The House’s farm bill overview can be found here. Committee mark-up of the bill is set for May 23.

The 2018 Farm Bill lapsed on September 30, 2023, before being extended through the end of September of this year. Initial predictions that a new farm bill would be finished in early 2024 did not come to fruition, so the current hope is that the next version of the farm bill can be agreed upon yet this year.