New Farm Bill Proposed, The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026
The House Agriculture Committee has unveiled a long-delayed effort to reauthorize the nation’s sweeping farm and food policy law.
House Agriculture Chair G. T. Thompson (R-Pa.) released updated text for the “Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026” and scheduled a markup for the week of Feb. 23, a critical step toward moving the bill through the House before current authorities expire on Sept. 30. The farm bill, last fully reauthorized in 2018, has been stalled for three years because of partisan gridlock.
What’s in the Bill
The proposal would extend programs not addressed in a 2025 GOP tax and spending law through fiscal 2031. Key provisions include:
Directing USDA to study expanded crop insurance options for specialty crop producers.
Increasing farm credit borrowing limits and improving access for beginning farmers.
Adjusting federal food assistance programs, including changes to SNAP incentives.
Transferring the Food for Peace program (previously housed at USAID) to USDA.
Loosening inspection and testing requirements for industrial hemp producers.
Shifting federal dietary guideline updates from every five years to every 10.
In line with dietary recommendations released by the Trump administration in January, animal proteins would newly qualify as a “healthy incentive” under SNAP, encouraging recipients to purchase meat through bonus benefits or coupons.
Partisan Friction
Despite its broad reach, the legislation is encountering some political resistance. It will require Democratic support to clear the Senate’s 60-vote threshold and to survive the House’s narrow majority if fiscal conservatives take issue with the price tag.
Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), the committee’s ranking member, blasted the proposal as a partisan effort riddled with “poison pills.”
Among the most controversial provisions is language that would preempt states from imposing pesticide labeling requirements beyond EPA standards. Democrats argue the measure would shield chemical manufacturers from liability under varying state laws.
Another talking point causing frustrations is language targeting state-level animal welfare protections, including efforts that would effectively overturn California’s Proposition 12, which mandates minimum space requirements for certain livestock. The National Pork Producers Council applauded the move, arguing it would prevent a “patchwork” of state laws. But the American Meat Producers Association said repealing the rule would undercut farmers who already invested to comply.
Agricultural stakeholders are divided. The American Farm Bureau Federation and the Farm Credit Council praised expanded loan access and credit flexibility. The International Dairy Foods Association highlighted new dairy incentives in SNAP as a win for low-income families and producers alike, but the National Family Farm Coalition argued the bill preserves a system that benefits large agribusiness over small and independent farms.
Specialty crop producers are watching the bill closely as USDA has set a March 13 deadline for acreage reporting tied to $1 billion in economic aid for the sector, though farm groups say at least $5 billion more is needed.
The farm bill debate is unfolding alongside broader regulatory shifts. At HHS, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to close the “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) loophole, which has been said to allow companies to introduce food additives without direct FDA oversight. While Kennedy stopped short of promising sweeping regulation of ultraprocessed foods, he has pushed for greater transparency.
For Thompson, the Bill marks progress after years of stagnation. But with Democrats unified in opposition, outside advocacy groups mobilizing, and industry factions pulling in different directions, the path forward remains uncertain.