Ag Policy Blog

The chairman of the House Agriculture Committee has delayed the planned markup of the farm bill.

Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., on Sunday announced a weather-related postponement of the full committee markup of the "Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026." A major storm system was hitting several eastern states and Washington, D.C., that would bring blizzard conditions to the region.

The committee markup had been set for Feb. 23-25, but Thompson's notice stated the markup now will occur the week of March 1, though the exact date will be announced later.

The bill, introduced Feb. 13, is 802 pages long, and deals with most titles in the farm bill, which was last passed in 2018. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act addressed some of the major provisions of the commodity title and nutrition programs, along with some adjustments to crop insurance.

Among many other provisions, the bill:

-Reauthorizes the Conservation Reserve Program and keeps the cap on acres at 27 million.

-In the credit title, the bill would increase loan limits for guaranteed operating loans to $3 million and guaranteed ownership loans to $3.5 million. Direct ownership loans would be increased to $850,000 while direct operating loans would be increased to $750,000. The bill also includes provisions meant to speed up approval times, especially for certified and preferred guaranteed lenders.

-Transfers the Food for Peace international food aid program from the U.S. Agency for International Development to USDA and reserves 50% of the resources in the program for the purchase and shipping of U.S. food.

-Increases access to the Real Energy for America Program.

-Increases requirements for reporting farmland ownership by foreigners.

-Increases funding for farm export promotion programs.

-Ties the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to the administration's Make America Healthy Again agenda.

-Integrates the ReConnect program that furnishes loans and grants for rural broadband internet construction into the farm bill broadband program.

-Allocates research funding for specialty crops, innovation and crop insurance.

-Addresses state laws requiring standard living conditions for animals providing meat and eggs, such as California's Proposition 12, by stating that states and localities cannot require living conditions outside their jurisdiction.

-Allows auction owners to invest in packing facilities.

-Adds the Agriculture secretary to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

-Addresses Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration in hemp

-Requires uniform pesticide labeling by stating EPA has the sole authority for making safety finding for pesticides, blocking states from implementing tougher standards such as California.

An overview of the bill, along with full text can be found on the House Agriculture Committee website: https://agriculture.house.gov/…

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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