Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., released a discussion draft of a new five-year farm bill Tuesday including a comprehensive reauthorization of farm and nutrition programs. While stakeholders praised the long-awaited progress, there were mixed reviews over the provisions both included and left out of the package.
"We can all agree that we must take steps to help America’s farm families, and one of the most important ways we demonstrate that commitment is by passing a bipartisan farm bill," Boozman said. "I’m proud to put forward this discussion draft that reflects the input and priorities of Republicans, Democrats, and most importantly, rural America. This bill is built for the people who feed America, and I look forward to continuing conversations with my colleagues about how we can best serve them and the communities they call home."
The proposal would extend programs through 2031 and build on farm policy changes enacted through last year's budget reconciliation package. The draft focuses heavily on strengthening the farm safety net, expanding support for specialty crops, increasing agricultural trade promotion programs, modernizing USDA loan programs and investing in rural communities. It also includes new efforts aimed at fertilizer market transparency, biotechnology policy and rural broadband access.
Still, several politically sensitive issues remain unresolved.
The bill does not address SNAP cost-sharing requirements enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last year, nor does it include provisions addressing California's Proposition 12, nationwide year-round E15 sales or pesticide labeling provisions. Those omissions drew mixed reactions from farm, food, policy and advocacy groups, as well as lawmakers.
Here is a list of excerpts of from various organizations who responded to the legislation Tuesday:
Read more about the bill here.
Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats: “A Farm Bill must meet the needs of both farmers and families across America. This bill does not address the devastating cuts to SNAP or the shift to state taxpayers passed into law as part of HR 1. We appreciate that bipartisan provisions have been included in the discussion draft and stand ready to work with Republicans to negotiate a bipartisan Farm Bill that both meets the moment and can be successful on the Senate Floor.”
House Ag Committee Chair Glenn Thompson, R-Pa: "I am encouraged to see the Senate build on the bipartisan momentum we began in the House of Representatives with the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. It has never been more apparent that our country needs modern farm policy that finishes the work we started last summer with the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. I look forward to working with Chairman Boozman and getting a farm bill to President Trump’s desk soon."
House Ag Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig, D-Minn.: “Unsurprisingly, the Senate Republicans’ farm bill falls far short of meeting the needs of family farmers and working people. Trump’s inflationary tariffs, trade wars and war with Iran have made life more expensive for all Americans and making a profit nearly impossible for our farmers. Instead of working with Senate Democrats on a bipartisan deal to fix these problems and restore food assistance by addressing the $187 billion in SNAP cuts and the unfunded mandate to the states from H.R 1, Senator Boozman chose the partisan status quo. Farmers and working people need real solutions that will open markets, bring down costs and make everyday life less expensive. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to negotiate a truly bipartisan farm bill that serves the needs of farmers and families and stands a chance of becoming law.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa: "I’m disappointed that this draft excludes language on Proposition 12 and also leaves out permanent, year-round sale of E15.”
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss: “The release of the Farm Bill 2.0 discussion draft is an important step toward getting the Senate to pass a much-needed and complete farm bill that builds on the ag wins in last year’s Working Families Tax Cuts Act. There have been significant economic and global changes since the 2018 Farm Bill was enacted, and there is an urgent need for us to give our farmers and rural communities the new tools and certainty they need to compete and grow.”
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.: “The Senate discussion draft of the Farm Bill includes many worthwhile priorities that support America’s farmers and ranchers and strengthen our rural communities. However, this draft does not include my legislation to permanently transfer the administration of Food for Peace to USDA – an important step that would benefit American farmers and support valuable markets for U.S. agricultural commodities. This program is temporarily being administered by USDA, and the permanent transfer will ensure the program’s long-term stability and continued success. The House-passed version of the Farm Bill includes this provision, and the Senate Agriculture Committee should not advance this legislation until this omission is resolved.”
Agricultural Retailers Association: "ARA is encouraged by this progress and remains committed to working with Chairman Boozman and members of the Senate Agriculture Committee to advance legislation that supports farmer access to modern agricultural technologies, strengthens the farm safety net, and ensures a safe, abundant, and affordable food supply for American consumers and global markets." – President and CEO Daren Coppock
American Farm Bureau Federation: “The bill text provides important support for farm families. The benefits include improved access to credit, expanded investments in specialty crops, increased transparency in fertilizer markets, and enhanced research and conservation programs. The discussion draft is a good first step and provides a solid foundation that Farm Bureau will work to improve upon as the Senate moves toward markup … We look forward to working with the chairman and members of Congress to address three top priorities not included in this farm bill draft, which are needed to help farmers through the current multiyear downturn in the farm economy. They include providing economic aid to help farmers struggling with historic inflation, protecting interstate commerce from a patchwork of state laws, and approving the sale of E15 blended fuel year-round, which would be a win-win for farmers and consumers.” – President Zippy Duvall
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: “The vast majority of Americans want to end animal suffering and oppose attempts to undo popular, commonsense laws that protect animals, support independent farmers and make it easier for consumers to find more humane, healthy food. The Save Our Bacon Act has no place in the Farm Bill, and we urge Congressional leaders to ensure this harmful language is kept out of the final bill.” – Senior Vice President of Government Relations Nancy Perry
American Soybean Association: "Soybean farmers need the certainty and stability that only a five-year farm bill can provide. We appreciate Chairman Boozman and the Senate Agriculture Committee for developing a framework that recognizes the challenges facing agriculture and includes several priorities important to U.S. soybean producers.” – President Scott Metzger
American Sugar Alliance: “The Agricultural Act of 2026 recognizes the essential role of U.S. sugar policy and drives progress for strengthened crop insurance tools for farmers. America’s sugar producers look forward to the certainty that a full reauthorization of the Farm Bill will bring to rural America, especially as the U.S. sugar industry faces numerous headwinds, including excess over-quota foreign sugar and numerous natural disasters.”
Center for Employment Opportunities: “The U.S. Senate has missed a golden opportunity to pass common-sense bipartisan legislation that simultaneously strengthens workforce development and protects food security—specifically through the Training Nutrition and Stability Act (TNSA) and the RESTORE Act. Together these bills offer a vital fix to connect career training and food security, and finally lift the lifetime ban on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment for people with drug convictions.” – CEO Sam Schaeffer
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “The farm bill proposal released today by Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman ignores the rapidly worsening hunger crisis in the wake of the 2025 Republican reconciliation law (H.R. 1). This law made the deepest cuts to SNAP in history, but the harm unfolding across the country is already far greater than many anticipated, with more than 4 million people losing SNAP through March. Even more people will lose the vital food assistance they need to afford groceries unless Congress immediately delays H.R. 1’s unprecedented shift of significant new SNAP costs to states.” – Vice President for Food Assistance Ty Jones Cox
Corn Refiners Association: “CRA applauds Chairman Boozman for advancing bipartisan policies that support innovation in biomanufacturing, strengthen demand for American agricultural feedstocks, and help ensure farmers can benefit from emerging domestic and global market opportunities. These investments will support rural economic growth, encourage private-sector innovation, and enhance the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture.” – President and CEO John Bode
Farm Action: “The Senate farm bill avoids some of the most harmful provisions included in the House version, including the effort to overturn state protections like California's Proposition 12. That's an important win for the independent hog farmers who fought to protect this market. But this bill still misses the mark for America's farmers. … The bill also further erodes EQIP funding and strips out some of the strongest features of the administration's regenerative agriculture pilot by restricting the requirement of whole-farm assessments and soil testing in certain conservation programs. … Without the structural reforms needed to restore competition, rebuild local and regional food systems, and strengthen farmers' position in the marketplace, Congress will continue treating the symptoms instead of the cause.” – President Angela Huffman
Humane World Action Fund: “We commend Senate agricultural leaders for choosing not to reopen a food fight around basic protections for animals and states’ rights. At a time when farmers face real pressures from multiple directions, the Senate Farm Bill wisely omits this poison pill proposal that has repeatedly failed in Congress, failed in the courts and failed to gain public support. Even so, this debate is far from over … We will remain vigilant throughout the farm bill process and final vote to make sure that Congress respects the will of voters, the investments that humane-minded producers have already made, and the fundamental rights of states to establish commonsense standards for products sold within their borders.” – President Sara Amundson
International Dairy Foods Association: “Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Boozman’s Farm Bill prioritizes dairy, including increasing access to nutritious dairy foods for SNAP families through targeted incentives, strengthening key programs and providing certainty to American agricultural communities. The Senate Farm Bill’s dairy nutrition incentives broaden existing SNAP incentives beyond non-fat (skim) and low-fat (1%) milk to include whole and reduced-fat (2%) milk, as well as certain cheeses, limited-sugar yogurt and cultured dairy foods, helping stretch SNAP dollars for participating families. The bill also permanently authorizes Mandatory Cost Surveys and the Dairy Forward Pricing Program and provides much-needed certainty for dairy farmers and the broader agricultural sector through a five-year farm bill.” – President and CEO Michael Dykes
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture: “NASDA remains committed to advocating for a bipartisan farm bill that will advance the food, fiber and fuel provided by American agriculture. Finishing a farm bill is vital to the food and agriculture sector, which benefits our economy, accounting for roughly one-fifth of U.S. economic activity and supporting nearly 23 million jobs.” – CEO Ted McKinney
National Association of Wheat Growers: “Wheat farmers need certainty as they contend with stubbornly high input costs, commodity prices that barely break even, and ongoing volatility in global markets. NAWG is reviewing the proposal to assess how it addresses wheat growers’ needs, including crop insurance, the farm safety net, trade, research, conservation, and humanitarian programs that move U.S. grain.” – CEO Sam Kieffer
National Cotton Council: "The discussion draft maintains many of the cotton industry priorities secured in the House-passed legislation by preserving the marketing loan program during future government shutdowns, advancing efforts to create a harvest incentive insurance option, and increasing funding for international trade promotion. The Senate discussion draft also requires more frequent USDA reporting to improve market forecasting." – Chairman Nathan Reed
National Farmers Union: "While the bill includes meaningful improvements, it needs to go further to meet the scale of the crisis facing family farmers and ranchers across this country. What we need is a true safety net that moves away from ad hoc assistance, keeps pace with rising production costs and delivers real stability in the marketplace. That means strengthening and modernizing core farm programs to reflect today's economic realities and withstand tomorrow's shocks. It means building a dedicated structure and funding stream for disaster assistance that is fast, consistent and doesn't require farmers to wait on Congress to act … We urge the committee to go further on priorities that matter to farmers and consumers: mandatory country-of-origin labeling for meat and poultry, year-round nationwide E15, local food procurement funding, and stronger Packers and Stockyards Act enforcement.” – President Rob Larew
National Grain and Feed Association: "The proposal includes several priorities important to the grain, feed, and processing industries, including reauthorization of the U.S. Grain Standards Act, maintenance of the current Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acreage cap, and continued support for export market development programs such as the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development Program (FMD). The association applauded the inclusion of key elements of IFEED, a bipartisan approach to modernize and streamline the regulatory pathway for non-nutritive animal food ingredients that provide important public and animal health benefits, such as reducing human foodborne illness risks and improving animal production."
National Milk Producers Federation: “NMPF thanks Chairman Boozman, Senate Agriculture Committee members, and their staffs for working to put together a farm bill that will bring greater certainty to producers. Dairy farmers look forward to working with senators to get this legislation passed and into conference with the already passed House bill, where lawmakers can craft the best legislation possible.” – President and CEO Gregg Doud
National Pork Producers Council: “While there is certainly room for improvement, we appreciate the Chairman putting forward a discussion draft to guide a path forward. He is spot on when he says, ‘it’s the Senate’s turn to deliver’ on a farm bill for all of rural America. America’s pork producers will continue to advocate for a Prop. 12 fix in the formal farm bill like our livelihood depends on it — because it does.” – President Rob Brenneman
Plant Based Products Council: “Strengthening USDA’s BioPreferred Program, improving existing loan programs, and other provisions will help expand markets for American-grown feedstocks, support rural manufacturing jobs, and bring more U.S.-made biobased products to consumers and federal purchasers. PBPC urges lawmakers to preserve these provisions and continue advancing policies that improve federal procurement, support consistent terminology, strengthen market data, and help scale domestic biobased manufacturing.” – Executive Director James Glueck
Texas Farm Bureau Federation: “Farmers and ranchers have waited far too long for a full, five-year farm bill, and Congress must deliver certainty as producers face a tough farm economy with high input costs, low commodity prices, and ongoing weather challenges. We value the strong focus on animal health provisions included in the bill as we combat the threat of New World screwworm, as well as the bill's efforts to strengthen the farm safety net, support conservation efforts, invest in rural communities and enhance the resilience of Texas agriculture." – President Russell Boening
USA Rice: “As we approach the anniversary of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, it is important that we build upon those investments and work to provide certainty and reauthorize the remaining provisions of the farm bill, and we thank Senator Boozman for moving the debate forward. The Agricultural Act of 2026 includes provisions that would prioritize U.S. commodities, like rice, in food aid; support fertilizer research and on farm storage; support voluntary, incentive-based, and locally led conservation; and modernize the current limits on Farm Service Agency ownership and operating loans.” – Chair Keith Glover
