The farm bill has expired, and lawmakers say a new agreement won’t come for at least a month as Congress navigates a complex legislative landscape. Congress had previously extended the 2018 farm bill three times before the Sept. 30, 2026, expiration date.
While several important titles of the farm bill were addressed in recent omnibus legislation, key provisions have lapsed and require renewal. Chairs of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees say they hope to pass a permanent farm bill by year’s end, along with other provisions important to farmers.
Committees Remain Hopeful Despite Tight Timeline
The clock is ticking on getting a farm bill done, especially during the lame-duck session of Congress, but Agriculture Committee chairs remain optimistic.
“We’re working with our House counterparts now and also working with the Democrats both in the House and the Senate and trying to get together and have a final bill that we can pass as soon as we get back once the election’s over,” Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee says.
Rep. G.T. Thompson, R-Pa., chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, says staff from both chambers have been communicating regularly.
“I think we’re in a position to pre-conference 90% of the farm bill,” Thompson says. “There’s not an excuse not to get it done by the end of the year.”
Additional Provisions Under Consideration
Boozman says the conference committee will also work out provisions including a fix for California’s Proposition 12 and mandatory country-of-origin labeling (M-COOL).
“A lot of people would like to see that passed. There’s some opposition. It’s a little bit controversial. On the other hand, I think the preponderance right now is probably with it rather than against,” Boozman says.
Another provision that could be included is nationwide, year-round E15 sales, which has support in both chambers.
“We’re still hopeful that there’s a chance to get that done. And while the House-passed farm bill did not have E15 provisions in it, the House did pass a standalone E15 bill,” Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association says.
Boozman says lawmakers “will marry those up and figure out a path forward for E15.”
Midterm Elections Could Determine Fate
If the traditional conference committee process fails, the likelihood of passage in the 120th Congress will depend on the outcome of the midterm elections.
“Does the House flip? Does that look likely? Is it by a big margin? At some point is it north of 230 seats? I don’t know. I think that’s a different calculation,” DaNita Murray, executive director of South Dakota Corn says. “And the U.S. Senate, does it stay in the hands of Republicans or does that flip as well?”
Still, Murray isn’t ruling anything out.
“Time will tell,” she says. “Lame ducks are crazy, as you know.”
