WASHINGTON, D.C. — After a marathon session that stretched into the early morning hours, the House Agriculture Committee has officially advanced H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. The bill, passed with a bipartisan 34-17 vote, now heads to the full House of Representatives for consideration.
The legislation—often referred to as “Farm Bill 2.0″—aims to provide a long-term safety net for the nation’s producers while tackling modern challenges like rural broadband, foreign land ownership, and agricultural technology.
Strengthening the “Farm Safety Net”
For Ohio’s farmers, the bill brings several highly anticipated updates to the commodity programs that haven’t seen a full reauthorization since 2018.
- Increased Reference Prices: The bill raises the “effective reference price” for major crops, providing a stronger buffer against the record-high input costs and low market prices that have squeezed margins over the last two years.
- Crop Insurance Support: It reduces the cost of crop insurance for many producers and increases the guarantee for Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) from 86% to 90% of benchmark revenue.
- Tech and Credit: The bill modernizes Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan limits and incorporates “precision agriculture” into existing conservation programs, giving farmers financial backing to adopt data-driven tools.
Protecting American Farmland
The bill includes aggressive new measures to protect domestic soil from foreign adversaries. A key provision would prohibit USDA funds from being used for solar panels on “prime farmland” and strengthens the federal government’s ability to block land purchases by entities from China and Russia.
“This is a practical farm bill that provides real and workable solutions,” said Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson. “The policies of 2018 are no match for the challenges of 2026.”
Nutrition and SNAP Tensions
While the bill advanced with support from seven Democrats, the Nutrition Title remains a point of contention.
- SNAP Modernization: The bill makes SNAP online purchasing permanent and allows states more flexibility in hiring contractors to process backlogged applications.
- The “Buy American” Mandate: A new requirement would force school food authorities to purchase at least 95% domestic products, effectively banning the use of poultry or seafood imported from Russia or China in school lunches.
Critics of the bill point to projected cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), arguing the “staffing flexibility” could lead to privatization of the program. Democrats also expressed disappointment that the bill does not authorize the year-round sale of E15 ethanol, an issue that was ruled “out of order” during the committee markup.
What’s Next?
While the bill has cleared the committee hurdle, its path through the full House remains uncertain. Leadership has not yet scheduled a date for the floor vote. Across the Capitol, the Senate Agriculture Committee has yet to release its own version of the bill, leading many to predict that another short-term extension may be necessary before the current programs expire on December 31.
