Legislation’s Provisions Increase Loan Limits and Expand Many Programs

Key Takeaways:
  • The 2026 Farm Bill has passed the House and is now in the Senate’s hands.
  • Whether the Senate will be able to advance the bill remains to be seen.
  • A few items that were left out of the bill may become contentious.

 

The 2018 Farm Bill and various updates have governed farm support programs for so long now, it’s hard to imagine what life would be like with a new comprehensive Farm Bill. We may find out next year if the U.S. Senate can advance the Agricultural Act of 2026, which has already been passed by the House.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry recently released a 900-page discussion draft of the legislation that provides a glimpse into its major provisions.

Background

The Farm Bill is an aggregate of smaller bills that govern the nation’s agricultural support programs. It typically covers five years’ worth of appropriations, then is updated with a new set of bills. However, the last full Farm Bill was passed in 2018 and expired in 2023. Congress could not agree on an updated bill in 2023, so farm support levels from the 2018 bill have been extended yearly through continuing resolutions. Multiple farm support programs were updated with significantly enhanced benefits in 2025’s One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), but many farm programs were left out of that legislation.

The 2026 Farm Bill gained steam when the House agriculture committee reported it out in March 2026, and it passed the full House.

It is important to note that the farm program changes released June 2 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are separate from the proposed Farm Bill and will remain in effect regardless of whether the Agricultural Act of 2026 is passed. In past Farm Bills, these types of program updates were often included as part of the broader legislation. This time, many of those changes have already been addressed through OBBBA, meaning the proposed Farm Bill would build on, rather than replace, those prior updates.

Major Provisions of the 2026 Farm Bill

Whether the Senate will be able to advance the legislation to a full Senate vote in a busy and contentious election year is unknown. But if it does, the following major provisions could significantly impact farmers:

  • Increased loan limits and enhanced financing options for farmers and ranchers.
  • Significant investments in specialty crops across several titles to improve access to tools and markets.
  • Enhanced and streamlined conservation programs, including the Forest Conservation Easement and State Conservation Assistance programs.
  • Enhanced animal health funding, including codifying the National Poultry Improvement Plan and making the U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan permanent.
  • More than doubling funding for the Foreign Market Development and Market Access programs.
  • Strengthened Buy American requirements in nutrition programs.
  • Reauthorization of the U.S. Grain Standards Act and expansion of USDA’s Office of Seafood.
  • Foreign ownership disclosure and enforcement to protect U.S. farmland and food supply chain security.
  • Rural infrastructure services, including expanded access to USDA Rural Development programs, private capital, drinking water, broadband, and mental health care.

The Farm Bill is also significant for what it does not do, and some opposition can be anticipated over the following issues:

  • The bill does not reverse a requirement that will soon compel states to cover some Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) costs.
  • The bill does not restore nearly $200 billion in SNAP funding that was cut in last year’s OBBB tax bill.
  • The bill does not include the Save Our Bacon Act, which would override California’s new law barring the sale of meat in the state from animals raised in other states under what California considers cruel living conditions.
  • The bill does not include a year-round E15 ethanol fuel sales provision that is included in the House-passed version.

Conclusion

Given that it takes several months to one year for new regulations to be written after a major piece of such as the Farm Bill passes, the sooner Congress can act on this legislation, the better for farmers.

As the political process plays out in Washington, we will watch the Farm Bill closely and keep you informed as to how it is taking shape. In the meantime, if you have any questions about USDA programs that you may qualify for, or about your current participation in the programs, contact an Adams Brown agriculture advisor.