A new Senate farm bill proposal could face an uphill battle after reports indicated it does not include a delay in planned changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, funding.
Politico said Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman previewed the bill Monday (June 22, 2026) ahead of its public release.
Democrats have warned they will oppose a farm bill that fails to postpone a provision requiring some states to help cover SNAP benefit costs. The disagreement could complicate efforts to advance a new farm bill, as Senate leaders will likely need bipartisan support to reach the 60 votes required for passage.
Despite the concerns, a Republican spokesperson for the Senate Agriculture Committee said Boozman has developed a discussion draft that can earn the bipartisan backing needed to move through the Senate.
“The chairman will continue discussions with senators and industry representatives while finalizing the bill text,” the spokesperson said.
House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig from Minnesota released the following statement after Boozman unveiled his farm bill draft: “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.”
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew issued the following statement reacting to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry’s discussion draft of the farm bill: “We appreciate Chairman Boozman and the committee for their commitment to a bipartisan farm bill and their openness to continued negotiations. 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. These reforms would give farmers more predictable risk management tools, reduce uncertainty and end the cycle of repeated emergency interventions.
“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.
“If we don’t take decisive action now, we risk losing the next generation of farmers and ranchers. NFU will continue working with the committee and the full Congress to fight for the long-term, structural changes farm country deserves.”
The American Soybean Association welcomed the release of a draft farm bill by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman, which includes key priorities for U.S. soybean farmers and makes important investments in the farm safety net, conservation, rural development, research, and market opportunities for soybean farmers.
“Soybean farmers need the certainty and stability that only a five-year farm bill can provide,” said ASA President Scott Metzger (OH). “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. We look forward to reviewing the draft legislation and working with lawmakers as the farm bill process moves forward.”
The framework includes several ASA-supported provisions, including legislation to advance plant biostimulants, expand conservation technical assistance, improve fertilizer research, strengthen rural broadband deployment, increase access to technical service providers and support precision agriculture technologies.
The farm bill draft also pursues advancements in market development and rural economic growth through the reauthorization of international food assistance programs, including McGovern-Dole, expanded access to guaranteed loans, additional flexibility within farm storage loan programs, eligibility for precision agriculture equipment under the Conservation Loan and Loan Guarantee Program, reauthorization of the Conservation Reserve Program, and the codification of the ReConnect Rural Broadband Program.
In addition, the proposal includes several priorities that support growing domestic markets for soy through new uses, including increased funding for the Biobased Markets (BioPreferred) Program, improvements to the Biorefinery Assistance Program and the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), and a directive for USDA to establish a department-wide sustainable aviation fuel strategy.
ASA is hopeful this discussion draft will facilitate bipartisan negotiations to secure a pathway toward final passage in the Senate.
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,” said National Pork Producers Council President Rob Brenneman, a pork producer from Washington County, Iowa. “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.”
The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) praised Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.) for releasing a Senate farm bill draft, advancing legislation to complete the work of updating America’s farm policy and delivering the certainty that farmers, ranchers, and rural communities need.
“I want to thank Chairman Boozman for his leadership in bringing a Senate farm bill forward,” said Duane Simpson, president and CEO of NCFC. “America’s farmer cooperatives have long called for a completed farm bill that strengthens the farm safety net, expands access to capital, and supports the rural communities where our farmer-owners live and work. Chairman Boozman’s draft is an important step toward finishing that job. We urge Chairman Boozman’s Senate colleagues to come to the table, work through this discussion draft in good faith, and deliver a final bill that rural America deserves.”
The Senate Farm Bill discussion draft released on June 24, 2026, includes several provisions that the National Organic Coalition supports, including stronger verification of high-risk organic imports, increases in the authorized funding level for the National Organic Program, and a responsible process for considering risk-based oversight of organic operations.
However, the bill still falls well short of what organic farmers and businesses need. It does not provide meaningful relief from rising organic certification costs, increase organic research funding, or invest adequately in organic transition and domestic market development.
“The Senate draft contains some positive organic provisions, but it is not yet a Farm Bill that organic farmers and businesses can support,” said Abby Youngblood, Executive Director of the National Organic Coalition. “Senators now have a responsibility to strengthen the bill by addressing rising certification costs, investing in research and transition, improving the data needed to support organic dairy farmers, and strengthening domestic organic production.”
Read NOC’s full analysis: https://www.
- Authorizing mandatory cost and yield surveys to ensure future changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Orders reflect the most current market conditions, building off funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA);
- Extending the Dairy Indemnity Program and the Dairy Promotion and Research Program and making permanent the Dairy Forward Pricing Program;
- Supporting voluntary, producer-led conservation programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), with a continued designation of conservation funds for livestock producers;
- Streamlining the process for conservation Technical Service Provider certification to ensure producers have access to qualified individuals to help fill the gaps in needed technical assistance;
- Establishing a long-term policy directive for the U.S. government to proactively negotiate protections for common cheese names like “parmesan” and “feta,” as championed by NMPF;
- Reassigning export promotion funding initially included in the OBBBA into existing Farm Bill programs like the Market Access Program to make it easier to use by USDA’s international promotion partners, including the U.S. Dairy Export Council;
- Establishing the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program and allowing additional milk, yogurt, and cheese products to be eligible;
- Expanding the REAP Program to include farmer-owned cooperatives;
- Modernizing FDA’s regulatory framework for approving animal feed ingredients to put American farmers on a level playing field with the rest of the world on innovative technologies in the feed industry;
- Expanding opportunities for animal health programs to receive additional funding through annual appropriations;
- Clarifying that whole milk may be served in the school breakfast program;
- Increasing the authorization of funding for Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives that support the development, production, marketing and distribution of dairy products;
- Expanding economic opportunities for farmers to partner with local food distribution organizations to provide fresh, locally grown foods, including milk and other dairy products, to eligible community institutions; and
- Making improvements to the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network and increasing funding through annual appropriations.
Plant Based Products Council Executive Director James Glueck released the following statement: “We appreciate Chairman Boozman for recognizing the importance of America’s agricultural bioeconomy in the Senate Farm Bill discussion draft,” said Glueck. “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. This farm bill is a critical opportunity to invest in American innovation, resilient supply chains, and new economic opportunities for farmers and rural communities.
“The growing American ag bioeconomy needs certainty to encourage continued investment and innovation. We look forward to a Senate Farm Bill process that advances bipartisan policies that support rural America and strengthen U.S. competitiveness and security.”
The Senate Farm Bill discussion draft includes important provisions from the bipartisan, bicameral Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act and the Agricultural Biorefinery Innovation and Opportunity (Ag BIO) Act, legislation endorsed by PBPC.
Invest in Our Land (IIOL) issued the following statement in response to the release of the Agricultural Act of 2026 – or “Farm Bill 2.0” – by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman.
“American farmers and ranchers are working through the hardest stretch in a generation, facing high input costs, volatile markets, and increasingly destructive weather. Federal conservation programs are among the most effective tools they have to manage these challenges,” said Rebecca Bartels, Executive Director of Invest in Our Land. “That’s why the long-term conservation investment Congress made in 2025 must be protected and built upon, not chipped away. We are concerned that the Senate’s draft again redirects funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to pay for other priorities – cutting the program by nearly $2 billion below the levels Congress set just last year. EQIP and other conservation programs provide practical, real-world benefits to producers’ resiliency and ability to innovate, which is why they are some of the most oversubscribed tools USDA operates: in fiscal year 2025, the Department was only able to fund approximately 24 percent of applicants to EQIP and 37 percent of applicants to the Conservation Stewardship Program. When demand outstrips supply by that much, the answer isn’t to keep cutting the same pie into thinner and thinner slices that don’t make a dent in the backlog. It’s to invest more in the programs producers are asking for by name. We applaud the positive updates to the Conservation Reserve Program; however, we cannot simply shift funding around and expect to meet the needs of our producers. We urge the Committee to pay for the new and expanded programs without taking from others, and codify the new Regenerative Agriculture Pilot Program.
At the same time, the Farm Bill alone can’t fix this. The Natural Resources Conservation Service has lost 23 percent of its workforce, and conservation dollars don’t reach the field without the planners, engineers, and field staff who partner with farmers and ranchers to deliver them. Protecting and expanding conservation funding has to go hand in hand with protecting the people at the Natural Resources Conservation Service. We will keep working with farmers, ranchers, and lawmakers in both parties to get this right.”
EQIP Budget Authority: Reconciliation Bill vs. Agricultural Act of 2026
Environmental Quality Incentives Program annual budget authority under Section 1241(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended.
| Fiscal Year | Reconciliation (OBBBA) | Agricultural Act of 2026 | Change |
| 2027 | $2.855B | $2.500B | −$0.355B |
| 2028 | $3.255B | $2.600B | −$0.655B |
| 2029 | $3.255B | $2.700B | −$0.555B |
| 2030 | $3.255B | $2.900B | −$0.355B |
| 2031 | $3.255B | $3.255B | $0.000B |
| Total (FY27–31) | $15.875B | $13.955B | −$1.920B |
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture CEO Ted McKinney commended U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman for releasing the Farm Bill 2.0 discussion draft in the following statement: “NASDA applauds Chairman Boozman for beginning the process of finalizing the Farm Bill 2.0,” McKinney said. “As this process gets underway in the Senate, 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. We will work closely with the Senate Agriculture Committee as they begin debating the discussion draft in the coming weeks.”
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