By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

Leaders of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry are expected to release their version of a farm bill sometime in June.

“We’re working hard to do our part on the farm bill,” Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) told Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) members in Washington, D.C. May 19.

The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture’s version of the farm bill, the Food, Farm and National Security Act of 2026 (HR 7567), passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a 224-220 vote April 30.

“This is a bill that we wrote not in Washington, but around the countryside in pastures and barnyards and tool sheds in 43 different states and one territory in probably over 160 listening sessions at this point,” U.S. House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) said.

The legislation garnered the support of 26 of the 37 members of the Texas delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

All 24 House Republicans from Texas and two Democrats, U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, voted in favor of the bill.

The bill addresses parts of the farm bill that were not included in HR 1, or the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“It’s a comprehensive bill, and while Congress did make some significant improvements to the farm bill in terms of Title I commodity programs, Title 11, crop insurance, (and) conservation, it is a large comprehensive bill, and they’ve got to get the rest of the bill done,” Ryan Yates, managing director of public policy at the American Farm Bureau Federation, said. “There are important improvements throughout the Farm Bill 2.0.”

Boozman told TFB members in D.C. he’s eager to get the farm bill done.

“We are working really hard to finish up that 15% of the farm bill that’s left,” Boozman said. “These are things that’ll make a difference for you from a policy standpoint that we couldn’t do in reconciliation. Things like increasing your loan limits.”

The 2018 Farm Bill, which has been extended three times now, was based on data from 2012.

“The world is totally different right now than it was in 2012, so we need to update that,” Boozman said. “We’re also working really hard in trying to make sure we get our fuels taken care of in the sense of ethanol—E15 year-round. That would be a big shot in the arm.”

The chairman said he believes they have a good opportunity of getting that done in the Senate.

Senators met the week of May 21 to discuss a path forward for the farm bill, according to U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).

“The House passed bill came out 224 to 200.They got a decent margin on it over there, and then I think the E15 bill came out 218 to 203. So, they were close, but they had good bipartisan majorities. I think we can achieve that here in the Senate,” Thune said.

Most consequential legislation in the Senate requires at least 60 votes, with some exceptions, according to Thune.

“We can pass some things at 51 votes that otherwise would take 60, but most legislation takes a super majority in the Senate,” Thune told TFB members. “That means we’ve got to have some Democrats to vote with us, and historically, at least when it comes to farm bills, have been bipartisan exercises.”

In addition to working on a farm bill draft, Boozman is collaborating with U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations’ subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies.