By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

After much anticipation, U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) released a discussion draft of the farm bill Tuesday he says is the “next step in strengthening America’s farm economy.”

The 902-page Agricultural Act of 2026 bolsters animal health programs, addresses barriers to trade, increases funding for trade promotion programs, expands the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), expands rural broadband, updates loan limits and boosts credit access for U.S. farmers and ranchers.

“We can all agree that we must take steps to help America’s farm families, and one of the most important ways we demonstrate that commitment is by passing a bipartisan farm bill,” Boozman said.

The bill builds upon the improvements made to crop programs that were made through the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, sometimes called the One Big Beautiful Bill.

“We’re continuing to expand upon that success with bipartisan priorities that strengthen the American farm economy, increase investments for rural communities and foster a more resilient agricultural sector,” Boozman said. “I’m proud to put forward this discussion draft that reflects the input and priorities of Republicans, Democrats, and most importantly, rural America. This bill is built for the people who feed America, and I look forward to continuing conversations with my colleagues about how we can best serve them and the communities they call home.”

The legislation improves accessibility and expands eligibility for existing commodity, dairy and standing disaster programs, according to a summary provided by the U.S. Senate Ag Committee.

Following the release of the draft, Texas Farm Bureau (TFB), the state’s largest general farm and ranch organization, expressed its appreciation to Boozman, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and their staff for their continued work to move the food and farm legislation forward.

“Farmers and ranchers have waited far too long for a full, five-year farm bill, and Congress must deliver certainty as producers face a tough farm economy with high input costs, low commodity prices and ongoing weather challenges,” TFB President Russell Boening said.

If passed as is, the legislation would expand LIP eligibility to include unweaned livestock and specifies that predation by Mexican Gray Wolves and panthers are eligible for LIP.

It would expand the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP) program so funds may be used to cover transportation costs for hauling feed and water. Adverse weather and drought would also be added as loss causes.

Winter stockpile grazing losses would also be added as a new ELAP-eligible loss category.

Title 1 also calls for the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to create a framework to disperse assistance to specialty crop growers in the event of market disruption or economic purposes if Congress provides additional funding.

Title 2 addresses conservation funding and programs. It calls for the reauthorization of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through 2031 with enrollment capped at 27 million acres.

There’s also a provision that would improve access to CRP acreage for haying and grazing by authorizing emergency responses to drought, flooding and other natural disasters.

Grassland CRP would be capped at 12 million acres.

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program would be improved to address drought.

The Federal Swine Eradication and Control Program is reauthorized under the legislation, but with a change in the funding ratio. Forty percent of funding would be allocated to USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the rest would go to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Boozman’s draft would also increase the cost-share rates for conservation land easements from 50% to 60% and increase cost-share for grasslands of special significance from 75% to 80%.

The title would also create a new State Conservation Assistance Program at USDA to support state efforts to promote agricultural conservation. It would allow grants to states up to $5 million to cover up to half of the cost of the state program or 75% of the cost of a tribal program.

The bill provides $50 million annually for the State Conservation Assistance program.

Fertilizer prices and accessibility are addressed in the farm bill.

Title 1 of the draft bill calls for the expansion of the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program to authorize loans for constructing or upgrading propane and fertilizer storage facilities used primarily for agricultural production.

It also directs the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to revise the program regulations to implement the expansion, ensuring fertilizer loans cover, at a minimum, dry storage, blenders, liquid tanks, anhydrous ammonia, pressure vessels and the related receipt, storage and removal infrastructure.

Title 12 would require USDA to publish a report on the U.S. fertilizer industry.

It would direct USDA to employ a full-time Crop Input Economist, within the Office of the Chief Economist, to coordinate efforts across federal agencies to collect data and research of crop inputs and disseminate information to the public for crop input market.

The foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land is also addressed.

The bill would require the Secretary of Agriculture to submit an annual report to Congress on the status and trends related to foreign ownership of U.S. ag land, the activities carried out pursuant to the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA).

The Ag Secretary would also have to work with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the head of any other federal agency appropriate to submit an annual report analyzing foreign influence in U.S. agriculture, the risks and benefits of foreign ownership of U.S. ag land and any agriculture-related espionage and the techniques used by foreign governments.

The act would bolster the responsibilities of USDA’s Office of Homeland Security, including advising the secretary on foreign threats to the food and agricultural secretary. The office would serve as the liaison between the ag secretary and the intelligence community, monitoring compliance of AFIDA.

The Secretary of Agriculture would also be authorized to detail USDA employees to, and accept employees from, the intelligence community to assist in carrying out the duties of USDA’s Office of Homeland Security.

Animal health and marketing programs would be bolstered under the bill.

The legislation directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a permanent voluntary certification program for swine diseases, “The U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan.” It would be tasked with improving biosecurity, traceability, disease surveillance and foreign animal disease surveillance.

A pilot swine health program was established in 2021.

The National Poultry Improvement Plan would be continued under the legislation.

Funding for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network would rise from $30 million to $45 million per fiscal year through 2031 under the bill.

The Secretary of Agriculture would also be given the authority, under the bill, to allow qualified veterinarians employed by or contracted with USDA to carry out animal import inspection activities.

Notes from the Senate Ag Committee say this would provide flexibility in areas with a lack of available APHIS inspectors.

“We value the strong focus on animal health provisions included in the bill as we combat the threat of New World screwworm, as well as the bill’s efforts to strengthen the farm safety net, support conservation efforts, invest in rural communities and enhance the resilience of Texas agriculture,” Boening said. “These are key priorities for Texas Farm Bureau and the farmers and ranchers we represent.”

The bill also directs the Secretary of Agriculture to contract with a land grant, or non-land-grant college of agriculture to evaluate the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program.

The evaluation would assess the effectiveness of the program in preventing and reducing the spread of tick-borne illnesses in cattle, and the benefits and burdens of compliance for cattle producers.

There’s also a call for USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist to work with an independent, nonpartisan research institute, a land grant university or non-land grant college of agriculture with livestock economics expertise to carry out a study on livestock production trends and meat marketing practices and their possible effects in the livestock and meat sectors.

Unlike the House-passed version of the farm bill, the Senate draft does not address California’s Proposition 12 or year-round sales of E15 gasoline.

“The House is a little bit different than the Senate. We’re going to need a number of Democratic votes in order to get this passed on the floor,” Boozman said. “We really haven’t identified anybody that will step up and say that they’re for this on the Democratic side.”

Boozman said he supports E15, but it doesn’t fall under the ag committee’s jurisdiction.

The House Agriculture Committee passed their version of the farm bill, The Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026, in a 34-17 vote March 5.

The legislation passed the House of Representatives in a 224-200 vote April 30.

The Senate Ag Committee plans to take up Boozman’s draft between Congress’ July 4 break and the August district work period.

Unless the Congressional calendar changes before then, that would put consideration of the farm bill between July 13 and Aug. 7.

“TFB urges the U.S. Senate to move quickly to advance this bill and begin conference with the U.S. House of Representatives so a final product can reach the president’s desk as soon as possible. Farmers and ranchers needed a new, full farm bill years ago, and they cannot afford any further delay,” Boozman said.

If Boozman’s draft bill passes the committee and the Senate, the two farm bills will then go to committee to be conferenced into a single bill.