One large step closer to delivering on promised certainty, U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., today announce the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 passed the Senate on a strong bipartisan 86-11 vote.

“Today marks an important day for farm country. We are one step closer to providing farmers and ranchers a Farm Bill with the certainty and predictability they deserve,” said Chairman Roberts. “I thank my partner in this journey, Ranking Member Stabenow, as well as many of our Senate colleagues who offered leadership and expertise. I am proud we have a strong, budget neutral Farm Bill with broad support.”

“The 2018 Senate Farm Bill proves that bipartisanship is a tried and true approach to getting things done,” said Ranking Member Stabenow. “By working across the aisle, we crafted a Farm Bill that strengthens our diverse agricultural economy and all the jobs it supports in Michigan and across the county. I want to thank Chairman Roberts for his leadership and partnership, along with our Senate colleagues who contributed their ideas for improving American agriculture.”

The Senate Agriculture Committee favorably reported out the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly referred to as the Farm Bill, on June 13, 2018. The bipartisan 5-year legislation encompasses a broad array of agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and forestry policy. Click here to watch the meeting. Click here to watch other Committee hearings in preparation for the 2018 Farm Bill. Click here to read the legislation, summaries, and amendments.

The legislation has the support of more than 500 groups representing thousands of agriculture, food, nutrition, hunger, forestry, conservation, rural, business, faith-based, research, and academic interests.

Today the House passed the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2), critical legislation to address the economic challenges facing the nation’s farmers and ranchers, while making significant investments in opportunities for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. Upon passage, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) issued the following remarks:

“Today’s vote was about keeping faith with the men and women of rural America and about the enduring promise of the dignity of a day’s work. It was about providing certainty to farmers and ranchers who have been struggling under the weight of a five-year recession and about providing our neighbors in need with more than just a hand out, but a hand up. I’m proud of what this body has accomplished, and now look forward to working with the Senate and the president to deliver a farm bill on time to the American people.”

Delivering on a promise, U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., today are pleased to announce the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 was favorably reported out of the Committee with bipartisan support. Click here to watch the meeting.

Commonly referred to as the Farm Bill, the bipartisan 5-year legislation encompasses a broad array of agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and forestry policy.

“The Senate Agriculture Committee’s bipartisan Farm Bill process is a reminder of how things should work in Washington – listening to the folks back home, working through issues with the other side of the aisle, then writing a good bill,” said Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow. “Today marks another important step in the road to getting an on-time Farm Bill enacted into law. We urge our colleagues to support this bill.”

Click here to read the legislation, summaries, and amendments.

The legislation has the support of more than 115 agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and forestry groups.

Click here to watch the Committee’s hearings in preparation for the 2018 Farm Bill.

The legislation now heads to the full U.S. Senate for consideration.

U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., today released the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The Committee will meet to consider the legislation at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on June 13. Click here to watch live.

“When Ranking Member Stabenow and I started this journey in Manhattan, Kansas, last year, we made a commitment to make tough choices and produce a good, bipartisan Farm Bill,” said Chairman Roberts. “I’m pleased that today marks a big step in the process to get a Farm Bill reauthorized on time.”

“Whether it’s low prices, over burdensome regulations, or unpredictable trade markets, it’s no secret that farmers and ranchers are struggling. That’s why we need a Farm Bill that works for all producers across all regions. Simply put, our producers need predictability – and that’s just what our bill provides.”

“From day one, Chairman Roberts and I agreed we would craft a bipartisan bill that works for farmers, families, and rural communities,” said Ranking Member Stabenow. “The 2018 bipartisan Senate Farm Bill goes above and beyond to provide certainty for rural America and our diverse agricultural economy in Michigan and throughout the country.”

“From revitalizing small towns, to promoting good stewardship of our land and water, to expanding local food economies, this Farm Bill is a major bipartisan victory.”

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 provides certainty and predictability for producers across all regions, as well as those in need of assistance, by:

Providing Certainty for Farmers, Ranchers, and Growers

• Preserving and strengthening crop insurance and other risk management tools for commodity, dairy, livestock, and other producers
• Providing flexibility for producers during times of natural disasters
• Continuing and strengthening export and trade-related programs
• Supporting agriculture research and encouraging research partnerships that make farmers more productive and profitable

Strengthening Integrity and Food Access for Families

• Strengthening the integrity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Building on successful public-private partnerships and job training to improve SNAP participants’ path to sustainable employment
• Protecting food assistance for families and expanding access to healthy foods
• Reducing burdensome paperwork for seniors in need of assistance

Strengthening Voluntary Conservation and Forest Management

• Investing in voluntary conservation on working lands and expanding regional partnerships that leverage private funds to address natural resource concerns and improve water quality
• Providing forest management reforms to federal land managers and protecting against wildfires
• Securing opportunities for outdoor recreation by adding 1 million new acres to the Conservation Reserve Program and strengthening voluntary public access

Investing in Rural America

• Connecting rural America by expanding high-speed internet
• Fighting the opioid epidemic with prevention and treatment efforts
• Investing in water infrastructure for rural communities
• Preserving renewable energy investments that lower utility bills and support energy installation jobs

Growing the Diversity of the American Agricultural Economy

• Supporting farmer veterans and new farmers beginning careers in agriculture
• Strengthening local food economies that enable farmers to sell their products to their neighbors
• Growing emerging opportunities in organic production and urban agriculture
• Bolstering biodefense preparedness efforts to protect United States agriculture and food.

Click here to read the legislation and a section-by-section summary.

Click here to watch the Committee’s hearings in preparation for the Farm Bill.