On Feb. 13, the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture released the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026.
“A new farm bill is long overdue, and the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 is an important step forward in providing certainty to our farmers, ranchers and rural communities. We made historic agricultural investments last summer in the Working Families Tax Cuts (H.R. 1), but there are many key policy components that remain to be addressed,” said House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pennslyvania).
Some key dairy highlights of the bill, as summarized by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) include:
- Authorizing for the long term the dairy product processing cost surveys initially authorized and funded at $9 million in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)
- Extending the Dairy Forward Pricing Program, the Dairy Indemnity Program and the Dairy Promotion and Research 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 and a directive for states to prioritize methane-reducing practices
- Establishing a long-term policy directive for the U.S. government to proactively negotiate protections for common cheese names like “Parmesan” and “feta”
- Moving Food for Peace program administration to the USDA and continuing $200 million in annual funding for ready-to-use therapeutic foods that incorporate milk powder to treat chronic malnutrition globally
- 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 cooperators such as the U.S. Dairy Export Council
- 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
- Including full-fat fluid milk and hard cheeses in the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program
- Reauthorizing the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network
“This bill provides modern policies for modern challenges and is shaped by years of listening to the needs of farmers, ranchers and rural Americans. The farm bill affects our entire country, regardless of whether you live on a farm, and I look forward to seeing my colleagues in Congress work together to get this critical legislation across the finish line,” Thompson said.
The House Committee on Agriculture will begin marking up a new farm bill Feb. 23.
