US Senate Releases Discussion Draft of the Farm Bill

August 1, 2026  

On June 23, 2026, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Boozman unveiled his discussion draft of the Farm Bill. The bill leaves out many of the controversial topics contemplated by the House in their Farm Bill negotiations including provisions preempting state and local pesticide regulation, the sale of year-round E15, or gasoline containing 15%ethanol, and federal law reversing California’s Proposition12 on farm animal containment. The bill contains many bipartisan provisions but did not include provisions that would mitigate the changes to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) as passed last summer in H.R. 1. The Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats issued a statement confirming that they are set on finding solutions to address cuts to SNAP and the cost shift to states. New Mexico US Senator Ben Ray Luján issued a statement reading:

“Senate Agriculture Committee Democrats have been clear that a Farm Bill must meet the needs of both farmers and families across America. This bill does not address the devastating cuts to SNAP or the shift to state taxpayers passed into law as part of HR 1. We appreciate that bipartisan provisions have been included in the discussion draft and stand ready to work with Republicans to negotiate a bipartisan Farm Bill that both meets the moment and can be successful on the Senate Floor.”

Senator Luján is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research. This Subcommittee oversees nutrition programs and Senator Luján has been a champion in defending the nutrition programs and working to reverse the changes made to SNAP in H.R. 1.

The next step in this process will be for the Senate Committee on Agriculture to meet, markup the bill, and vote. The brief markup period provides the opportunity for Senators to introduce added programs and language for consideration. This process has not been scheduled as of July 9th, 2026. If the Farm Bill is not signed into law before September 30, 2026, Congress will have to extend the 2018 Farm Bill for the third time. A priority for Senator Lujan is a separate bill he is co-sponsoring, Strengthening Local Food Security Act (S.2338) that would establish long-term federal support for local food purchasing and emergency food distribution along with farmer to farmer education programs.