While federal agricultural policy can come in many different forms, the Farm Bill is the arguably the most important. Typically passed and enacted every five years, a Farm Bill sets out the funding for various programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), including nutrition assistance, commodity programs, research programs, and more. On February 13, 2026, the House Agriculture Committee released the text of H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. This bill builds on the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), enacted in 2025, by covering the Farm Bill programs that were not included in the OBBA. This post will analyze the text of the bill, highlighting the key changes that will impact producers here in central Illinois, and what the next steps are in the legislative process.
Why is this happening?
As mentioned, the Farm Bill typically follows a five-year cycle. For example, the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill), was passed and enacted in December 2018. That bill authorized spending on programs for five years after it went into effect, with those authorizations expiring in 2023. However, due to Congress being Congress, the programs were extended three times to cover the 2024, 2025, and 2026 crop years. This was further complicated with the passage of the OBBBA in the summer of 2025. Title I of the bill contained changes to many of the traditional Farm Bill programs that would be covered in a “normal” Farm Bill. This included changes to commodity programs such as Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), nutrition assistance programs, and funding for conservation programs. In total, the changes in Title I of OBBBA cut nearly $121 billion in spending over the next ten years.
But there were many programs that were not explicitly covered or reauthorized in OBBBA. These can be grouped into “discretionary” (programs authorized for a certain length of time) and “mandatory” (programs that are permanent) programs. Examples of the discretionary programs not covered in the OBBBA include funding for the Farm Credit System, research efforts, forestry programs, and specialty crop assistance. Examples of mandatory programs that need additional clarity following the OBBBA include the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and other conservation programs, nutrition assistance, and trade development programs.
What is in H.R. 7567?
The newly introduced Farm, Food, and National Security Act pf 2026 seeks to expand on and cover what was missed in the OBBBA. Across the 802-page bill are important reauthorizations and appropriations that impact producers in Illinois and across the United States. I won’t go through every single change; but rather highlight some of the more significant changes that will have a greater impact.
Conservation
Title II of the bill covers conservation programs administered by the USDA. Section 2101 reauthorizes the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through 2031. This was a big question mark left after passage of OBBBA, as CRP was only extended until September 2026, leaving hundred of thousands of acres in Illinois and millions of acres across the United States in jeopardy. This extension until September 2031 provides stability and certainty for the program.
Another key change to conservation programs is the use of precision agriculture technologies. The bill makes changes to the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) by adding the adoption of precision agriculture technologies to the list of practices that can be reimbursed under the program. A similar change was made to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) that allows for producers to receive payments for adopting and using precision agriculture technologies under the program. Furthermore, in Section 2302, $100 million in CSP funding is set aside for grants to the states “to improve soil health on agricultural lands in those states.” This is particularly important, as programs such as the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy help farmers and landowners to adopt conservation practices on their land. What these grants will look like, the qualifications/requirements, and how much money will be made available is still unknown, but this would be a significant change for conservation funding.
FIFRA Compliance
Jumping down to Title X of the bill, there are changes related to the enforcement of the Federal, Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Section 10202 requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work with the USDA when developing risk mitigation measures pursuant to FIFRA, and to conduct an analysis to determine the cost of implementing those measures. Section 10205 prohibits states and local governments from imposing additional laws on pesticide labeling that are more stringent than FIFRA requirements. Section 10206 further prohibits local governments from regulating the sale and use of a product regulated by FIFRA, leaving the regulation of that product to the states and the EPA. This appears to be an effort to have a uniform approach to regulating pesticides and other products under FIFRA, while still allowing states to have some regulatory powers.
Crop Insurance
Title XI of the bill includes many changes to federal crop insurance programs. Section 11001 creates a Specialty Crop Advisory Committee that will advise the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation “on issues relating to specialty crop insurance policies” and help guide future changes to crop insurance programs for specialty crops. This is important for specialty crop producers in Illinois by finally giving them some voice for crop insurance programs. Section 11004 expands crop insurance coverage for revenue losses during periods of declined market prices. Section 11007 makes changes to crop insurance premium rates intended to help beginning farmers and farmers who are veterans. These changes will provide more assistance these farmers, who may find it difficult to get into agriculture in the first place.
Where does it go from here?
So, the bill has been introduced, where does it go from here? If we recall the famous Schoolhouse Rock tune “I’m Just a Bill” the bill needs to go off to committee, specifically the House Agriculture Committee, for its review and markup. That process was completed on March 5, when the bill was favorably reported by the Committee. Next up is the House Rules Committee, which will decide the rules of debate when the bill makes it before the whole House. Then comes debate before the whole House of Representatives, where all members of the House can make their opinions felt. If a majority of the House approves of the bill, it then goes to the Senate where the process repeats. It is likely that the Senate will make its own changes to the bill.
What happens then? If the Senate makes changes to the bill, the House can decide to either accept those changes or reject them. If they are accepted, then the bill is approved and sent to the President for his signature. But, if the House rejects the Senate’s changes, then there will likely be a conference committee. The conference committee would be made up of members of the House and Senate, and its job would be to resolve the differences between both chambers and create a version of the bill that both chambers can agree on. If both chambers do agree, then it goes to the President.
The legislative process can be complicated, and with this complicated nature, comes slow progress. While the bill may be a priority for many members of the House, it may not be a priority for everyone. Therefore, it may take some time for it to make it to the House floor for debate. Then it will take time to get through the Senate and to resolve any differences. What will happen next remains to be seen, but the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 is an important measure to provide stability and assurance for agricultural producers in Illinois and across the United States. Building upon the OBBBA, this bill makes key changes to conservation programs, crop insurance programs, and many other aspects of federal agricultural policy.