U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman John Boozman announced on Aug. 5 that he is working to secure bipartisan support for Farm Bill 2.0 by introducing targeted updates addressing concerns from members, states, and stakeholders ahead of Thursday’s business meeting in Washington.
The revised proposal aims to provide certainty, stability, and support for rural America through updated policies. Key changes include allowing states the option to use either Fiscal Year 2026 or Fiscal Year 2027 error rate data when calculating their Fiscal Year 2029 benefit cost share and increasing funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) commodity purchases to improve access to nutritious foods for families and food banks while supporting domestic farmers and producers.
“This is a good faith effort to respond to concerns of states by making meaningful improvements including these updates to nutrition policy. We have a real opportunity Thursday to advance a bipartisan bill to the Senate floor that delivers the long overdue certainty farmers, ranchers and producers need. I’m hopeful this proposal can unlock that potential,” Boozman said.
The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee operates as a standing committee affiliated with the U.S. Senate and includes 23 members—12 Republicans and 11 Democrats—according to the official website. The committee manages legislation on agriculture, nutrition, forestry, food security, hunger, rural issues both domestically and internationally; it was proposed by Pennsylvania Republican senator William Findlay in an effort to elevate agriculture’s status. Historically, it has influenced policies such as price supports in the 1930s and international trade issues in the 1990s; it also compares agriculture alongside commerce and manufacturing as vital sectors requiring balanced governmental support, according to its official website.
The business meeting scheduled for Thursday will determine whether Boozman’s latest offer can achieve enough consensus among committee members from both parties.