2018 Farm Bill Extension Expires Sept. 30, 2026, No Replacement Passed

TL;DR: The one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, enacted as P.L. 119-37, Division E, Section 5002, expires today, September 30, 2026, with no replacement or new extension passed. The House is in recess until about November 9, the Senate has no floor vote scheduled, and the SNAP cost-share dispute remains unresolved. Most program funding continues through December 11 via a continuing resolution.

Key takeaway

The 2018 Farm Bill extension lapses today, but a continuing resolution keeps most program funding flowing through December 11, 2026.

What happened

The one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill expires today, September 30, 2026. It was enacted as P.L. 119-37, Division E, Section 5002. Congress has now extended the 2018 Farm Bill three times, and no new farm bill or further extension has been passed.

Both chambers are stalled. The House is in recess until approximately November 9, 2026, and the Senate has no floor vote scheduled for a farm bill or an extension. The unresolved SNAP cost-share dispute, with Republicans backing a one-year approach and Democrats a two-year approach, continues to block agreement.

Farm Bill 2.0, the Agricultural Act of 2026, cleared the Senate Agriculture Committee 12-11 on September 16, but it faces a 60-vote cloture threshold on the floor. That would require at least seven Democratic votes, none of which have been secured. You can follow the committee action and floor math on our Senate status page and the vote tracker.

What it means

Most program funding is expected to continue through December 11, 2026, via a continuing resolution (H.R. 6500). But the statutory authorizations under the 2018 Farm Bill lapse today, which creates a gap between funded operations and legal authority.

Here is how the lapse affects key groups:

• SNAP recipients: Benefits continue through December 11 under the continuing resolution. The longer-term cost-share dispute between the chambers stays unresolved.
• Row-crop and specialty farmers: Commodity and crop-insurance programs keep operating on continuing funding for now, but permanent authorizations have expired.
• Conservation stakeholders: Program continuity depends on the continuing resolution rather than a reauthorized farm bill.
• Ag lenders: Expect uncertainty on program terms until Congress acts on a full bill or a fresh extension.

For a title-by-title look at what the pending bill would change, see our what's new vs. 2018 comparison and the full bill summary.

What's next

The most likely path, as of September 30, 2026, is a short-term extension attached to December appropriations, followed by a five-year bill in a lame-duck session. That sequence is not guaranteed and depends on resolving the SNAP cost-share gap.

Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman said as recently as September 28 that he is "strongly encouraging Democrats to come to the negotiating table now." Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar said Democrats "want to resolve differences and get a farm bill through Congress this year." Both sides describe a willingness to negotiate, but no floor vote is scheduled.

Bloomberg Government has reported that Senate floor action on a farm bill is unlikely before the midterm elections. We are tracking each step on our timeline and status page and the path to signing.

Frequently asked questions

Did the 2018 Farm Bill extension expire?

Yes. The one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, enacted as P.L. 119-37, Division E, Section 5002, expires today, September 30, 2026. Congress has extended the 2018 Farm Bill three times in total, and no new farm bill or further extension has been passed. Statutory program authorizations lapse today, though most funding continues through December 11, 2026, via a continuing resolution.

Will SNAP benefits stop now that the extension expired?

No. SNAP benefits continue through December 11, 2026, under the continuing resolution (H.R. 6500). The expiration affects statutory authorizations, not immediate funding. However, the SNAP cost-share dispute between the chambers, with Republicans favoring a one-year approach and Democrats a two-year approach, remains unresolved and must be settled in any final farm bill.

Why hasn't Congress passed a new farm bill?

Congress has not passed a new farm bill because the House is in recess until about November 9, 2026, the Senate has no floor vote scheduled, and the SNAP cost-share dispute is unresolved. The Senate bill also faces a 60-vote cloture threshold, requiring at least seven Democratic votes, none of which have been secured as of September 30, 2026.

What is the 60-vote cloture threshold for the farm bill?

The 60-vote cloture threshold is the number of Senate votes needed to end debate and move a bill to a final vote. For Farm Bill 2.0, that means at least seven Democratic votes are required, since the bill cleared the Senate Agriculture Committee 12-11 on September 16, 2026. No Democratic floor votes have been secured yet.

When will Congress act on the farm bill?

As of September 30, 2026, the most likely path is a short-term extension attached to December appropriations, followed by a five-year bill in a lame-duck session. Bloomberg Government has reported that Senate floor action is unlikely before the midterm elections. No farm bill floor vote is currently scheduled in either chamber.

Sources

• USDA / farmers.gov , Farm Bill status and extension details, dated 2026-09-30.
• Agri-Pulse / Farm Policy News , Boozman and Klobuchar statements; Bloomberg Government on floor timing, dated 2026-09-28.