Question
How is the Farm Bill 2026 different from the 2018 Farm Bill?
Last updated: 2026-05-01
Quick answer
Compared with the 2018 Farm Bill, the House-passed H.R. 7567 would (if enacted): leave most commodity and SNAP policy locked in by H.R. 1 (2025 reconciliation) rather than the farm bill itself; create the Forest Conservation Easement Program to replace the Healthy Forests Reserve Program; exempt ACEP from the AGI limit; reduce EQIP by $786M; roughly double trade promotion (MAP, FMD, TASC); add common name protection; and transfer Food for Peace from USAID to USDA. Because the bill is not law, these are proposed changes, not changes in effect.
The headline differences
The 2018 Farm Bill (Agriculture Improvement Act) ran FY2019-FY2023, was extended three times, and is finally being replaced by the Farm Bill 2.0 (FY2027-FY2031). The 2026 farm bill is narrower than 2018 in scope because most major commodity, crop insurance, and SNAP policy was already addressed by H.R. 1 (the 2025 budget reconciliation law).
Total spending
| Window | 2018 Farm Bill | 2026 Farm Bill (H.R. 7567) |
|---|---|---|
| 5-year total | $428B | ~$390B (widely-quoted media figure, not the official CBO score) |
| 10-year total | $867B | ~$1.37T (underlying farm-bill baseline) |
| Reauthorized through | FY2023 | would run through FY2031 if enacted |
CBO’s score for H.R. 7567 (publication 62376) estimates roughly $162 million in increased direct spending over 2026–2031, with about $22.4 billion in specified authorizations. The “$390 billion over 5 years” figure is a headline framing of the broader baseline, not CBO’s estimate of the bill’s net cost.
Brand-new programs in 2026
| Program | Why it’s new |
|---|---|
| Forest Conservation Easement Program (FCEP) | Replaces HFRP; expanded scope |
| Specialty Crop Emergency Assistance Framework | Permanent disaster framework for specialty crops |
| State Soil Health Program | $100M annual passthrough to state ag departments |
| Heirs’ Property Relending Program | Addresses heirs’ property crisis |
| U.S. Southern Border EQIP Initiative | Border infrastructure repair |
| Common Names Protection | Trade tool for U.S. food names like parmesan, feta |
| FMD Infrastructure Subprogram | Foreign port/storage support |
Eliminated programs
- Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP): repealed; functions absorbed into FCEP
- Supplemental Agricultural Trade Promotion: repealed; rolled into expanded MAP/FMD
Major funding shifts
| Program | 2018 baseline | 2026 baseline | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| EQIP mandatory | Higher | Reduced by $786M / 10yr | -$786M |
| MAP | $200M annually | $400-410M annually | Doubled |
| FMD | $34.5M annually | $70.5-82M annually | Doubled |
| TASC | $9M | $18M | Doubled |
| Specialty Crop Research | Lower | $30M | Increased |
| Specialty Crop Automation | $0 | $20M | New |
| ACEP federal share | 50% | 65% (90% for SDA) | Up |
Policy comparison highlights
Title I (Commodities)
- Reference prices and ARC/PLC: locked in by H.R. 1, not the farm bill
- TAP (Tree Assistance Program): expanded to biennial trees and pest infestations
- Dairy Forward Pricing: made permanent (was set to sunset 2026)
- Tobacco: restored as eligible CCC commodity (was excluded)
Title II (Conservation)
- ACEP: exempted from $900K AGI limit; federal share 65% (90% for SDA)
- EQIP: defines precision agriculture with 90% cost-share
- FCEP: brand new; replaces HFRP
- CSP: new $4,000 annual minimum payment
- State Soil Health: new $100M annual program
Title III (Trade)
- Food for Peace: transferred from USAID to USDA (Jan 1, 2026)
- FFP commodity sourcing: at least 50% U.S. commodities required
- Common Names: new legal definition for trade purposes
- MAP: doubled
Title IV (Nutrition)
- State cost-shifts: yes (from H.R. 1)
- Hot rotisserie chicken: eligible nationwide
- ABAWD work requirements: tighter (from H.R. 1)
- Local food purchasing: new permanent grant program
Title V (Credit)
- Higher loan limits: for direct ownership, operating, guaranteed loans
- Heirs’ property: new relending program
- Beginning farmer pilot: expanded
- Streamlined applications: electronic submission required
Title VI (Rural Development)
- REAP eligibility: expanded to ag co-ops <2,500 employees
- Satellite broadband: explicitly eligible
- Rural mental health: specifically prioritized
- Maternal health: specifically prioritized
- Meat processing: specific grant program
Title VII (Research)
- 1890 funding: increased; mandatory governor certification of state matching
- FRSAN: expanded with crisis hotlines
- NASS: Modernization Commission
Title VIII (Forestry)
- NEPA categorical exclusions: expanded scope, new categories
- HFRP: repealed (functions to FCEP)
- Forest plan timelines: compressed
- ESA consultation: bypass authority for some plans
Title IX (Energy)
- BioPreferred: +$18M
- Biorefinery: -$18M (offsets BioPreferred increase)
- Solar on farmland: restricted
- E15 year-round: promised separate vote, not in farm bill
Title X (Horticulture)
- Specialty Crop Research: $30M (increased)
- Specialty Crop Automation: $20M (new)
- Pesticide preemption: contested; we have not verified a Clerk roll call confirming a floor amendment that struck it (the 280–142 Roll Call 148 vote struck Section 12006 on livestock products, not pesticide labeling)
- Hemp THC product status: federal recriminalization scheduled (no fix)
Title XI (Crop Insurance)
- Veteran farmer definition: broader
- Veteran subsidies: increased
- Quality loss adjustment: mandated review
- Most reference prices: locked in by H.R. 1
Title XII (Miscellaneous)
- State animal welfare standards: would federally preempt Prop 12-style laws if enacted
- Foreign farmland ownership: enhanced reporting
- Agricultural cybersecurity: new funding
- Cattle EID mandate: continues with USDA review
How to interpret
The 2026 farm bill is best understood as a maintenance bill with targeted upgrades, not a wholesale rewrite. Most major commodity policy was settled by H.R. 1; most nutrition policy was settled by H.R. 1. The 2026 farm bill addresses what reconciliation couldn’t.