On Dec. 20, President Donald Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill into law, following passage by Congress; 87-13 in the Senate and 369-47 in the House. Overall, the bill reauthorizes a host of agriculture and nutrition programs through FY 2023 (Sept. 30, 2023) and has an estimated price tag of tag of $867 billion over a decade.
NCSL's Natural Resources and Infrastructure (NRI) Committee representates state legislatures' interests to Congress and the administration concerning agriculture issues. See examples of NRI's advocacy work on behalf of state legislatures.
The Natural Resources and Infrastructure Committee bases all of its federal advocacy work on the policy directives and resolutions that have been approved on both the committee and conference level. The policies are as of the 2018 Legislative Summit.
NCSL sent a letter Nov. 27, 2018, along with the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture strongly urging Congress to prioritize and pass a bipartisan Farm Bill before the end of the year.
The Natural Resources and Infrastructure Committee is one of eight that educates Congress and federal agencies about state concerns and serves as a forum for state legislators and legislative staff. The Agriculture Task Force brings together legislators and legislative staff that focus on agriculture policy and issues in their states, to lead federal advocacy on agriculture issues of importance to state legislatures.
NCSL’s monthly Federal Agriculture Update highlights federal-state agriculture news. Read for the most recent issue.