Farm Bill Advances to Senate

By Scout Nelson

The United States House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026, also known as Farm Bill 2.0, with bipartisan support last week. The legislation received support from all four Kansas representatives and now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

The bill includes several agriculture and livestock provisions supported by the Kansas Livestock Association. One approved amendment was introduced by Victoria Spartz. The amendment would exempt farm equipment from certain air emission standards, allowing manufacturers to remove diesel exhaust fluid systems from tractors and combines.

Kansas Livestock Association leaders said they plan to work with senators to keep the provision in the bill and possibly expand the exemption to include off-road feed trucks used in agricultural operations.

Farm Bill 2.0 would also more than double annual funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program. Supporters say the additional funding could strengthen agricultural exports and improve international market opportunities for American producers.

The legislation also updates limits for several Farm Service Agency loan programs and expands access for beginning, young, veteran, and new farmers and ranchers. Additional provisions would prevent states from imposing housing and husbandry regulations on farms and ranches located in other states.

House lawmakers also approved an amendment introduced by Anna Paulina Luna. The amendment removed language that would have stopped states from adopting pesticide labels that conflict with standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. The removed language also would have protected pesticide users from liability if products were used according to EPA-approved labels.

Another amendment introduced by Harriet Hageman and Josh Brecheen failed in the House by a vote of 352-70. The proposal would have repealed the 2024 electronic identification animal disease traceability rule and blocked future implementation efforts.

Farm Bill 2.0 now heads to the Senate, where lawmakers will continue reviewing agricultural, livestock, trade, and regulatory provisions included in the legislation.