Legislative Analysis for Counties: Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567)
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Rachel Yeung
Emma Conover
Zeke Lee
Kevin Moore
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The U.S. Farm Bill is a sweeping legislative package that shapes federal policy on agriculture, nutrition assistance, rural development, conservation and more. In addition to its role in establishing the farm safety net, the Farm Bill authorizes a range of programs that serve as cornerstones of county-led initiatives related to community development, land stewardship, infrastructure investment and nutrition access.
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The U.S. Farm Bill is a sweeping legislative package that shapes federal policy on agriculture, nutrition assistance, rural development, conservation and more. In addition to its role in establishing the farm safety net, the Farm Bill authorizes a range of programs that serve as cornerstones of county-led initiatives related to community development, land stewardship, infrastructure investment and nutrition access.
On April 30, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the House version of the 2026 Farm Bill, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567), by a vote of 224–200. Fourteen Democrats joined the majority of Republicans in support of the bill, while three Republicans voted in opposition. Prior to House passage, the more than 800-page bill underwent extensive negotiations, with the House Committee on Agriculture considering more than 150 amendments during committee markup and the House Committee on Rules receiving more than 350 amendments from members. Please see the House Committee on Agriculture’s summary and full text of the bill for more information on its provisions.
The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 advances a range of key priorities for counties, including investments in rural childcare, health access, water infrastructure and broadband, paired with technical assistance to help resource-constrained counties access rural development programs. The bill also strengthens county priorities in conservation and watershed resilience and expands the tools counties use to manage public lands and reduce wildfire risk through improved partnerships and resource management strategies.
Counties look forward to working with our partners in Congress to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that will strengthen rural America and support greater opportunities for all.
House and Senate Farm Bill Packages: Side-by-side
As Congress negotiates for a robust, bipartisan Farm Bill package, both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate have presented their proposals for federal programs that counties rely on to support community development, conservation efforts, nutrition access and infrastructure investments.
Following the House passing the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567), the Senate recently introduced a discussion draft of their version of the bill, the Agricultural Act of 2026, which holds similarity with the House-passed version. A discussion draft is a preliminary version of legislation intended to solicit feedback from lawmakers and stakeholders prior to being formally introduced in Congress.
There are differences between the two bills as the Senate continues to advance its version in the chamber. If the Senate passes the Agricultural Act of 2026, counties anticipate that both chambers will work together for a final product to be signed into law. Below is a side-by-side comparison of major provisions included in the bills that impact counties.
Farm Safety Net
Under the commodity title, farm safety net programs, including commodity subsidies, farm loans, disaster assistance and crop insurance, constitute a critical support network for the U.S agricultural sector and American consumers. Notably, H.R.1 included most provisions typically reauthorized in the Farm Bill's commodity title.
House Bill: Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 | Senate Bill: Agricultural Act of 2026 |
Enhances disaster assistance for agricultural producers, including specialty crop producers, by establishing the Specialty Crop Emergency Assistance Framework and the Tree Assistance Program | Includes similar enhancements as well as a focus on Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance with updates to the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program |
Expands support for beginning farmers and ranchers, including doubling the eligibility window and adding parity for veteran farmers and ranchers in crop insurance | Furthers support through lowering down payment loan barriers, updating definitions, adding a beginning farmer/rancher individual development account pilot and adds tools to resolve heirs' property and farmland succession issues |
Conservation
Protecting our nation's most sensitive ecosystems starts with the voluntary conservation efforts of American farmers, ranchers and foresters. Conservation programs authorized in the Farm Bill provide valuable resources and expertise to support ongoing local conservation initiatives. These programs, coupled with a strong local relationship with USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), give counties the support they need to take the lead in local conservation efforts.
House Bill | Senate Bill |
Reauthorizes and updates key conservation programs - Conservation Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program - through FY 2031, with several enhancements, including streamlining administration for technical assistance and resource programs | Similar in Senate version, adds updates to Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program to address droughts |
Updates definitions for precision agriculture under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program with a 90 percent cost-share under EQIP | Similar in Senate version, but no 90 percent cost-share under EQIP |
Reforms the agricultural easement programs by updating federal cost-share and administrative requirements | Prioritizes agricultural land easements, wetland reserve easements, administration and an adjusted gross income limitation |
Updates the watershed programs with technical and financial assistance as well as research and data transparency directives | Similar in Senate version |
Establishes the Forest Conservation Easement Program while repealing the Healthy Forests Reserve Program | Similar in Senate version |
Nutrition
The Farm Bill's nutrition title authorizes the nation's most important nutrition assistance and food distribution programs targeting low-income county residents, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides 42.3 million low-income county residents with monthly grocery benefits and connections to Employment and Training programs. SNAP, which is funded on a mandatory basis, represents the largest share of Farm Bill spending. H.R.1 included numerous reforms to programs authorized in the Nutrition title that directly impact county governments and our residents. For more information, see NACo's analysis here.
House Bill | Senate Bill |
Requires USDA to include all identified SNAP payment errors, with no margin of error on dollar amount, in a supplemental annual report | Similar in Senate version |
Establishes regulations to increase SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cybersecurity | Not included in Senate version |
Requires the Government Accountability Office to investigate state's SNAP administrative costs | Not included in Senate version |
Reauthorizes the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) with modifications including waiving Federal cost-share match for persistent poverty counties and expanding produce access | Similar in Senate version |
Rural Development
Programs authorized in the Farm Bill's Rural Development title represent crucial lifelines for rural counties, providing funding and technical assistance for rural economic and community development, rural water and wastewater infrastructure, and broadband deployment.
House Bill | Senate Bill |
Establishes a new initiative, Expanding Childcare in Rural America Initiative, to prioritize rural childcare projects across existing USDA Rural Development programs; recognizes Head Start providers as eligible under the initiative | Directs USDA to prioritize Community Facilities loans/grants for childcare facilities and to prioritize rural business programs for childcare. Defines eligible providers by reference to the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act |
Codifies the Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program and expands rural health access through existing programs; prioritizes rural health facilities under the Distance Learning & Telemedicine (DLT) and Community Facilities programs | Prioritizes DLT for substance-use and behavioral health and Community Facilities program for healthcare and behavioral-health facilities; creates a new Rural Hospital Revitalization program, offering temporary zero-percent-interest loans for hospital construction or renovation in small counties |
Enhances rural broadband, integrating programs under the "ReConnect Rural Broadband Program" and raising minimum eligibility speeds from 25/3 Mbps to 50/25 Mbps; requires USDA to weigh affordability when deciding whether an area is "unserved" | Codifies the ReConnect program and consolidate with other USDA broadband programs; raises speed standards to 100/20 Mbps for new projects; adds consultation with state broadband offices and FCC/NTIA data-sharing; creates a new Last Acre Program for precision-agriculture connectivity |
Codifies the Rural Development Innovation Center to promote innovation in administering Rural Development programs | Similar in Senate version |
Reauthorizes key water and wastewater programs, including the Water, Waste Disposal, and Wastewater Facility Grants Program and the Solid Waste Management Grants Program | Reauthorizes water/wastewater and solid waste grants and adds new tools: assistance for financially distressed rural water systems including a new Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Assistance Program, a water/wastewater cybersecurity circuit-rider program and Tribal and emergency TA provisions |
Reduces the non-federal cost-share requirement for Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) in persistent poverty counties | Raises the maximum microloan from $50,000 to $75,000 and allows 100% loans to microenterprises plus up to 50% for demolition/construction; does not include the persistent-poverty cost-share reduction |
Directs USDA to provide technical assistance and capacity-building to counties and local partners to access Rural Development programs in underserved and distressed areas | Expands Strategic Community Investment Plans to fund technical assistance grants helping rural communities plan and complete applications, with priority for high-poverty and persistent-poverty counties; also creates an interagency task force on outdoor recreation coordination in rural communities |
Forestry and Public Lands
The Farm Bill contains a range of provisions that empower counties to take an active role in the management of public lands across the United States. Counties make use of provisions in the Forestry title of the Farm Bill to mitigate wildfire risks, coordinate with federal agencies and local land management partners and restore damaged landscapes.
House Bill | Senate Bill |
Directs the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to develop and implement strategies to use livestock grazing as wildfire prevention tool | Establishes a Grazing for Wildfire Mitigation Initiative funded through research and extension grants |
Allows special districts, including counties, to enter into Good Neighbor Authority agreements with USFS | Broadens to allow special districts and Indian tribes as GNA partners and lets GNA agreements retain funds and construct or replace certain permanent roads for restoration |
Reauthorizes Resource Advisory Committees (RACs) through FY 2031 and permits regional foresters to make appointments to RACs for the Secure Rural Schools program Title II funds | Similar in Senate version |
Energy
The Farm Bill includes energy provisions that shape how energy can be deployed in rural communities and how local governments engage on citing and land-use impacts. Counties rely on USDA energy programs to support projects that strengthen rural energy reliability, reduce long-term operating costs for producers and rural facilities and expand access to modern infrastructure that underpins economic development.
House Bill | Senate Bill |
Restricts USDA from funding solar energy development projects that result in the conversion of prime farmland, with exceptions for small projects under 5 acres, or projects under 50 acres with the majority of the energy produced being for on-farm use and with a county resolution of approval | Not included in Senate version |
Authorizes a joint USDA/Department of Energy study on the effects of solar panel installations on U.S. farmland and private forestland, in consultation with counties and other stakeholders | Not included in Senate version |
Increases access to the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) by increasing the maximum loan guarantee to $50,000,000 and requiring USDA to consider the economic impacts of a project in application scoring | Similar in Senate version |
Provisions of Concern for Counties
While NACo appreciates lawmakers' attention to the needs of county governments and residents, both bills include several provisions that would negatively impact counties and jeopardize the passage of a bipartisan 2026 Farm Bill.
House Bill | Senate Bill |
Prohibits states and counties from enforcing regulations related to the condition or standard of production of covered livestock (and, as a condition of sale or consumption, on products derived from livestock) for animals/products not physically raised in the jurisdiction | Not included in Senate version |
Counties applaud Congress for rejecting proposals that would have preempted local authority over pesticide regulation and commend the Senate for also excluding provisions that would have preempted local authority on animal welfare.
Nutrition Title Concerns
Most notably, both bills fail to address H.R. 1 SNAP administrative cost-shift to counties, including any provisions to delay or modify the SNAP changes enacted in H.R. 1 (P.L. 119-21), which reduce the federal share of SNAP administrative costs from approximately 50 percent to 25 percent beginning in FY 2027 and imposes a new state benefit cost-share for states with payment error rates exceeding certain thresholds.
NACo called for a two-year delay of these provisions to give county-administered SNAP states (Calif., Colo., Minn., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.D., Ohio, Va. and Wis.) more time to adjust.
Counties urge Congress to include a two-year delay on the benefit and administrative cost shifts to ensure a level playing field for all states and counties that administer the program. Counties also call on Congress to advance a comprehensive, bipartisan Farm Bill that reflects county priorities and serves our communities nationwide.
Farm Bill Reauthorization Resource Hub
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