Farm and Food Policy Project - Farm Bill Updates

Senate Agriculture Committee Farm Bill Website
(Includes Floor-passed version, Chairman's Mark, committee amendments, report, section by section summaries, and recorded video of mark up)

Senate Finance Committee Agriculture and Farm Bill Tax Package
Summary of offsets (modifications) | Chart of offsets (with modifications) | Committee Website (approved 10-4-07)

House Farm Bill:

House Agriculture Committee Farm Bill Website

(includes full Farm Bill (HR 2419), fact sheets, amendments, reserve fund amendment, subcommittee actions, and more)

Full Bill | Manager's Amendment | “Reserve Fund En Bloc Amendment” | Agriculture Committee Report

(Passed out of Committee 7-19-07)

Checklist of FFPP priorities in House Farm Bill (updated 8-6-07; posted 8/8/07)

Comparison of 2002 Farm Bill and 2007 House Farm Bill (by the Congressional Research Service)

House Floor Amendments to the Farm Bill

(Many did not meet points of order, were withdrawn, or were incorporated into the Manager's amendment)

House Amendments with FFPP Core Priorities:

Healthy Food and Communities

Amendment to allow States flexibility to implement CSA-style programs for Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs (no offset needed) (Allen ME) [ruled not in order]
Funding for Community Food Projects (has offset) (Blumenauer OR) [ruled not in order]
Funding of Urban Gardens to feed local populations (has offset) (Clay MO)
Require State FNS offices to implement wireless EBT at farmers markets (Velazquez NY) [withdrawn, to be settled with Ag. Committee Chair]
Sense of Congress regarding Food Deserts (Manager’s Amendment page 71)
Healthy Food Urban Enterprise Development Program Grants authorized (discretionary funding) (Manager’s Amendment pages 30-37)

Diversity Initiatives

Set-asides for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers in new Specialty Crop programs and in USDA-funded food purchases (has offset) (Davis AL) [ruled not in order]
Reinstating 2501 (Socially Disadvantaged Farmers) Outreach Program as a 100% grant program (no cost) (Jackson-Lee TX) [Withdrawn, accepted into Manager's Amendment page 70 third sentence]
Set-aside for 10% of Farm and Ranchland Protection Program funds for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers (no cost) (Jackson-Lee TX) [ruled not in order]
Language to address Pigford Claims (Manager’s Amendment pages 72-75)

"Marker Bills"
The following is a selected list of farm bill proposals (“marker bills”) introduced in the 110th Congress, many of which contain core priorities of the Farm and Food Policy Project (FFPP). (Note: the “Side by Side Comparisons” below track specific FFPP recommendations through the various bills.)

5/21/07
“NOURISH Act of 2007”
H.R.2401 introduced by Rep. Baca (D-CA)

5/17/07
Local Food and Farm Support Act / Outreach and Opportunity Development (FOOD) for a Healthy America Act (not identical)
H.R.2364 introduced by Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR) / S.1432 introduced by Sens. Brown (D-OH) and Clinton (D-NY)
House version summary / Senate version summary

5/16/07
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2007
H.R.2348 introduced by Rep. Herseth-Sandlin (D-SD) / S.1412 introduced by Sen. Harkin (D-IA)
House version press release | Beginning Farmer and Rancher Initiative | Summary Document

5-3-07
Farm, Nutrition, and Community Investment Act
H.R.2144 introduced by Rep. DeLauro (D-CT) and R. Gilchrest (R-MD)
Synopsis | Summary | Section by Section

5-3-07
Feeding America 's Families Act of 2007
H.R.2129 introduced by Reps. McGovern (D-MA) and Emerson (R-MO)
Summary

5-3-07 and 2-15-07
Competitive and Fair Agricultural Markets Act of 2007
H.R.2135 introduced by Rep. Boswell (D-IA) / S.622 introduced by Harkin (D-IA)

4-18-07
New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act of 2007
S.1150 introduced by Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Summary

4-18-07 and 3-29-07
The Expanding Markets for Small Meat Processors Act
HR.1760 introduced Rep. Kind (D-WI) / S.1149 introduced by Sen. Kohl (D-WI)
Summary

3-22-07
Bill to Prevent Closures or Relocation of Farm Services Agency Offices
H.R.1649 Introduced by Rep. Herseth-Sandlin (D-SD)

3-20-07
Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America Act ("EAT Healthy America Act")
HR.1600 introduced by Reps. Cardoza (D-CA) and Salazar (D-CO)
Section by Section

3-20-07 and 3-15-07
Healthy Farms, Foods, and Fuels Act of 2007
H.R.1551 introduced by Rep. Kind (D-WI) / S.919 introduced by Sen. Menendez (D-NJ)
Section by Section

2-13-07
Rural Entrepreneur and Microenterprise Assistance Act
S.566 introduced by Reps. Nelson (D-NE) and Salazar (D-CO) Summary (not yet available)

2-8-07
The Rural Opportunities Act of 2007
S.541 introduced by R. Feingold (D-WI)
Summary (not yet available)

Side by Side Comparisons
These reports are sorted by issue areas, and provide side by side comparisons of bill provisions related to the priorities in the Seeking Balance report.

Senate and House Farm Bill compared by FFPP priority
(updated 1-18-08)

Checklist of FFPP priorities in House Farm Bill
(updated 8-6-07; posted 8/8/07)

Comparison of 2002 farm bill and 2007 House farm bill
by the Congressional Research Service

Comparison of House and Senate 2007 Farm Bills
by the Congressional Research Service (1-22-08)

"Marker Bills" Compared by FFPP issue area

New Markets (updated May 16)
Nutrition (updated May 30)
Rural Development (updated May 16)
Conservation (updated May 30)
Diversity (updated May 30)

USDA Farm Bill Proposal
Section by Section | Legislative Language | Analysis of USDA's 2007 Farm Bill Proposal

Essential Reading

Farm Fight: A Comedy of Errors (4-2-08)

Some Good News on Food Prices (4-2-08)

A pro-food farm bill

You are what you grow

U.S. farm policies favor big over small, white over black

The Case for Local & Regional Food Marketing (pdf)

Report: Making Healthy Food More Accessible for Low-income Populations (pdf)