1. Farm Policy Update: The Farm Bill Expired, Now What
Farm Policy Update: The Farm Bill Expired, Now What? Amy Hagerman State Specialist in Agricultural and Food Policy Coffee Shop October 10, 2018

2. Policy happenings in Washington DC
Appropriations bill that includes USDA
2018 Farm Bill
Continuing resolution to December 7
2014 Farm Bill Expired September 30
Several key bills have been tabled until after the mid-term elections

3. To understand what happens next, we are going to need to understand a little bit about how these bills work.

4. Authorizations Vs. Appropriations Permanent Vs. Single/Multi Year
Establish, continue, or modify federal programs and are pre-requisite to appropriations.
Create budget authority
Permanent
Vs.
Single/Multi Year
Authorization remains in effect until changed by Congress.
Authorization has a specific time horizon, such as a 5 fiscal years.
Mandatory
Vs.
Discretionary
Spending tied to a specific authorization and, often, capped to a specific time horizon and amount.
Authorizations serve as the basis for a program and provide guidance to committees on appropriate funding

5. Farm Bill Authorizations Vs. Appropriations Permanent Vs.
Is an “omnibus” bill that packages several bills together
Is a spending authorization that also contains appropriations (but not for everything)
Makes changes to permanent programs
Establishes multi-year programs
Sets spending limits on mandatory programs
Creates authorizations for discretionary programs
Permanent
Vs.
Single/Multi Year
Mandatory
Vs.
Discretionary

6. What happened when the 2014 Farm Bill Expired September 30?

7. So “What happens when the Farm Bill expires?”
Conservation Reserve Program:
Is authorized and funded through the farm bill.
An expired Farm Bill halts all activities associated with CRP!
Crop Insurance:
Permanently authorized in 1980 and funded separately through annual appropriations.
An expired Farm Bill means crop insurance reverts to 1980 law, but is funded through December under the continuing resolution.
ARC and PLC:
The commodity title would revert back to the 1949 agriculture act,
BUT ARC/PLC contracts were signed by September 28 for everything but seed cotton,
AND the Bipartisan Budget Act is in effect that created authorization for ARC/PLC for seed cotton.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or Food Stamps):
Permanently authorized and funded separately through annual appropriations.
An expired Farm Bill doesn’t impact this program meaningfully
So “What happens when the Farm Bill expires?”
The answer is, “It depends on which program you are talking about AND how long we have to wait.”

8. The next farm bill… 2018…2019…??? July 18 August 3 ? ? ? ? HOUSE
H.R. 2 Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018
June 21
SENATE
S. 3042: Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 June 28, 2018
July 18
August 3
CONFERENCE
September 5 ? ?
FULL HOUSE
Floor Vote
FULL SENATE
Floor Vote ? ?
WHITE HOUSE
Signature

9. It could be a long road
November midterm elections and the possible change in the House majority could throw a wrinkle in timely Farm Bill passage.

10. Overview of versions under discussion
Focus is risk management
ARC/PLC, Crop Insurance
Maintains omnibus concept
Nutrition and farm programs remain together
Sharp partisan differences may stall progress in conference
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps)
Conservation
Overall effort to increase efficiency and cut costs, with very different philosophies on how to achieve that.

11. Visit us online at agecon.okstate.edu/agpolicy/
Questions?
Amy Hagerman
Visit us online at agecon.okstate.edu/agpolicy/