Farm Bill 2019

The next Farm Bill reauthorization process is shaping up to be as hard-fought as the last. The next Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee has stated that he is already looking ahead to the next Farm Bill, due to be reauthorized in 2019. He plans for the committee to begin drafting the bill by 2017 or 2018 at the latest, and says it will include a comprehensive review of SNAP. Citing the program’s high costs, which totaled $80 billion in the most recent Farm Bill legislation, the new Chairman has underscored that he wants to ensure that all program components are effective.

When the Agricultural Act of 2014 was signed into law this February, several Representatives commented that the 2019 legislation would likely be as contentious as the one passed last year.

These comments should serve as a reminder that individuals and organizations concerned with food security and nutrition in the United States must remain vigilant in their efforts to maintain current levels of SNAP funding. Also, public health advocates have an important role to ensure that policies promote healthy nutrition for SNAP recipients in future legislation.  Any review of the program should focus on improvements and innovations, not funding cuts that would harm American families.

Tomson, Bill. “Conaway: Ready to work on next farm bill, immigration.” Politico 19 Nov. 2014.

This entry was posted in blog, Farm Bill. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.