WASHINGTON, DC – Next Tuesday, the House Agriculture Committee will begin consideration of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which addresses policy changes not included as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was signed into law last summer. These programs span all 12 titles of the farm bill and will work in tandem with the enhancements to the farm safety net made last year, aiming to provide long-term certainty to the agricultural community.
From a process standpoint, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 is incredibly similar to the farm bill passed by the House Agriculture Committee in 2024. However, there are some new policy components, and the underlying bill seeks to build upon the critical investments made in Title I (ARC/PLC), trade promotion, and crop insurance.
USA Rice recently sent a
letter of support to Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson and Ranking Member Angie Craig, expressing support for the 2026 Farm Bill, and highlighting key rice provisions included in the bill's base text. One of the longstanding policy issues USA Rice and its coalition partners have sought to include in the farm bill process is ensuring U.S. commodities remain a core component of international food aid programming.
Included in the bill are two reforms that USA Rice supports, focusing on how Food for Peace is administered and ensuring the programming focuses on commodity-based, in-kind food aid. First, the 2026 Farm Bill proposes codifying the recent transition of Food for Peace administration to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has a strong track record of procuring U.S. rice through the international food assistance programs it already administers. Second, this legislation would reform the way U.S. foreign assistance programs provide international food aid, refocusing on historical food assistance provided by American farmers and allied business interests.
“The passage of a multi-year farm bill is important for rice producers and the entire U.S. rice industry, especially amid the current economic conditions the agriculture community is facing and the uncertainty ahead,” said Fred Zaunbrecher, Louisiana rice farmer and chair of the USA Rice Farmers Board. “In addition to preserving the role of U.S. commodities, like rice, in U.S. international assistance programs, we support the continued focus on voluntary, incentive-based, and locally led conservation; the modernization of current limits on Farm Service Agency ownership and operating loans; and efforts to deliver regulatory reform.”
“We appreciate the Committee’s hard work and commitment to the U.S. rice industry through the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026,” said USA Rice Chair Keith Glover. “We look forward to working with the Committee as the process moves forward and are grateful for their strong support and leadership for American agriculture.
To learn more about the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the House Agriculture Committee has several resources available online
here. Additionally, the full committee markup is scheduled to commence on Tuesday, March 3, at 5:00 PM ET, and the public can follow along online
here.