Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
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| Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 |
| Enacted by | 115th United States Congress |
| Effective date | 2018 |
| Public law | Public Law 115–334 |
| Signed by | Donald Trump |
| Date signed | December 20, 2018 |
| Also known as | 2018 Farm Bill |
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The Act, enacted by the 115th United States Congress and signed by Donald Trump on December 20, 2018, reauthorized and restructured numerous programs first established under earlier statutes such as the Agricultural Act of 2014, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, and the Agricultural Adjustment Act. The legislation intersects with institutions including the United States Department of Agriculture, the Congressional Budget Office, and the United States Senate, and it influenced stakeholders from the American Farm Bureau Federation to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Background and Legislative History
Passage of the bill followed negotiations among members of the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, leadership figures like Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and Steny Hoyer, and committees such as the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the United States House Committee on Agriculture. The legislative process built on precedents set by the Food and Agriculture Act of 1965, the Agricultural Act of 1970, and debates during the 2008 financial crisis that shaped farm policy. Stakeholders including the National Farmers Union, the National Corn Growers Association, and advocacy groups such as Feeding America and the Environmental Protection Agency influenced provisions through hearings with figures from the Congressional Research Service and testimony before subcommittees chaired by representatives like Collin Peterson. Negotiations culminated in conference reports negotiated by representatives from states with large agricultural interests such as Iowa, Kansas, and Texas.
Key Provisions
The Act reauthorized programs covering commodity support, conservation, trade, rural development, research, and nutrition administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, and it extended programs previously authorized under laws like the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. Major provisions adjusted baseline funding overseen by the Congressional Budget Office, modified risk management tools favored by the Risk Management Agency (USDA), and included measures addressing industrial crops that intersected with federal statutes like the Controlled Substances Act and statutes influenced by stakeholders such as the Hemp Industries Association. The bill affected food assistance programs through interactions with entities such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program administration, the Food and Nutrition Service, and nonprofit partners like Feeding America and World Central Kitchen.
Commodity Programs and Farm Safety Net
The legislation maintained and altered commodity support programs utilized by producers of crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat represented by organizations like the United States Wheat Associates, the National Corn Growers Association, and the American Soybean Association. It continued price support mechanisms and updated revenue protection programs administered by the Farm Service Agency and the Risk Management Agency (USDA), while integrating changes responsive to policy analyses from the Congressional Research Service and budget estimates by the Office of Management and Budget. Payment limitations, eligibility, and base acre provisions intersected with legal and economic frameworks shaped by litigants before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and policy critiques from the Environmental Working Group.
Conservation, Nutrition, and Rural Development
Conservation programs administered through the Natural Resources Conservation Service and collaborations with organizations such as the The Nature Conservancy and the National Wildlife Federation were extended and restructured, with emphasis on working lands programs and wetlands protection. Nutrition title changes affected administrators at the Food and Nutrition Service and advocates such as the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Share Our Strength, altering benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and modifying provisions linked to school meals overseen by the United States Department of Education. Rural development initiatives interacted with agencies including the Rural Utilities Service and recipients such as rural hospitals and cooperatives like National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, while infrastructure funding decisions were evaluated by the Government Accountability Office.
Hemp Legalization and Industrial Hemp Provisions
A prominent reform within the bill removed hemp from the list of controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act, enabling interstate commerce and cultivation regulated by state departments of agriculture and overseen by the United States Department of Agriculture. The hemp provisions reflected advocacy by groups like the Hemp Industries Association, legislative champions such as senators from agricultural states including Pat Roberts and Rand Paul, and market actors in the cannabis and industrial fiber sectors. The change required coordination with federal agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration and influenced state-level statutes in jurisdictions such as Colorado, Kentucky, and Oregon.
Implementation, Funding, and Amendments
Implementation fell to federal agencies including the United States Department of Agriculture, with guidance informed by analyses from the Congressional Budget Office and oversight from the Government Accountability Office. Funding allocations drew on baseline appropriations debated by lawmakers in the United States House Committee on Appropriations and the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations, and subsequent rulemakings prompted litigation in federal courts such as the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Amendments and riders proposed by members like Jim McGovern and Marsha Blackburn shaped appropriations and compliance timelines, with supplemental legislation and continuing resolutions occasionally affecting program execution.
Political Debate and Impact on Stakeholders
Debate over the Act involved partisan and regional cleavages among leaders like Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Bernie Sanders, and Mitch McConnell, and interest groups including the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Environmental Defense Fund, and labor unions such as the United Farm Workers. Farmers and ranchers represented by organizations like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the American Farm Bureau Federation responded to changes in the safety net, while conservation groups and hunger relief organizations assessed impacts on programs managed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Food and Nutrition Service. The hemp provisions catalyzed new markets intersecting with state regulators in Kentucky and Colorado, private firms, and international trade partners such as Canada and the European Union.