Illinois Farm Bureau Applauds House Passage of Farm Billfarm billstatement

ILLINOIS FARM BUREAU APPLAUDS
HOUSE PASSAGE OF FARM BILL

DATE: April 30, 2026

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson commented today on the U.S. House of Representatives vote to pass the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.

"Illinois Farm Bureau applauds the House for passing the 2026 farm bill and building upon previous actions to strengthen the farm safety net," said Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson. "Farmers are long overdue for a modernized five-year farm bill after operating under multiple extensions since 2023.

"We urge the Senate for swift passage of this critical piece of legislation, which puts Illinois farmers closer to obtaining certainty while continuing to face a challenging farm economy."

Included in the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 are:

• Enhancements to standing disaster programs, expanded eligibility, and a framework to deliver future assistance to specialty crops.
• Improvements to EQIP, CSP, and the reauthorization of CRP through 2031.
• Increased funding for trade promotion programs such as MAP, FMD, EMP, TASC, and PTF.
• Authorization of state-led local food purchasing programs similar to LFPA, and inclusion of full-fat fluid milk in SNAP dietary incentives.
• Updates to loan limits and resources for new, young, beginning, and veteran farmers in their transition to farming.
• Strengthening broadband connectivity to rural communities.
• Support for research and development for specialty crops as well as land-grant and non-land-grant colleges of agriculture.
• Establishment of a commission on NASS modernization to improve the efficiency of NASS data collection and quality of the statistics reported.
• Increased access to REAP.
• Establishes an advisory committee for specialty crop growers to ensure they have a seat at the table during crop insurance policy discussions.
• Reforms reporting requirements under AFIDA to ensure accuracy and transparency of data on farmland owned by foreign persons or entities.

About Illinois Farm Bureau

Founded in 1916, Illinois Farm Bureau - originally known as the Illinois Agricultural Association - is a nonprofit, grassroots membership organization. Illinois Farm Bureau and a statewide network of county Farm Bureaus give members an advantage through impactful advocacy, trusted information, and meaningful development to support their careers and Illinois farm families.

Learn more about Illinois agriculture at www.ilfb.org. Connect with Illinois Farm Bureau on Facebook: Illinois Farm Bureau | Facebook, Instagram @ilfarmbureau, X @ILFarmBureau, or on TikTok @illinoisfarmbureau.

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