House Agriculture Chair Signals Pre-Conference of Farm Bills Amid August Recess

On Monday, Glenn 'GT' Thompson, chair of the House Agriculture Committee, announced that the House and Senate will start pre‑conferencing the competing farm bills during the August recess. He voiced approval of the Senate’s updated draft, released Friday night, and highlighted the sticking points that still require bipartisan alignment.

Thompson told reporters, "I’m pleased with the Senate’s updated farm bill plans. I think Senator Boozman did a really good job with it." He also commended the draft’s language that backs ethanol fuel.

In May, the House approved its version of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, a vote that fell largely along party lines. That bill left out any overhaul of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—a central issue Republicans leveraged to finance their tax and spending package last summer. The Senate’s August 1 draft introduces a one‑year delay for a new cost‑share requirement that would require states to shoulder part of SNAP benefits.

Senate Democrats have pushed for a two‑year delay, claiming it would strain state budgets by forcing them to cover a share of food‑aid benefits for the first time. A few Republicans have quietly backed the change, pointing out that states with the highest and lowest SNAP error rates already enjoy exemptions.

Thompson described the one‑year SNAP cost‑share delay as an "interesting approach" and left the door open to it. "I can’t say I’m opposed to that," he said. "I mean, as long as we can get these states to be serious about correcting their error rates." He also noted that a compromise could be achieved through the House.

The cost‑share requirement is calculated each year from a state’s error rate—the tally of under‑ and over‑payments of benefits. Thompson cautioned that extending the timeline before the cost‑share takes effect might disincentivize states from lowering their error rates.

Senate Agriculture Committee chair John Boozman’s draft grants states more time before they must pay a portion of the benefits, while raising penalties for those with the highest error rates. The measure has attracted criticism from anti‑hunger advocates and some Democrats.

Thompson also backed Senate provisions that would permanently allow year‑round sales of ethanol‑based fuel—E15. The draft contains a nationwide, year‑round E15 sales provision, a priority for corn growers.

The formal deadline to agree on a final farm bill—or extend the current version—is September 30, though key programs won’t expire until year‑end. With midterm elections looming and other legislative priorities in play, the House and Senate are racing to wrap up the bills.

Thompson said he will kick off pre‑conferencing during the August recess. "It needs to get done," he said.

The House Agriculture Committee’s statement on the passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 called the new farm bill "long overdue" and a crucial step toward supporting farmers, ranchers, foresters, and rural communities.

The Senate’s updated draft, released by the Senate Agriculture Committee, also revises the SNAP cost‑share and introduces the year‑round E15 provision.

The two chambers must still negotiate on several key issues—pesticide and animal‑welfare laws that are absent from the Senate’s version—before a final bill can be sent to the President.

The House and Senate are scheduled to meet again in September for the final markup of the farm bill. Until then, the pre‑conference process will decide whether the two chambers can reconcile their differences and deliver a unified farm bill before the September 30 deadline.