2023 Farm Bill: Farm Bill Discussions Heat Up as Time Frame to Reauthorize Expires

With the current farm bill left on the table without being reauthorized this past September 30th, time is ticking down for the Agriculture Committees to draft updated legislation prior to needing a short-term extension to get it accomplished.

Multiple challenges including floor time is a major hurdle that the proposed legislation will encounter between now and the end of 2023. And while some doubt that the farm bill will be passed this year, committee leadership is still hopeful that it can be accomplished.

While it’s estimated that more than 80% of the farm bill budget funds the nutrition title, the remaining baseline will be split up among 11 other ‘Titles’.

For South Dakota farmers, Title I – Commodity Programs, Title II – Conservation and Title XI – Crop Insurance are typically the main Titles of interest and take up the majority of the remaining farm bill budget.

In South Dakota, the South Dakota Corn Growers Association (SDCGA) has been working to promote its priorities to help growers. Last July, farmer representatives from the SDCGA along with SD Corn Executive Director DaNita Murray, attended the NCGA Corn Congress in Washington D.C. They also met with South Dakota’s delegation — U.S. Senator John Thune, U.S. Senator Mike Rounds, and U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson.

SOUTH DAKOTA AG COMMITTEE MEMBERS

U.S. Senator John Thune

• Serves on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry.

U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson

• Serves on the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture.

• Serves on the General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit Subcommittee.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the 10-year baseline (beginning in fiscal year 2024 for the farm bill) is projected to be over $1.4 trillion.
2. Since the last farm bill reauthorization in 2018, nearly 1/3 of Congress has overturned leading to far fewer who have actually voted on a farm bill.
3. The Congressional Research Service shares that of the 541 delegates that serve in Congress, only 27 noted their prior occupations as farmers, ranchers, or cattle farm owners (6 in the Senate, 21 in the House).
4. According to the United States House Committee on Agriculture, all federal spending contained within the 12 titles of the farm bill is projected to account for less than 2% of the entire federal budget.