The Senate unveiled a draft five-year farm bill Tuesday, proposing to create or reauthorize a number of conservation and forestry programs while leaving out contentious provisions on biofuels, pesticide labeling and other issues.
The legislation, which is budget-neutral, also contains language to streamline environmental reviews for some forest management projects to better manage wildfire risk.
The “Agricultural Act of 2026,” from Senate Agriculture Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.), remains a work in progress, but it sets a marker for the upper chamber’s farm and forest policy priorities ahead of an expected conference negotiation with the House later this year. The House passed its own farm bill in April.
“Congress delivered historic improvements to farm programs through the [One Big Beautiful Bill Act], and we’re continuing to expand upon that success with bipartisan priorities that strengthen the American farm economy, increase investments for rural communities and foster a more resilient agricultural sector,” Boozman said in a statement.
