Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018

Bill: 115-s-3042
Sponsor: Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS]
Introduced: 2018-06-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
action_date: 2018-06-11
text: 
This bill amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to reauthorize through FY2023 the Department of Agriculture (USDA) extension programs, which are informal education programs conducted in the states in cooperation with USDA. 
 
The bill also allows 1890 land-grant colleges and universities (historically black colleges and universities that were established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890 and receive funding from USDA) to carry over all extension funding into the succeeding fiscal year. (Under current law, the institutions are prohibited from carrying over more than 20% of the funds received in any fiscal year.) 
 
USDA must report to Congress regarding extension and agricultural research funding for 1890 land-grant colleges and universities, including allocations made and matching funds received. 

action_date: 2018-06-18
text: 

Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 

 
This bill (commonly known as the farm bill) reauthorizes through FY2023 and modifies Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs that address: 
 
 
 commodity support, 
 
 conservation, 
 
 trade and international food aid, 
 
 nutrition assistance, 
 
 farm credit, 
 
 rural development, 
 
 research and extension activities, 
 
 forestry, 
 
 energy, 
 
 horticulture, and 
 
 crop insurance. 
 
 
The bill modifies agriculture and nutrition policies to: 
 
 
 require farmers to make a new one-time election to obtain either Price Loss Coverage or Agricultural Risk Coverage for the 2019-2023 crop years; 
 
 replace the Dairy Margin Protection Program with Dairy Risk Coverage and modify coverage levels and premiums;
 
 make Indian tribes and tribal organizations eligible for supplemental agricultural disaster assistance programs; 
 
reduce the adjusted gross income limitation for receiving benefits under commodity and conservation programs;
 
 modify funding levels and requirements for several conservation programs, 
 
 consolidate several existing trade and export promotion programs into a new Priority Trade Promotion, Development, and Assistance program; 
 
 legalize industrial hemp and make hemp producers eligible for the federal crop insurance program; 
 
 establish an interstate data system to prevent the simultaneous issuance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program) benefits to an individual by more than one state;
 
 increase the loan limits for farm ownership and operating loans; 
 
modify the experience requirement for farm ownership loans;
 
 authorize a categorical exclusion from requirements for environmental assessments and environmental impact statements for certain forest management projects with the primary purpose of protecting, restoring, or improving habitat for the greater sage-grouse or mule deer; and
 
modify the organic certification requirements for imported agricultural products. 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-06-18
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 470.
action_date: 2018-06-18
text: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Reported by Senator Roberts with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2018-06-18
text: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Reported by Senator Roberts with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2018-06-13
text: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2018-06-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2018-06-11
text: Introduced in Senate