What Happened?

If you rely on food aid, the Senate farm bill would delay the start of states' required contributions toward Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit costs by one year compared with the House version. Both chambers have bills to renew farm and food programs, but they differ on that timing and other provisions. ​

The House passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 on April 30, and a Senate committee reported its own version to the full Senate, according to a Legis1 review of The 2026 Farm Bill: Comparison of the House and Senate Bills with Current Law. The Congressional Research Service (CRS), Congress' nonpartisan research arm, updated that report Nov. 10.

SNAP is the federal food assistance program. Here is where the bills differ:

  • SNAP costs: The Senate bill would delay states' required sharing of SNAP benefit costs by one year, to fiscal 2029, while the House bill would retain the existing start date of fiscal 2028.
  • Tobacco funding: The House bill would restore tobacco eligibility for Commodity Credit Corporation funding, while the Senate bill would retain the exclusion and add reporting requirements.
  • Fishing loans: The House bill would allow farm ownership and operating loans and cover fish processing facilities, while the Senate bill would allow operating loans only.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

Both bills would generally extend SNAP and related nutrition programs through Sept. 30, 2031. The 2018 farm bill expired in 2023, and Congress has extended its authorities three times, most recently in November 2025 for fiscal 2026.

Both bills would also transfer Food for Peace, the overseas food aid program, from the U.S. Agency for International Development to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA currently administers the program under a temporary interagency agreement.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the House bill would be approximately budget neutral for mandatory spending over fiscal 2026 through 2036. It projected a $162 million increase over the first six years.

Both Sides, Now

On state costs, the House bill would retain the existing start date, while the Senate bill would delay it by one year. Opponents of requiring states to share SNAP benefit costs argue that the policy could strain state budgets and lead states to cut food assistance or restrict access. The requirement was established under a 2025 federal reconciliation law, with states' contributions tied to their SNAP payment error rates.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported that lawmakers in 35 states introduced roughly 100 bills this year in response to SNAP changes and cuts, including the cost shift. The organization warned that some proposed state policies could make it harder for eligible households to receive food assistance.

The House Agriculture Committee ordered its bill reported March 5, and the House passed it 224-200. The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee rejected an earlier effort to advance its bill Aug. 6 in a 10-11 vote, then ordered the legislation reported Sept. 16 by a 12-11 vote.

What Happens Next?

The Senate has not passed either bill. The House-passed legislation has been in the Senate since May 19. The two versions would have to be reconciled into identical legislation approved by both chambers before a farm bill could reach the president. CBO released an analysis of the Senate bill on Oct. 28, and that legislation has been on the Senate calendar since Sept. 24.

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