LUBBOCK, TX – Congress may have a year-end opportunity to complete unfinished Farm Bill work when lawmakers return for the lame-duck session following the November election.
Agricultural policy consultant Tom Sell says both chambers have already advanced substantial Farm Bill work. He says the House approved legislation with bipartisan support, while the Senate Agriculture Committee has also moved legislation forward.
Sell says major investments in the farm safety net and crop insurance were included in legislation signed in July 2025. However, numerous other Farm Bill titles still require full reauthorization after receiving temporary extensions.
He believes those remaining provisions could be combined into an end-of-year package rather than extended again. The legislation affects conservation, rural development, research and other programs supporting agricultural infrastructure.
Sell says the period between lawmakers returning after the November election and the new Congress taking office January 3 provides an opportunity to finish the legislation.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Completing the Farm Bill this year could provide producers and rural businesses more certainty across programs still operating under temporary extensions.