The latest proposed Farm Bill from the House of Representatives is the largest version of the legislation in history. 

What You Need To Know

  • The House of Representatives presented their proposal for the Farm Bill, which faces an uphill battle with the Senate

  • One of the programs seeing changes is the Thrifty Food Program, which estimates food costs for a family of four

  •  According to the bill, TFP will add $256 billion to the legislation's baseline over the next 10 years

  • Advocates for food access said the proposed changes to it will reduce benefits by $30 billion over the next 10 years
 

The Farm Bill is updated every five years, and this year the House proposed a $1.5 trillion draft.

The current proposal vows to “correct egregious Executive branch overreach” that has increased or decimated SNAP benefits. It limits future funding increases to the Thrifty Food Plan, which is used to estimate the costs of a healthy diet, at the lowest cost for a family of four. Typically, the plan is adjusted for inflation, but changes in 2021 went beyond that. The U.S. Government Accountability Office criticized how quickly the changes were made and projects SNAP spending will increase by at least $250 billion by 2031. 

In response, the House’s proposed Farm Bill said it will return the cost to its neutral state by 2027.

While overall SNAP benefits continue to increase, No Kid Hungry New York Director Rachel Sabella says the change will result in $30 billion less than expected under the 2021 reevaluation to the Thrifty Food Plan.  

“Right now we know New Yorkers are struggling,” Sabella said. “No Kid Hungry New York recently did a survey, 85% of respondents said that their incomes were not rising as fast as grocery prices. So with this rollback, it’s going to be even harder for them to have access to nutritious foods.”

She added that the number of children who could face hunger in New York rose from one in six to one in five, according to data from her organization.

Marc Molinaro, a Republican representing the 19th Congressional District, said he is pushing for a balanced approach to the Farm Bill.

“Really the challenge is facing not only farmers, but people who struggle,” Rep. Molinaro said in a news conference. “And as somebody who grew up on food stamps, I’m well aware that the Farm Bill is about 80% nutrition programming and SNAP benefits. This Farm Bill increases our commitment to SNAP. There is no reduction in SNAP benefits.”

Molinaro's office also adds the bill would increase funding for food banks, let recipients buy more fruits and vegetables and allows 17 to 21 year olds working with disabilities to continues receiving SNAP benefits.

This bill is not finalized as Congress awaits the Senate’s version of the bill and any possible amendments.

All updates will be subject to public notice and comment.

The current Farm Bill became law in 2018 and expired in 2023, but was then extended through the end of this year.