Farm Bill

The "Farm Bill" is the colloquial name for the omnibus agricultural reauthorization statute Congress passes approximately every five years, setting policy for commodity programs, crop insurance, conservation, nutrition (SNAP), rural development, and — since 2014 — hemp. Each Farm Bill has a new formal name (e.g., the Agricultural Act of 2014, P.L. 113-79; the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, P.L. 115-334). The 2014 Farm Bill authorized state-run industrial hemp research pilot programs. The 2018 Farm Bill (discussed below) federally legalized hemp as a commodity. As of April 2026, the 2018 Farm Bill has not been fully reauthorized; it has been extended twice via continuing resolutions, most recently through the FY2026 appropriations cycle. Hemp-specific policy changes in that cycle were made through Public Law 119-37 (Nov. 12, 2025) rather than a standalone new Farm Bill. *→ See also: 2018 Farm Bill, Hemp, USDA