WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01), member of the House Agriculture Committee and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture, released the following statement after the full committee passage of H.R. 8467, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 (2024 Farm Bill):

“Over the last year and a half, my colleagues and I on the House Agriculture Committee have been working tirelessly to deliver a strong, bipartisan Farm Bill that is written by farmers for farmers, and by rural America for rural America,” said Rep. Finstad. “The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 accomplishes this goal across every page of the legislation, responsibly addressing the needs of all Americans while ensuring farmers have the tools they need to feed and fuel the world.”

Finstad continued, “I am proud to represent southern Minnesota throughout this process, and pleased to see many of my provisions included in this critical legislation. I look forward to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my colleagues in Congress to secure strong, bipartisan support for the Farm, Food, and National Security Act as it continues through the legislative process.”  

“The House Committee on Agriculture has worked exhaustively to craft an effective Farm Bill that meets the needs of our hardworking farmers, revitalizes rural America, and strengthens our national security,” said House Agriculture Committee Chairman 'GT' Thompson. “Thank you to Congressman Finstad for his leadership throughout this process. I am confident the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 will provide certainty to producers and consumers in Minnesota and across the nation.”

The Farm Food, and National Security Act includes numerous provisions that deliver security for America’s farmers and producers. Among other things, the legislation:

• Strengthens crop insurance;
• Improves Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) & Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs;
• Maintains and strengthens dairy policy, including improvements to the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program;
• Modernizes the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to ensure targeting of vulnerable lands;
• Invests in market expansion through the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program;
• Modernizes FSA Guaranteed and Direct Loans, ensuring farmers, especially beginning farmers, have access to dependable credit;
• Provides for expedited USDA farm loan approval times;
• Supports agricultural research; and,
• Protects family-owned farms by requiring a report on any agricultural land owned by citizens or entities with ties to China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and other state sponsors of terrorism and identifies potential threats from the ownership of such land.

Specifically, Rep. Finstad championed more than 43 provisions included in this legislation, including, but not limited to:

• The CRP Modernization Act to make improvements to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by utilizing science-based targeting of acreage for enrollment, while protecting marginal and unfarmable land for conservation and wildlife habitat;

• The Investing in Rural America Act to provide Farm Credit institutions the opportunity to partner with local lenders, including community banks, in financing essential community facilities such as those providing healthcare, childcare, and emergency services;

• The PACE Act to provide farmers, especially beginning farmers, with the financing needed to get started, expand their family’s operation, or restructure with certainty. Guaranteed Operating Loans from $2.037 to $3 million; Guaranteed Ownership Loans from $2.037 to $3.5 million; Direct Operating Loans from $400,000 to $750,000; and Direct Ownership Loans from $600,000 to $850,000;

• The Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act to strengthen cybersecurity protections within the food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector by identifying vulnerabilities and improving protective measures of government and private entities against cyber threats on America’s food supply chain; and,

• The FARMER Act to strengthen crop insurance and make coverage more affordable, reducing the need for ad-hoc assistance. Specifically, the legislation increases premium support for higher levels of crop insurance coverage, improves the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) by expanding the coverage level, and directs the Risk Management Agency to conduct a study to improve the effectiveness of SCOs in large counties.