Food and farming
Farm policy, food assistance, and what reaches the table.
The farm bill is the single largest vehicle here and it is federal, covering both agriculture and food assistance. States administer SNAP and run their own agriculture departments and food safety inspection.
Who decides this
- Congress
- The farm bill, crop insurance and subsidies, SNAP and WIC rules, and federal food safety law.
- Your state
- SNAP administration, state agriculture programs, food safety inspection, and cottage food and raw milk rules.
- Your city or county
- Restaurant inspection, farmers markets, and local food programs.
In Congress Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry · House Agriculture
3 open questions
H.R. 9830
Should Congress repeal the coming ban on hemp-derived THC products and regulate them instead?
A provision enacted in November 2025 rewrites the federal definition of hemp. Industry analysts estimate it would make roughly 95% of current hemp-derived THC products, such as delta-8, gummies, and beverages, federally unlawful. The stopgap funding law signed September 2, 2026 delayed the restriction on naturally derived products from November 12 to December 11, 2026; the ban on synthetic cannabinoids still takes effect November 12. The bipartisan Lawful Hemp Protection Act (H.R. 9830) would instead keep naturally derived hemp products legal under federal rules like age limits and testing while still targeting high-potency synthetic intoxicants. Thirty-five state attorneys general have urged Congress to keep the ban. Where do you stand?
Federal policy
How should Congress fund farm programs and food assistance?
The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) would reauthorize crop subsidies, conservation, and nutrition programs through 2031. The central fight is over SNAP: whether to keep recent reductions and cost shifts to states, or restore that funding. The Senate is now writing its version. Where do you stand?
Federal policy
Should the Government Help Families Buy More Fresh Produce?
Rep. Pramila Jayapal introduced the Fresh Bucks for Fresh Produce Act (H.R. 9581), a five-year USDA pilot that would give states grants to provide $60 a month to households at or below 80% of area median income to buy fresh, frozen, or dried fruit and vegetables. Some see a low-cost way to cut food insecurity and improve nutrition; others question new federal spending and a produce-only program alongside SNAP. Where do you stand?
Common questions
- Who sets SNAP benefit amounts?
- Congress, through the farm bill and the Thrifty Food Plan. Your state administers the program and decides some eligibility options.