HR 2 · 115th Congress 2017–2019, ended

Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018

Latest action · Dec 20, 2018 Became Public Law No: 115-334.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedApr 12, 2018
  2. Passed HouseJun 21, 2018
  3. Passed SenateJun 28, 2018
  4. To the PresidentDec 19, 2018
  5. Became lawDec 20, 2018Public Law 115-334

Summary

Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018

This bill (commonly known as the farm bill) reauthorizes through FY2023 and modifies Department of Agriculture programs that address:

  • commodity support,
  • conservation,
  • trade and international food aid,
  • nutrition assistance,
  • farm credit,
  • rural development,
  • research and extension activities,
  • forestry,
  • energy,
  • horticulture,
  • crop insurance,
  • livestock,
  • agriculture and food defense, and
  • historically underserved producers.

For more detailed information, see Congressional Research Service Report R45525, The 2018 Farm Bill (P.L. 115-334): Summary and Side-by-Side Comparison.

Recorded votes 20

Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.

Roll callQuestionResultDate
House 434Passed369–47Dec 12, 2018
Senate 259Conference Report Agreed to87–13Dec 11, 2018
House 336On Motion to Instruct ConfereesPassed392–20Jul 18, 2018

Yea 392

Senate 143Bill Passed86–11Jun 28, 2018
Senate 140Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Agreed to89–3Jun 25, 2018

Cosponsors

Members who signed on, in the order they did.

No cosponsors are on file for this measure.

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseAgriculture Committee
Referred Apr 12, 2018Markup Apr 18, 2018Reported May 3, 2018

Actions 164

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Dec 20, 2018Signed by President.
  2. Dec 20, 2018Became Public Law No: 115-334.
  3. Dec 19, 2018Presented to President.
  4. Dec 12, 2018Rule H. Res. 1176 passed House.
  5. Dec 12, 2018Mr. Conaway brought up conference report H. Rept. 115-1072 for consideration under the provisions of H. Res. 1176. (consideration: CR H10142-10151)

In the Congressional Record 42

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
ExtensionsDebate and remarks E1693Peter A. DeFazio D-ORDec 20, 2018
House · SenateDebate and remarks H10324, S7918–S7921Debbie Stabenow D-MI, Glenn Thompson R-PADec 19, 2018
SenateDebate and remarks S7639John Boozman R-ARDec 17, 2018
SenateDebate and remarks S7567–S7569Amy Klobuchar D-MN, Debbie Stabenow D-MI, Pat Roberts R-KSDec 13, 2018
House · SenateDebate and remarks H10112, H10114, H10115–H10128, H10142–H10152, S7455Text printed H10115Amendments H10126Recorded votes H10127, H10151conference reportconsideration of conference report (H. Res. 1176), previous questionAdrian Smith R-NE, Al Lawson, Jr. D-FL, Alma S. Adams D-NC, Austin Scott R-GA, Barbara Lee D-CA, Bob Goodlatte R-VA, Bruce Westerman R-AR, Cathy McMorris Rodgers R-WA, Collin C. Peterson D-MN, Dan Newhouse R-WA, Darren Soto D-FL, David Scott D-GA, Doug LaMalfa R-CA, Dwight Evans D-PA, Earl Blumenauer D-OR, Eric A. "Rick" Crawford R-AR, Frank D. Lucas R-OK, Glenn Thompson R-PA, Greg Gianforte R-MT, Greg Walden R-OR, Gwen Moore D-WI, James Comer R-KY, James P. McGovern D-MA (amendment), Jenniffer González-Colón R-PR, Jim Costa D-CA, Jimmy Panetta D-CA, Jodey C. Arrington R-TX, John J. Faso R-NY, K. Michael Conaway R-TX, Lisa Blunt Rochester D-DE, Lloyd Doggett D-TX, Marcia L. Fudge D-OH, Mitch McConnell R-KY, Paul Mitchell I-MI, Paul Tonko D-NY, Pete Sessions R-TX, Peter Welch D-VT, Richard E. Neal D-MA, Rick W. Allen R-GA, Ro Khanna D-CA, Rodney Davis R-IL, Roger Marshall R-KS, Ron Kind D-WI, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX, Steve King R-IA, Thomas Massie R-KYDec 12, 2018

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Congressional Budget Office cost estimates 5

  1. Dec 11, 2018H.R. 2, Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018Direct Spending and Revenue Effects for the Conference Agreement on H.R. 2
  2. Sep 11, 2018Payment Limitations in H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018Letter to the Honorable Ron Kind
  3. Jul 24, 2018H.R. 2, as passed by the House of Representatives and as passed by the SenateCBO Cost Estimates for H.R. 2 as passed by the House of Representatives and as passed by the Senate
  4. May 2, 2018H.R. 2, Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018As ordered reported by the House Committee on Agriculture on April 18, 2018
  5. Apr 13, 2018H.R. 2, Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018As introduced on April 12, 2018

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: The ability to regulate interstate commerce and with foreign Nations pursuant to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 includes the power to regulate commodity prices, practices affecting them and the trading or donation of the commodities to impoverished nations. In addition, the Congress has the power to provide for the general Welfare of the United States under Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1 which includes the power to promote the development of Rural America through research and extension of credit.

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 164, no. 59, April 12, 2018, page H3209.

Printed hearings 5

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
Serial No. 115-165AIR QUALITY IMPACTS OF WILDFIRES: MITIGATION AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES221 pagesEnergy and Commerce CommitteeSep 13, 2018
Serial No. 115-48OVERSIGHT HEARING ON WILDFIRE RISK, FOREST HEALTH, AND ASSOCIATED MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES OF THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE53 pagesNatural Resources CommitteeJun 7, 2018
Serial No. 115-83PROGRAM INTEGRITY FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM131 pagesOversight and Government Reform CommitteeMay 9, 2018
Serial No. 115-75MACRA AND ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT MODELS: DEVELOPING OPTIONS FOR VALUE- BASED CARE202 pagesEnergy and Commerce CommitteeNov 8, 2017
—THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE MATERNAL, INFANT, AND EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITING (MIECHV) PROGRAM177 pagesWays and Means CommitteeMar 15, 2017

CRS reports 284

Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.

About this bill 7

Products that name it in their title: its number, its law number or one of its short titles.

Also cite it 277

Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.

Amendments 369

Amendments offered to this bill.

AmendmentDescriptionOffered byStatus
HAmdt 586An amendment numbered 1 printed in Part C of House Report 115-677 to allow Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to go into contracts with drainage districts to provide irrigation or water efficiency.Steve King R-IAOn agreeing to the King (IA) amendment (A001) Agreed to by voice vote.
HAmdt 587An amendment numbered 2 printed in Part C of House Report 115-677 to express a sense of congress encouraging partnerships at the watershed level between nonpoint sources and regulated point sources to advance the goals of the Water Pollution Control Act.Bob Gibbs R-OHOn agreeing to the Gibbs amendment (A002) Agreed to by voice vote.
HAmdt 588An amendment numbered 4 printed in Part C of House Report 115-677 to amend the Nutrition title to allow SNAP users to purchase a multivitamin with their SNAP benefits.Mike Rogers R-ALOn agreeing to the Rogers (AL) amendment (A003) Agreed to by voice vote.
HAmdt 589An amendment numbered 5 printed in Part C of House Report 115-677 to direct GAO to study the agricultural credit needs of farms, ranches, and related agricultural businesses that are owned or operated by Indian tribes on tribal lands or enrolled members of Indian tribes on Indian allotments. If needs are not being met, report shall include legislative and other recommendations that would result in a system under which the needs are met in an equitable and effective manner.Jack Bergman R-MIOn agreeing to the Bergman amendment (A004) Agreed to by voice vote.
HAmdt 590An amendment numbered 6 printed in Part C of House Report 115-677 to modify the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Guarantee Loan Program and the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program to permit rural hospitals to refinance existing debt.Jodey C. Arrington R-TXOn agreeing to the Arrington amendment (A005) Agreed to by voice vote.

Related bills 76

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

Titles 11

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title
An act to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023, and for other purposes
Short Title
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
Official Title as Introduced
To provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018
Short Titles as Reported to House
Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018
Short Titles as Passed House
Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018
Short Titles as Passed Senate
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
Short Titles as Enacted
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
Short Titles on Conference report
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
Short Titles as Passed Senate for portions of this bill
SIREN Act of 2018
Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs Act of 2018

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Agriculture and Food.

Text 6

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. —Enrolled Bill
  2. Jun 28, 2018Engrossed Amendment Senate
  3. Jun 21, 2018Placed on Calendar Senate
  4. Jun 21, 2018Engrossed in House
  5. May 3, 2018Reported in House
  6. Apr 12, 2018Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.