Last week, the Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee released their first draft of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, also known as the “farm bill.”
The farm bill predominantly serves to provide assistance to farmers and a safety net for Americans facing food insecurity, including through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Beyond that, new iterations of the farm bill often include a number of provisions related to education.
Catch up quick: Similar to the Elementary and Secondary Act and the Higher Education Act, Congress periodically passes a new farm bill to reauthorize and reform an array of federal programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The last farm bill, signed into law in 2018, expired in 2023; Congress has not been able to pass a new farm bill since then, and instead has relied on two, one-year extensions in 2024 and 2025 to continue support for farm bill programs.
What’s in the Latest Draft Bill?
Reauthorizes Schools to Buy Fresh Food From Farms
Lawmakers included the majority of the Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Act, a bipartisan bill introduced in July 2025 that would create a permanent program modeled after the Local Food for Schools and Local Food Purchasing Assistance programs.
These programs—established by the Biden administration during the pandemic—allowed schools to purchase fresh food from small and mid-size farms in their region, but were cancelled in early 2025 by the Trump administration.
Under the proposed bill, the permanent program would be eligible for up to $200 million in annual funding, and be facilitated by state, local, and tribal governments.
Expands Broadband Access for Distance Learning
The proposed bill would reauthorize the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program, a grant program that helps rural communities with populations of 20,000 or fewer access broadband and equipment for education and healthcare purposes. Under the bill, the program would be funded at $82 million per year for five years.
Supports 1890 Land-grant Institutions
The proposed bill would provide additional financial support to 1890 Land-grant institutions, a group of 19 HBCUs established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890. These colleges are key partners of the USDA, and aim to strengthen research and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences (or, “Ag-STEM”).
Establishes Rural Childcare Initiative
The proposed bill would direct the USDA to prioritize projects that address the availability, quality, and cost of childcare in rural communities. This three-year rural childcare initiative would be facilitated through the Community Facilities Program, Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program, Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, and Intermediary Relending Program. The text of the farm bill does not include a specific dollar amount to be awarded through the initiative.
What’s Next
The House Committee on Agriculture and Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry share joint jurisdiction over the farm bill and are the primary committees that will draft and mark up the bill before it is brought to the full House and Senate floors for final votes. The committee is set to begin marking up the bill next Monday, February 23, kicking off the effort to pass the farm bill in earnest.
This article is sourced from Whiteboard Notes, our weekly newsletter of the latest education policy and industry news read by thousands of education leaders, investors, grantmakers, and entrepreneurs. Subscribe here.
