Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. French Hill (AR-02) voted to pass H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. The bill passed the House by a vote of 224-200 and includes Rep. Hill’s and Rep. Rick Crawford’s (AR-01) Farmer Assistance, Resilience, and Mental Health Evaluation Research Study (FARMERS) amendment, directing the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network to study the availability and use of mental health services among farmers, ranchers, and agricultural professionals and report its findings to Congress.

Rep. Hill said, "Farmers and ranchers have faced several brutal years in a row. Rising input costs, stagnant or falling commodity prices, historic floods, and now drought have tested the resilience of family operations across Arkansas and the country. Congressional Republicans passed the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, and the Trump administration has stepped up with direct relief. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 builds on that work to make sure our agriculture workers and farm families have the support they need.

"I am also proud that my amendment in support of farm families was included in this farm bill. Too many farmers and ranchers are struggling in silence, and we don't have a clear picture of whether the mental health resources we have are actually getting to the people who need them. This amendment aims to change that. It gives us the data and recommendations needed to build smarter solutions and make sure no farmer or rancher has to face the hard times alone."

Background

The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 supports producers, protects crop insurance, and provides the certainty farmers need to plan for the future. Key provisions include:

• Increases funding for the Market Access Program
• Strengthens broadband for rural communities
• Updates USDA loan limits for guaranteed and ownership loans, direct operating loans, and microloans
• Supports funding for Ag research and education initiatives

Rep. Hill’s FARMERS amendment helps address the mental health and suicide crisis that is impacting farmers and ranchers across rural America. Almost everyone living in rural America and our farming communities knows someone impacted by this public health crisis.

The amendment gives Congress the data we need to build smarter, more targeted solutions. It directs the USDA Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, in coordination with its Regional Lead Institutions, to submit a report to Congress within one year of enactment, assessing:

• The prevalence of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, trauma-related disorders, and suicidal ideation, among farmers, ranchers, and agricultural professionals.
• The availability of care through traditional settings like counseling, psychotherapy, and support groups as well as innovative tele-mental health services in rural areas.
• Recommendations to improve access, reduce barriers, and strengthen the effectiveness of mental health care delivery for the agricultural community.
  

The USDA is explicitly allowed to work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, states, and NIFA Land-Grant University Extension Services.

Beyond the Farm Bill: How Republicans Have Delivered for Farmers Since the Start of the 119th Congress:

Working Families Tax Cuts

• Invested over $59 billion over the next decade in the farm safety net, including major updates to Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs to address persistent inflation and rising production costs.
• Expanded benefits for beginning farmers and ranchers and made crop insurance more affordable.
• Increases reference prices by 10-20% for commodities to address persistent inflation and rising production costs.
• Raised the estate tax exemption to $15 million per individual ($30 million for married couples) to protect illiquid family farms.
• Made the qualified business income deduction permanent.

Trump Administration Actions to Help Farmers and Ranchers

• Provided over $12 billion through the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, more than $16 billion in supplemental disaster relief, and over $700 million in Emergency Livestock Relief for ranchers.
• Signed an Executive Order targeting price fixing, anti-competitive behavior, and foreign influence in the seed, fertilizer, and farm equipment markets.
• Opened new markets abroad, including $1 billion in corn purchases from South Korea, $172 million in soybeans from Bangladesh, and agreements with Japan and China to purchase Arkansas crops like rice and soybeans.