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1 1 (February 2, 2007)

handle is hein.crs/crsmthabdgo0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code RS22131 Updated February 2, 2007 O CRS Report for Congress The Farm Bill in Brief Geoffrey S. Becker Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary Most provisions of the current farm bill, the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-171), expire in 2007. On January 31, 2007, the Administration opened the debate on a new bill with a package of proposed policy changes. Several would alter significantly some aspects of the current commodity support system. The Administration also proposed changes in other farm bill programs, including conservation, rural development, trade, domestic food assistance, agricultural credit, energy, and research. This report will be updated as events warrant; for a more extensive discussion, see CRS Report RL33037, Previewing a 2007 Farm Bill. What Is the Farm Bill? Federal farm support, food assistance, agricultural trade, marketing, and rural development policies are governed by a variety of separate laws. Although many of these policies can be and sometimes are modified through freestanding authorizing legislation, or as part of other laws, the omnibus, multi-year farm bill provides an opportunity for policymakers to address agricultural and food issues more comprehensively. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-171) is the most recent omnibus farm bill. Many provisions, notably farm income and commodity price supports, expire in 2007. Without new legislation, permanent price support statutes would take effect. Most of these statutes were enacted many decades ago and are no longer compatible with current national economic objectives, global trading rules, and federal budgetary or regulatory policies. Many believe that these largely outdated permanent laws are kept on the books partly to compel a Congress with increasingly urban and suburban constituencies to pay attention to national agricultural policy. If the next bill follows the pattern of the last six omnibus farm bills, dating back to 1977, it will contain titles on commodity price support, conservation, trade, food stamps, and research. Past bills sometimes had titles on farm credit, rural development, and/or marketing (e.g., promotion programs for fruits and vegetables), grain inspection, crop insurance and disaster assistance, organic certification, global climate change, forestry, and energy. This omnibus nature can create a broader coalition of support among Congressional Research Service The Library of Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress