The 2018 Farm Bill extension expired on Sept. 30 after lawmakers failed to come to an agreement ahead of the deadline.
After passing a short-term funding bill, Congress now has until the end of the year to come up with a new farm bill before benefits run out. If lawmakers fail to pass a new extension or a new farm bill by the end of the year, current legislation dies and the process begins all over again with a new Congress in January.
“You could have a new party that’s in control, and they may choose to completely scrap the previous bill and start over, which could add significant lengths to the process,” said Dr. Bart Fischer, co-director for Texas A&M’s Agricultural and Food Policy Center.
