Trump Signs Farm Bill, References New USDA Rule On SNAP

President Donald Trump signed the 807-page farm bill into law, capping off a process that was filled with fits and starts as the legislation finally ended up being approved by both chambers via overwhelming votes. "Today's action will help Americans transition from welfare to gainful employment, strengthening families and uplifting communities," Trump said. "That was a difficult thing to get done, but the farmers wanted it done. We all wanted it done. I think, in the end, it's going to make a lot of people very happy." Getting to the point of Trump's signature had been an arduous task as the House-passed version of the bill included new work requirements for recipients under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provisions that prompted every Democrat in the House to oppose the bill. And those work requirements were also rejected by the Senate and in the end, they were stricken from the bill. Trump made mention of a USDA proposal unveiled earlier in the day that would propose changes to the program. Now that the bill is signed into law, USDA will embark on the process of implementation. That is a process that will take countless hours and weeks ahead for the agency as it takes the legislative language and develops the regulations that will bring the measure to farmers. While the program changes are not significant, there are several areas where USDA will make changes to reflect adjustments in areas like commodity loan rates, changes to the Ag Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. Conservation programs were also adjusted in the bill, all areas where USDA will have to change regulations that came with the 2014 Farm Bill. The regulatory timeline will go well into 2019 and will culminate with farmers being allowed to enroll in the new programs for the 2019 crop season and beyond. But they will get a choice in the farmer safety-net programs starting with the 2021 crop year.