(Forbes)
Around every five years, the Farm Bill reauthorizes farm and nutrition programs across the country but congressional leaders allowed the more recent bill to expire on September 30. This is of concern to many Americans, especially those who rely on the bill which has covered programs including providing access to healthy food among low-income individuals as well as protecting our environment.
While the full text of the 2018 Farm Bill has yet to be released, it appears Congress is expected to vote on it as early as next week. As with most bills, some industries will benefit while others won’t – and you’re likely to hear more about two four-letter words: SNAP and hemp.
SNAP Benefits
For example, between 800,000 and 1.1 million households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits last year would experience a $50 to $75 cut in their monthly benefit under certain provisions of the House Farm Bill (H.R.2, The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018), according to a microsimulation conducted by Mathematica Policy Research. Some SNAP households would see an increase of benefits while others would see a reduction. These and other findings were part of an analysis funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that estimate the effects of changing how public agencies take into account utility expenses and earnings when calculating SNAP benefits. Read more
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