Senator Reverend Warnock Shapes Proposed Senate Farm Bill, Secures Robust Wins for Georgia Agriculture in Newly-Released Framework

Senator Reverend Warnock, a member of the Senate Agriculture committee, secured tremendous wins for Georgia farmers and producers in the Senate Democrat’s proposed Farm Bill framework

The Farm Bill framework includes provisions from nearly every piece of agriculture legislation introduced by the Senator since being sworn into office in 2021

As the only southeastern Democrat on the Senate Agriculture committee, Senator Reverend Warnock secured historic provisions to support crop safety net programs for southern commodities

Senator Reverend Warnock: “From supporting row crop farmers in South Georgia, to textile mills in North Georgia, to specialty crop producers around the state, this framework is a win-win-win for Georgia“

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) celebrated the Senate Democrat’s proposed Farm Bill framework which includes nearly provisions from every piece of agriculture legislation introduced by the Senator since being sworn into office in 2021. The framework includes landmark victories for commodities, including reference price increases, market assistance loan increases, and additional base allocation. Without Senator Warnock’s leadership, these wins for Georgia farmers and the agriculture community would not be possible.

“As the voice for Georgia producers, I was thrilled to have played such a critical role in shaping the Senate Democrat’s Farm Bill framework. From supporting row crop farmers in South Georgia, to textile mills in North Georgia, to specialty crop producers around the state, this framework is a win-win-win for Georgia. I’m especially proud of provisions in this framework that I authored in response to all the conversations I’ve had with farmers around the state, including language to increase reference prices, authorize new base allocations, and improve market loan assistance rates.

“As a free school lunch kid, I’m also deeply proud that this framework protects vital nutrition benefits like SNAP, and includes provisions ensuring felons with drug-related offenses can better reassimilate into society knowing they won’t have to worry about every meal.”

Below are provisions from the Farm Bill framework secured by Senator Warnock:

Crop Safety Net:

Provides southern commodities with at least a 5% increase in reference price with many commodities seeing double-digit increases some years.
Includes the Senator’s Southern Commodities, Rates, Opportunities, Production, and Support (Southern CROPS) Act to allocate base acres for underserved farmers, improve marketing assistance loan rates, and increase assistance for textile mills.
Includes the Senator’s Protecting America’s Orchardists and Nursery Tree Growers Act, which would expand eligibility for the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) including by lowering the mortality threshold, and allowing farmers to use TAP funding to replant alternative breeds of trees or bushes.
Takes steps to increase the competitiveness of Georgia’s fruit and vegetable growers against international competition.

Underserved Farmers:

Protects Inflation Reduction Act funding secured by Senator Warnock for economically distressed borrowers and borrowers who have suffered discrimination.
Increases funding to resolve heirs property disputes, supporting farmers who were unfairly removed from their land.
Includes the Senator’s Farm Board Act which would strengthen and diversify the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation’s (FCIC) ten-member Board of Directors.
Provides underserved farmers access to commodity subsidies through the Senator’s Southern CROPS Act.
Allocates resources and personnel towards creating trust and relationships between USDA and farmers who’ve previously faced discrimination.

Nutrition:

Allows individuals previously convicted of a drug-related felony to access SNAP and gives states the option to allow incarcerated individuals to apply for SNAP 30 days before they are set to be released, a top issue for Senator Warnock.
Improves Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card security to prevent skimming of SNAP benefits.
Increases funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to help food banks meet sustained high levels of demand.

Misc. Georgia Interests:

Includes the Beagle Brigade Act to permanently establish the Department of Agriculture’s National Detector Dog Training Center in Newnan, Georgia, protecting Georgia jobs and Georgia crops against pests and diseases.
Prioritizes rural healthcare facilities, including maternity facilities, in the Community Facilities program.
Supports Georgia jobs at MANA Nutrition by expanding the Food for Peace Act definition of agricultural commodity to include ready-to-use therapeutic foods.
Provides mandatory funding for the Community Facilities program to fund rural hospitals, childcare centers, and other essential rural infrastructure.
Provides mandatory funding for rural water infrastructure to help small towns address emerging contaminants like PFAS. Includes the Senator’s Promoting Precision Agriculture Act to make precision agriculture more accessible for Georgia farmers by incentivizing the establishment of interconnectivity standards.
Includes the Senator’s Promoting Precision Agriculture Act to make precision agriculture more accessible for Georgia farmers by incentivizing the establishment of interconnectivity standards.

Research:

Includes the Senator’s ENABLE Opportunity Act of 2023 and theLand-Grant Research Equity and Accountability Act, which improves 1890 Centers of Excellence and increases reporting requirements of state matching requirements.

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