By Abigail Lundy
July 16, 2012

The House of Representatives Agriculture Committee passed a 2012 Farm Bill, called the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act that calls for $16.1 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This amount represents more than three times the amount proposed by Senate-passed farm bill (S.3240).

In June, the United States Senate released their version of the bill. Both cut from the SNAP and conservation and commodity programs to achieve long-term savings. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the House version saves $35 billion over the next ten years, while the bi-partisan Senate version saves $23 billion. The difference comes entirely from SNAP cuts.

Earlier this year, the Conference of Mayors identified several key Farm Bill priorities for cities. These included maintaining SNAP funding; strengthening the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); assuring full funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program; increasing healthy food choices for vulnerable populations, strengthening agriculture conservation programs, and supporting local food systems.

The $16.1 billion cut from SNAP in the House Agriculture Committee's version comes largely by eliminating "categorical eligibility," a state option that disburses SNAP benefits based on a family's disposable income, rather than their gross income. Because of this cut, the CBO estimates that 2-3 million people will stop receiving food assistance and 280,000 low-income children will lose access to free school meals because they are no longer on SNAP. The House version also eliminates the state incentive program, which rewards agencies implementing SNAP effectively and efficiently. Like its Senate counterpart, the House version raises the minimum Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program payment from $5 to $10.

In promising news, the House maintained the Community Supplemental Food Program, provides $200 million in additional funding through TEFAP for food banks over the next ten years, and allocates $10 million per year for ten years in additional funding for Community Food Projects. It also authorizes USDA to test programs to better connect farmers markets and stands with SNAP recipients through new technologies. Lastly, it extends the authority of the Farmers Market Promotion Program and the Farmers Market and Local Food Development program to fund food hubs and provides $70 million for Specialty Crop Block Grants.

On the other side, the House maintained the modest budget for the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program, but expanded the program's scope to include WIC benefits; in effect, this reduced funding for the seniors' program. The house also eliminates the requirement that the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program use fresh foods and does not fund Healthy Food Financing Initiatives. The House cut $6 billion from conservation initiatives, primarily through the consolidation of programs, and established a 25 million acre cap for the Conservation Reserve Program, while only funding it at $25 million over 5 years. In 2008, this same amount of funding ran out in 18 months. Lastly, the House version provides no mandatory money for the Energy Title programs.

The full House of Representatives will now debate and vote on the FARRM Act and then the House and Senate will reconcile their two versions.