WASHINGTON – Leaders of the Senate and House agriculture committees late Dec. 10 released the final text of the 2018 farm bill conference report. The compromise bill now will be sent to the House of Representatives and Senate for approval. The aim was to send the legislation to President Donald Trump for his signature by the week’s end.

The compromise legislation drew elements from both the Senate and House farm bills. But on the key issue in the nutrition title, the conference report rejected the more restrictive work requirements contained in the House farm bill. Those requirements were favored by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and the Trump administration, but insistence on the more stringent work rules resulted in a House farm bill that failed to win even one Democratic vote.

 The bipartisan farm bill passed by the Senate contained no significant changes to SNAP, and this view prevailed in the conference report.