Marker Bill Tracker

The farm bill is an omnibus bill, meaning that it’s a massive piece of legislation that’s made up of smaller bills that cover a variety of related topics. Because of its scale, it’s easy for ideas to get lost. This is where marker bills come in.

Not intended to pass as standalone bills, marker bills are introduced to get the attention of lawmakers and amass collective support for an idea. They’re like the building blocks of larger bills. Oftentimes, the goal of a marker bill is inclusion in an omnibus bill, like the farm bill.

OEFFA’s Marker Bill Tracker for the new farm bill

These are the key marker bills OEFFA is supporting for inclusion in the new farm bill. Stay tuned—we’ll continue to update this marker bill tracker as more are introduced!

Name	Priority	Senate Bill Number	House Bill Number	Take Action	Short Summary
Agriculture Resilience Act		S. 1016	H.R. 1840		Set net zero goal for agriculture by 2040 and invest in research, soil health, farmland preservation and viability, pasture-based livestock, on-farm renewable energy, and food loss and waste Cosponsored by OH Sen. Sherrod Brown
State Assistance for Soil Health *not yet introduced					Provide match funding to states to establish and implement state soil health plans
Zero Food Waste Act		S. 177	H.R. 652		Create EPA grant program to investigate what kinds of food waste projects or policies would be most impactful, and fund projects to reduce, recycle, rescue, and upcycle food waste
Cultivating Organic Matter through the Promotion of Sustainable Techniques (COMPOST) Act		S. 2388	H.R. 651		Add composting as a conservation practice in USDA programs and create new grant and loan opportunities for composting infrastructure projects
Agrivoltaics Research and Demonstration Act of 2023		S. 1778			Require the USDA to carry out a study that reviews research related to agrivoltaic systems and establish a research and demonstration network to investigate how agrivoltaics can increase agricultural productivity and profitability
Small Farm Conservation Act		S. 2180	H.R. 5354		Streamline access to federal conservation assistance for small farm businesses, create an EQIP subprogram tailored to small farms and ranches, create a bonus payment for farms <50 acres employing soil health practices
Converting Our Waste Sustainably (COWS) Act		S. 2479	H.R. 4327		Establish a federal program to improve economic viability and sustainability in the livestock and dairy industry, provide resources to help operations move to alternative manure handling systems that modernize technology, reduce methane emissions, and improve water and air quality Cosponsored by OH Sen. Sherrod Brown
Inflation Reduction Act					Congress must follow through for farmers and protect agriculture conservation in the 2023 Farm Bill within Title II. We must secure conservation funding in the baseline mandatory funding.
Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act			H.R. 7076		Authorize national and regional agroforestry centers and make CSP and EQIP more supportive of perennial conservation practices
Local Farms and Food Act		S. 1205	H.R. 2723		Improve equity and access to the suite of Local Agriculture Market Programs (LAMP) and expand the reach of impactful nutrition incentives through GusNIP and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program Sponsored by OH Sen. Sherrod Brown
Farmers’ Market and Food Bank Local Revitalization Act of 2023		S. 2659	H.R. 2378		Provide increased financial assistance for farmers’ markets and farmers’ market nutrition programs, and increase local agricultural production through in-house food bank production and local farmer contracting Sponsored by OH Rep. Marcy Kaptur
Strengthening Local Meat Processing Act		S. 354	H.R. 945		Promote competitive agricultural markets and invest in economic development by addressing livestock supply chain issues, supporting small meat and poultry processing plants, and promoting training programs that will bolster the resilience of communities and their food systems Cosponsored by OH Sen. Sherrod Brown
The Enabling Farmer, Food worker, Environmental, and Climate Targets through Innovation, Values-aligned, and Equitable (EFFECTIVE) Food Procurement Act		S. 3390	H.R. 6569		Require USDA to leverage its purchasing power and set targets for purchasing sustainable, equitably produced food. Establish a $25 million pilot program to create a values-aligned process to enhance market access for small-scale and underserved producers
Fresh Produce Procurement Reform Act		S. 2874	H.R. 5589		Improve USDA’s procurement of fresh produce for schools, community organizations, and food pantries, while prioritizing historically underserved farmers Sponsored by OH Sen. Sherrod Brown
Food Supply Chain Capacity and Resiliency Act			H.R. 4873		Increase the capacity of the food supply chain and create a more resilient, diverse, and secure food supply chain by codifying and expanding the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program Cosponsored by OH Reps. Shontel Brown and Max Miller
Expanding Access To (EAT) Local Foods Act		S. 3982			Establish permanent grant program for state and tribal governments to connect local producers with the nearby hunger relief market. Priority would be given to small, beginning, and underserved producers Coponsored by OH Sen. Sherrod Brown
Farm System Reform Act of 2023		S. 271	H.R. 797		Place a moratorium on new large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), strengthen the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921, and require country of origin labeling on beef, pork, and dairy products
Whole Farm Revenue Protection Program Improvement Act of 2023		S. 2598			Improve the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) insurance program Sponsored by OH Sen. Sherrod Brown
Farm Program Integrity Act of 2023		S. 2610			Close loopholes in the farm payment system and ensure taxpayer support is targeted to those actively engaging in farming. Create a cap of $250,000 per year in total commodity support for any one farm operation and require subsidy recipients to be working farmers that spend a half year in farm operations
Insuring Fairness for Family Farmers Act		S. 2421	H.R. 4804		Reform administrative and operation expenses within the crop insurance program, and revise the standard and livestock price reinsurance agreements
Poultry Growers Fairness Act		S. 2633			Extend contracting protections and enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act for poultry operators
Strengthening Local Meat Economies Act		S. 2792			Federal procurement redirection and digital exchange platform for small producers
Withstanding Extreme Agricultural Threats by Harvesting Economic Resilience (WEATHER) Act		S. 3401			Develop an index-based insurance policy that is more responsive to crop and income losses as a result of extreme weather
Save Our Small (SOS) Farms Act			H.R. 8611		Expand access to and incentivize agent sales of Whole Farm Revenue Protection and reduce cost and paperwork burdens for the Non-Insured Disaster Assistance Program, making it easier for small, diversified, and underserved producers to access the farm safety net
Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act		S. 557	H.R. 1249		Prohibit anti-competitive behavior by preventing checkoff programs from paying agriculture lobbyists and banning activities that involve a conflict of interest or deceptive practices
Strengthening Organic Agriculture Research (SOAR) Act of 2023			H.R. 2720		Increase funding for USDA’s flagship organic research program and support research projects that help farmers become more efficient, productive, and profitable
Organic Science and Research Investment (OSRI) Act		S. 2317			Require better coordination on organic research and extension, study the feasibility of certifying more land as organic, create grant program to study producers’ decisions to transition to organic production, and increase organic research funding for universities and other organizations Cosponsored by OH Sen. Sherrod Brown
Seeds and Breeds for the Future Act		S. 2023			Promote the development of ready-to-use, regionally adapted, and publically available seed varieties and animal breeds
Biochar Research Network Act		S. 732	H.R. 1645		Establish a National Biochar Research Network to study biochar’s ability to sequester carbon and increase crop production Cosponsored by OH Sen. Sherrod Brown
Opportunities in Organic Act		S. 1582	H.R. 3650		Empower organic producers by expanding access to new markets and resources, reducing cost barriers, and providing training and support
Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards (CIAO) Act			H.R. 5973		Require USDA to request public input on organic standards every five years and establish five-year working period for USDA and NOSB to implement recommendations—considering environmental, ecological, market, and research data Cosponsored by OH Rep. Max Miller
Justice for Black Farmers Act of 2023		S. 96	H.R. 1167		Enact policies to end discrimination within the USDA, help Black farmers obtain and retain land, create a farm conservation corps, and implement systemic reforms to help all socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers Cosponsored by OH Rep. Joyce Beatty
Supporting Urban and Innovative Farming Act of 2023		S. 2591	H.R. 5915		Reform programs to improve content and delivery of technical assistance to urban/innovative producers, scale composting and food waste efforts, and improve access to grant funds for farmers Cosponsored by OH Rep. Shontel Brown
Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act		S. 2458	H.R. 3904		Align definition of “beginning farmer” to match most other USDA programs, extending crop and livestock insurance protections to 10 years for new and beginning farmers
Farmland for Farmers Act		S. 2583			Address rising rates of corporate farmland investment by limiting future ownership and leasing by corporate investors to ensure that U.S. farmland stays in the hands of farmers
Capital for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Act			H.R. 8598		Direct the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to develop a multi-year operating loan pilot for beginning farmers to finance start-up costs (i.e., crop record infrastructure, regulatory compliance, payroll, and soil fertility investments)
Fair Credit for Farmers Act		S. 2668	H.R. 5296		Improve access and accountability for farm loan services offered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), waive loan fees for historically underserved borrowers, limit over-collateralization on farm loans and protect farmers’ homes, establish eligibility term limits, and improve transparency
Expanding Childcare in Rural America (ECRA) Act		S. 1867	H.R. 3922		Provide a rural childcare pilot program under USDA Rural Development and offer loans and grants to develop childcare services, training, and infrastructure in rural communities Sponsored by OH Sen. Sherrod Brown

Take Action!

Now that you’re well-versed on marker bills that can promote soil health and climate resilience, support beginning and BIPOC farmers, address consolidation in the food system, strengthen regional and local food systems, and invest in organic and sustainable research, let your representative know that you want to see them included in the 2023 Farm Bill!

Start by sharing this marker bill tracker with friends and family. Our Take Action page is where you’ll find valuable advocacy tools to help you with:

• Making your voice heard about influential marker bills;
• Calling your Congressional office;
• Using social media as an advocacy tool;
• Writing an op-ed;
• Planning an in-district meeting with your member of Congress; and more!

For more ideas or support as you advocate for a farm bill that works for you, reach out to policy@oeffa.org.