{
  "id": "RL34696",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL34696",
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  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 405925,
      "date": "2008-11-06",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T03:02:53.901092",
      "title": "The 2008 Farm Bill: Major Provisions and Legislative Action",
      "summary": "The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246, \u201c2008 farm bill\u201d) was enacted into law on June 18, 2008. It contains 15 titles covering support for commodity crops, horticulture and livestock production, conservation, nutrition, trade and food aid, agricultural research, farm credit, rural development, energy, forestry, and other related programs. It also includes provisions that make certain changes to tax laws, in order to offset some new spending initiatives in the final bill. The enacted bill succeeds the most recent 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171) and is to guide most federal farm and food policies through 2012. Many provisions of the 2002 farm bill expired in September 2007, but were extended under a series of temporary extensions prior to final enactment of the 2008 bill.\nThe enacted 2008 farm bill continues and/or modifies most existing farm and commodity programs, and also creates new programs and provisions. For farm commodities, the bill generally continues the framework of the 2002 farm bill, revises payment limitations (tightening certain limits and relaxing others), adjusts support prices for some commodities, and creates a new revenue support program, in addition to the traditional direct, counter-cyclical, and marketing loan programs for major supported crops. The bill also adds new stand-alone titles containing provisions to address horticulture and livestock issues, including new mandatory funding for specialty crop block grants and to support organic production; and provisions to address meat and poultry inspection, country-of-origin labeling, and livestock competition. Other provisions include changes to the current crop insurance program, a new provision for ongoing disaster assistance, and expanded borrowing opportunities for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers.\nThe bill\u2019s nutrition title increases food stamp benefits and sets new standards that will make more households eligible, and also raises funding for fresh fruits and vegetables in most domestic food programs. For research, the bill requires the reorganization of USDA\u2019s research, extension, and economic agencies. For most other titles\u2014conservation, international trade and food aid, rural development, forestry, and energy\u2014the enacted law reauthorizes, expands, and/or modifies many of the existing programs, creates new programs and initiatives, and allows some programs to expire.\nThe Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the total cost of the 2008 farm bill (i.e., baseline plus new spending, using its March 2007 baseline) at just under $284 billion in total budget authority over five years (FY2008-FY2012). About $42 billion (15%) in projected spending will support commodity crops, $189 billion (67%) will support the cost of domestic nutrition programs, $24 billion (9%) will support conservation programs, and $22 billion (8%) will support crop insurance. Another $14 billion is expected to be spent on supplemental disaster assistance, trade, horticulture and livestock production, rural development, research, forestry and energy, and other programs. Offsets from tax provisions and proceeds from the credit, crop insurance, and commodity program titles are estimated at $10 billion (FY2008-FY2012).",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
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      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc463223/",
      "id": "RL34696_2008Oct03",
      "date": "2008-10-03",
      "retrieved": "2014-12-05T09:57:41",
      "title": "The 2008 Farm Bill: Major Provisions and Legislative Action",
      "summary": "The report discusses the 2008 farm bill (H.R. 2419), covering a wide range of programs including The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, farm credit, agricultural conservation, research, rural development, and foreign and domestic food programs, among others.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
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      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agricultural policies",
          "name": "Agricultural policies"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agriculture",
          "name": "Agriculture"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Agricultural conservation",
          "name": "Agricultural conservation"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Agricultural Policy",
    "Economic Policy",
    "Energy Policy",
    "Health Policy"
  ]
}