The 2008 farm bill (the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-246 provided mandatory funding for many programs. Some of these programs had budget baseline beyond the end of the farm bill in FY2012, while others did not. Those with continuing baseline essentially had built-in future funding if policy makers decided that the programs should continue.
However, 37 programs that received mandatory funds during the 2008 farm bill were not assumed to continue from a budgetary perspective because they did not have a budgetary baseline beyond FY2012. Notable programs among this group included certain agricultural disaster assistance programs, specialty crop research, organic research and certification, beginning and socially disadvantaged farmer programs, rural development, bioenergy, farmers market promotion programs, and some conservation programs. If policy makers wanted to continue these programs in the 2014 farm bill, they needed to pay for the programs with budgetary offsets.
Depending on the approach used to estimate the cost to extend the 37 programs for five years, an estimated $9 billion to $14 billion of offsets from other sources was needed. This was nearly 3% of the five-year CBO baseline used to write the 2014 farm bill (FY2014-FY2018), or 14% of the five-year baseline if the nutrition title is excluded. Finding this level of offsets sometimes was difficult in a tight budget environment, especially when many observers believed that some of the farm bill baseline would be used for deficit reduction.
The enacted 2014 farm bill provides 29 of these 37 programs with new mandatory funding that totals $6.2 billion over the five-year period FY2014-FY2018.
The 2008 farm bill (the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-246)—as extended by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-240)—authorized most federal farm and food policies through the end of 2013.1 The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) baseline—a projection at a particular point in time of what future federal spending on mandatory programs would be under current law—serves as a benchmark for assessing changes.2 When new bills affect mandatory spending, the impact (score) is measured as a difference from the baseline.3
Some 2008 farm bill programs had baseline beyond the end of the farm bill, while others did not. This funding issue—and the difficult budget dynamics that it caused for developing the 2014 farm bill—was identified by the chief economist of the House Agriculture Committee in early 2009.4 It was mentioned in Agriculture Committee hearings beginning in 2010.5
From a budget perspective, programs with a continuing baseline are assumed to go on under current law, and have their own funding if policy makers want them to continue.
However, 37 provisions or programs that received mandatory funding in the 2008 farm bill did not have baseline beyond the end of the farm bill and were not assumed to continue under budget rules. These programs spanned most titles of the 2008 farm bill and could have cost between $9 billion to $14 billion to extend for five years, depending on the estimation approach (Table 1). These amounts were nearly 3% of the $484 billion five-year baseline available to write the 2014 farm bill, or 14% of the $100 billion five-year baseline if the nutrition title was excluded.6
Notable programs among this group were certain agricultural disaster programs, specialty crop research, organic research and certification, beginning/socially disadvantaged farmer programs, rural development, bioenergy, farmers market promotion, and some conservation programs.
CBO develops the budget baseline under the supervision of the House and Senate Budget Committees. Normally, a program that receives mandatory funding in the last year of its authorization will be assumed to continue in the baseline as if there were no change in policy. This allows major provisions such as the farm commodity programs or nutrition assistance to be reauthorized without assuming that funding will cease or following zero-based budgeting.
However, some programs may not be assumed to continue in the budget baseline beyond the end of a farm bill because:
The enacted 2014 farm bill provides 29 of these 37 programs with new mandatory funding that totals more than $6.2 billion over the five-year period FY2014-FY2018 (Table 1).8 A few programs even received permanent baseline for the second five years, including the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and the Rural Energy for America Program, or were incorporated into other programs.
The enacted law provides more mandatory funding to more of these 37 programs than either the House or Senate proposals. The combination of House-passed farm bills (H.R. 2642) would have provided about $4.9 billion of mandatory funding (over five years) to 14 of the programs. The Senate-passed farm bill (S. 954) would have provided more than $4.5 billion of mandatory funding for 25 of the programs (Table 1).
The funding offset for these provisions comes from the larger reductions in mandatory spending in the 2014 farm bill, mostly from reductions in the farm commodities title.9
The one-year extension of the 2008 farm bill in the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-240) did not provide any additional mandatory funding for any of the 37 programs without baseline. Therefore these programs did not have any mandatory funding in FY2013. In lieu of mandatory funding, the one-year farm bill extension made numerous "authorizations of appropriations" to allow discretionary funding for FY2013, but this did not provide funding. Discretionary funding could have been provided (but was not) by the appropriations committees in the FY2013 Agriculture appropriation. The proposals in 2012 that preceded the extension, but that were not enacted, did envision funding for many of these programs (Table B-1).
Table 1. Status in the 2014 Farm Bill of the 37 Programs in the 2008 Farm Bill Without Baseline
(program provisions and mandatory budget authority)
|
2008 farm bill |
2013 farm bill proposals |
Enacted 2014 farm bill |
|||||||||||
|
$ million (5 yrs.) |
Senate-passed S. 954 |
$ million (5 yrs.) |
$ million (5 yrs.) |
Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79) |
$ million (5 yrs.) |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
Implementation of Title I. $50 million in FY2009. [Sec. 1622] |
|
Provides $97 million of mandatory funds to implement Title I. [Sec. 1614] |
|
Provides $100 million of mandatory funds to implement Title I. [Sec. 1612] |
|
Provides $100 million of mandatory funds to implement Title I, and an additional $20 million for meeting benchmarks. [Sec. 1612] |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
Wetlands Reserve Program. 3.04 million acres to be enrolled through FY2012. Added $128 million-$338 million of costs to baseline annually through 2012. [Sec. 2202] |
|
Establishes the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). Combines the purposes of WRP, FPP, and GRP. [Sec. 2301(a), Sec. 2703] |
|
Minor differences compared with Senate bill. [Sec. 2301(a), Sec. 2703] |
|
Similar to the Senate and House bills. [Sec. 2301(a)] |
|
||||||
|
Grassland Reserve Program. 1.22 million additional acres to be enrolled FY2009-2012. Added $63 million-$80 million of costs to baseline annually through 2012. [Sec. 2403] |
|
Establishes the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). Incorporates GRP easements rental agreements. [Sec. 2301(a)] |
|
Nearly identical to the Senate bill with minor differences. [Sec. 2301(a)] |
|
Similar to the Senate and House bills. [Sec. 2301(a)] |
|
||||||
|
Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive. $50 million for FY2009-2012, [Sec. 2606] |
|
Authorizes $40 million of mandatory funding for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 2503] |
|
Authorizes $30 million of mandatory funding for the period of FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 2503] |
|
Similar to the Senate bill. [Sec. 2503] |
|
||||||
|
Small Watershed Rehabilitation Program. $100 million in FY2009, to remain available until expended. Discretionary appropriations authorized. [Sec. 2803] |
|
Does not authorize additional mandatory funding. Extends authorization of appropriations for discretionary funding through FY2018. [Sec. 2505] |
|
Authorizes $250 million in mandatory funds for FY2014, available until expended. Extends discretionary authorization to FY2018. [Sec. 2505] |
|
Identical to the House bill. [Sec. 2505] |
|
||||||
|
Desert Terminal Lakes. $175 million in FY2008, to remain available (transfer from USDA to Dept. of Interior. [Sec. 2807] |
|
Transfers $150 million of CCC funds to the Bureau of Reclamation, among other program changes. [Sec. 2507] |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
Nearly identical to the Senate bill. [Sec. 2507] |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. $84 million in FY2009, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 3106] |
|
Does not authorize additional mandatory funding. Extends authorization of appropriations for discretionary funding through FY2018. [Sec. 3204] |
|
Same as the Senate bill. [Sec. 3204] |
|
Identical to the Senate and House bills. [Sec. 3204] |
|
||||||
|
Local and Regional Food Aid Procurement Projects. $5 million in FY2009, $25 million in FY2010 and FY2011, and $5 million in FY2012. [Sec. 3206] |
|
No mandatory funding. Establishes a procurement program with authorized appropriations of $60 million for each of FY2014 through FY2018. [Sec. 3207] |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
Similar to the Senate bill, but authorizes appropriations of $80 million for each fiscal year FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 3207] |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
Pilot projects evaluate health and nutrition promotion in SNAP. $20 million of mandatory funds in FY2009. [Sec. 4141] |
|
Provides $100 million in mandatory funding over 5 years for grants that incentivize fruits and vegetables in SNAP. [Sec. 4204] |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
Similar to the Senate bill, but names it "Food Insecurity Nutrition Initiative." Provides $100 million in mandatory funding over 5 years. [Sec. 4208] |
|
||||||
|
Study on Comparable Access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico. $1 million of mandatory funds in FY2009, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 4142] |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
Similar program, different region. For Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, $1 million mandatory funds in FY2014 and FY2015 to study SNAP administration; $13.5 million program in FY2016, $8.5 million in each of FY2017 and FY2018. [Sec. 132 of H.R. 3102] |
|
Similar to the House provision for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands [Sec. 4031]. Also, provides $1 million of mandatory funding to study Puerto Rico's 25% cash practice [Sec. 4025]. |
|
||||||
|
Whole Grain Products (for school lunches and breakfasts). $4 million of Section 32 funds in FY2009. [Sec. 4305] |
|
Authorizes appropriations for a pilot project to purchase pulse crops, analogous to the whole-grain pilot [Sec. 4206]. |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
Identical to the Senate bill. [Sec. 4213] |
|
||||||
|
Survey of Foods Purchased by School Authorities. $3 million in FY2009. [Sec. 4307] |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
||||||
|
Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center. $1 million in FY2009-2011. [Sec. 4402] |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program. $4 million in each of FY2009-2011 and $3 million in FY2012. [Sec. 6022] |
|
Provides $3 million annually in mandatory spending for FY2014-FY2018. Reauthorizes discretionary funding. [Sec. 6001] |
|
No mandatory funding. Reauthorizes discretionary funding at $20 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 6018] |
|
Adopts the Senate provision for $3 million of mandatory funding for 5 years, and authorizes appropriations of $40 million per year. [Sec. 6023] |
|
||||||
|
Funds Pending Loan and Grant Applications. $120 million in FY2008, to reduce a backlog of applications. [Sec. 6029] |
|
Provides for one-time mandatory funding of $150 million for pending rural development loan and grant applications. [Sec. 6204] |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
Adopts Senate provision. [Sec. 6210] |
|
||||||
|
Value-Added Agricultural Market Development Program Grants. $15 million in FY2009, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 6202] |
|
Authorizes $12.5 million annually in mandatory spending for FY2014-FY2018. Reauthorizes discretionary funding at $40 million annually to FY2018. [Sec. 6001] |
|
Provides $50 million mandatory funding to remain available until expended. Reauthorizes discretionary funding of $50 million annually to FY2018. [Sec. 6202] |
|
Provides $63 million mandatory funding to remain available until expended. Reauthorizes discretionary funding. [Sec. 6203] |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative. $18 million in FY2009, and $20 million in each of FY2010-2012. [Sec. 7206] |
|
Provides CCC funds of $16 million for each year FY2014-FY2018; extends authority for appropriations through FY2018. [Sec. 7209] |
|
Provides CCC funds of $20 million for each year FY2014-FY2018; extends authority for appropriations through FY2018. [Sec. 7211] |
|
Similar to the House bill. [Sec. 7211] |
|
||||||
|
Specialty Crop Research Initiative. $30 million in FY2008, and $50 million in each of FY2009-2012. [Sec. 7311] |
|
Provides mandatory funds of $25 million (FY2014); $30 million annually (FY2015-FY2016); $65 million (FY2017); and $50 million (FY2018 and thereafter). [Sec. 7305] |
|
Provides mandatory funds of $50 million annually (FY2014-FY2015); $55 million (FY2016-FY2017); and $65 million (FY2018 and each fiscal year thereafter). [Sec. 7307] |
|
Provides mandatory funds of $80 million annually in FY2014 and each fiscal year thereafter. [Sec. 7306] |
|
||||||
|
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development. $18 million in FY2009, and $19 million in each of FY2010-2012. [Sec. 7410] |
|
Provides mandatory funding of $17 million per year for FY2014-FY2018 (to be available until expended). [Sec. 7408] |
|
Mandatory annual funding at $20 million per year for FY2014-FY2018 (to be available until expended). [Sec. 7410] |
|
Similar to the House bill. [Sec. 7409] |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
Healthy Forests Reserve Program. $9.75 million each year FY2009-2012, available until expended. [Sec. 8205] |
|
No mandatory funding. Provides authorization to receive discretionary appropriations. [Sec. 8205] |
|
Same as the Senate bill. [Sec. 8203] |
|
Similar to the Senate bill. [Sec. 8203] |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
Biobased Markets Program. $1 million in FY2008, and $2 million each year for FY2009-2012. [Sec. 9002] |
|
Authorizes mandatory funding of $3 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9002] |
|
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $2 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9002] |
|
Similar to the Senate bill. [Sec. 9002] |
|
||||||
|
Biorefinery Assistance. $75 million in FY2009, and $245 million in FY2010. [Sec. 9003] |
|
Authorized mandatory funding of $100 million for FY2014 and $58 million each for FY2015-FY2016. [Sec. 9003] |
|
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $75 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9003] |
|
Authorized mandatory funding of $100 million for FY2014 and $50 million each for FY2015-FY2016. [Sec. 9003] |
|
||||||
|
Repowering Assistance. $35 million in FY2009, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 9004] |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
No mandatory funding. Authorize to be appropriated $10 million annually FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9004] |
|
Similar to the House bill, except provides $12 million of mandatory funding in FY2014, available until expended. [Sec. 9004] |
|
||||||
|
Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels. $55 million in FY2009-2010, $85 million in FY2011, and $105 million in FY2012. [Sec. 9005] |
|
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $20 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9004] |
|
No mandatory funding. Authorizes to be appropriated $50 million annually FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9005] |
|
Provides $15 million each fiscal year FY2014-FY2018, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 9005] |
|
||||||
|
Biodiesel Fuel Education Program. $1 million in each of FY2008-2012. [Sec. 9006] |
|
Authorizes mandatory funding of $1 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9005] |
|
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $2 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9006] |
|
Identical to the Senate bill. [Sec. 9006] |
|
||||||
|
Rural Energy For America Program (REAP). $55 million in FY2009, $60 million in FY2010, and $70 million in each of FY2011-2012. [Sec. 9007] |
|
Authorizes mandatory funding of $68.2 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. Authorizes to be appropriated $20 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9006] |
|
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $45 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9007] |
|
Provides $50 million of mandatory funding in FY2014 and each fiscal year thereafter. [Sec. 9007] |
|
||||||
|
Biomass Research and Development. $20 million in FY2009, $28 million in FY2010, $30 million in FY2011, and $40 million in FY2012. [Sec. 9008] |
|
Authorizes mandatory funding of $26 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. Authorizes to be appropriated $30 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9007] |
|
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $20 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9008] |
|
Authorizes mandatory funding of $3 million annually for FY2014-FY2017. Authorizes to be appropriated $20 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9008] |
|
||||||
|
Biomass Crop Assistance Program. Such sums as necessary of mandatory funds for FY2008-2012. [Sec. 9011] |
|
Authorizes mandatory funding of $38.6 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9009] |
|
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $75 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9010] |
|
Authorizes mandatory funding of $25 million annually for FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 9010] |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
Farmers' Market Promotion Program. $3 million in FY2008, $5 million in each of FY2009-2010, and $10 million in each of FY2011-2012. [Sec. 10106] |
|
Increases mandatory funding to $20 million annually (FY2014-FY2018); authorizes $20 million discretionary each year FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 10003] |
|
Increases mandatory funding to $30 million annually (FY2014-FY2018); authorizes $10 million discretionary each year FY2014-FY2018. [Sec. 10003] |
|
Adopts funding in House bill. [Sec. 10003] |
|
||||||
|
National Clean Plant Network. $5 million in each of FY2009-2012, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 10202] |
|
Consolidates National Clean Plant Network with Plant Pest and Disease Management. Mandatory funding for combined program of $60 million annually for FY2014-2017, and $65 million for FY2018 and thereafter. (Plant Pest and Disease Management had continuing $50 million annual baseline.) [Sec. 10007] |
|
Similar to the Senate bill, except that the House bill provides mandatory funding of $62.5 million annually in FY2014-FY2017 and $75 million in FY2018 and thereafter. (Plant Pest and Disease Management had continuing $50 million annual baseline.) [Sec. 10011] |
|
Adopts funding in House bill. [Sec. 10007] |
|
||||||
|
National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program. $22 million in FY2008, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 10301] |
|
Provides 50% of $23 million in mandatory funding annually (FY2014-2018) for the national organic certification cost-share program. [Sec. 11034] |
|
Repeals national organic certification cost share program [Sec. 10004(d)]. Continues existing organic certification cost share in selected states at 10% of $10 million annually in Agr. Mgt. Assistance. [Sec. 2506] |
|
Provides $11.5 million in mandatory funding annually (FY2014-FY2018) for the national organic certification cost-share program. [Sec. 10004(c)] |
|
||||||
|
Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives. $5 million in FY2008, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 10302] |
|
Reauthorizes $5 million in mandatory funding; extends discretionary authority of $5 million through FY2018. [Sec. 10005(a)] |
|
No mandatory funding. Reauthorizes discretionary appropriations. [Sec. 10004(a)] |
|
Similar to the Senate bill. [Sec. 10004(a)] |
|
||||||
|
Market Loss Assistance for Asparagus. $15 mill. [Sec. 10404] |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
National Sheep Industry Improvement Center. $1 million in FY2008, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 11009] |
|
Establishes a competitive grants program for similar purposes with $1.5 million of mandatory funding in FY2014, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 12104] |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
Adopts the Senate bill. [Sec. 12102] |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
Supplemental agricultural disaster assistance; authorized for FY2008-FY2011. |
|
Reauthorizes 4 supplemental disaster programs for FY2012-2018, with future baseline. |
|
Similar to Senate bill, but comparatively with more provisions closer to 2008 farm bill. |
|
Identical to the House bill. [Sec. 1501] |
|
||||||
|
a) SURE (Supplemental Revenue Assistance). |
|
a) SURE: Not reauthorized. |
|
a) SURE: Not reauthorized. |
|
a) SURE: Not reauthorized. |
|
||||||
|
b) LIP (Livestock Indemnity Program). |
|
b) LIP: Reauthorized. |
|
b) LIP: Reauthorized. |
|
b) LIP: Reauthorized. |
|
||||||
|
c) LFP (Livestock Forage Disaster Program). |
|
c) LFP: Reauthorized. |
|
c) LFP: Reauthorized. |
|
c) LFP: Reauthorized. |
|
||||||
|
d) ELAP (Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Catfish). |
|
d) ELAP: Reauthorized. |
|
d) ELAP: Reauthorized. |
|
d) ELAP: Reauthorized. |
|
||||||
|
e) TAP (Tree Assistance Program). |
|
e) TAP: Reauthorized. |
|
e) TAP: Reauthorized. |
|
e) TAP: Reauthorized. |
|
||||||
|
[Sec. 12033 and Sec. 15101] |
|
[Sec. 1501] |
|
[Sec. 1501] |
|
[Sec. 1501] |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
Outreach and Technical Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers. $15 million in FY2009; $20 million each year for FY2010-2012. [Sec. 14004] |
|
Provides $10 million annually in mandatory funding for FY2014-FY2018; authorizes discretionary appropriations. [Sec. 12001] |
|
Same as Senate bill. [Sec. 12201] |
|
Same as Senate bill. [Sec. 12201] |
|
||||||
|
Determination on Merits of Pigford Claims. $100 million in FY2008. [Sec. 14012] |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
No comparable provision. |
|
||||||
|
Total number of provisions |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
Total ($ million) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
Source: CRS, using Table A-1 of this report as the universe of affected programs, and corresponding entries in CRS Report R43076.
Appendix A. Identification of Programs in the 2008 Farm Bill Without Budget Baseline After FY2012
The programs without baseline in the 2008 farm bill can be grouped in several ways: by title of the farm bill, by the degree of uncertainty in the cost, and by the duration of the use of mandatory funding. Additional details about the provision of mandatory funding for each program are provided in Table A-1.
Programs Grouped by Title of the 2008 Farm Bill
Programs without baseline beyond FY2012 are spread among 12 of the 2008 farm bill's 15 titles (Table A-1). The title with the most such provisions is the energy title (8), followed by conservation (5), nutrition (5), and horticulture and organic agriculture (5).
The ranking among the titles is much different based on the dollar amounts that might be needed to continue the provisions in the next farm bill. The title with the largest cost to extend programs without baseline is agricultural disaster assistance ($4.8 billion to $9 billion, depending on the estimation approach), followed by conservation ($2.1 billion to $2.7 billion), energy ($1.1 billion to $1.2 billion), and research ($383 million).
Programs Grouped by Degree of Cost Uncertainty
Farm bill funding typically is specified as either (1) a fixed dollar amount or (2) "such sums as necessary" to operate a program under specified provisions (the "type" column in Table A-1).
For the fixed dollar amount programs (type = "fixed"), the five-year cost to continue a provision is assumed to equal the five-year sum of the funding specified in the 2008 farm bill. Given the likelihood of a "baseline farm bill"—that is, a farm bill without additional funding to increase spending—or a farm bill facing deficit reduction, many people believe that it is unlikely that any or many of these programs could see an increase above what they received in the 2008 farm bill.
Fixed-dollar funding was specified for 33 of the 37 provisions in the 2008 farm that do not have baselines beyond 2012. The total five-year amount for these 33 programs was about $2.4 billion, which is about one-fourth of the total of the provisions without baseline (Table A-1).10
For the "such sums as necessary" programs (type = "estimated"), CBO estimates how much the provision is expected to cost. The estimated five-year cost to extend a provision was computed under two different approaches:
As with the fixed-dollar amounts, these are unofficial estimates in the absence of projections by CBO that would be based on actual proposed legislation. Presenting estimates from both approaches helps provide a range of costs and indicates where uncertainty is more apparent.11
Only 4 of the 37 provisions without baseline have "such sums as necessary" funding. They account for the difference in the costs between the two approaches (the two cost columns). Although fewer in number than the fixed-amount group, they account for $6.7 billion to $11.5 billion (depending on the approach), which is about 80% of the total for provisions without baseline (Table A-1).
In the 2008 farm bill, Congress indicated its relative priorities for programs by the tradeoff or allocation of budgetary resources among programs. If a proposal was deemed too expensive during legislative development, its parameters may have been tightened to reduce costs. After enactment, some "such sums as necessary" programs may become more expensive than first estimated. If selected for continuation, would the program continue at its current higher cost, or be redesigned in the next farm bill to cost less? Thus, which of the two approaches is better depends on whether one believes Congress would change program parameters, for example, to reduce a program that has become more expensive than initially expected, or whether Congress would continue current program provisions and pay a higher cost than in 2008.
Programs Grouped by Duration of Use of Mandatory Funding
In terms of the length of time that mandatory funding is used, 20 provisions in the 2008 farm bill provided mandatory funding only in the early years of the 2008 farm bill (FY2008-FY2011). These are estimated to cost $6 billion to $10 billion if they are extended in the next farm bill (depending on the approach to estimate costs). Seventeen other provisions provided mandatory funding for the entire duration of the farm bill. These are estimated to cost $3.2 billion to $3.8 billion if they are extended for five years (the "term" column in Table A-1).
This distinction may be important for some observers because programs without full-term funding may not be prioritized as highly as programs receiving full-term funding. Some of the provisions were given short-term funding to help begin implementation or to fund a backlog of unfunded obligations. Other programs received a short-term infusion of mandatory funding and may be authorized to receive discretionary appropriations. These programs may have authority to operate for the full term of the 2008 farm bill, regardless of the duration of mandatory funding.
The provisions listed with full-term funding do not have baseline either because their cost is relatively small (less than the $50 million scoring threshold in FY2012) or because the budget scoring at the time the 2008 farm bill was enacted did not assign a cost or give the program a baseline for the second five years of the scoring window (to make the bill less expensive, as discussed above in footnote 7).
Some of these programs are pilot programs or are new programs without a large or established constituency (e.g., local and regional foreign food aid procurement, or the national clean plant network). Six of them are bioenergy programs, and five affect specialty crops or beginning and minority farmers. Others are relatively established programs, such as the wetlands reserve and grasslands reserve programs in conservation.
In summary, 37 programs received mandatory funding in the 2008 farm bill, but do not have any baseline for a new farm bill because their funding stopped before FY2012, their amounts are below scoring thresholds, or they were intentionally unfunded for future years. An estimated $9 billion to $14 billion would be needed to continue these programs for five more years.12 Congress needed to find offsets from other sources to continue them, a difficult task in a tight budget environment.
Table A-1. Identification of Programs in the 2008 Farm Bill Without Budget Baseline After FY2012
(provisions in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 that receive mandatory budget authority, but are not assumed to continue in the budget baseline beyond FY2012)
|
Estimated cost to extend ($ million, 5 yrs.)a |
||||||||
|
Section |
Name of Provision |
Comments |
Termb |
Typec |
CBO score at 2008 passaged |
CBO baseline in March 2012d |
||
|
Farm Commodity Programs |
||||||||
|
Sec. 1622 |
Implementation (of farm commodity programs in Title I) |
$50 million in FY2009 to the Farm Service Agency to help implement the farm bill. Such expenses usually are discretionary. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Conservation |
||||||||
|
Sec. 2202 |
Wetlands Reserve Program |
3.04 million acres to be enrolled through FY2012. The 2008 farm bill added $128 million-$338 million of costs to baseline annually. |
Full |
Est. |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 2403 |
Grassland Reserve Program |
1.22 million additional acres to be enrolled during FY2009-2012. The farm bill added $63 million-$80 million of costs to baseline annually. |
Full |
Est. |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 2606 |
Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program |
$50 million for the period FY2009-2012, made available in FY2009. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 2803 |
Small Watershed Rehabilitation Program |
$100 million in FY2009, to remain available until expended. Discretionary appropriations also are authorized. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 2807 |
Desert Terminal Lakes |
$175 million in FY2008, to remain available until expended (transfer from USDA to Dept. of Interior). |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Trade |
||||||||
|
Sec. 3106 |
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program |
$84 million in FY2009, to remain available until expended. It also receives annual discretionary appropriations (e.g., $184 million in FY2012). |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 3206 |
Local and Regional Food Aid Procurement Projects |
$5 million in FY2009, $25 million in FY2010 and FY2011, and $5 million in FY2012. Results of pilot program to be evaluated. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Nutrition |
||||||||
|
Sec. 4141 |
Pilot projects to evaluate health and nutrition promotion in SNAP |
$20 million of mandatory funds in FY2009, to remain available until expended. Discretionary appropriations also are authorized. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 4142 |
Study on Comparable Access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico |
$1 million of mandatory funds in FY2009, to remain available until expended. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 4305 |
Whole Grain Products (for school lunches and breakfasts) |
$4 million of Section 32 funds to be made available in FY2009 (CBO estimate). |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 4307 |
Survey of Foods Purchased by School Food Authorities |
$3 million in FY2009. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 4402 |
Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center |
$1 million in each of FY2009-2011. Discretionary appropriations are authorized at $2 million for FY2012. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Rural Development |
||||||||
|
Sec. 6022 |
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program |
$4 million in each of FY2009-2011 and $3 million in FY2012. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 6029 |
Funding of Pending Rural Development Loan and Grant Applications |
$120 million in FY2008, to remain available until expended, to reduce a backlog of approved applications. Discretionary appropriations usually fund these programs. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 6202 |
Value-Added Agricultural Market Development Program Grants |
$15 million in FY2009, to remain available until expended. It also receives annual discretionary appropriations. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Research |
||||||||
|
Sec. 7206 |
Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative |
$18 million in FY2009, and $20 million in each of FY2010-2012. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 7311 |
Specialty Crop Research Initiative |
$30 million in FY2008, and $50 million in each of FY2009-2012. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 7410 |
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development |
$18 million in FY2009, and $19 million in each of FY2010-2012. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Forestry |
||||||||
|
Sec. 8205 |
Healthy Forests Reserve Program |
$9.75 million each year for FY2009-2012, to remain available until expended. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Energy |
||||||||
|
Sec. 9002 |
Biobased Markets Program |
$1 million in FY2008, and $2 million each year for FY2009-2012. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 9003 |
Biorefinery Assistance |
$75 million in FY2009, and $245 million in FY2010. Discretionary appropriations also are authorized. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 9004 |
Repowering Assistance |
$35 million in FY2009, to remain available until expended. Discretionary appropriations also are authorized. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 9005 |
Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels |
$55 million in each of FY2009-FY2010, $85 million in FY2011, and $105 million in FY2012, to remain available until expended. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 9006 |
Biodiesel Fuel Education Program |
$1 million in each of FY2008-2012. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 9007 |
Rural Energy For America Program (REAP) |
$55 million in FY2009, $60 million in FY2010, and $70 million in each of FY2011-2012, to remain available until expended. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 9008 |
Biomass Research and Development |
$20 million in FY2009, $28 million FY2010, $30 million in FY2011, and $40 million in FY2012, to remain avail. until expended. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 9011 |
Biomass Crop Assistance Program |
Indefinite appropriation of mandatory funds (such sums as necessary) for FY2008-2012. |
Full |
Est. |
|
|
||
|
Horticulture and Organic Agriculture |
||||||||
|
Sec. 10106 |
Farmers' Market Promotion Program |
$3 million in FY2008, $5 million in each of FY2009-FY2010, and $10 million in each of FY2011-FY2012. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 10202 |
National Clean Plant Network |
$5 million in each of FY2009-2012, to remain available until expended. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 10301 |
National Organic Certification Cost-Share |
$22 million in FY2008, to remain available until expended. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 10302 |
Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives |
$5 million in FY2008, to remain avail. until expended. Discretionary also is authorized. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 10404 |
Market Loss Assistance for Asparagus Producers |
$15 million in FY2008 for market loss payments for the 2004-2007 crop years. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Livestock |
||||||||
|
Sec. 11009 |
National Sheep Industry Improvement Center |
$1 million in FY2008, to remain available until expended. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Agricultural Disaster Assistance |
||||||||
|
Sec. 12033 and Sec. 15101 |
Supplemental agricultural disaster assistance, including establishing the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund |
Authorized for FY2008-FY2011. CBO estimated in 2008 that the cost would be $4.846 billion over 4 years ending in FY2011. The March 2012 baseline projects $5.9 billion of outlays for the 4-year life of the provision. Reuters reported in 2011 a CBO score of $9 billion for a 5-year extension.g |
Short |
Est. |
|
|
||
|
Miscellaneous |
||||||||
|
Sec. 14004 |
Outreach and Technical Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers |
$15 million in FY2009, and $20 million each year for FY2010-2012. |
Full |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Sec. 14012 |
Determination on Merits of Pigford Claims |
$100 million in FY2008, to remain available until expended. |
Short |
Fixed |
|
|
||
|
Total: 37 provisions in 2008 farm bill without baseline beyond FY2012a |
|
|
||||||
|
Subtotals by term (or duration) of mandatory funding |
||||||||
|
20 provisions with short-term use of mandatory funds in the 2008 farm bill |
Short |
|
|
|||||
|
17 provisions with full-term use of mandatory funds in the 2008 farm bill |
Full |
|
|
|||||
|
Subtotals by type of certainty about costs |
||||||||
|
33 provisions where cost is fixed or known in the farm bill |
Fixed |
|
|
|||||
|
4 provisions where cost is estimated based on implementation |
Est. |
|
|
|||||
Source: Compiled by CRS using P.L. 110-246; the CBO score of the 2008 farm bill (at enactment against the March 2008 baseline, May 12, 2008, unpublished); the March 2012 CBO baseline (http://cbo.gov/publication/43053); and Reuters, "High price tag to revive U.S. farm disaster programs," May 11, 2011, at http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/12/us-agriculture-disasters-aid-idUSTRE74B01N20110512.
a. Unofficial estimates in the absence of projections by CBO that would be based on proposed legislation.
b. Provisions were identified as having either short-term or full-term mandatory funding. Provisions selected as short-term have mandatory budget authority at some time in the early years of the 2008 farm bill, but no new mandatory budget authority in the last year (FY2012). Provisions selected as full-term have mandatory budget authority at least during the last year of the farm bill, but no baseline beyond FY2012. Provisions with full-term funding may not have an extended baseline either because (1) the funding during the last year of a farm bill is below a minimum $50 million scoring threshold that is needed to continue a baseline, or (2) the Budget and Agriculture Committees did not give the program a baseline in the years beyond the farm bill in order to reduce the program's 10-year cost at the time the farm bill was written.
c. The cost of provisions is identified as either fixed or estimated. For fixed-cost programs, the cost is specified by statute and equals the five-year funding provided in 2008 farm bill. For programs with estimated costs, the cost to extend the provision depends on assumptions relevant for the heading of each column.
d. If a fixed amount was specified in the 2008 farm bill, then that amount is used in both cost columns.
e. Costs for WRP and GRP are CBO's actual amounts from FY2008 to FY2011 and the projection for FY2012.
f. Because USDA's implementation rules for the biomass crop assistance program changed in 2010, this estimate is CBO's projected cost in FY2012 ($24 million) multiplied by five years. This estimate may be low, however, because BCAP might have operated at a higher level if appropriations acts had not placed limits on BCAP in recent years.
g. This cost estimate was cited in the press as a CBO score in May 2011 (Reuters, "High price tag to revive U.S. farm disaster programs," at http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/12/us-agriculture-disasters-aid-idUSTRE74B01N20110512). At an average of $1.8 billion per year, the five-year $9 billion estimate is higher than the historical $5.9 billion four-year cost of the supplemental agricultural disaster program (an average of $1.5 billion per year). This estimate is sensitive to assumptions about interactions with crop insurance and other agricultural support programs.
Appendix B. Status of Programs Without Baseline in the 2012 Farm Bill Extension and Proposals
The one-year extension of the 2008 farm bill in the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-240) did not provide any additional mandatory funding for any of the 37 programs without baseline.
In lieu of mandatory funding, the farm bill extension made numerous "authorizations of appropriation" to allow discretionary funding for FY2013, but this did not provide funding. Discretionary funding conceivably could have been provided by the Appropriations Committees in a supplemental appropriation, an omnibus appropriation, or the full-year FY2013 appropriation (P.L. 113-6). But in the deficit reduction and sequestration budget environment, no discretionary appropriations were provided to any of these programs.
The gap in mandatory funding during FY2013 for many of these programs was not necessarily intended. The House and Senate Agriculture Committees envisioned providing funding for many of these programs in the five-year farm bills that were developed in 2012 (H.R. 6083 and S. 3240). The Senate 2012 farm bill, S. 3240, would have provided more than $3.021 billion of mandatory funding over five years for 26 of the programs, and the House farm bill, H.R. 6083, would have provided more than $2.025 billion of mandatory funding for 14 of the programs (Table B-1).
Even an Agriculture Committee-developed farm bill extension would have funded some of these programs in FY2013.13 But the enacted extension did not provide any additional mandatory funding for any of these programs.
Table B-1. Status in the Extension of the 2008 Farm Bill, and Farm Bill Proposals in 2012, of the 37 Programs in the 2008 Farm Bill Without Baseline
(Program provisions and mandatory budget authority)
|
2008 farm bill |
2012 farm bill proposals (112th Congress) |
Extension of 2008 farm bill |
|||||
|
$ million (5 yrs.) |
Senate-passed farm bill, S. 3240 |
$ million (5 yrs.) |
House-reported farm bill, |
$ million (5 yrs.) |
American Taxpayer Relief Act, P.L. 112-240 |
$ million FY2013 |
|
|
Farm Commodity Programs |
|||||||
|
Implementation of farm commodity programs. $50 million in FY2009. [Sec. 1622] |
50 |
Provides $100 million of mandatory funds from the CCC to implement Title I. [Sec. 1614] |
100 |
Identical to the Senate bill. [Sec. 1612] |
100 |
No provision. |
0 |
|
Conservation |
|||||||
|
Wetlands Reserve Program. 3.04 million acres to be enrolled through FY2012. Added $128 million-$338 million of costs to baseline annually through 2012. [Sec. 2202] |
2,100 |
Establishes the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). Combines the purposes of WRP, FPP, and GRP. Repeals WRP with transition provisions. [Sec. 2703, Sec. 2301(a)] |
Unspeci-fied part of ACEP |
Minor differences compared with Senate bill. Does not allow the use of prior year CCC funding for contracts entered into before October 1, 2012. [Sec. 2703, Sec. 2301(a)] |
Unspeci-fied part of ACEP |
No provision; extended under general provision. Limited funding may remain as a result of limitations placed by appropriators in FY2011 and FY2012. |
0 |
|
Grassland Reserve Program. 1.22 million additional acres to be enrolled during FY2009-2012. Added $63 million-$80 million of costs to baseline annually through 2012. [Sec. 2403] |
300 |
Establishes the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). Incorporates GRP easements rental agreements. [Sec. 2301(a), Sec. 2001(a-b)] |
Unspeci-fied part of ACEP |
Nearly identical to the Senate bill with minor differences. [Sec. 2001(a-b)] |
Unspeci-fied part of ACEP |
No provision; extended under general provision. Limited funding may remain as a result of limitations placed by appropriators in FY2012. |
0 |
|
Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive. $50 million for the period FY2009-2012, [Sec. 2606] |
50 |
Authorizes $40 million of mandatory funding for the period of FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 2503] |
40 |
Authorizes $30 million of mandatory funding for the period of FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 2503] |
30 |
No mandatory funding. Authorizes appropriations of $10 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(c)] |
0 |
|
Small Watershed Rehabilitation Program. $100 million in FY2009, to remain available until expended. Discretionary appropriations also are authorized. [Sec. 2803] |
100 |
Does not authorize additional mandatory funding. Extends authorization of appropriations for discretionary funding through FY2017. [Sec. 2505] |
0 |
Authorizes $250 million in mandatory funding for FY2013 to remain available until expended. Extends discretionary authorization through FY2017. [Sec. 2505] |
250 |
No provision. Prior funding remains available until expended, but spending is prohibited under the continuing resolution. |
0 |
|
Desert Terminal Lakes. $175 million in FY2008, to remain available (transfer from USDA to Dept. of Interior. [Sec. 2807] |
175 |
Includes the transfer of $150 million of CCC funds to the Bureau of Reclamation, among other program changes. [Sec. 2506] |
150 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
No provision. |
0 |
|
Trade |
|||||||
|
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. $84 million in FY2009, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 3106] |
84 |
Does not authorize additional mandatory funding. Extends authorization of appropriations for discretionary funding through FY2017. [Sec. 3204] |
0 |
Same as the Senate bill. [Sec. 3204] |
0 |
Not extended. [Sec. 701(i)(3)] |
0 |
|
Local and Regional Food Aid Procurement Projects. $5 million in FY2009, $25 million in FY2010 and FY2011, and $5 million in FY2012. [Sec. 3206] |
60 |
No additional mandatory funding. Establishes a procurement program with authorized appropriations of $40 million for each of FY2013 through FY2017. [Sec. 3207] |
0 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
Not extended. [Sec. 701(i)(3)] |
0 |
|
Nutrition |
|||||||
|
Pilot projects to evaluate health and nutrition promotion in SNAP. $20 million of mandatory funds in FY2009, to remain available. [Sec. 4141] |
20 |
Provides $100 million in mandatory funding over 5 years for incentive grants for projects that incentivize SNAP participants to buy fruits and vegetables. [Sec. 4205] |
100 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
No provision. |
0 |
|
Study on Comparable Access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico. $1 million of mandatory funds in FY2009, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 4142] |
1 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
For Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, provides $1 million in FY2013 and FY2014 to study capacity to administer SNAP. Support: $13.5 million in FY2015, $8.5 million in each of FY2016 and FY2017. |
32.5 |
No provision. |
0 |
|
Whole Grain Products (for school lunches and breakfasts). $4 million of Section 32 funds in FY2009. [Sec. 4305] |
4 |
Mandatory funding for the pilot and evaluation; provides $10 million available over 2 years (FY2013 and FY2014.) [Sec. 4204] |
10 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
No provision. |
0 |
|
Survey of Foods Purchased by School Food Authorities. $3 million in FY2009. [Sec. 4307] |
3 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
Not extended. [Sec. 701(i)(4)] |
0 |
|
Assistance For Community Food Projects. $1 million in FY2009-2011. [Sec. 4402] |
3 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
No provision. |
0 |
|
Rural Development |
|||||||
|
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program. $4 million in each of FY2009-2011 and $3 million in FY2012. [Sec. 6022] |
15 |
Provides $3.75 million annually in mandatory spending for FY2014-FY2017. Reauthorizes discretionary funding. [Sec. 6001] |
15 |
No mandatory funding. Reauthorizes discretionary funding at $20 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. |
0 |
Not extended. [Sec. 701(i)(5)] |
0 |
|
Funds Pending Loan and Grant Applications. $120 million in FY2008, to reduce a backlog of applications. [Sec. 6029] |
120 |
Provides for one-time mandatory funding of $50 million for pending rural development loan and grant applications. [Sec. 6203] |
50 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
Not extended. [Sec. 701(i)(5)] |
0 |
|
Value-Added Agricultural Market Development Program Grants. $15 million in FY2009, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 6202] |
15 |
Authorizes $12.5 million annually in mandatory spending for FY2014-FY2017. Reauthorizes discretionary funding at $40 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 6001] |
50 |
No mandatory funding provided. Reauthorizes discretionary funding of $50 million each fiscal year FY2013-2017. [Sec. 6203] |
0 |
Not extended. [Sec. 701(i)(5)] |
0 |
|
Research |
|||||||
|
Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative. $18 million in FY2009, and $20 million in each of FY2010-2012. [Sec. 7206] |
78 |
Provides CCC funds of $16 million for each year FY2013-FY2017, and extends authority for appropriated funding of $25 million through FY2017. [Sec. 7208] |
80 |
Identical funding as in the Senate bill. [Sec. 7211] |
80 |
No mandatory funding. Authorizes appropriations of $25 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(e)(1)] |
0 |
|
Specialty Crop Research Initiative. $30 million in FY2008, and $50 million in each of FY2009-2012. [Sec. 7311] |
230 |
Mandatory funds: $25 million (FY2013); $30 million (FY2014-2015); $65 million (FY2016); $50 million thereafter). [Sec. 7305] |
200 |
Identical funding as in the Senate bill. [Sec. 7306] |
200 |
No mandatory funding. Authorizes appropriations of $100 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(e)(2)] |
0 |
|
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development. $18 million in FY2009, and $19 million in each of FY2010-2012. [Sec. 7410] |
75 |
Provides mandatory funding of $17 million per year for FY2013-FY2017 (to be available until expended). [Sec. 7408] |
85 |
Mandatory annual funding at $10 million per year for FY2013-FY2017 (to be available until expended). [Sec. 7410] |
50 |
No mandatory funding. Authorizes appropriations of $30 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(e)(3)] |
0 |
|
Forestry |
|||||||
|
Healthy Forests Reserve Program. $9.75 million each year FY2009-2012, available until expended. [Sec. 8205] |
39 |
No mandatory funding. Provides authorization to receive discretionary appropriations. [Sec. 8205] |
0 |
Same as the Senate bill. [Sec. 8203] |
0 |
No provision. |
0 |
|
Energy |
|||||||
|
Biobased Markets Program. $1 million in FY2008, and $2 million each year for FY2009-2012. [Sec. 9002] |
9 |
Authorizes mandatory funding of $3 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9002] |
15 |
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $2 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9002] |
0 |
No mandatory funding. Extends authorization of appropriation of $2 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(f)(1)] |
0 |
|
Biorefinery Assistance. $75 million in FY2009, and $245 million in FY2010. [Sec. 9003] |
320 |
Authorized mandatory funding of $100 million for FY2013 and $58 million each for FY2014-FY2015. [Sec. 9003] |
216 |
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $75 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9003] |
0 |
No mandatory funding. Extends authorization of appropriation of $150 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(f)(2)] |
0 |
|
Repowering Assistance. $35 million in FY2009, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 9004] |
35 |
Repealed; transfers remaining funds (approximately $25 million to remain available until expended) to the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). [Sec. 9004] |
0 |
Identical to the Senate bill. [Sec. 9004] |
0 |
No mandatory funding. Extends authorization of appropriation of $15 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(f)(3)] |
0 |
|
Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels. $55 million in FY2009-2010, $85 million in FY2011, and $105 million in FY2012. [Sec. 9005] |
300 |
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $20 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9005] |
0 |
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $50 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9005] |
0 |
No mandatory funding. Extends authorization of appropriation of $25 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(f)(4)] |
0 |
|
Biodiesel Fuel Education Program. $1 million in each of FY2008-2012. [Sec. 9006] |
5 |
Authorizes mandatory funding of $1 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9006] |
5 |
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $2 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9006] |
0 |
No mandatory funding. Authorizes appropriations of $1 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(f)(5)] |
0 |
|
Rural Energy For America Program (REAP). $55 million in FY2009, $60 million in FY2010, and $70 million in each of FY2011-2012. [Sec. 9007] |
255 |
Authorizes mandatory funding of $48.2 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. Authorizes to be appropriated $20 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9007] |
241 |
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $45 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9007] |
0 |
No mandatory funding. Extends authorization of appropriation of $25 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(f)(6)] |
0 |
|
Biomass Research and Development. $20 million in FY2009, $28 million in FY2010, $30 million in FY2011, and $40 million in FY2012. [Sec. 9008] |
118 |
Authorizes mandatory funding of $26 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. Authorizes to be appropriated $30 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9008] |
130 |
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $20 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9008] |
0 |
No mandatory funding. Extends authorization of appropriation of $35 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(f)(7)] |
0 |
|
Biomass Crop Assistance Program. An indefinite appropriation (such sums as necessary) of mandatory funds for FY2008-2012. [Sec. 9011] |
120 |
Authorizes mandatory funding of $38.6 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9010] |
193 |
No mandatory funding is authorized. Authorizes to be appropriated $75 million annually for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 9010] |
0 |
No mandatory funding. Authorizes appropriations of $20 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(f)(10)] |
0 |
|
Horticulture and Organic Agriculture |
|||||||
|
Farmers' Market Promotion Program. $3 million in FY2008, $5 million in each of FY2009-2010, and $10 million in each of FY2011-2012. [Sec. 10106] |
33 |
Increases mandatory funding to $20 million annually (FY2013 through FY2017), and separately authorizes $20 million discretionary each year FY2013-FY2017, subject to appropriations. [Sec. 10003] |
100 |
Increases mandatory funding to $20 million annually (FY2013 through FY2017), and separately authorizes $10 million discretionary each year FY2013-FY201. [Sec. 10003] |
100 |
No mandatory funding. Authorizes appropriations of $10 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(g)(1)] |
0 |
|
National Clean Plant Network. $5 million in each of FY2009-2012, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 10202] |
20 |
Consolidates Plant Pest and Disease Management and the National Clean Plant Network. Mandatory funding for combined program of $60 million annually for FY2013-2016, and $65 million for FY2017 and thereafter. (Plant Pest and Disease Management had continuing $50 million annual baseline.) [Sec. 10007] |
55 |
Similar to the Senate bill, except that the House bill provides mandatory funding of $71.5 million in FY2013 and each fiscal year thereafter. [Sec. 10012] |
107.5 |
No mandatory funding. Authorizes appropriations of $5 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(g)(2)] |
0 |
|
National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program. $22 million in FY2008, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 10301] |
22 |
From Agricultural Management Assistance, provides 50% of $23 million in mandatory CCC funding annually (FY2013-2017) for organic certification cost-share program. [Sec. 11027] |
57.5 |
Repealed. [Sec. 10004(d)] |
0 |
No mandatory funding. Authorizes appropriations of $22 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(g)(3)] |
0 |
|
Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives. $5 million in FY2008, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 10302] |
5 |
Reauthorizes $5 million in mandatory funding; extends discretionary authority of $5 million through FY2017. [Sec. 10005] |
5 |
Identical to the Senate bill. [Sec. 10004] |
5 |
No mandatory funding. Authorizes appropriations of $5 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(g)(4)] |
0 |
|
Market Loss Assistance for Asparagus. $15 million for 2004-2007 crops. [Sec. 10404] |
15 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
Not extended. [Sec. 701(i)(6)] |
0 |
|
Livestock |
|||||||
|
National Sheep Industry Improvement Center. $1 million in FY2008, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 11009] |
1 |
Establishes a competitive grants program for similar purposes with $1.5 million of mandatory funding in FY2013, to remain available until expended. [Sec. 12104] |
1.5 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
Not extended. [Sec. 701(i)(5)] |
0 |
|
Agricultural Disaster Assistance |
|||||||
|
Supplemental agricultural disaster assistance, including establishing the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund. SURE, LIP, LFP, ELAP, TAP. Authorized for FY2008-FY2011. [Sec. 12033 and Sec. 15101] |
9,000 |
SURE is not reauthorized. Other four programs are reauthorized (LIP, LFP, ELAP, TAP) with mandatory funding from CCC for FY2012 through FY2017. Maximum funding for ELAP is $5 million annually. [Sec. 1501] |
1,097 |
Same as Senate bill, except maximum funding for ELAP is $20 million annually. [Sec. 1501] |
1,020 |
No mandatory funding. Authorizes appropriations of $80 million for LIP, $400 million for LFP, $50 million for ELAP, and $20 million for TAP for each of FY2012 and FY2013. [Sec. 702] |
0 |
|
Miscellaneous |
|||||||
|
Outreach and Technical Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers. $15 million in FY2009; $20 million each year for FY2010-2012. [Sec. 14004] |
75 |
Provides $5 million annually in mandatory funding, and authorizes $20 million annually, subject to annual appropriations for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 12001] |
25 |
Provides $10 million annually in mandatory funding, and authorizes $20 million annually, subject to annual appropriations for FY2013-FY2017. [Sec. 12201] |
50 |
No mandatory funding. Authorizes appropriations of $20 million for FY2013. [Sec. 701(h)] |
0 |
|
Determination on Merits of Pigford Claims. $100 million in FY2008, available until expended. [Sec. 14012] |
100 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
No comparable provision. |
0 |
Not extended. [Sec. 701(i)(8)] |
0 |
|
Total number of provisions |
37 |
26 |
14 |
0 |
|||
|
Total ($ million) |
13,955 |
> 3,021 |
> 2,025 |
0 |
|||
Source: CRS, using Table A-1 of this report as the universe of affected programs, and corresponding entries for S. 3240 and H.R. 6083 in CRS Report R42552, The 2012 Farm Bill: A Comparison of Senate-Passed S. 3240 and the House Agriculture Committee's H.R. 6083 with Current Law, and P.L. 112-240.
Acknowledgments
Craig Jagger provided valuable expertise on the subject and helpful peer review of an earlier version of this report.
| 1. |
For more background on the scope of a farm bill, see CRS Report RS22131, What Is the Farm Bill?. For information about the extension, see CRS Report R42442, Expiration and Extension of the 2008 Farm Bill. |
| 2. |
See CRS Report 98-560, Baselines and Scorekeeping in the Federal Budget Process. |
| 3. |
See CRS Report R41157, The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010: Summary and Legislative History. |
| 4. |
Craig Jagger, Economist for the House Agriculture Committee, slides 53-54 in "Understanding the Congressional Budget Process and How It Affects Farm Policy," April 21, 2009, at http://agribus.uark.edu/Craig_Jagger_lecture.ppt. "[S]topping funding early means that the program does not earn a baseline. Without a baseline, there are no funds for continuing the program… New funding will need to be found for the 2012 farm bill to continue [these] programs." |
| 5. |
For example: Frank Lucas, Chair of House Agriculture Committee (then ranking Member), at "Hearing to Preview U.S. Agriculture Policy in Advance of the 2012 Farm Bill," April 21, 2010. "This next farm bill is shaping up to be one of the most difficult.... Many... programs do not have funding past 2012. In essence, we already start with a deficit." |
| 6. |
See CRS Report R42484, Budget Issues That Shaped the 2014 Farm Bill. |
| 7. |
Section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-177, 2 U.S.C. 907), as amended, specifies that expiring mandatory spending programs are assumed to continue in the budget baseline if they have outlays of more than $50 million in the current year and were established before the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Programs established later are not automatically assumed to continue, and are assessed program by program in consultation with the House and Senate Budget Committees. (CBO, The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2013 to 2023, p. 22, at http://cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/43907-BudgetOutlook.pdf). |
| 8. |
A definitive total is not possible because some programs are combined and necessary budget details are unknown. |
| 9. |
See CRS Report R42484, Budget Issues That Shaped the 2014 Farm Bill. |
| 10. |
Other approaches are possible, such as, for example, assuming that programs continue at the level of their last year of authorization (an approach sometimes used for programs with continuing baseline). Some fixed-cost programs receive increasing amounts over time, with the largest amount in FY2012 (examples are apparent in the "comments" column of Table A-1). If the last year of the authorization (FY2012) were used as the cost to continue the programs, the cost to extend the 33 fixed-cost provisions would be about $500 million higher than the $2.4 billion estimate. |
| 11. |
Other approaches also are possible (see footnote 10). Assumptions within these approaches also may lead to different results, such as the length of time that agricultural disaster assistance might be extended, or implementation and regulatory decisions for the biomass crop assistance program (BCAP), as discussed in notes to Table A-1. |
| 12. |
Separately, Craig Jagger, Economist for the House Agriculture Committee, estimated in 2010 that about $9 billion would be the cost to continue these programs. See "Budget Implications for the Next Farm Bill," at Farm Foundation Forum, September 14, 2010, slide 45, at http://www.farmfoundation.org/news/articlefiles/363-Jagger_Budget_Color_Farm%20Found_09-14-10.pdf. |
| 13. |
Under a House Agriculture Committee extension proposal, 21 of the non-disaster programs without baseline would have received $473 million of mandatory funding in FY2013, and agricultural disaster programs (counted as one program for consistency with other tables in this report) would have received $848 million in FY2013. This additional spending would have been offset by a $1.3 billion reduction in "direct payments" in the farm commodity program. See the CBO score of an extension proposal by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Lucas, December 30, 2012, at http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/43828-OneYearAgProgramExtension.pdf. |