link to page 1 link to page 2 
May 18, 2022
Farm Bill Primer: Programs Without Baseline Beyond FY2023
In preparation for the next farm bill, Congress may give
be assumed to continue as if it did not expire. This is the
consideration to a subset of 19 programs in the 2018 farm
case for long-standing farm bill programs. Other programs,
bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, P.L. 115-334)
such as some of the newer, smaller farm bill programs, are
that do not have a budget baseline for funding beyond
not eligible to continue in the baseline because they (a)
FY2023. These 19 programs received $876 million of
have mandatory spending less than a minimum $50 million
mandatory funding during the five years of the 2018 farm
scoring threshold in the last year of the farm bill or (b) were
bill (out of total mandatory spending of $428 billion across
not provided baseline to continue by the authorizing and
all farm bill programs). Programs that receive mandatory
budget committees.
funding do not require annual discretionary appropriations.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects future
From a budgetary perspective, many programs are assumed
government spending in its official budget baselines but has
to continue beyond the end of their authorization. That is,
not published a list of expiring farm bill programs without a
they have a continuing baseline beyond the end of a farm
continuing baseline. To compile this list, CRS analyzed the
bill, which gives them built-in future funding if
CBO score of the 2018 farm bill, current CBO baseline
policymakers decide that the programs should continue, or,
projections, and the statutory text of the law, looking for
if not, the baseline can be reallocated or used as an offset
programs that received mandatory funding but do not have
for deficit reduction. Reauthorizing farm bill programs
baseline beyond FY2023.
without baseline would have a positive score (cost) and
likely need to be offset by reductions elsewhere.
Based on this analysis, 19 programs across 6 of the 12 titles
of the 2018 farm bill received $876 million of mandatory
Why some programs have baseline and others not
spending authority that do not have a continuing baseline
Under budget rules, a program with mandatory spending
after FY2023 (Figure 1, Table 1).
authority in the last year of its authorization generally may
Figure 1. 2018 Farm Bill Programs Without a Budget Baseline After FY2023, by Title
Source: Created by CRS using CRS Report R45425, Budget Issues That Shaped the 2018 Farm Bil , Table 3, table notes b and c.
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link to page 2 Farm Bill Primer: Programs Without Baseline Beyond FY2023
Notes: Programs in P.L. 115-334 are identified as having mandatory budgetary outlays during FY2019-FY2023 but no budget authority beyond
FY2023. See CBO, H.R. 2, Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, December 11, 2018, at https://www.cbo.gov/publication/54880.
Table 1. 2018 Farm Bill Programs Without Baseline
The range of agriculture research funding affected is
perhaps the most varied and includes scholarships for
Section
Name of Provision
historically Black colleges, urban agriculture, a program
1706 Commodity Program Implementation
that leverages privately funded research, and a citrus
2405 Grassroots Source Water Protection Program
disease research program that was included in another title.
2406 Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive
Comparison with past farm bills
Farm bill programs without a budget baseline have been an
2408 Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot
issue since the end of the 2008 farm bill. As Congress
7117 Scholarships for 1890s Institutions
prepares for the next farm bill, there are fewer programs
without a budget baseline than for previous farm bill
7212 Urban, Indoor, and Other Emerging Agriculture
reauthorizations (Table 2).
Production Research, Education, and Extension
7603 Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
Table 2. Time Series of Programs Without Baseline
9002 Biobased Markets Program
Farm Bill
Number Expiration
$ million
9003 Biorefinery Assistance
2008 farm bil
37
FY2012
$9,131
9005 Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels
2014 farm bil
39
FY2018
$2,824
10103 Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives
2018 farm bil
19
FY2023
$876
10104 Organic Certification/Trade Tracking and Data
Source: CRS, using CRS In Focus IF10780, Farm Bil Primer: Programs
Without Baseline Beyond FY2018, and CRS Report R41433, Programs
10105 National Organic Certification Cost-Share
Without a Budget Baseline at the End of the 2008 Farm Bil .
10109 Multiple Crop and Pesticide Use Survey
a. At enactment in 2008, the five-year estimated cost of affected
programs was $9.131 bil ion. In 2012, the estimated cost to
12102 Sheep Production and Marketing Grants
reauthorize the programs was as high as $14 bil ion.
12602 Pima Cotton Trust Fund
During past reauthorizations, some affected programs
12603 Wool Apparel Manufacturers Trust Fund
would receive mandatory funding for the farm bill but not
12604 Wool Research and Promotion
permanent baseline. In other cases, programs received
permanent baseline by consolidating them into a larger
12605 Emergency Citrus Disease Research and
umbrella program to exceed the $50 million scoring
Development Trust Fund
threshold, and required extra funding in the 10-year score.
Source: CRS, using CRS Report R45425, Budget Issues That Shaped
the 2018 Farm Bil , Table 3, table notes b and c.
Of the 37 programs with no baseline after the 2008 farm
Notes: Programs in P.L. 115-334 are identified as having mandatory
bill expired, the 2014 farm bill provided 29 of the
budgetary outlays during FY2019-FY2023 but no budget authority
programs with $6.2 billion over FY2014-FY2018.
beyond FY2023. See CBO, H.R. 2, Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018,
December 11, 2018, at https://www.cbo.gov/publication/54880.
Of the 39 programs with no baseline after the 2014 farm
bill expired, the 2018 farm bill provided 23 of the
Types of programs affected
programs with $1.6 billion over FY2019-FY2023, of
As a share of the $428 billion, five-year cost of mandatory
which nine programs received permanent baseline
spending in the 2018 farm bill when it was enacted,
costing an additional $1.5 billion over FY2024-FY2028.
programs without a baseline beyond FY2023 are relatively
small: 0.2% of the projected total 2018 farm bill mandatory
For the next farm bill reauthorization, a smaller number of
spending, or 0.9% of a subtotal that excludes nutrition
programs have no baseline and comprise a smaller dollar
programs. However, the impact of programs without a
amount than in previous reauthorizations. This and the
baseline varies by title of the farm bill.
availability of continuing baseline for more programs may
make it easier for Congress to balance some budget
For the bioenergy title, 26% of mandatory funding provided
considerations in the next farm bill than in the 2014 and
to the title in the 2018 farm bill would not continue. For the
2018 farm bills.
research title, the share is 34% of the title (and would be
43% if the citrus disease research funding in the
miscellaneous title were included as research). At the other
extreme, the farm commodities and conservation titles have
less than 0.5% of funding in the titles attributed to programs
without a continuing baseline.
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Farm Bill Primer: Programs Without Baseline Beyond FY2023
CRS Products
CRS In Focus IF12047, Farm Bill Primer: What Is the Farm Bill?
Jim Monke, Specialist in Agricultural Policy
CRS Report R47057, Preparing for the Next Farm Bill.
IF12115
CRS Report R45425, Budget Issues That Shaped the 2018 Farm
Bill.
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
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