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Updated September 29, 2023
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 21 programs in the 2018 farm
case for long-standing farm bill programs. Some of the
bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, P.L. 115-334)
newer, smaller farm bill programs do not continue in the
that do not have a budget baseline for funding beyond
baseline because they (a) have mandatory spending less
FY2023. These programs received $906 million of
than a minimum $50 million scoring threshold in the last
mandatory funding during the five years of the 2018 farm
year of the farm bill or (b) were not provided baseline to
bill. Programs that receive mandatory funding do not
continue by the authorizing and budget committees.
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, 21 programs across 8 of the 12 titles
of the 2018 farm bill received $906 million of mandatory
Why Some Programs Have Baseline, Others Not
spending authority (out of total mandatory spending of
Under budget rules, a program with mandatory spending
$428 billion across all farm bill programs) that do not have
authority in the last year of its authorization generally may
a continuing baseline after FY2023 (Figure 1, Table 1).
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 Bill, Table 3, table notes b and c.
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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
without a budget baseline than for previous farm bill
reauthorizations (Table 2).
Section
Name of Provision
1706 Commodity Program Implementation
During past reauthorizations, some affected programs
2405 Grassroots Source Water Protection Program
received mandatory funding for the farm bill but not
permanent baseline. In other cases, programs received
2406 Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive
permanent baseline by consolidating them into a larger
umbrella program to exceed the $50 million scoring
2408 Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot
threshold, and required extra funding in the 10-year score.
4018(b) Farm to Food Bank Program
• Of the 37 programs with no baseline after the 2008 farm
6504 Rural Economic Development Program
bill expired, the 2014 farm bill provided 29 of the
programs with $6.2 billion over FY2014-FY2018.
7117 Scholarships for 1890s Institutions
7212 Urban Agriculture
• Of the 39 programs with no baseline after the 2014 farm
bill expired, the 2018 farm bill provided 23 of the
7603 Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
programs with $1.6 billion over FY2019-FY2023, of
9002 Biobased Markets Program
which nine programs received permanent baseline
costing an additional $1.5 billion over FY2024-FY2028.
9003 Biorefinery Assistance
Table 2. Time Series of Programs Without Baseline
9005 Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels
Farm Bill
Number Expiration
$ million
10103 Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives
10104 Organic Certification/Trade Tracking and Data
2008 farm bill
37
FY2012
$9,131a
10105 National Organic Certification Cost-Share
2014 farm bill
39
FY2018
$2,824
10109 Multiple Crop and Pesticide Use Survey
2018 farm bill
19
FY2023
$876
12102 Sheep Production and Marketing Grants
Source: CRS, using CRS In Focus IF10780, Farm Bill Primer: Programs
Without Baseline Beyond FY2018, and CRS Report R41433, Programs
12602 Pima Cotton Trust Fund
Without a Budget Baseline at the End of the 2008 Farm Bill.
12603 Wool Apparel Manufacturers Trust Fund
a. At enactment in 2008, the five-year estimated cost of affected
programs was $9.131 billion. In 2012, the estimated cost to
12604 Wool Research and Promotion
reauthorize the programs was as high as $14 billion.
12605 Emergency Citrus Disease Research Trust Fund
During the one-year extension of the farm bill in 2013 (P.L.
Source: CRS, using CRS Report R45425, Budget Issues That Shaped
112-240, Title VII), programs without a budget baseline did
the 2018 Farm Bill, Table 3, table notes b and c.
not continue in FY2013 because no additional mandatory
Notes: Programs in P.L. 115-334 are identified as having mandatory
funding was provided during the extension. For an
budgetary outlays during FY2019-FY2023 but no budget authority
extension to provide mandatory funding for programs
beyond FY2023. See CBO, H.R. 2, Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018,
without a baseline, the new spending authority would come
December 11, 2018, at https://www.cbo.gov/publication/54880.
at a cost (score) to the bill, and the extension would not be
budget neutral without offsets. Congress decided not to
Types of Programs Affected
extend mandatory funding for programs without a baseline.
As a share of the $428 billion, five-year cost of mandatory
While the one-year extension included new authorizations
spending at enactment of the 2018 farm bill, programs
of appropriations for these programs for FY2013, those
without a baseline are small: 0.2% of the projected total
authorizations went unfunded in appropriations acts.
2018 farm bill mandatory spending, or 0.9% of a subtotal
that excludes nutrition programs. However, the impact
For the next farm bill reauthorization, a smaller number of
varies by title of the bill. The one program in the rural
programs have no baseline and comprise a smaller dollar
development title receiving mandatory funding is affected.
amount than in previous reauthorizations. This and the
For the research title, 34% of mandatory funding for the
availability of continuing baseline for more programs may
title is affected. By comparison, less than 0.1% of funding
make it easier for Congress to balance some budget
in the farm commodities and nutrition titles are affected.
considerations in the next farm bill than in the 2014 and
2018 farm bills.
For most of these programs, authority and/or funding to
operate the programs expires at the end of FY2023.
Comparison with Past Farm Bills
Farm bill programs without a budget baseline have been an
issue since the end of the 2008 farm bill. As Congress
prepares for the next farm bill, there are fewer programs
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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 In Focus IF12233, Farm Bill Primer: Budget Dynamics
IF12115
CRS Report R47659, Expiration of the Farm Bill
Disclaimer
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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
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