Farm Bill conferees have set the funding level for the nutrition title, which includes the food stamp program and other anti-hunger and nutrition provisions. On March 19, conferees agreed to set the funding at $6.4 billion dollars over ten years, which is almost twice as much as the House originally proposed but less than the $8.9 billion contained in the Senate bill. While the overall funding level has been set, money has not yet been distributed to specific programs. Committee staff is meeting to allocate funds, but final decisions will not be made until after Congress returns from recess on April 9.
Farm Bill conferees also agreed to a $2.6 billion “cushion,” which will be a reserve with no currently defined target. The money, which did not appear in the original House or Senate bills, will be set aside for future spending decisions.

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