WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House-Senate conference report on the Farm Bill was signed Monday in Washington, D.C., paving the way for a vote in both chambers. A vote is expected this week, Kansas First District Congressman Roger Marshall said.

 The conference report is where the select committee that was elected to hash out the final differences between House and Senate bills agree on a final bill. In short, it’s a compromise measure to work out the final kinks. 

Marshall was selected to be on this conference committee to represent Kansas. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, is leading the conference talks.

Technically, the farm bill is known as Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, this is primary agricultural and food policy tool of the federal government. The comprehensive omnibus bill is renewed every five years or so and deals with both agriculture and all other affairs under the purview of the United States Department of Agriculture. The last farm bill was approved in 2014 and funds these programs through this year. The 2018 installment met resistance from both Republicans and Democrats, but eventually cleared both houses of Congress in September.