An amendment led by U.S. Rep. French Hill (R-AR) that calls for a study on the availability and use of mental health services among farmers, ranchers, and agricultural professionals, helped secure passage of the 2026 Farm Bill by the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Farmers and ranchers have faced several brutal years in a row,” Rep. Hill said on April 30 following the House vote. “Rising input costs, stagnant or falling commodity prices, historic floods, and now drought have tested the resilience of family operations across Arkansas and the country. I am… proud that my amendment in support of farm families was included in this Farm Bill.”
The House-approved Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, H.R. 7567, also known as the Farm Bill, includes Rep. Hill’s Farmer Assistance, Resilience, and Mental Health Evaluation Research Study (FARMERS) amendment to direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network to conduct the study and report its findings to Congress.
“Congressional Republicans passed the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, and the Trump administration has stepped up with direct relief,” said Rep. Hill. “The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 builds on that work to make sure our agriculture workers and farm families have the support they need.”
The amendment would give Congress the data it needs to build smarter, more targeted solutions, the congressman said.
For instance, the USDA Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, in coordination with its regional lead institutions, would have to submit a report to Congress within one year of the bill’s enactment assessing the prevalence of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, trauma-related disorders, and suicidal ideation, among farmers, ranchers, and agricultural professionals, as well as the availability of care and recommendations for improvements, among other provisions.
“Too many farmers and ranchers are struggling in silence, and we don’t have a clear picture of whether the mental health resources we have are actually getting to the people who need them,” Rep. Hill said. “This amendment aims to change that. It gives us the data and recommendations needed to build smarter solutions and make sure no farmer or rancher has to face the hard times alone.”