Advocacy in Action: Farm Bill, gray wolves, climate credit, vehicle weight safety and farm tech

Farm Bill

The House Agriculture Committee last week successfully advanced the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026—often referred to as the “skinny” Farm Bill—following a nearly 20-hour markup across two days.

The bill passed on a bipartisan 34-17 vote, with seven Democrats voting in favor, including California Representatives Jim Costa and Adam Gray. Lawmakers considered and debated more than 100 amendments during the committee process.

Earlier last week, California Farm Bureau submitted a letter of support for the legislation, highlighting improvements for specialty crop programs, rural development initiatives, enhanced forest management efforts and other provisions beneficial to agriculture.

The legislation must still be approved by the full House before moving to the Senate, where additional changes are expected before it can advance to the president’s desk. 

Gray wolves

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has begun holding meetings to discuss potential updates to the Wolf-Livestock Compensation Program. California Farm Bureau, along with other stakeholders, is participating in the discussions on behalf of ranchers and will give direct input from affected members.

As part of the process, CDFW plans to develop a questionnaire for ranchers who have previously participated in the compensation program. The department will continue meeting with stakeholders to discuss the program’s three compensation “prongs” and identify possible changes.

Starting in May, CDFW will hold four public meetings in counties with known wolf presence to hear directly from ranchers and impacted communities. Based on the feedback received, the department will determine next steps and develop a timeline for potential revisions to the program.

Farm Bureau will reach out to affected ranchers and counties in the coming months to gather additional input. Ranchers with feedback on the compensation program or other wolf management solutions are encouraged to contact Steven Fenaroli at sfenaroli@cfbf.com.

Climate credit

The California Public Utilities Commission approved a settlement between PacifiCorp, California Farm Bureau and California Public Advocates Office regarding greenhouse gas program costs and customer climate credits. The decision authorizes PacifiCorp to distribute $10.1 million in California climate credits to eligible residential and small business customers in 2026. Customers will receive a semiannual bill credit of $111.83 in April and October, funded through revenues from California’s cap-and-trade program.

Vehicle weight safety

The California Transportation Commission is set to hold a workshop this week to discuss the draft report for the Vehicle Weight Safety Study required by Assembly Bill 251, authored by Assemblyman Chris Ward, D-San Diego.

The study examines the relationship between passenger vehicle weight, road degradation and injuries to pedestrians and cyclists. The legislation directed the commission to convene a task force and provide a report to the Legislature with findings and potential policy recommendations, including whether a vehicle weight-based fee should be considered.

California Farm Bureau participated in task force meetings throughout 2025. During those discussions and in comments on the final report, Farm Bureau noted the study did not demonstrate a clear link between vehicle weight and increased collisions. Farm Bureau also raised concerns that a vehicle weight charge would function more as a tax than a safety fee and could increase vehicle costs.

Farm Bureau further emphasized that California already has one of the highest costs of living in the country, and policies that raise vehicle prices could disproportionately affect lower-income residents.

Farm tech

Efforts to modernize outdated worker safety regulations that limit the use of autonomous tractors continued this year. California Farm Bureau, alongside a coalition of agricultural organizations and equipment manufacturers, engaged the governor’s office and legislative leadership to encourage a solution that allows innovation to move forward while addressing labor concerns.

Two years ago, Farm Bureau-sponsored Assembly Bill 1016 was signed into law, authorizing the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to update rules governing the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by licensed aerial applicators. The law directs DPR to establish updated pathways for commercial and private applicators or those applying on their own farms.

DPR launched a working group last fall to develop regulations. Initially, the group focused only on private applicators, with commercial applicator updates delayed until 2028. Farm Bureau raised concerns about this timeline and urged DPR to reconsider a strategy that would slow broader adoption of the technology.

Following stakeholder engagement and a temporary pause, DPR relaunched the working group with a clear commitment to advancing regulatory updates for commercial aerial applicators. This shift will help scale emerging technologies and better align regulatory policy with California’s investments in agricultural innovation and workforce development.