The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry advanced its version of the Farm Bill on 16 September in a 12-11 party-line vote, clearing legislation that would give commercial fishers access to USDA farm loans for the first time.

The bill's most consequential provision for the seafood sector rewrites two definitions in federal law. It changes the definition of "farmer" or "rancher" to include commercial fishers, and redefines "farm" or "ranch" to include commercial fishing vessels. That definitional shift would make commercial fishing operations eligible for USDA farm loan programs that have historically served only agricultural producers — a change in the federal credit pipeline that parallels what the House already attempted through separate language.

The Senate legislation, authored by Republicans, now moves to consideration by the full Senate. The U.S. House of Representatives passed its own Farm Bill version in May, which incorporated language from the American Sea seafood Competitiveness Act guaranteeing commercial fishing and seafood processors equal access to USDA programs, loans, and financial services through an amendment. The two chambers must reconcile their versions before sending a final bill to President Donald Trump for signature.

"Farm country is hurting and needs results now. Advancing this bill out of committee is a critical step toward getting a fully updated Farm Bill signed into law," Committee Chairman John Boozman, Republican of Arkansas, said in a release. "While this is clearly welcome progress, we need more of our colleagues' votes to reflect the urgency of supporting farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, and rural communities. I will always stand with the families who feed America and the world. They continue to have my commitment on getting bipartisan Farm Bill 2.0 across the finish line."

The Farm Bill is the main piece of U.S. agriculture legislation. The last version was approved in 2018 and expired in 2023, but lawmakers have continuously extended it after multiple failed renewal attempts.

For the seafood industry, the Senate bill codifies several sector-specific measures beyond loan access.

It would enshrine in law the newly established USDA Office of Seafood. Congress previously authorized fiscal year 2026 funding for the office, and the Trump administration announced its creation in April. Seafood advocates argue the office is necessary to raise seafood's profile within USDA and to give the sector the same access to financial support and federal programs that agricultural companies have. The House separately codified the office through its own amendment.

The Senate version also requires country-of-origin labeling for cooked salmon, king crab, and tanner crab, as well as canned salmon — extending labeling requirements to product forms currently outside mandatory COOL coverage.

The legislation mandates two reports tied directly to trade and processing economics. The first requires a report on the international shrimp trade, with lawmakers demanding a list of "policy options available ... to boost the competitiveness of domestic shrimp in global and domestic markets." That mandate follows a March NOAA Fisheries report finding that the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fleet "cannot sustainably compete" with imports; NOAA claimed domestic shrimp could succeed if marketed as a differentiated or premium product.

A second mandated report would study how the government could "facilitate more domestic processing of United States-caught seafood in coastal communities" — an issue with direct margin implications for harvesters who currently send catch abroad for processing before reimport.

The 12-11 party-line committee vote signals the same partisan split that stalled the last House attempt, and the Senate bill will need broader support on the floor. With House and Senate versions now both through committee or chamber, conference negotiations will determine whether commercial fishers actually gain standing in USDA loan programs and whether shrimp-trade policy options advance beyond report language.