“We’re grateful for Chairman Thompson’s leadership on the Farm Bill, generally, and more specifically, his concerns for hunters and conservationists, and his efforts to remove the anti-hunting language from the Farm Bill,” said Torin Miller, Associate Litigation Counsel at the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation. “We’ll now focus our efforts on getting a clean Farm Bill passed on the House floor. The Farm Bill is an incredibly important piece of conservation legislation, and with hunting dog bans removed, we’re looking forward to advancing conservation programs and funding on behalf of hunters, anglers, and trappers.”
The Greyhound Protection Act of 2025 (H.R. 5017) was amended into the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (Farm Bill) in mid-March. That bill, backed by animal rights extremist Wayne Pacelle, and his group Animal Wellness Action would have impacted nearly anyone that hunts with bird dogs or scent hounds by banning the use of live animals in dog training. Amendment supporters never told Committee members of the broader impacts of the bill. Despite concerns by Chairman Thompson, H.R. 5017 was amended into the Farm Bill by voice vote.
Since then, the Sportsmen’s Alliance has been advocating for changes to the adopted language that would remove any trace of the anti-hunting language. With Chairman Thompson and the Ag Committee’s leadership, those changes have been formally adopted. The Farm Bill will now work through the House Rules Committee before being heard on the House floor.
“This result is a strong testament to the strength of the Sportsmen’s Alliance’s membership and the hunting community as a whole,” said Rob Sexton, Senior Vice President at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “Thousands of hunters and dog owners and trainers made their voices heard, and we’re thankful for strong Congressional leaders that kept their ears open. Our job now is to proect this clean Farm Bill and make sure the Senate version is free from anti-hunting threats as well.”
The House is expected to vote on the Farm Bill in the coming weeks, and we’re asking members to reach out to their Representatives to ask for their support of the Farm Bill and the fix that removed anti-hunting language. Farm Bill passage is never easy, but it is vital. The Farm Bill positively impacts countless wildlife species, hunting access, and American families, and the Sportsmen’s Alliance fully supports it in its current form.
As your constituent and an active member of the hunting community, I am writing to urge your support for the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (the Farm Bill) on the House floor, with the anti-hunting language removed.
I specifically want to thank the House Agriculture Committee and Chairman G.T. Thompson for his leadership in adopting the "fix" that removed the language originally from H.R. 5017. The previous version of the bill contained broad language that would have unintentionally banned the use of hounds and "live lures" for training bird dogs and scent hounds, essential traditions for American sportsmen.
The Farm Bill is a vital piece of conservation legislation that supports wildlife habitats and hunting access. Now that this anti-hunting language has been removed, I ask that you vote “YES” on the Farm Bill with the anti-hunting language removed and work to ensure no further amendments are added that would threaten our hunting heritage.