The 2026 farm bill is on its way to the House floor as soon as next week with a subtle change to the sweeping legislation’s greyhound racing ban after an outcry from hunting advocates.
The latest version of the bill, released by the Rules Committee last week, would axe language that would have imposed a nationwide ban on live lure training — the use of live animals such as jackrabbits as bait for racing and hunting dogs. It also drops a proposed ban on open field coursing, competitions where hounds are released to hunt down jackrabbits and hares.
At the House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill markup in early March, the panel approved by voice vote an amendment by Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., that would prohibit commercial greyhound racing, live lure training, open field coursing, betting on greyhound races and the trafficking of greyhounds for these purposes.
