Strengthening rural healthcare with the 2026 Farm Bill

OPINION:

Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, also known as the 2026 Farm Bill, delivering much-needed certainty for farmers and rural communities across southern Minnesota and the country. I was especially proud to author 17 provisions included in this legislation, many of which will help deliver significant investments for the rural communities that millions of Americans call home.

For the past decade, the population of our rural communities across the country has been declining year after year. As a father who’s raising the fifth generation in farm country, I know we must do more to stop this trend. Our rural areas are in desperate need of resources to help them keep jobs and maintain opportunities, especially for our young people.

One way Congress can help support our rural areas is by eliminating unnecessary regulatory barriers to capital investment for critical care facilities. With the help of Farm Credit institutions, rural areas can access critical resources that help their communities invest in the services and facilities that matter most to families.

I helped introduce the Investing in Rural America Act, included in the House-passed Farm Bill, legislation which will help bring investment opportunities to rural communities and connect them with the resources they need in order to thrive by providing Farm Credit institutions with the opportunity to partner with local lenders, including community banks, in financing essential community facilities such as those providing healthcare, childcare and emergency services.

Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve visited numerous rural healthcare facilities around southern Minnesota. One of them, a state-of-the-art senior living facility in a town with a population of nearly 11,000, was recently made possible with financing from Farm Credit institutions. By strengthening these partnerships, we can bring increased investments to the healthcare facilities that bring jobs, critical care and investment opportunities for our rural areas. I’m grateful for the support of my colleagues in Congress who saw the need for this important legislation and passed it in the 2026 Farm Bill.

While the Farm Bill serves as the primary tool for our nation’s agricultural policy, it also serves as a crucial piece of legislation for improving rural health access, strengthening food security and supporting infrastructure development in rural areas. Access to broadband, for example, is an incredibly important component of our rural economy, yet many of the rural areas that I represent and throughout the country don’t have reliable access to wireless internet connectivity.

Included in the House-passed Farm Bill were provisions I was proud to support to help close this connectivity gap and better connect rural Americans to healthcare services, such as codifying and funding the ReConnect Rural Broadband Program, upgrading minimum eligibility speeds through Community Connect Grants, and increasing funding for rural broadband loans and Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT).

My colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee and I have worked tirelessly to ensure the 2026 Farm Bill fulfills our commitment to the future of rural America. By eliminating regulatory barriers, fostering public-private partnerships, and investing in connectivity, Congress is helping ensure that rural healthcare systems remain strong and accessible for families across America. With continued bipartisan support and targeted investments, we can build healthier, more resilient rural communities where quality healthcare is available to all, now and for generations to come.

• U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad is a fourth-generation farmer serving the First Congressional District of Minnesota. He is a member of the House Agriculture Committee, and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture.