March has been another busy month for agricultural law news around the country. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories.
* House Ag Committee passes Farm Bill 2.0. Earlier this month, the United States House Committee on Agriculture passed the “Farm Bill 2.0,” formally titled the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. The bill will now proceed to the full House. The vote was 34-17 with 7 Democrats voting with 27 Republicans on the Committee. Key provisions of the bill relate to prohibiting laws like California’s Prop 12 and banning state-level pesticide labeling. [Read article here.]
* Federal court dismisses Trump administration lawsuit challenging California’s Proposition 12 application to laying hens. A federal district judge in California has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the United States against California’s Proposition 12. The administration claims that the portion of Prop 12 related to spacing requirements for laying hens and prohibiting eggs to be sold in California if the spacing standards are not met is preempted by the federal Egg Products Inspection Act. [Read Order here.] Importantly, the dismissal was based on standing grounds–not the merits of the claim. The court held that the United States lacked standing to bring the claim because they failed to show that Prop 12 harmed the administration. The court did give the DOJ the opportunity to amend the complaint to address this issue and re-file the lawsuit.
* Lesser Prairie Chicken listing removed from Endangered Species Act. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a final rule that removes the Lesser Prairie Chicken from being listed under the Endangered Species Act. The rule removes both of the distinct population segments included in the species’ listing. This rule comes on the heels of federal court decisions invalidating the listings. [Read Final Rule here.]
* Special Master endorses settlement in Texas v. New Mexico. Judge D. Brooks Smith, currently serving as Special Master in the Supreme Court water lawsuit Texas v. New Mexico has issued a report recommending approval of a settlement agreement that has been reached between the parties. [Read Report here.] The settlement must still be approved by the United States Supreme Court. [Read article here.]
*Texas suing companies for alleged improper disposal of wind turbine infrastructure. The State of Texas has filed suit against a number of companies claiming they illegally dumped thousands of wind turbine blades and materials at disposal sites near Sweetwater, TX. The lawsuit alleges that the companies created disposal sites where they illegally stockpiled blades and parts from wind turbines. This, the AG claims, violates Texas’ solid waste laws. The suit seeks both civil penalties and injunctive relief. [Read Complaint here.]
*Article on produced water in Texas. The Texas Water Resources Institute recently published a good article in the Texas Water Journal looking at the implications of the Texas Supreme Court ruling in Cactus Water Services v. COG Operating related to produced water. [Read article here.]
*Court grants preliminary approval for Roundup settlement. A Missouri court has issued preliminary approval of the $7.3 billion settlement in litigation involving claims that Roundup caused cancer. Notice will be sent to potential class members, and a fairness hearing will be held in July. [Read article here.]
* Federal court upholds Florida’s lab grown meat ban. The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued an opinion in Upside Foods v. Commissioner, a lawsuit claiming that Florida’s ban on lab-grown meat is not expressly preempted by the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act. This ruling is consistent with other circuits that have drawn a distinction between a product ban versus rules on how a federally inspected facility operates. [Read article here.]
* Ohio farmer highlights succession plan challenges. The Ohio Farmer recently published an interesting article from the perspective of a young farmer seeking to remain involved with the farm, but also to make a plan to set him up for success in the future. These are issues a lot of farm and ranch families face and need to take the time to think through. [Read article here.]
* Oil and Gas Lease basics blog series. John McFarland is currently publishing a series on the basic parts of the oil and gas lease on his Oil and Gas Lawyer Blog. He initially wrote these posts over a decade ago, but is now re-publishing them. I highly recommend for law students or anyone interested in the basics of oil and gas law and the oil and gas lease. [Read first post here.]
* Stock show update. My kids just wrapped up their stock show season showing sheep and steers. They had a great year and we were fortunate to put one steer and four lambs in the sale at the Texas Majors.
Upcoming Programs
April will be a busy month with nine programs on my calendar. Highlights include the Terry County Women in Ag program in Brownfield, which is always one of my favorite events of the year and includes wine tasting and a fashion show, the Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference in Kerrville, which has a water theme this year, and our FarmHope event in Sinton where we focus on farm and ranch estate planning and mental health.
To see a complete list of my upcoming programs, click here.
