House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., today introduced a motion to instruct farm bill conferees to make the length of time for the reauthorization of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as food stamps, the same length as the farm program provisions in the bill and to keep the 1938 and 1949 laws as permanent law.

The House farm bill reauthorizes SNAP for three years and the farm program for five years. The House farm bill also makes the commodity title of the new farm bill permanent law, replacing the 1938 and 1949 provisions.

The Senate bill reauthorizes both programs for five years and retains the 1938 and 1949 permanent laws.

Peterson said the nutrition and farm programs should be on the same time line “or there will be no farm bill in the future,” and that the 1938 and 1949 laws are needed to push Congress to update farm legislation.

Motions to instruct are nonbinding, but House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., said he opposed the motion because it would remove the options of the conference committee.

House members will hold a recorded vote on the motion on Saturday.