House Farm Bill Advances SAF Development, Gains NBAA Support

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) welcomed passage of a sweeping U.S. House farm bill that includes new provisions aimed at accelerating development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and its supporting supply chain.

The legislation, Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, expands the federal definition of biofuels to explicitly include SAF for the first time. It also directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support growth of SAF feedstock production, with a focus on agricultural inputs such as crops and forestry resources.

Lawmakers positioned SAF as both an environmental and economic opportunity, highlighting its potential to drive new revenue streams in rural communities. The bill calls for leveraging U.S. agricultural capacity to scale feedstock production and strengthen the domestic SAF market.

NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said the association supports the House action, noting collaboration between its environmental committee and policymakers to advance the provisions.

“As the bill now moves to the U.S. Senate, we urge prompt action to advance this important legislation into law,” Bolen said.

Introduced by Glenn Thompson, chair of the House Agriculture Committee, the broader bill seeks to update U.S. agricultural policy, expand producer incentives and promote public-private partnerships tied to biofuels and SAF development.

For ground operations, expanded SAF production could drive new fuel handling, storage and distribution requirements at airports, particularly as supply chains shift closer to domestic agricultural sources.