On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan 2018 Agriculture and Nutrition Bill, better known as the Farm Bill, in a 369-47 vote.

The bill passed the U.S. Senate Tuesday with a vote of 87-13 and, once signed by the president, it will become the first Farm Bill since 1990 to be enacted in the same year it was introduced.

The entirety of Alabama’s delegation voted in favor of the legislation, which will preserve safety nets for farmers while increasing the availability of loans from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and enhancing conservation efforts, according to a press release from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI).

“Alabama is blessed to have a congressional delegation in Washington that understands the importance of agriculture,” said ADAI Commissioner John McMillan. “Our nation’s food security depends on strong agricultural policies that provide stability for America’s farmers and ranchers.”

Included in the Farm Bill is the Rural Septic Tank Access Act, sponsored By Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL), aimed at addressing crumbling wastewater infrastructure in rural communities.

The legislation will provide grants for repairing and constructing decentralized wastewater systems in underserved areas throughout the nation, according to a press release from Sewell’s office.

A companion bill, sponsored by Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), was included in the Senate bill.

“Passage of the Rural Septic Tank Access Act is a huge victory for Alabama and for rural families across the country,” Sewell said in the press release. “I have seen firsthand the economic, environmental and health challenges created by failing sewer systems in Alabama.”

According to the press release, the legislation included in the Farm Bill will specifically expand the Household Water Well System Grant Program, providing up to $15,000 in grant money for “rural low- and moderate-income households” to install, repair or maintain wastewater systems.

The program will be administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and could help over a million families facing “unsafe conditions as a result of inadequate rural wastewater systems.”

Earlier in the year, Sewell worked with House appropriators to secure an additional $1.8 billion in funding for water and wastewater infrastructure. Uniontown is already reaping the benefits, as the USDA announced that the town would receive a $23.4 million grant to repair its wastewater treatment plant and install new infrastructure.

“By investing in our rural communities and providing families with adequate resources to afford proper septic systems, the Rural Septic Tank Access Act takes an important step forward in our work to improve wastewater infrastructure in rural communities,” Sewell said. “As Congress considers bipartisan infrastructure reform in the new year, I will continue fighting for water and wastewater investments that protect our families’ health and our environment.”

The Farm Bill is receiving widespread support among farmers and leaders in agriculture, but it is also being celebrated by Alabama advocacy groups because it does not include tighter work requirements for food stamp recipients, which was a sticking point during earlier negotiations.

“The Farm Bill contains good news for struggling families across Alabama and across the country,” said Alabama Arise Executive Director Robyn Hyden in a press release. “It protects and strengthens the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, our nation’s most effective anti-hunger program. SNAP has long had bipartisan support, and we commend House and Senate negotiators for continuing that tradition by working together across party lines to protect food assistance.”

Alabama Arise is a nonprofit organization that advocates for state policies to improve the lives of low-income people across the state.

In the press release, Hyden noted that nearly 900,000 Alabamians currently benefit from SNAP and offered gratitude for Alabama’s delegation in Washington for “voting to keep food on hundreds of thousands of Alabama tables.”

Will Whaley contributed to this article.