If a new farm bill isn’t passed this year, the Tax Cut and Jobs Act could expire. The results could prove devastating to some family farms, as tax policy would resort back to 2017 levels. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) says farmland succession needs protection from the “death tax”.

Vance says preserving family farms is paramount and the death tax can force liquidation on farming families also dealing with the loss of a family member. USDA’s Economic Research Service estimates total federal estate taxes for farms could more than double to a whopping $1.2 billion without modern tax policy reform or an extension of current policy.

Read more on the Tax Cut and Jobs Act here.