115 HR 4201 IH: Young and Beginning Farmers Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2017-11-01
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.Short title; table of contents
(a)This Act may be cited as the Young and Beginning Farmers Act
. (b)The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Title I—Improved Access to Land
Sec. 101. Land trust eligibility for assistance for agricultural land easements.
Sec. 102. Priority for option to purchase at agricultural value in agricultural land easements.
Sec. 103. Prequalification of prospective applicants for credit from Farm Service Agency programs.
Sec. 104. Increase in limitation on amount of direct farm ownership loans; inflation indexation of
limit.
Sec. 105. Report and action plan on agricultural conservation easement program.
Title II—Improved Access to Department of Agriculture Training and Programs
Sec. 201. Beginning farmer coordination.
Sec. 202. Transfer of Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers to jurisdiction of Farm
Service Agency.
Sec. 203. Department of Agriculture on-line customer self-service portal.
Sec. 204. Beginning farmer and rancher development program to provide training, education,
outreach, and technical assistance initiatives.
Sec. 205. Reauthorization of beginning farmer and rancher individual development accounts pilot
program.
Sec. 206. Sale of surplus farm equipment or property to socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers,
veteran farmers or ranchers, and beginning farmers or ranchers.
Title III—Investment in Local and Regional Food Systems
Sec. 301. Mandatory funding for farmers’ market and local food promotion program.
Sec. 302. Grants to support farm viability programs.
<enum>I</enum><header>Improved Access to Land</header>
<section id="H3C9AC3F50CCC4E079FBEC5509012276C"><enum>101.</enum><header>Land trust eligibility for assistance for agricultural land easements</header>
<subsection id="H54AF575C80384D1484CAA222E926E8A3"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Land trusts</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 1265B of the Food Security Act of 1985 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/3865b">16 U.S.C. 3865b</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HC75F2F879FF04F77AAE8C053CF93FC20" style="OLC">
<subsection id="HD260989318834602AF9DA8D9E52ECC72"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Land trusts</header>
<paragraph id="HD3741319A2104ACC8283394A0582079E"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Eligibility for assistance</header><text>Notwithstanding section 1001D(b), an eligible entity that is a qualified land trust, as determined by the Secretary, may receive assistance under this section.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HD508C3F4E6AF493FB7193D7967B6BEAF"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Assistance for reservation of easement</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary may provide assistance to an eligible entity that is a qualified land trust to supplement the sale price of eligible land to a farmer or rancher, who is not ineligible to receive assistance under section 1001D, if the eligible entity that is a qualified land trust reserves for itself an agricultural land easement in the eligible land.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="H0C67C4337E8B4E21BD4AAC58DEBAA962"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Conforming amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 1001D(b)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308–3a(b)(1)) is amended by striking <quote>Notwithstanding</quote> and inserting <quote>Except as provided in section 1265B(e), notwithstanding</quote>.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="H375A738A31114ED69A0ADAF4CC179B68"><enum>102.</enum><header>Priority for option to purchase at agricultural value in agricultural land easements</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 1265B(b)(3) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/3865b">16 U.S.C. 3865b(b)(3)</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H3A34557FFD4148798F95FE2E66F6E26F" style="OLC">
<subparagraph id="H058BF86EF1DE45109026529A97D17031"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Priority</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In evaluating applications under the program, the Secretary shall give priority to an application for the purchase of an agricultural land easement that, as determined by the Secretary—</text>
<clause id="HB722BFA58AD445F69994F5ADF4A2E58C"><enum>(i)</enum><text>maintains agricultural viability;</text> </clause><clause id="H03A9C476D0CA43CB88B3C714A5B21C4B"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>includes, as a condition of the easement, a requirement that any subsequent purchase of the land subject to the easement shall be at agricultural value; or</text>
</clause><clause id="H99738024F357402DAC14FA44258A219C"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>achieves the objectives of both clauses (i) and (ii).</text></clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block> </section><section id="H0D72D3754087428C9FFF7D6904875E33" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>103.</enum><header>Prequalification of prospective applicants for credit from Farm Service Agency programs</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Not later than October 1, 2018, the Secretary of Agriculture shall develop and implement procedures to ensure that the Farm Service Agency is prepared, in advance, to respond to a request by a prospective loan applicant (other than a request for preapproval) for a preliminary determination on—</text>
<paragraph id="HF129AFC32DB744BB955732EC483BAD57"><enum>(1)</enum><text>whether the prospective applicant would likely qualify for credit under any program administered by the Farm Service Agency; or</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H631EDFE157A94EE88B79DC974A56647F"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the amount of credit for which the prospective applicant would likely qualify under any such program.</text>
</paragraph></section><section id="H38101ED5496C435BABB252153F9A3B21"><enum>104.</enum><header>Increase in limitation on amount of direct farm ownership loans; inflation indexation of limit</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 305 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/7/1925">7 U.S.C. 1925</external-xref>) is amended to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H0D841EEFC08E45C89C1472AED739759F" style="OLC">
<section id="HEF2EB81B42544D68A55DCC6BE8665E49"><enum>305.</enum><header>Limitations on amount of farm ownership loans</header>
<subsection id="H20430514BC52409BB3491ABAB01F4D5F"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall make or insure no loan under section 302, 303, 304, 310D, or 310E of this title that would cause the unpaid indebtedness under such sections of any 1 borrower to exceed the smaller of—</text>
<paragraph id="HF1D9C5793B994281810A2FA29E62DC93"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the value of the farm or other security; or</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H92E271D6670C4DE5B00D86E5089360B7"><enum>(2)</enum> <subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="HC65999CE19134266878AA4BF4D2D832A"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in the case of a loan other than a loan guaranteed by the Secretary, $500,000 (increased, beginning with the fiscal year 2019, by the regional farm real estate inflation percentage applicable to the region where the farm involved is located for the fiscal year in which the loan is made, and decreased by the amount of any unpaid indebtedness of the borrower on direct loans under subtitle B); or</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H89131DEE4FE5414BB4B4179D8417BE57" indent="up1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in the case of a loan guaranteed by the Secretary, $700,000 (increased, beginning with fiscal year 2000, by the cost inflation percentage applicable to the fiscal year in which the loan is guaranteed and reduced by the amount of any unpaid indebtedness of the borrower on loans under subtitle B that are guaranteed by the Secretary).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H45FCAC94FB7E4DA7AF3D4A52DA629377"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Determination of value</header><text>In determining the value of the farm, the Secretary shall consider appraisals made by competent appraisers under rules established by the Secretary.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HA29C775D2BBC4424B0FF50FD09B83E78"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Cost inflation percentage</header><text>For purposes of this section, the cost inflation percentage applicable to a fiscal year is the percentage (if any) by which—</text>
<paragraph id="H39372E4E32B747E6A6D4021CD74C7317"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the average of the Prices Paid By Farmers Index (as compiled by the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the Department of Agriculture) for the 12-month period ending on August 31 of the immediately preceding fiscal year; exceeds</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HF4BFB9A289E0404AA53467D2840A800D"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the average of such index (as so defined) for the 12-month period ending on August 31, 1996.</text> </paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HE548A33FD0C94468B07A76B96235C0A9"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Regional farm real estate inflation percentage</header> <paragraph id="H3C000A980FC44DC6BBF138F7629B6C4D"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>For purposes of this section, the regional farm real estate inflation percentage applicable to a farm for a fiscal year is the percentage (if any) by which—</text>
<subparagraph id="H9C339AD5D9094A15AB8714BEC44F75C0"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the regional farm real estate inflation index developed under paragraph (2) for the region in which the farm is located, for the 12-month period ending on August 31 of the immediately preceding fiscal year; exceeds</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H90F3A1D1E8C84B328CC53ED86566623D"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the average of the index (as so defined) for the 12-month period ending on August 31, 2018.</text> </subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H1C410E67FEB24125BC7DBA788D6908EE"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Development</header><text>The Secretary shall develop a regional farm real estate inflation index for measuring periodic changes in the price of farm real estate in each geographic region of the United States, using data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H3A4A6235C4D043B3A9591E9E02DA53E4"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Microloans</header>
<paragraph id="H7984206CDF08465A8AD4614B0D37DCA3"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary may establish a program to make or guarantee microloans.</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H41B11DB9C1044485AF144912E5650A7F"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Limitations</header><text>The Secretary shall not make or guarantee a microloan under this subsection that would cause the total principal indebtedness outstanding at any 1 time for microloans made under this subtitle to any 1 borrower to exceed $50,000.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HFF4EF9AECAE943AF909EDB10D199BE79"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Applications</header><text>To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall limit the administrative burdens and streamline the application and approval process for microloans under this subsection.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</section><section commented="no" id="H6A30741C200D492E985B28DE883932CF"><enum>105.</enum><header>Report and action plan on agricultural conservation easement program</header>
<subsection id="H2789FA127869417A89EC0B2D0D973455"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Sense of congress</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">It is the sense of Congress that the agricultural conservation easement program established under section 1265(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/3865">16 U.S.C. 3865(a)</external-xref>) remains a valuable program in assisting beginning farmers and ranchers in acquiring farmland for productive use.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H58442C4186B340C5A38EDC91A0B14643"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Report and plan required</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that includes—</text>
<paragraph id="H917E051077884CD7B7974BFB2286914B"><enum>(1)</enum><text>an evaluation of the extent in which the agricultural conservation easement program supports beginning farmers or ranchers in acquiring farmland; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H3A8BE0AB249341A9A269329C03688ADC"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">a plan to address any shortcomings identified through the evaluation for the purpose of furthering the goals of the agricultural conservation easement program to protect farmland and help farmers access farmland for productive use.</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><enum>II</enum><header>Improved Access to Department of Agriculture Training and Programs</header>
<section id="HB85F43509D6143EEA8164F4AB797F047"><enum>201.</enum><header>Beginning farmer coordination</header>
<subsection id="H347C85A1E9954D5595FD49DD411ED790"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Program established</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency, shall implement a program to assign to each State at least one coordinator to—</text>
<paragraph id="HD1CA570B70E543428F90DB84401F566D"><enum>(1)</enum><text>promote communication between the Department of Agriculture and beginning farmers or ranchers (as defined in section 206(b)) located in such State; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H1FF27A23BB264A789B6284CDBE200851"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">increase the access of such beginning farmers or ranchers to apprenticeship programs, farm loan programs, and land available for purchase.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H23CD69BE4C754CE3B88C5D599ACAAA95"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Use of current employees</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The assignment of beginning farmer coordinators in compliance with subsection (a) may be accomplished through the designation of current employees of the Department of Agriculture and does not require the hiring of additional employees.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H55D78ECB01A14768ACD0146D4D42E244"><enum>(c)</enum><header>State defined</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this section, the term <term>State</term> means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="H269AADC128E64510B3E922BFBD42267C"><enum>202.</enum><header>Transfer of Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers to jurisdiction of Farm Service
Agency</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/7/6901">7 U.S.C. 6901</external-xref> et seq.) is amended—</text> <paragraph id="H7C594FA83B52437F84EB0BAC497C6814"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in section 226B(e)(2) (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/7/6934">7 U.S.C. 6934</external-xref>)—</text>
<subparagraph id="H9FA6A295E1F942FA81D9B5162D474BC5"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking subparagraph (C); and</text> </subparagraph><subparagraph id="H63C9F94615944E8B9C9C1503FA8C032E"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (C); and</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HABD5CB14F08345AC855C193FD4689F66"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in section 226 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/7/6932">7 U.S.C. 6932</external-xref>), by adding at the end the following new subsection:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H5440BFAEB61F4C1F94D95A435CF66CBC" style="OLC"> <subsection id="H668DDD619EFC438F95DB77E97B758440"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Agriculture shall coordinate the activities of the Farm Service Agency with the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers established under section 5(b) of the Agricultural Credit Improvement Act of 1992 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/7/1929">7 U.S.C. 1929</external-xref> note; <external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/102/554">Public Law 102–554</external-xref>).</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></section><section id="H14F4074B3C4741B9A6590998167B18F3"><enum>203.</enum><header>Department of Agriculture on-line customer self-service portal</header>
<subsection id="H8E79C0980E2341EAAEF27503DBF030EC"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Customer self-Service portal</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Agriculture shall develop an on-line customer self-service portal through which farmers and ranchers will be able to securely access their customer and program information and complete program applications in a wide range of agricultural programs offered by the Department of Agriculture.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H990123A7C04B4E9BAECFF49346912087"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Sense of congress</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">It is the sense of Congress that the development of an on-line customer self-service portal, as required by subsection (a), should not negatively impact the many farmers and ranchers who do not yet have access to high-speed internet or who would prefer not to utilize the online self-service portal.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H45E2ABEA5370484CA24F9DAADC8FACE1"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For the three-fiscal year period beginning on October 1, 2018, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out subsection (a)—</text>
<paragraph id="H0B76BF5245EC4F4AA0FD7029CDA6DB69"><enum>(1)</enum><text>not less than $6,000,000; and</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="HD07C6B4A1A564D8399F7822A2288997B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>such additional amounts as are considered appropriate.</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><section id="H5DE491C4A434453989FB87137F09AC82"><enum>204.</enum><header>Beginning farmer and rancher development program to provide training, education, outreach, and
technical assistance initiatives</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/7/3319f">7 U.S.C. 3319f</external-xref>) is amended by striking subsection (h) and inserting the following new subsections:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HFD2235656B7240129518F3DB7B184779" style="OLC">
<subsection id="H10E2AFEC4D23435282B980115AF4B87E"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Individual development accounts</header>
<paragraph id="HA5CA3C06AD8E4E98A836851490B6529A"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Transfer of funds authorized</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Of the funds made available under subsection (i), the Secretary may transfer up to $10,000,000 per year, plus allocable administrative costs, for individual development accounts as authorized under section 333B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/7/1983b">7 U.S.C. 1983b</external-xref>).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H01B6AE0BCAF74173A0272680AE8E2CDE"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Administrative costs</header><text>The Secretary may not use more than 4 percent of the funds transferred under this subsection for administrative costs incurred in implementing the individual development accounts authorized under section 333B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/7/1983b">7 U.S.C. 1983b</external-xref>).</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HC266C6AE42204E6C869A666200403F9B"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Funding</header>
<paragraph id="H28669DF1E9D140AC9623FCB40C2A019A"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Mandatory funding</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make available to carry out this section—</text>
<subparagraph id="H9470007496C64815836D05729ACC2AB2"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">$20,000,000 for fiscal year 2018;</text> </subparagraph><subparagraph id="H053AF28CB0194280847F54D2DB96C0C2"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">$30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 and 2020;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H5B370AF6A041431BB628FF1244249D13"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">$40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 and 2022; and</text> </subparagraph><subparagraph id="HBF105B6B41994FD0965A3EEDA9AA41AE"><enum>(D)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2023 and each fiscal year thereafter.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H784175C8B75A45C898AAA3D23DDCE4FE"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In addition to funds provided under paragraph (1), there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2018 and each fiscal year thereafter.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HFC51D1D596204126B4D6AF557E5E678E"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Availability</header><text>Amounts made available under this subsection shall remain available until expended.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block> </section><section id="H1CB0D05801EC4C77A320EDBAC570891C"><enum>205.</enum><header>Reauthorization of beginning farmer and rancher individual development accounts pilot program</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Subsection (h) of section 333B of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/7/1983b">7 U.S.C. 1983b</external-xref>) is amended to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H1EF0108D2C6F4D65849EFA6EE730872A" style="OLC">
<subsection id="H062D466458CC46559278BD6E13C8FDCA"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In addition to any amounts provided under section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/7/3319f">7 U.S.C. 3319f</external-xref>), there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2023.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</section><section display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H4577BBD8FF62495B9396811B573CCB1F" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>206.</enum><header>Sale of surplus farm equipment or property to socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, veteran
farmers or ranchers, and beginning farmers or ranchers</header>
<subsection id="H4DD6ABC246614014B42D4E1EE9E00E19"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Sale authorized</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Administrator of General Services, under regulations prescribed by the Administrator, may sell to a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher, veteran farmer or rancher, or beginning farmer or rancher any farm equipment acquired by the General Services Administration that—</text>
<paragraph id="HEB809DDC3E7F4AA6A141914FD4A73101"><enum>(1)</enum><text>is suitable for use in farming operations; and</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H1480CA29A9C84AD1ACC927665BC1C0BC"><enum>(2)</enum><text>has been determined to be surplus property under <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/40/5">chapter 5</external-xref> of title 40, United States Code.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H5CA517B435F34BED93BA8BB68CE307DE"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this section:</text> <paragraph id="H6E64AE3F6CB0441D9B283CA0963AF5D4"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Beginning farmer or rancher</header><text>The term <term>beginning farmer or rancher</term> means an individual or entity that has not operated a farm or ranch or that has operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 consecutive years and that will materially and substantially participate in the operation of the farm or ranch. In the case of an entity, these requirements apply to all members of the entity.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H7081D76992E4494DB3EAD556B8F08C93"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 terms</header><text>The terms <term>socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher</term> and <term>veteran farmer or rancher</term> have the meanings given those terms in section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/7/2279">7 U.S.C. 2279(e)</external-xref>).</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><enum>III</enum><header>Investment in Local and Regional Food Systems</header>
<section display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H439DF64FC0214A8488BBBF80F2D5F0FF" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>301.</enum><header>Mandatory funding for farmers’ market and local food promotion program</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 6(g)(1) of the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/7/3005">7 U.S.C. 3005(g)(1)</external-xref>) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="HF4BB0584688F4BB592C57C444A296E21"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking <quote>and</quote> at the end of subparagraph (C);</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="HD934679577DC442C86853134901AD0E5"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in subparagraph (D), by striking <quote>2018.</quote> and inserting <quote>2017; and</quote>; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H091BCA54ECBC4CF9814D19C4CA04D362"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H61F9AFA4DB5142368BAFE508BFFC3352" style="OLC"> <subparagraph id="H678CC4030C1C41C78A0BB87649312786"><enum>(E)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2023.</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></section><section id="HE4ED7751F46C4D23AD817846E4D78428"><enum>302.</enum><header>Grants to support farm viability programs</header>
<subsection id="HF985024E69B1474589FB5256A32BE8F5"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Grants authorized</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Agriculture may make competitive grants to support a farm viability program developed by a public or private entity that is designed—</text>
<paragraph id="HA3115E192FBB48A1BAD91C32D4CFBF7A"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">to improve the economic viability and integrity of farms participating in the program through the development and implementation of a farm viability plans; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H47A803535D3045B8B5B2E9616866B122"><enum>(2)</enum><text>to provide participating farmers with technical, legal, marketing, and business planning assistance to expand, upgrade, and modernize their agricultural operations and assist in land access and transfer.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H0ACA72171B014F32AC1CE3DC464B53D7"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants under this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2023.</text>
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