<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><BillSummaries>
    <item congress="118" measure-type="s" measure-number="2340" measure-id="id118s2340" originChamber="SENATE" orig-publish-date="2023-07-18" update-date="2024-10-25">
        <title>Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act</title>
        <summary summary-id="id118s2340v00" currentChamber="SENATE" update-date="2024-10-25">
            <action-date>2023-07-18</action-date>
            <action-desc>Introduced in Senate</action-desc>
            <summary-text><![CDATA[<p><strong>Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act</strong></p><p>This bill provides statutory authority for and expands the Farm Service Agency's (FSA's)&nbsp;Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program (the Increasing Land Access Program) for farmers, ranchers, and forest owners.</p><p>Specifically, the FSA must make competitive grants to, enter into cooperative agreements with, or provide other capital support to eligible entities (e.g., state or local governments, Indian tribes, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education) to provide direct assistance to (1) historically underserved&nbsp;farmers, ranchers, and forest owners; (2) farmers, ranchers, and forest owners&nbsp;operating in high-poverty areas; or (3) young and beginning farmers. The bill specifically excludes from assistance any foreign-based or foreign-owned corporation.</p><p>The direct assistance may include payments to intended beneficiaries to acquire real property (including air rights and water rights), secure clear title on an heirs' property farmland, and improve or remediate land, water, and soil. Eligible entities may also use grants (1) to provide direct assistance to intended beneficiaries in assessing, purchasing, acquiring, or retaining eligible land; (2) for activities designed to support farm establishment and long-term viability; and (3) to provide technical assistance.</p><p>The FSA must establish a stakeholder committee, and in collaboration with the committee, develop a process for evaluating and selecting applications submitted by eligible entities. The&nbsp;stakeholder committee must include perspectives from a diverse range of stakeholders, including a diverse representation of geographic distribution and farming models, practices, and purposes.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->]]></summary-text>
        </summary>
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        <dc:language>EN</dc:language>
        <dc:rights>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.</dc:rights>
        <dc:contributor>Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress</dc:contributor>
        <dc:description>This file contains bill summaries for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.</dc:description>
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