[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8042 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8042

To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to 
 expand outreach and assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers and 
            ranchers who are women, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 24, 2026

  Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick (for herself, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. 
  Salinas, and Ms. Brownley) introduced the following bill; which was 
                referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to 
 expand outreach and assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers and 
            ranchers who are women, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Empowering Women in Agriculture 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FARMING OPPORTUNITIES TRAINING AND OUTREACH.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture, 
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (6), by striking ``racial or ethnic 
        prejudice'' and inserting ``racial, gender, or ethnic 
        prejudice''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) Women's nonprofit organization.--The term `women's 
        nonprofit organization' means an organization that--
                    ``(A) was founded by, and for the purpose of 
                serving, women;
                    ``(B) is an organization described in section 
                501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and 
                exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code; 
                and
                    ``(C) has been in continuous existence for at least 
                10 years.''.
    (b) Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran 
Farmers and Ranchers.--Section 2501(c)(1) of the Food, Agriculture, 
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(c)(1)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
                    ``(H) A women's nonprofit organization.''.
    (c) Funding.--Section 2501(l) of the Food, Agriculture, 
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(l)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``fiscal years 2019 
        through 2023'' and inserting ``fiscal years 2021 through 
        2031''; and
            (2) in paragraph (4), by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) Socially disadvantaged women farmers and 
                ranchers.--Not less that 10 percent of the amounts made 
                available to carry out subsection (c) for a fiscal year 
                shall be used to support programs and services that 
                address the needs of women who are socially 
                disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.''.
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