[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 42 (Friday, March 5, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S1377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 1349. Mr. LEE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 891 proposed by Mr. Schumer (for himself, Mr. Wyden, Mrs.
Murray, Mr. Brown, Mr. Peters, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Stabenow,
Mr. Tester, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Carper, Mr. Leahy, and Mr.
Sanders) to the bill H.R. 1319, to provide for reconciliation pursuant
to title II of S. Con. Res. 5; which was ordered to lie on the table;
as follows:
Strike sections 1006 and 1007 and insert the following:
SEC. 1006. USDA ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT FOR SOCIALLY
DISADVANTAGED FARMERS, RANCHERS, FOREST LAND
OWNERS AND OPERATORS, AND GROUPS.
(a) Appropriation.--In addition to amounts otherwise
available, there is appropriated to the Secretary of
Agriculture for fiscal year 2021, out of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $890,000,000, to remain
available until expended, to carry out this section.
(b) Assistance.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall use the
amounts made available pursuant to subsection (a)--
(1) to provide outreach, mediation, financial training,
capacity building training, cooperative development training
and support, and other technical assistance on issues
concerning food, agriculture, agricultural credit,
agricultural extension, rural development, or nutrition to
socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, or forest
landowners, or other members of socially disadvantaged
groups;
(2) to provide grants and loans to improve land access for
socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, or forest
landowners, including issues related to heirs' property in a
manner as determined by the Secretary;
(3) to support the activities of one or more equity
commissions that will address racial equity issues within the
Department of Agriculture and its programs, using $5,000,000
of the amount made available pursuant to subsection (a);
(4) to support and supplement agricultural research,
education, and extension, as well as scholarships and
programs that provide internships and pathways to Federal
employment, at--
(A) colleges or universities eligible to receive funds
under the Act of August 30, 1890 (commonly known as the
``Second Morrill Act'') (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), including
Tuskegee University;
(B) 1994 Institutions (as defined in section 532 of the
Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C.
301 note; Public Law 103-382));
(C) Alaska Native serving institutions and Native Hawaiian
serving institutions eligible to receive grants under
subsections (a) and (b), respectively, of section 1419B of
the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3156);
(D) Hispanic-serving institutions eligible to receive
grants under section 1455 of the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7
U.S.C. 3241); and
(E) the insular area institutions of higher education
located in the territories of the United States, as referred
to in section 1489 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3361);
and
(5) to provide financial assistance to socially
disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, or forest landowners that
are former farm loan borrowers that suffered related adverse
actions or past discrimination or bias in Department of
Agriculture programs, as determined by the Secretary.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Nonindustrial private forest land.--The term
``nonindustrial private forest land'' has the meaning given
the term in section 1201(a)(18) of the Food Security Act of
1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)(18)).
(2) Socially disadvantaged farmer, rancher, or forest
landowner.--The term ``socially disadvantaged farmer,
rancher, or forest landowner'' means a farmer, rancher, or
owner or operator of nonindustrial private forest land who is
a member of a socially disadvantaged group.
(3) Socially disadvantaged group.--The term ``socially
disadvantaged group'' has the meaning given the term in
section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a)).
SEC. 1007. USE OF THE COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION FOR
COMMODITIES AND ASSOCIATED EXPENSES.
(a) In General.--In addition to amounts otherwise made
available, there are appropriated for fiscal year 2021, out
of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated,
$800,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022,
to use the Commodity Credit Corporation to acquire and make
available commodities under section 406(b) of the Food for
Peace Act (7 U.S.C. 1736(b)) and for expenses under such
section.
(b) Requirements.--With respect to the use of amounts
appropriated by subsection (a)--
(1) section 55305 of title 46, United States Code, shall
not apply; and
(2) the least expensive transportation available shall be
used for the distribution of commodities acquired using those
amounts.
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