II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 784 

To expand agricultural opportunities for military veterans, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 23, 2013 

Mr. BAUCUS (for himself and Mr. JOHANNS) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To expand agricultural opportunities for military veterans, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Agricultural Opportu5 nities for Military Veterans Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. VALUE-ADDED AGRICULTURAL MARKET DEVELOP7 MENT PROGRAM GRANTS. 

8 Section 231(b) of the Agricultural Risk Protection 

9 Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 1632a(b)) is amended— 

10 (1) in paragraph (6)— 


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1 (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking 

2 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

3 (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 

4 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

5 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(D) veteran farmers or ranchers (as de7 fined in section 2501(e) of the Food, Agri8 culture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 

9 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e))).’’; and 

10 (2) in paragraph (7)(B), by striking ‘‘2012’’ 

11 and inserting ‘‘2017’’. 

12 SEC. 3. OUTREACH AND ASSISTANCE FOR SOCIALLY DIS13 ADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS AND 

14 VETERAN FARMERS AND RANCHERS. 

15 (a) OUTREACH AND ASSISTANCE FOR SOCIALLY DIS16 ADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS AND VETERAN

17 FARMERS AND RANCHERS.—Section 2501 of the Food, 

18 Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 

19 U.S.C. 2279) is amended— 

20 (1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘AND

21 VETERAN FARMERS AND RANCHERS’’ after 

22 ‘‘RANCHERS’’; 

23 (2) in subsection (a)— 


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1 (A) in paragraph (2)(B)(i), by inserting 

2 ‘‘and veteran farmers or ranchers’’ after 

3 ‘‘ranchers’’; and 

4 (B) in paragraph (4)— 

5 (i) in subparagraph (A)— 

6 (I) in the heading, by striking 

7 ‘‘FISCAL YEARS 2009 THROUGH 2012’’ 

8 and inserting ‘‘MANDATORY FUND9 ING’’; 

10 (II) in clause (i), by striking 

11 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

12 (III) in clause (ii), by striking 

13 the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 

14 and’’; and 

15 (IV) by adding at the end the fol16 lowing: 

17 ‘‘(iii) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 

18 years 2013 through 2017.’’; and 

19 (ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and 

20 inserting the following: 

21 ‘‘(B) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA22 TIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated 

23 to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each 

24 of fiscal years 2013 through 2017.’’; 


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1 (3) in subsection (b)(2), by inserting ‘‘or vet2 eran farmers and ranchers’’ after ‘‘socially disadvan3 taged farmers and ranchers’’; and 

4 (4) in subsection (c)— 

5 (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ‘‘vet6 eran farmers or ranchers and’’ before ‘‘mem7 bers’’; and 

8 (B) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ‘‘vet9 eran farmers or ranchers and’’ before ‘‘mem10 bers’’. 

11 (b) DEFINITION OF VETERAN FARMER OR RANCH12 ER.—Section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conserva13 tion, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e)) is amend14 ed by adding at the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(7) VETERAN FARMER OR RANCHER.—The 

16 term ‘veteran farmer or rancher’ means a farmer or 

17 rancher who served in the active military, naval, or 

18 air service, and who was discharged or released from 

19 the service under conditions other than dishonor20 able.’’. 

21 SEC. 4. BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER DEVELOPMENT 

22 PROGRAM UNDER FARM SECURITY AND 

23 RURAL INVESTMENT ACT OF 2002. 

24 Section 7405 of the Farm Security and Rural Invest25 ment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3319f) is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (c)(8)— 

2 (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking 

3 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

4 (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 

5 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

6 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(D) beginning farmers and ranchers who 

8 are veterans (as defined in section 101 of title 

9 38, United States Code).’’; and 

10 (2) by redesignating subsection (h) as sub11 section (i); 

12 (3) by inserting after subsection (g) the fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘(h) STATE GRANTS.— 

15 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In 

16 this subsection, the term ‘eligible entity’ means— 

17 ‘‘(A) an agency of a State or political sub18 division of a State; 

19 ‘‘(B) a national, State, or regional organi20 zation of agricultural producers; and 

21 ‘‘(C) any other entity determined appro22 priate by the Secretary. 

23 ‘‘(2) GRANTS.—The Secretary shall use such 

24 sums as are necessary of funds made available to 

25 carry out this section for each fiscal year under subVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:32 Apr 29, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S784.IS S784

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1 section (i) to make grants to States, on a competi2 tive basis, which States shall use the grants to make 

3 grants to eligible entities to establish and improve 

4 farm safety programs at the local level.’’; and 

5 (4) in subsection (i) (as redesignated by para6 graph (2))— 

7 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

8 (i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘FOR

9 FISCAL YEARS 2009 THROUGH 2012’’; 

10 (ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

11 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

12 (iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 

13 the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 

14 and’’; and 

15 (iv) by adding at the end the fol16 lowing: 

17 ‘‘(C) $17,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

18 2013 through 2017, to remain available until 

19 expended.’’; 

20 (B) in paragraph (2)— 

21 (i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘FOR

22 FISCAL YEARS 2009 THROUGH 2012’’; and 

23 (ii) by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

24 ‘‘2017’’; and 

25 (C) by striking paragraph (3). 


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1 SEC. 5. MILITARY VETERANS AGRICULTURAL LIAISON. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of the Department of 

3 Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 is amended by in4 serting after section 218 (7 U.S.C. 6918) the following: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 219. MILITARY VETERANS AGRICULTURAL LIAISON. 

6 ‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary shall establish 

7 in the Department the position of Military Veterans Agri8 cultural Liaison. 

9 ‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Military Veterans Agricultural 

10 Liaison shall— 

11 ‘‘(1) provide information to returning veterans 

12 about, and connect returning veterans with, begin13 ning farmer training and agricultural vocational and 

14 rehabilitation programs appropriate to the needs and 

15 interests of returning veterans, including assisting 

16 veterans in using Federal veterans educational bene17 fits for purposes relating to beginning a farming or 

18 ranching career; 

19 ‘‘(2) provide information to veterans concerning 

20 the availability of and eligibility requirements for 

21 participation in agricultural programs, with par22 ticular emphasis on beginning farmer and rancher 

23 programs; 

24 ‘‘(3) serving as a resource for assisting veteran 

25 farmers and ranchers, and potential farmers and 


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1 ranchers, in applying for participation in agricul2 tural programs; and 

3 ‘‘(4) advocating on behalf of veterans in inter4 actions with employees of the Department. 

5 ‘‘(c) CONTRACTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREE6 MENTS.—For purposes of carrying out the duties under 

7 subsection (b), the Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison 

8 may enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with 

9 the research centers of the Agricultural Research Service, 

10 institutions of higher education, or nonprofit organizations 

11 for— 

12 ‘‘(1) the conduct of regional research on the 

13 profitability of small farms; 

14 ‘‘(2) the development of educational materials; 

15 ‘‘(3) the conduct of workshops, courses, and 

16 certified vocational training; 

17 ‘‘(4) the conduct of mentoring activities; or 

18 ‘‘(5) the provision of internship opportunities.’’. 

19 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 296(b) of 

20 the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 

21 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended— 

22 (1) in paragraph (6)(C), by striking the ‘‘or’’ at 

23 the end; 

24 (2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at 

25 the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 


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1 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

2 ‘‘(8) the authority of the Secretary to establish 

3 in the Department the position of Military Veterans 

4 Agricultural Liaison in accordance with section 

5 219.’’. 

6 SEC. 6. CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM TRANSITION 

7 INCENTIVE PROGRAM. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1235(f) of the Food Secu9 rity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3835(f)) is amended— 

10 (1) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding 

11 subparagraph (A) by inserting ‘‘, a veteran farmer 

12 or rancher (as defined in section 2501(e) of the 

13 Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 

14 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e))),’’ before ‘‘or socially dis15 advantaged farmer or rancher’’; and 

16 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

18 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

19 this section $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal 

20 years 2013 through 2017.’’. 

21 SEC. 7. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM. 

22 Section 1240B(d)(4)(A) of the Food Security Act of 

23 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(d)(4)(A)) is amended in the 

24 matter preceding clause (i) by inserting ‘‘, a veteran farm25 er or rancher (as defined in section 2501(e) of the Food, 


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1 Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 

2 U.S.C. 2279(e))),’’ before ‘‘or a beginning farmer or 

3 rancher’’. 

4 SEC. 8. RESERVATION OF FUNDS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE 

5 TO CERTAIN FARMERS OR RANCHERS FOR 

6 CONSERVATION ACCESS. 

7 Section 1241(g) of the Food Security Act of 1985 

8 (16 U.S.C. 3841(g)) is amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

10 inserting ‘‘2017’’; and 

11 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(4) PREFERENCE.—In providing assistance 

13 under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give pref14 erence to a veteran farmer or rancher (as defined in 

15 section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conserva16 tion, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e))) 

17 that qualifies under subparagraph (A) or (B) of 

18 paragraph (1).’’. 

19 SEC. 9. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSERVA20 TION PROGRAMS. 

21 Section 1244(a)(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 

22 (16 U.S.C. 3844(a)(2)) is amended by adding at the end 

23 the following: 

24 ‘‘(E) Veteran farmers or ranchers (as de25 fined in section 2501(e) of the Food, AgriVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:32 Apr 29, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S784.IS S784

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1 culture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 

2 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e))).’’. 

Æ 


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