I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5259 
To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to reauthorize 
the farm and ranch stress assistance network, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 13, 2018 
Mr. EMMER (for himself, Mr. KATKO, Mr. YOUNG of Iowa, Mr. O’HALLERAN, 
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. POCAN, Ms. PINGREE, Ms. MICHELLE 
LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Mr. FASO, and Mr. NOLAN) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 
to reauthorize the farm and ranch stress assistance net-
work, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stemming the Tide 
of Rural Economic Stress and Suicide Act’’ or the 
‘‘STRESS Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:15 Mar 20, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5259.IH
H5259
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE FARM AND RANCH 
STRESS ASSISTANCE NETWORK. 
Section 7522 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy 
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 5936) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘coordination 
with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
shall make competitive grants to support cooperative 
programs between State cooperative extension serv-
ices and nonprofit organizations’’ and inserting 
‘‘consultation with the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, shall make competitive grants to 
State cooperative extension services and Indian 
Tribes to support programs with nonprofit organiza-
tions in order’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘Inter-
net’’ before ‘‘websites’’; 
(B) by striking paragraph (2) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(2) training for individuals who may assist 
farmers in crisis, including programs and work-
shops;’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘, in-
cluding the dissemination of information and 
materials’’ before the semicolon at the end; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:15 Mar 20, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5259.IH
H5259
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS
(3) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘to enable the 
State cooperative extension services’’ and inserting 
‘‘or Indian tribes, as applicable, to’’; 
(4) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘fiscal years’’ 
and all that follows and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 2019 
through 2023’’; and 
(5) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (e) and inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(d) OVERSIGHT AND EVALUATION.—The Secretary, 
in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, shall review and evaluate the stress assistance 
programs carried out pursuant to this section. 
‘‘(1) PROGRAM
REVIEW.—Not later than 2 
years after the date on which grants are first pro-
vided under this section, and annually thereafter, the 
Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) review the programs funded under a 
grant made under this section to evaluate the 
effectiveness of the services offered through 
such a program and suggest alternative services 
not offered by a grant recipient that would be 
appropriate for behavioral health services; and 
‘‘(B) submit to Congress, and make avail-
able on the public Internet website of the De-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:15 Mar 20, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5259.IH
H5259
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS
partment of Agriculture, a report containing 
the results of the review conducted under sub-
paragraph (A) and a description of the services 
provided through programs funded under such 
a grant. 
‘‘(2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—In making the re-
port under paragraph (1) publicly available, the Sec-
retary shall take such steps as may be necessary to 
ensure that such report does not contain any infor-
mation that would identify any person who received 
services under a program funded under a grant 
made under this section.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:15 Mar 20, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H5259.IH
H5259
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS