7 U.S.C. § 2003 (AGRICULTURE)
§ 2003. Target participation rates
(a) Establishment
(1) In general
The Secretary shall establish annual target participation rates, on a county wide basis, that shall ensure that members of socially disadvantaged groups will receive loans made or insured under subchapter I of this chapter and will have the opportunity to purchase or lease inventory farmland.
(2) Group population
Except as provided in paragraph (3), in establishing such target rates the Secretary shall take into consideration the portion of the population of the county made up of such groups, and the availability of inventory farmland in such county.
(3) Gender
With respect to gender, target participation rates shall take into consideration the number of current and potential socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in a State in proportion to the total number of farmers and ranchers in the State.
(b) Reservation and allocation
(1) Reservation
The Secretary shall, to the greatest extent practicable, reserve sufficient loan funds made available under subchapter I of this chapter, for use by members of socially disadvantaged groups identified under target participation rates established under subsection (a) of this section.
(2) Allocation
The Secretary shall allocate such loans on the basis of the proportion of members of socially disadvantaged groups in a county and the availability of inventory farmland, with the greatest amount of loan funds being distributed in the county with the greatest proportion of socially disadvantaged group members and the greatest amount of available inventory farmland.
(3) Indian reservations
In distributing loan funds in counties within the boundaries of an Indian reservation, the Secretary shall allocate the funds on a reservation-wide basis.
(c) Operating loans
(1) Establishment
The Secretary shall establish annual target participation rates, that shall ensure that socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers will receive loans made or insured under subchapter II of this chapter. In establishing such target rates, the Secretary shall consider the number of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in a State in proportion to the total number of farmers and ranchers in that State.
(2) Reservation and allocation
The Secretary shall, to the greatest extent practicable, reserve and allocate the proportion of each State’s loan funds made available under subchapter II of this chapter that is equal to that State’s target participation rate for use by the socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers in that State. The Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, distribute the total so derived on a county by county basis according to the number of socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers in the county. Any funds reserved and allocated under this paragraph but not used within a State shall, to the extent necessary to satisfy pending applications under this chapter, be available for use by socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in other States, as determined by the Secretary, and any remaining funds shall be reallocated within the State.
(d) Report
The Secretary shall prepare and submit, to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, a report that describes the annual target participation rates and the success in meeting such rates.
(e) Definitions
(1) Socially disadvantaged group
As used in this section, the term “socially disadvantaged group” means a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities.
(2) Socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher
As used in this section, the term “socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher” means a farmer or rancher who is a member of a socially disadvantaged group.
(f) Implementation consistent with Supreme Court holding
Not later than 180 days after April 4, 1996, the Secretary shall ensure that the implementation of this section is consistent with the holding of the Supreme Court in Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Federico Pena, Secretary of Transportation, 115 S. Ct. 2097 (1995).
(Pub. L. 87–128, title III, § 355, as added Pub. L. 100–233, title VI, § 617, Jan. 6, 1988, 101 Stat. 1682; amended Pub. L. 101–624, title XVIII, § 1817, title XXV, § 2501(f), Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3829, 4065; Pub. L. 102–554, § 21(a), (b), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 4161; Pub. L. 104–127, title VI, § 647, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1104; Pub. L. 107–171, title V, § 5315, May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 348.)
heading: References in Text
text: For definition of “this chapter”, referred to in subsecs. (c)(2), see note set out under section 1921 of this title.
heading: Amendments
text: 2002—Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 107–171 substituted “Any funds reserved and allocated under this paragraph but not used within a State shall, to the extent necessary to satisfy pending applications under this chapter, be available for use by socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in other States, as determined by the Secretary, and any remaining funds shall be reallocated within the State.” for “Any funds reserved and allocated for purposes of this paragraph, but not used shall be reallocated within such State.”
1996—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 104–127 added subsec. (f).
1992—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 102–554, § 21(a)(1), substituted “Except as provided in paragraph (3), in establishing” for “In establishing”.
Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 102–554, § 21(a)(2), added par. (3).
Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 102–554, § 21(b), substituted “, ethnic, or gender” for “or ethnic”.
1990—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 101–624, § 1817, added par. (3).
Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 101–624, § 2501(f)(1)–(3), added subsec. (c), redesignated former subsec. (c) as (d), and struck out former subsec. (d) which read as follows: “As used in this section, the term ‘socially disadvantaged group’ means a group whose members have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities.”
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 101–624, § 2501(f)(4), added subsec. (e).
heading: Termination of Reporting Requirements
text: For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions of law requiring submittal to Congress of any annual, semiannual, or other regular periodic report listed in House Document No. 103–7 (in which the report required by subsec. (d) of this section is listed on page 44), see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance.