AGRITOURISM Act
Bill: H.R.6408 | Sponsor: Rep. Wexton, Jennifer (D-VA)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Accelerating the Growth of Rural Innovation and Tourism Opportunities to Uphold Rural Industries and Sustainable Marketplaces Act or the AGRITOURISM Act
This bill establishes an office within the Department of Agriculture to promote agritourism activities and businesses.

To establish, in the Department of Agriculture, an Office of 
                  Agritourism, 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 referred to as the ``Accelerating the Growth of 
Rural Innovation and Tourism Opportunities to Uphold Rural Industries 
and Sustainable Marketplaces Act'' or the ``AGRITOURISM Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Agritourism provides a range of unique experiences to 
        the public, including--
                    (A) education, such as school tours, garden and 
                nursery tours, winery tours, historical agricultural 
                exhibits, and hops and micro-brewery tours;
                    (B) outdoor recreation, such as river activities, 
                mountain biking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing and 
                photography, fee fishing and hunting, wagon and sleigh 
                rides, cross-country skiing, game preserves, and clay 
                bird shooting;
                    (C) entertainment, such as concerts and special 
                events, culinary experiences, festivals, fairs, 
                interaction with farm animals, and weddings;
                    (D) direct sales, such as on-farm sales, farm 
                stands, agriculture-related crafts and gifts, u-pick 
                operations, u-cut tree farms, wineries, breweries, 
                cideries, distilleries, and cut flowers;
                    (E) accommodations, such as bed-and-breakfast inns, 
                farm and ranch vacations, yurts, sheep wagons, and 
                guest ranches; and
                    (F) dining on a farm.
            (2) Agritourism has financial, educational, and social 
        benefits to communities.
            (3) Agritourism continues to--
                    (A) offer educational opportunities for children 
                and families;
                    (B) generate supplemental income for owners of 
                agricultural enterprises, which are often small or 
                family-run businesses;
                    (C) spur economic development in rural communities;
                    (D) preserve agricultural heritage; and
                    (E) help farms diversify.
    (b) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that, 
to further realize the benefits of agritourism to communities, the 
Secretary of Agriculture should incorporate agritourism into the 
Department of Agriculture comprehensively.

SEC. 3. OFFICE OF AGRITOURISM.

    (a) In General.--The Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department 
of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6901-6921) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 310. OFFICE OF AGRITOURISM.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish in the Department 
an Office of Agritourism.
    ``(b) Director.--The Secretary shall appoint a senior official to 
serve as the Director of the Office of Agritourism (referred to in this 
section as the `Director').
    ``(c) Duties.--The Office of Agritourism shall encourage and 
promote agritourism activities and agritourism businesses, including--
            ``(1) educational experiences;
            ``(2) outdoor recreation;
            ``(3) entertainment and special events;
            ``(4) direct sales;
            ``(5) accommodations; and
            ``(6) any other activity or business relating to 
        agritourism, as determined by the Secretary.
    ``(d) Means of Achieving.--In carrying out subsection (c), the 
Director shall--
            ``(1) coordinate with the agencies and officials of the 
        Department;
            ``(2) advise the Secretary on issues relating to 
        agritourism;
            ``(3) ensure that the programs of the Department are 
        updated to address best agritourism practices;
            ``(4) conduct outreach to stakeholders and coordinate 
        external partnerships to share best practices, provide 
        mentorship, and offer technical assistance to agritourism 
        businesses;
            ``(5) facilitate interagency program coordination and 
        develop interagency tools for the promotion of agritourism 
        programs and resources;
            ``(6) review and improve farm enterprise development 
        programs that provide information about financial literacy, 
        business planning, and marketing for agritourism;
            ``(7) coordinate networks of agritourism businesses; and
            ``(8) collaborate with other Federal agencies as needed.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for such Act is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``Sec. 310. Office of Agritourism''.
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