To amend the Food, Agriculture, and Trade Act of 1990 to establish a grant program for eligible institutions to carry out agriculture workforce training programs, and for other purposes.
Bill: H.R.8425 | Sponsor: Rep. Emmer, Tom (R-MN)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
This bill directs the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to establish a grant program within its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program for eligible institutions to develop and carry out agriculture workforce training programs to (1) promote the growth of the agriculture industry, (2) foster competitiveness within the industry, and (3) improve the training and retention of workers in the agriculture industry.
The program must be implemented by January 31, 2024.

To amend the Food, Agriculture, and Trade Act of 1990 to establish a 
   grant program for eligible institutions to carry out agriculture 
          workforce training programs, 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. ESTABLISHMENT OF AGRICULTURE WORKFORCE TRAINING GRANT 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Subsection (d) of section 2501 of the Food, 
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-624; 7 
U.S.C. 2279(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
            ``(16) Agriculture workforce training programs.--
                    ``(A) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through 
                the Director of the National Institute of Food and 
                Agriculture, shall establish a program to award grants 
                to eligible institutions to develop and carry out 
                agriculture workforce training programs to--
                            ``(i) promote the growth of the agriculture 
                        industry;
                            ``(ii) foster competitiveness within such 
                        industry; and
                            ``(iii) improve the training and retention 
                        of workers in the agriculture industry.
                    ``(B) Use of grant funds.--An eligible institution 
                awarded a grant under this paragraph shall use not less 
                than 5 percent of funds received through such grant to 
                implement an agriculture workforce training program. 
                Such implementation shall include--
                            ``(i) preliminary recruitment measures to 
                        encourage students to participate in such 
                        agriculture workforce training program; and
                            ``(ii) professional development sessions to 
                        train faculty to prepare students for 
                        employment in the agriculture industry.
                    ``(C) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
                            ``(i) Agriculture workforce training 
                        program.--The term `agriculture workforce 
                        training program' means a training program 
                        developed by an eligible institution in 
                        collaboration with a targeted industry partner 
                        through which students enrolled at such 
                        eligible institution receive training from such 
                        targeted industry partner, including through 
                        the use of--
                                    ``(I) internships;
                                    ``(II) apprenticeships;
                                    ``(III) experience-based curricula; 
                                and
                                    ``(IV) educational programs and 
                                workshops to promote technical skills.
                            ``(ii) Eligible institution.--The term 
                        `eligible institution' means--
                                    ``(I) a non-land-grant college of 
                                agriculture or land-grant colleges and 
                                universities (as such terms are defined 
                                in section 1404 of the National 
                                Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
                                Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (Public Law 
                                95-113; 7 U.S.C. 3103));
                                    ``(II) a 1994 Institution (as 
                                defined in section 532 of the Equity in 
                                Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 
                                1994 (Public Law 103-382; 7 U.S.C. 301 
                                note));
                                    ``(III) a center of excellence 
                                recognized under section 1673;
                                    ``(IV) a junior or community 
                                college (as defined in section 312 of 
                                the Higher Education Act of 1965 
                                (Public Law 89-329; 20 U.S.C. 1058)) 
                                which offers a program of study in 
                                agriculture; or
                                    ``(V) an area career and technical 
                                education school (as defined in section 
                                3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
                                Technical Education Act of 2006 (Public 
                                Law 88-210; 20 U.S.C. 2302)) which 
                                offers a program of study in 
                                agriculture.
                            ``(iii) Targeted industry partner.--The 
                        term `targeted industry partner' means 1 or 
                        more of the following entities:
                                    ``(I) A member of the agriculture 
                                industry, such as a company or industry 
                                association.
                                    ``(II) An apprenticeship program in 
                                agriculture registered under the Act of 
                                August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the 
                                `National Apprenticeship Act'; 29 
                                U.S.C. 50 et seq.).
                                    ``(III) A nonprofit organization 
                                that aims to help individuals gain 
                                employment in the agriculture 
                                industry.''.
    (b) Implementation.--Not later than January 31, 2024, the Secretary 
of Agriculture shall implement the program established by paragraph 
(16) of such subsection, as added by subsection (a).
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