Title: Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018
This bill expands the assistance that is available to veteran farmers or ranchers from various Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. The bill also specifies or modifies the definition of "veteran farmer or rancher" for several USDA programs.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2822 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2822

To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to 
expand the availability of programs of the Department of Agriculture to 
         veteran farmers and ranchers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 10, 2018

  Ms. Stabenow (for herself and Mr. Roberts) introduced the following 
      bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                  Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to 
expand the availability of programs of the Department of Agriculture to 
         veteran farmers and ranchers, 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 cited as the ``Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 
2018''.

SEC. 2. AVAILABILITY OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS FOR VETERAN 
              FARMERS AND RANCHERS.

    (a) Definition of Veteran Farmer or Rancher.--Section 2501(e)(7) of 
the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 
2279(e)(7)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) is a veteran (as defined in section 101 of 
                that title) who has first obtained status as a veteran 
                (as so defined) during the most recent 10-year 
                period.''.
    (b) Federal Crop Insurance.--
            (1) Definition of veteran farmer or rancher.--Section 
        502(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1502(b)) is 
        amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(12) Veteran farmer or rancher.--The term `veteran farmer 
        or rancher' means a farmer or rancher who--
                    ``(A) has served in the Armed Forces (as defined in 
                section 101 of title 38, United States Code); and
                    ``(B)(i) has not operated a farm or ranch;
                    ``(ii) has operated a farm or ranch for not more 
                than 5 years; or
                    ``(iii) is a veteran (as defined in section 101 of 
                that title) who has first obtained status as a veteran 
                (as so defined) during the most recent 5-year 
                period.''.
            (2) Crop insurance.--Section 508 of the Federal Crop 
        Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (b)(5)(E), by inserting ``, and 
                veteran farmers or ranchers'' before the period at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subsection (e)(8)--
                            (i) in the paragraph heading, by inserting 
                        ``and veteran'' after ``beginning''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``or veteran farmer or 
                        rancher'' after ``beginning farmer or rancher'' 
                        each place it appears; and
                    (C) in subsection (g)--
                            (i) in paragraph (2)(B)(iii), in the matter 
                        preceding subclause (I), by inserting ``or 
                        veteran farmer or rancher'' after ``beginning 
                        farmer or rancher'' each place it appears; and
                            (ii) in paragraph (4)(B)(ii)(II), by 
                        inserting ``and veteran farmers or ranchers'' 
                        after ``beginning farmers or ranchers''.
            (3) Education and risk management assistance.--Section 
        524(a)(4) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 
        1524(a)(4)) is amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (D)(ii), by striking ``and'' at 
                the end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(F) veteran farmers or ranchers.''.
    (c) Down Payment Loan Program.--Section 310E of the Consolidated 
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1935) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``qualified beginning 
        farmers or ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers or 
        ranchers'' and inserting ``eligible farmers or ranchers'';
            (2) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``recipients 
                of the loans'' and inserting ``farmers or ranchers'';
                    (B) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(3) encourage retiring farmers and ranchers to assist in 
        the sale of their farms and ranches to eligible farmers or 
        ranchers by providing seller financing;'';
                    (C) in paragraph (4), by striking ``for beginning 
                farmers or ranchers or socially disadvantaged farmers 
                or ranchers'' and inserting the following: ``for--
                    ``(A) beginning farmers or ranchers;
                    ``(B) socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, 
                as defined in section 355(e); or
                    ``(C) veteran farmers or ranchers, as defined in 
                section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 
                and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e))''; and
                    (D) in paragraph (5), by striking ``a qualified 
                beginning farmer or rancher or socially disadvantaged 
                farmer or rancher'' and inserting ``an eligible farmer 
                or rancher''; and
            (3) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:
    ``(e) Definition of Eligible Farmer or Rancher.--In this section, 
the term `eligible farmer or rancher' means--
            ``(1) a qualified beginning farmer or rancher;
            ``(2) a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher, as 
        defined in section 355(e); and
            ``(3) a veteran farmer or rancher, as defined in section 
        2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act 
        of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e)).''.
    (d) Interest Rate Reduction Program.--Section 351(e)(2)(B) of the 
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1999(e)(2)(B)) is 
amended--
            (1) in the subparagraph heading, by inserting ``and 
        veteran'' after ``Beginning'';
            (2) in clause (i), by inserting ``or veteran farmers and 
        ranchers (as defined in section 2501(e) of the Food, 
        Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 
        2279(e)))'' before the period at the end; and
            (3) in clause (ii), by striking ``beginning''.
    (e) National Food Safety Training, Education, Extension, Outreach, 
and Technical Assistance Program.--Section 405(c) of the Agricultural 
Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 
7625(c)) is amended by inserting ``veteran farmers or ranchers (as 
defined in section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and 
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e))),'' after ``socially disadvantaged 
farmers,''.
    (f) Administration and Operation of Noninsured Crop Assistance 
Program.--Section 196 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform 
Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (k)(2), by inserting ``, or a veteran 
        farmer or rancher (as defined in section 2501(e) of the Food, 
        Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 
        2279(e)))'' before the period at the end; and
            (2) in subsection (l)(4)--
                    (A) in the paragraph heading, by inserting 
                ``veteran,'' before ``and socially''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``and veteran farmers or ranchers 
                (as defined in section 2501(e) of the Food, 
                Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 
                U.S.C. 2279(e)))'' before ``in exchange''.
    (g) Funding for Transition Option for Certain Farmers or 
Ranchers.--Section 1241(a)(1)(B) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 
U.S.C. 3841(a)(1)(B)) is amended by striking ``beginning farmers or 
ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers'' and inserting 
``covered farmers or ranchers, as defined in section 1235(f)(1)''.
    (h) Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance.--
            (1) Definition of covered producer.--Section 1501(a) of the 
        Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(a)) is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (4) as 
                paragraphs (2) through (5), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so 
                redesignated) the following:
            ``(1) Covered producer.--The term `covered producer' means 
        an eligible producer on a farm that is--
                    ``(A) as determined by the Secretary--
                            ``(i) a beginning farmer or rancher;
                            ``(ii) a socially disadvantaged farmer or 
                        rancher; or
                            ``(iii) a limited resource farmer or 
                        rancher; or
                    ``(B) a veteran farmer or rancher, as defined in 
                section 2501(e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 
                and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(e)).''.
            (2) Emergency assistance for livestock, honey bees, and 
        farm-raised fish.--Section 1501(d) of the Agricultural Act of 
        2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(d)) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following:
            ``(4) Payment rate for covered producers.--In the case of a 
        covered producer that is eligible to receive assistance under 
        this subsection, the Secretary shall provide reimbursement of 
        90 percent of the cost of losses described in paragraph (1) or 
        (2).''.
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