Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2013

Bill: 113-hr-1727
Sponsor: Rep. Walz, Timothy J. [D-MN-1]
Introduced: 2013-04-25 in the House
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural conservation and pollution
Agricultural education
Agricultural insurance
Agricultural marketing and promotion
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Agricultural research
Air quality
Business education
Department of Agriculture
Employment and training programs
Executive agency funding and structure
Farmland
Foreign labor
Government lending and loan guarantees
Minority and disadvantaged businesses
Rural conditions and development
Small business
Soil pollution
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs
Water quality
Wetlands

Summary:
action_date: 2013-04-25
text: 
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2013 - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to extend: (1) the conservation reserve and related programs, and (2) assistance to disadvantaged or beginning farmers or ranchers for access to the environmental quality incentives and the conservation stewardship programs. 
 
Permits conservation reserve contract modification to facilitate transfers from retiring owners to limited resource farmers or ranchers.
 
Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to: (1) reduce the number of operating years required for a beginning farmer or rancher to qualify for a direct real estate loan; (2) extend conservation loan and loan guarantee authority, and reserve specified amounts for beginning farmers and ranchers; (3) extend the beginning farmer and rancher individual development accounts pilot program; (4) authorize micro loans for beginning farmers or ranchers; and (5) make the direct operating loan set-aside for beginning farmers and ranchers permanent. 
 
Amends the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 to extend the value-added agricultural product market development grant program.
 
Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to extend the beginning farmer and rancher development program. Provides assistance for agricultural rehabilitation and vocational training for veterans.
 
Amends the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act to extend the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. Provides priority assistance for new farming opportunities, including young, beginning, socially disadvantaged, and immigrant issues, as well as farm entry, transition, and transfer issues.
 
Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to provide for risk management programs targeted at beginning, socially disadvantaged, transitioning, or legal immigrant farmers and ranchers.
 
Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish in the Department of Agriculture (USDA) the position of Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-04-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2013-04-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2013-04-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2013-04-25
text: Introduced in House