Organic Farmers Access Act

Bill: 115-hr-4671
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Duffy, Sean P. [R-WI-7]
Introduced: 2017-12-18
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural practices and innovations

Food supply, safety, and labeling

Rural conditions and development
Latest action: action_date: 2018-01-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-12-18
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Organic Farmers Access Act </b></p> <p>This bill amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act and the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 to expand the eligibility of organic farmers for assistance under Department of Agriculture (USDA) rural development grant and loan programs. </p> <p>The bill authorizes additional assistance for certified organic farms and certified organic handling operations under USDA programs that provide: (1) rural business development grants, (2) loans and loan guarantees for locally or regionally produced agricultural food products, and (3) value-added agricultural product market development grants.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4671 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 18, 2017 Mr. Duffy (for himself and Mr. Welch ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To assist and incentivize organic agriculture by expanding its access to, and eligibility for, Federal rural development and agricultural loan programs.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Organic Farmers Access Act . 2. Expansion of access of organic agriculture to, and eligibility of organic agriculture for, Federal rural development and agricultural loan programs (a) Rural business development grants Section 310B(c)(3) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1932(c)(3) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A)— (A) in clause (iv), by striking and at the end; and (B) by adding at the end the following: (vi) expand access to capital, infrastructure and technical expertise for, and expand market connections between certified organic farms (as defined in section 2103(4) of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990) and certified organic handling operations (as defined in section 2103(5) of such Act); and ; and (2) in subparagraph (B)— (A) in clause (iii), by striking and at the end; (B) in clause (iv), by striking the period and inserting ; and ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (v) expanded access to capital, infrastructure and technical expertise for, and market connections between, certified organic farms (as defined in section 2103(4) of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990) and certified organic handling operations (as defined in section 2103(5) of such Act). . (b) Locally and regionally produced agricultural food products Section 310B(g)(9)(B)(iii) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1932(g)(9)(B)(iii) ) is amended by inserting , or certified organic farms (as defined in section 2103(4) of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990) or certified organic handling operations (as defined in section 2103(5) of such Act) before the period. (c) Value-Added agricultural product market development grants Section 231(b)(6)(A) of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 ( 7 U.S.C. 1632a(b)(6)(A) ) is amended— (1) in clause (iii), by striking and at the end; (2) in clause (iv), by striking the period and inserting ; and ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (v) certified organic farms (as defined in section 2103(4) of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990) or certified organic handling operations (as defined in section 2103(5) of such Act). .