Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018

Bill: 115-s-2822
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI]
Introduced: 2018-05-10
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural education

Agricultural insurance

Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit

Disaster relief and insurance

Farmland

Interest, dividends, interest rates

Land transfers

Minority and disadvantaged businesses

Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Latest action: action_date: 2018-05-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-05-10
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018</b></p> <p> 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 &quot;veteran farmer or rancher&quot; for several USDA programs. </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2822 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018 . 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). .