Farmers First Act of 2023

Bill: 118-hr-6379
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Feenstra, Randy [R-IA-4]
Introduced: 2023-11-13
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Health care coverage and access

Health facilities and institutions

Health promotion and preventive care

Health technology, devices, supplies

Internet, web applications, social media

Mental health

Public-private cooperation

State and local government operations

Telephone and wireless communication
Latest action: action_date: 2024-01-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-11-13
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Farmers First Act of 2023</b></p> <p>This bill extends through FY2028 and revises the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN). This Department of Agriculture program provides competitive grants to states, Indian tribes, and qualified nonprofit organizations to provide stress assistance programs (i.e., professional agricultural behavioral health counseling, helplines, and resources) to individuals engaged in farming, ranching, and agriculture-related occupations.</p> <p>The bill specifies that the grant funding for farm telephone helplines and websites may also be used for crisis lines.</p> <p>Further, FRSAN grant recipients may establish referral relationships with providers, including Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, health centers, rural health clinics, and critical access hospitals.</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 6379 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 13, 2023 Mr. Feenstra (for himself, Mr. Costa , Mr. Bost , Ms. Craig , and Mr. Nunn of Iowa ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to reauthorize the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Farmers First Act of 2023 . 2. Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network Section 7522 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 5936 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by inserting , including crisis lines before the semicolon at the end; (2) in subsection (d), by striking $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 and inserting $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028 ; and (3) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following: (e) Referrals to providers As part of the efforts of the recipient of a grant under subsection (a) to connect individuals to behavioral health counseling and wellness support and to ensure individuals have access to a comprehensive scope of mental health and substance use treatments and supports, when applicable, the grant recipient may establish referral relationships with— (1) certified community behavioral health clinics described in section 223 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 ( 42 U.S.C. 1396a note; Public Law 113–93 ); (2) health centers (as defined in section 330(a) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254b(a) )); (3) rural health clinics (as defined in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa) )); (4) Federally qualified health centers (as defined in that section); and (5) critical access hospitals (as defined in section 1861(mm) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x(mm) )). .