Farming opportunities training and outreach

In this section: The term “agricultural programs” are those established or authorized by— The term “beginning farmer or rancher” means a person that— The term “Department” means the Department of Agriculture. The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture. The term “socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher” means a farmer or rancher who is a member of a socially disadvantaged group. The term “socially disadvantaged group” means a group whose members have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities. The term “veteran farmer or rancher” means a farmer or rancher who has served in the Armed Forces (as defined in section 101(10) of title 38) and who— The Secretary shall carry out this section to encourage and assist socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, veteran farmers and ranchers, and beginning farmers and ranchers in the ownership and operation of farms and ranches through— In this subsection, the term “eligible entity” means any of the following: Any community-based organization, network, or coalition of community-based organizations that— Using funds made available under subsection (l), the Secretary of Agriculture shall, for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, carry out an outreach and technical assistance program to encourage and assist socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and veteran farmers or ranchers— The outreach and technical assistance program under paragraph (2) shall be used exclusively— to assist the Secretary in— The Secretary may make grants to, and enter into contracts and other agreements with, an eligible entity that has demonstrated an ability to carry out the requirements described in paragraph (3) to provide outreach and technical assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and veteran farmers and ranchers under this subsection. The authority to carry out this section shall be in addition to any other authority provided in this or any other Act. Notwithstanding paragraph (2), the Secretary may make grants to, and enter into contracts and other agreements with, an organization or institution that received funding under this section before January 1, 1996, to carry out a project that is similar to a project for which the organization or institution received such funding. The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, and make publicly available, an annual report that includes a list of the following: A grant, contract, or agreement entered into under subparagraph (A) shall be— In making grants and entering into contracts and other agreements under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall give priority to nongovernmental and community-based organizations with an expertise in working with socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers or veteran farmers and ranchers. To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure the geographical diversity of eligible entities to which grants are made and contracts and other agreements are entered into under subparagraph (A). A grant, contract, or other agreement under subparagraph (A) may not be used for the planning, repair, rehabilitation, acquisition, or construction of a building or facility. The Secretary shall establish a fair and efficient external peer review process that— The Secretary shall seek input from eligible entities providing technical assistance under this subsection not less than once each year to ensure that the program is responsive to the eligible entities providing that technical assistance. The Secretary shall award a grant to a college or university eligible to receive funds under the Act of August 30, 1890 (7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), including Tuskegee University, to establish a policy research center to be known as the “Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center” for the purpose of developing policy recommendations for the protection and promotion of the interests of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Using funds made available under subsection (l), the Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, shall, for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, make competitive grants or enter into cooperative agreements to support new and established local and regional training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives to increase opportunities for beginning farmers and ranchers. Initiatives described in paragraph (1) may include programs or services, as appropriate, relating to— To be eligible to receive a grant or enter into a cooperative agreement under this subsection, the recipient of the grant or participant in the cooperative agreement shall be a collaborative State, Tribal, local, or regionally-based network or partnership of public or private entities. A recipient of a grant or a participant that enters into a cooperative agreement described in subparagraph (A) may include— A grant or cooperative agreement under this subsection shall— Except as provided in subparagraph (B), to be eligible to receive a grant or enter into a cooperative agreement under this subsection, a recipient or participant shall provide a match in the form of cash or in-kind contributions in an amount equal to 25 percent of the funds provided by the grant or cooperative agreement. The Secretary may waive or reduce the matching requirement in subparagraph (A) if the Secretary determines such a waiver or modification is necessary to effectively reach an underserved area or population. In making grants or entering into cooperative agreements under this subsection, the Secretary shall evaluate, with respect to applications for the grants or cooperative agreements— the adequacy of plans for— To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure the geographical diversity of recipients of grants or participants in cooperative agreements under this subsection. In making grants or entering into cooperative agreements under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to partnerships and collaborations that are led by or include nongovernmental, community-based organizations and school-based educational organizations with expertise in new agricultural producer training and outreach. A grant made or cooperative agreement entered into under this subsection may not be used for the planning, repair, rehabilitation, acquisition, or construction of a building or facility. A recipient of a grant or participant in a cooperative agreement under this subsection may coordinate with a recipient of a grant or cooperative agreement under section 5933 of this title in addressing the needs of veteran farmers and ranchers with disabilities. A grant or cooperative agreement under this subsection may be made to a recipient or participant for consecutive years. The Secretary shall establish a fair and efficient external peer review process, which the Secretary shall use in making grants or entering into cooperative agreements under this subsection. The peer review process under subparagraph (A) shall include a review panel composed of a broad representation of peers of the applicant for the grant or cooperative agreement that are not applying for a grant or cooperative agreement under this subsection. Nothing in this subsection prohibits the Secretary from allowing a farmer or rancher who is not a beginning farmer or rancher (including an owner or operator that has ended, or expects to end within 5 years, active labor in a farming or ranching operation as a producer, retiring farmers, and non-farming landowners) from participating in a program or service under this subsection, to the extent that the Secretary determines that such participation— The Secretary shall establish beginning farmer and rancher education teams to develop curricula, conduct educational programs and workshops for beginning farmers and ranchers in diverse geographical areas of the United States, or provide training and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers or ranchers or for trainers and service providers that work with beginning farmers or ranchers. In promoting the development of curricula, educational programs and workshops, or training and technical assistance initiatives under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, include content tailored to specific audiences of beginning farmers and ranchers, based on crop diversity or regional diversity. In establishing an education team under subparagraph (A) for a specific program or workshop, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable— In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall cooperate, to the maximum extent practicable, with— The Secretary may enter into a cooperative agreement to reflect the terms of any cooperation under subparagraph (A). The Secretary shall establish an online clearinghouse that makes available to beginning farmers and ranchers education curricula and training materials and programs, which may include online courses for direct use by beginning farmers and ranchers. In making grants and entering into contracts and other agreements, as applicable, under subsections (c) and (d), the Secretary shall make available a simplified application process for an application for a grant that requests less than $50,000. In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall seek stakeholder input from— national, State, Tribal, and local organizations and other persons with expertise in operating programs for— The Secretary shall designate from existing Federal personnel resources in the county or region a qualified person who shall, in cooperation with the State cooperative extension services, implement the policies and programs established or modified in accordance with this section. In counties or regions in which the number of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers or veteran farmers and ranchers exceeds 25 percent of the total number of farmers and ranchers in the county or region, the Secretary shall designate additional personnel to implement the policies and programs established or modified in accordance with this section. It is the purpose of this subsection to direct the Secretary to analyze within the Department the design and implementation of affirmative action programs and policies, the appeals process for complaints of discrimination, and contracting and purchasing practices employed by the Department. The study shall include— a review of the appeals process for all complaints or allegations regarding acts, practices, or patterns of discrimination filed with the Department by individuals or any other entities that shall include— Not later than November 28, 1991, and not later than March 1, 2020, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report containing the information described in paragraph (2). The Secretary shall require the Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service, and such other offices and functions the Secretary may choose to include where there has been a need demonstrated, in each county that has a reservation within its borders, to establish a consolidated suboffice at the tribal headquarters of said reservation and to staff said suboffice as needed, using existing staff, but no less than one day a week or under such other arrangement agreed to by the tribe and the Department offices. For those reservations that are located in more than one county, the Secretary, the relevant county offices and the tribe shall enter into a cooperative agreement to provide the services required by paragraph (1) that avoids duplication of effort. The Secretary shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that the Census of Agriculture and studies carried out by the Economic Research Service accurately document the number, location, and economic contributions of socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers in agricultural production. Not later than September 30, 1992, and every two years thereafter, the Secretary shall report to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, regarding— In addition to the information specified in paragraph (1), the report required by paragraph (1) shall include— a listing, on a State-by-State and county-by-county basis, of— Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section— There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023. Of the amounts made available to carry out this section— Not less than 5 percent of the amounts made available to carry out subsection (d) for a fiscal year shall be used to support programs and services that address the needs of— Not less than 5 percent of the amounts made available to carry out subsection (d) for a fiscal year shall be used to support programs and services that address the needs of veteran farmers and ranchers. Any agency of the Department may participate in any grant, contract, or agreement entered into under this section by contributing funds, if the contributing agency determines that the objectives of the grant, contract, or agreement will further the authorized programs of the contributing agency. Not more than 5 percent of the amounts made available to carry out this section for a fiscal year may be used for expenses relating to the administration of this section. A recipient of a grant or a party to a contract or other agreement under subsection (c) or (d) may not use more than 10 percent of the funds received for the indirect costs of carrying out a grant, contract, or other agreement.