119-hr2638

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2638 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2638

 To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to 
 establish the position of Women Farmers and Ranchers Liaison, and for 
 other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 3, 2025

 Ms. Leger Fernandez (for herself, Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia, Ms. 
 Pingree, and Ms. Ross) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to 
 establish the position of Women Farmers and Ranchers Liaison, and for 
 other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Women in Agriculture Act''.

SEC. 2. WOMEN FARMERS AND RANCHERS LIAISON.

    (a) In General.--The Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act 
of 1994 is amended by inserting after 

section 222 (7 U.S.C. 6923) the 
following:

``

SEC. 223. WOMEN FARMERS AND RANCHERS LIAISON.

 ``

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of the Women in Agriculture Act, the Secretary shall 
establish in the Department the position of Women Farmers and Ranchers 
Liaison (in this section referred to as the `Liaison').
 ``

    (b) Duties.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Liaison shall carry out the 
 following duties:
 ``
        (A) With respect to agricultural programs 
 available to women who are farmers and ranchers--
 ``
            (i) provide information to such women 
 about the availability of such programs and the 
 eligibility requirements for such programs; and
 ``
            (ii) assist such women, and women who are 
 potential farmers or ranchers, in applying for 
 such programs.
 ``
        (B) Advocate on behalf of women who are farmers 
 and ranchers in interactions with employees of the 
 Department.
 ``
            (C) Promote the advancement of women in 
 leadership roles within the Department.
 ``
            (D) Submit and make publicly available the report 
 required under paragraph

    (2)
        (A) .
 ``
        (E) Consult and provide technical assistance to 
 the Equity Commission of the Department.
 ``
        (F) Consult with and provide technical assistance 
 to any Federal agency that requests such assistance 
 with respect to the duties described in subparagraphs
        (A) through
        (E) .
 ``

    (2) Report.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the 
 date of the enactment of the Women in Agriculture Act, 
 and annually thereafter, the Liaison shall submit to 
 Congress and make publicly available a report on the 
 grants, loans, loan guarantees, and cost share programs 
 made by the Secretary to woman-owned agriculture 
 operations.
 ``
        (B) Contents.--Each report required under 
 subparagraph
        (A) shall include, with respect to the 
 fiscal year preceding such report--
 ``
            (i) the total number of grants, loans, 
 loan guarantees, and cost share programs made 
 by each of the Farm Service Agency and the 
 Natural Resources Conservation Service to 
 agriculture operations;
 ``
            (ii) the percentage of such grants, 
 loans, loan guarantees, and cost share programs 
 made to woman-owned agriculture operations;
 ``
            (iii) the percentage of total funding 
 directed to woman-owned agriculture operations, 
 disaggregated by program;
 ``
            (iv) the percentage of applications made 
 by women-owned agricultural operations; and
 ``
            (v) the percentage of women at different 
 GS levels at the Department, disaggregated by 
 office.
 ``

    (3) Contract or cooperative agreement.--The Liaison may 
 enter into a contract or cooperative agreement with a research 
 center of the Agricultural Research Service, an institution of 
 higher education (as such term is defined in 

section 101 of the 
 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), or a nonprofit 
 organization to carry out 1 or more of the following activities 
 with respect to women who are farmers and ranchers:
 ``
        (A) Conducting research on the profitability of 
 small farms run by such women.
 ``
        (B) Developing educational materials for such 
 women.
 ``
            (C) Conducting workshops, courses, and certified 
 vocational training for such women.
 ``
            (D) Conducting mentoring activities for such 
 women.
 ``
        (E) Providing internship opportunities for such 
 women.
 ``
            (c) Staff Support.--The Secretary may appoint staff of the 
Department of Agriculture to support the Liaison.''.

    (b) Termination of Authority.--

Section 296

    (b) of the Department of 
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014

    (b) ) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (11) The authority of the Secretary to carry out the 
 amendment made to this title by the Women in Agriculture 
 Act.''.

SEC. 3. HIGH-PRIORITY RESEARCH AND EXTENSION AREAS.

 

Section 1672
            (d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 
Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925
            (d) ) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
 ``

    (21) Ergonomically designed agriculture equipment and 
 machinery.--Research and extension grants may be made under 
 this section for the purposes of developing and making widely 
 available agriculture equipment and machinery that is 
 ergonomically designed for use by women.''.

SEC. 4. CHILD CARE PRIORITY.

 

Section 306

    (a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act 
(7 U.S.C. 1926

    (a) ) is amended by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (27) Child Care Priority.--In selecting recipients of loans and 
grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to any 
qualified applicant that proposes to use the loan or grant to address 
the availability, quality, or cost of childcare in an agricultural or 
rural community.''.
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