119-s1769

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1769 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1769

 To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to expand the provision of 
 farmer-led technical assistance, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 14, 2025

 Mr. Lujan (for himself and Mr. Moran) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
 Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to expand the provision of 
 farmer-led technical assistance, 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 ``Farmer to Farmer Education Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. DELIVERY OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

 

Section 1242 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842) is 
amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (a) --
        (A) by redesignating paragraph

    (2) as paragraph

    (3) ; and
        (B) by inserting after paragraph

    (1) the following:
 ``

    (2) Farmer-to-farmer network.--The term `farmer-to-farmer 
 network' means any affiliation or association of farmers that 
 share information, technical assistance, or any other type of 
 mutually beneficial support.'';

    (2) in subsection

    (f)

    (1) , by inserting ``and for the 
 purpose of carrying out subsection

    (j) '' before the period at 
 the end; and

    (3) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (j) Provision of Assistance to Farmer-to-Farmer Networks.--
 ``

    (1) === Purposes ===
-The purposes of this subsection are--
 ``
        (A) to build capacity for farmer-to-farmer 
 networks, connect farmers with mentors or group 
 learning opportunities, and support goal setting to 
 increase long-term adoption of consistent, science-
 based, site-specific practices designed to achieve 
 conservation objectives on land active in agricultural, 
 forestry, or related uses;
 ``
        (B) to increase the provision of technical 
 assistance that meets the specific needs of, and is 
 accessible to, farmers, ranchers, and forest owners 
 using different farming models, practices, and scales;
 ``
            (C) to establish and steward farmer-to-farmer 
 networks; and
 ``
            (D) to establish reporting requirements for 
 activities carried out under this subsection.
 ``

    (2) Cooperative agreements.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Secretary may enter into 
 cooperative agreements with eligible entities to carry 
 out the purposes described in paragraph

    (1) .
 ``
        (B) Eligible entities.--An entity eligible to 
 enter into a cooperative agreement with the Secretary 
 under subparagraph
        (A) is--
 ``
            (i) a nonprofit entity described in 
 

section 501
            (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code 
 of 1986 and exempt from taxation under 

section 501

    (a) of that Code;
 ``
            (ii) a farmer-to-farmer network;
 ``
            (iii) an Indian Tribe or a Tribal 
 organization (as those terms are defined in 
 

section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
 Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304));
 ``
            (iv) a unit of local government 
 (including a conservation district and a 
 conservation district association);
 ``
            (v) an institution of higher education;
 ``
            (vi) a State; and
 ``
            (vii) any other entity designated by the 
 Secretary.
 ``
            (C) Prioritization.--In selecting eligible 
 entities with which to enter into cooperative 
 agreements under subparagraph
        (A) , the Secretary shall 
 give priority to eligible entities that seek to meet 
 the specific needs of, and are accessible to--
 ``
            (i) historically underserved farmers, 
 ranchers, and forest owners, including limited-
 resource farmers, ranchers, and forest owners 
 (as determined by the Secretary); or
 ``
            (ii) farmers, ranchers, and forest owners 
 operating in high-poverty areas (as determined 
 by the Secretary).
 ``

    (3) Responsibilities of providers of assistance to 
 farmer-to-farmer networks.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--If an eligible entity provides 
 assistance to establish a farmer-to-farmer network 
 using assistance provided through a cooperative 
 agreement under paragraph

    (2) , the eligible entity 
 shall be responsible for not less than 2 of the 
 following actions:
 ``
            (i) Facilitating and increasing farmer 
 access to farmer-to-farmer networks.
 ``
            (ii) Facilitating mentor and mentee 
 matchmaking among farmers.
 ``
            (iii) Coordinating training and resources 
 to build the skills of farmer-to-farmer network 
 leaders and participants for effective 
 education, grassroots-based learning, and 
 cross-training with respect to the facilitation 
 of, information about, and other skills with 
 respect to building effective farmer-to-farmer 
 networks.
 ``
            (iv) Maintaining and promulgating a list 
 of relevant entities, associations, and 
 individuals that are supporting, or have an 
 interest in supporting, farmer-to-farmer 
 networks.
 ``
            (v) Administering subawards to increase 
 farmer access to farmer-to-farmer assistance in 
 accordance with paragraph

    (4) .
 ``
            (vi) Other actions determined appropriate 
 by the Secretary.
 ``
        (B) Language assistance.--If an eligible entity 
 provides assistance described in subparagraph
        (A) to a 
 non-English speaking farmer, rancher, or forest owner, 
 the eligible entity shall, to the greatest extent 
 practicable, provide that assistance in the native 
 language of the farmer, rancher, or forest owner.
 ``
            (C) Reporting.--An eligible entity that enters 
 into a cooperative agreement under paragraph

    (2) shall 
 annually submit to the Secretary a report describing--
 ``
            (i) the conservation activities carried 
 out under the cooperative agreement; and
 ``
            (ii) any subawards administered pursuant 
 to subparagraph
        (A)
            (v) .
 ``

    (4) Subawards.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--If an eligible entity awards a 
 subaward pursuant to paragraph

    (3)
        (A)
            (v) to an eligible 
 subawardee described in subparagraph
        (B) , the eligible 
 subawardee shall use that award--
 ``
            (i) to plan and conduct events, and 
 identify and develop innovative activities, to 
 support building capacity for farmer-to-farmer 
 networks, connecting farmers with mentors or 
 group learning opportunities, and supporting 
 goal setting to increase long-term adoption of 
 consistent, science-based, site-specific 
 conservation objectives on land active in 
 agricultural, forestry, or related uses; and
 ``
            (ii) to compensate participants in the 
 events and activities described in clause
            (i) at market rates.
 ``
        (B) Eligible subawardees.--An entity eligible for 
 a subaward under paragraph

    (3)
        (A)
            (v) is--
 ``
            (i) a nonprofit entity described in 
 

section 501
            (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code 
 of 1986 and exempt from taxation under 

section 501

    (a) of that Code;
 ``
            (ii) a farmer-to-farmer network;
 ``
            (iii) an Indian Tribe or a Tribal 
 organization (as those terms are defined in 
 

section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
 Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304));
 ``
            (iv) a unit of local government 
 (including a conservation district and a 
 conservation district association);
 ``
            (v) an institution of higher education;
 ``
            (vi) an individual; and
 ``
            (vii) any other entity designated by the 
 Secretary.
 ``
            (C) Requirements.--The Secretary, in conjunction 
 with the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation 
 Service, shall establish any necessary additional 
 requirements for subawards under paragraph

    (3)
        (A)
            (v) .
 ``

    (5) Reporting.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
 enactment of this subsection, 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 a report describing the status of activities funded 
 under this subsection, including--
 ``
        (A) funding awarded;
 ``
        (B) the results of the activities, including, if 
 feasible, conservation practice adoption outcomes; and
 ``
            (C) if applicable, outreach activities the 
 Secretary has considered incorporating into other 
 conservation technical assistance efforts as a result 
 of the program established under this subsection.
 ``

    (6) Funding.--The Secretary shall use to carry out this 
 subsection such sums as are necessary from annual 
 appropriations for conservation operations of the Natural 
 Resources Conservation Service.''.
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