Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018”.
Farmer Veteran Opportunity Act of 2018
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.
Sec. 2 Availability of Department of Agriculture programs for veteran farmers and ranchers
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—
in subparagraph (A), by striking “or” at the end;
in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; or”; and
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.”
Federal crop insurance—
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.”
in subsection (b)(5)(E), by inserting “, and veteran farmers or ranchers” before the period at the end;
in subsection (e)(8)—
in the paragraph heading, by inserting “and veteran” after “beginning”; and
by inserting “or veteran farmer or rancher” after “beginning farmer or rancher” each place it appears; and
in subsection (g)—
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
in paragraph (4)(B)(ii)(II), by inserting “and veteran farmers or ranchers” after “beginning farmers or ranchers”.
Education and risk management assistance— Section 524(a)(4) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1524(a)(4)) is amended—
in subparagraph (D)(ii), by striking “and” at the end;
in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(F) veteran farmers or ranchers.”
Down payment loan program— Section 310E of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1935) is amended—
in subsection (a)(1), by striking “qualified beginning farmers or ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers” and inserting “eligible farmers or ranchers”;
in subsection (d)—
in paragraph (2)(A), by striking “recipients of the loans” and inserting “farmers or ranchers”;
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;”
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))”
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
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)).”
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—
in the subparagraph heading, by inserting “and veteran” after “Beginning”;
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
in clause (ii), by striking “beginning”.
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,”.
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—
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
in subsection (l)(4)—
in the paragraph heading, by inserting “veteran,” before “and socially”; and
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”.
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)”.
Supplemental agricultural disaster assistance—
Definition of covered producer— Section 1501(a) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(a)) is amended—
by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (4) as paragraphs (2) through (5), respectively; and
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)).”
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).”