Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Veteran and Beginning Farmers Assistance Act of 2021”.
Veteran and Beginning Farmers Assistance Act of 2021
A BILL
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to improve and extend the appropriate technology transfer for rural areas program.
Sec. 2 Appropriate technology transfer for rural areas program
Establishment— Section 310B(i)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(i)(2)) is amended—
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting “, including a beginning farmer or rancher, a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher, and a veteran farmer or rancher (as such terms are defined in section 2501(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279(a))),” after “producers”;
in subparagraph (C), by striking “and” at the end;
by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E);
by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:
“(D) increase on-farm resilience to extreme weather by enhancing soil health and adopting other conservation practices;”
in subparagraph (E), as so redesignated, by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(F) improve farm viability and strengthen local, regional, and national supply chains.”
Implementation— Section 310B(i)(3) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(i)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(C) Eligibility for and use of other funds—A national nonprofit agricultural assistance institution that receives a grant or enters into a cooperative agreement under this subsection—
“(i) may not, as a result of such grant or cooperative agreement, be treated as ineligible for a grant under any other Federal program; and
“(ii) may utilize, in accordance with applicable law, other public and private funds made available to the organization to expand the resources and outreach of the program established under this subsection.”
Authorization of appropriations— Section 310B(i)(4) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(i)(4)) is amended to read as follows:
“(4) Authorization of appropriations—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection—
“(A) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2023; and
“(B) $8,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.”