---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 2204i"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "2204i"
heading: "Reports on land access and farmland ownership data collection"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/2204i"
units:
  - "Chapter 55 — Department of Agriculture"
---

# §2204i. Reports on land access and farmland ownership data collection

- (a) **Land access—** Not later than 1 year after December 20, 2018, the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) of Agriculture, in consultation with the Chief Economist, shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a report identifying—
  - (1) the barriers that prevent or hinder the ability of beginning farmers and ranchers (as defined in [section 2279(a) of this title](/usc/7/2279.md?p=a)) and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (as defined in such section) to acquire or access farmland;
  - (2) the extent to which Federal programs, including agricultural conservation easement programs, land transition programs, and financing programs, are improving—
    - (A) farmland access and tenure for beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; and
    - (B) farmland transition and succession; and
  - (3) the regulatory, operational, or statutory changes that are necessary to improve—
    - (A) the ability of beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to acquire or access farmland;
    - (B) farmland tenure for beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; and
    - (C) farmland transition and succession.
- (b) **Farmland ownership—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) shall collect and, not less frequently than once every 3 years report, data and analysis on farmland ownership, tenure, transition, and entry of beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (as those terms are defined in [section 2279(a) of this title](/usc/7/2279.md?p=a)). In carrying out this subsection, the [Secretary](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-2) shall, at a minimum—
  - (1) collect and distribute comprehensive reporting of trends in farmland ownership, tenure, transition, barriers to entry, profitability, and viability of beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers;
  - (2) develop surveys and report statistical and economic analysis on farmland ownership, tenure, transition, barriers to entry, profitability, and viability of beginning farmers and ranchers, including a regular follow-on survey to each Census of Agriculture with results of the follow-on survey made public not later than 3 years after the previous Census of Agriculture; and
  - (3) require the National Agricultural Statistics Service to include in the Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land survey questions relating to—
    - (A) the extent to which non-farming landowners are purchasing and holding onto farmland for the sole purpose of real estate investment;
    - (B) the impact of these farmland ownership trends on the successful entry and viability of beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers;
    - (C) the extent to which farm and ranch land with undivided interests and no administrative authority identified have farms or ranches operating on that land; and
    - (D) the impact of land tenure patterns, categorized by—
      - (i) race, gender, and ethnicity; and
      - (ii) region.
- (c) **Authorization of appropriations—** There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $3,000,000 for each fiscal[^1] years 2019 through 2023, to remain available until expended.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be preceded by “of”.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 115–334, title XII, § 12607, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 5006.)