IRA Section 22007- USDA Assistance and Support for Underserved Farmers, Ranchers, and Foresters

Section 22007 of the IRA amends Section 1006 of the American Rescue Plan of 2021, 7 U.S.C. § 2279, and appropriates the following to the USDA, to remain available until September 30, 2031:

1. $125 million for outreach, mediation, financial training, capacity building training, cooperative development and agricultural credit training and support, and other technical assistance to underserved farmers, ranchers, or forest landowners, including veterans, limited resource producers, beginning farmers and ranchers, and farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners living in high poverty areas;

2. $250 million for grants and loans to eligible entities, to be determined by the USDA Secretary, for the improvement of land access for underserved farmers, ranchers, or forest landowners, including veterans, limited resource producers, beginning farmers and ranchers, and farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners living in high poverty areas. The improvement of land access shall include heirs’ property and fractionated land issues;

3. $10 million to fund activities of equity commissions established to address racial equity issues within the USDA and in the programs of the USDA;

4. $250 million to support and supplement agricultural research, education, and extension, including scholarships and programs providing internships and pathways to agricultural sector or federal employment, for:

a) 1890 institutions, defined in Section 2 of the Agricultural, Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998, 7 U.S.C. § 7601, as colleges or universities that were eligible to receive funds under the Act of August 30, 1890;
b) 1994 Institutions listed in the note to section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994, 7 U.S.C. § 301 note;
c) Alaska Native serving institutions and Native Hawaiian serving institutions eligible to receive grants under subsections (a) and (b), respectively, of section 1419B of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, 7 U.S.C. § 3156;
d) Hispanic-serving institutions eligible to receive grants under section 1455 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, 7 U.S.C. § 3241;
e) Insular area institutions of higher education located in U.S. territories, as referred to in section 1489 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, 7 U.S.C. § 3361.

5. $2.2 billion to support a program to provide financial assistance (including the cost of providing financial assistance) to farmers, ranchers, or forest landowners who were determined to have experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 1, 2021. The amount of financial assistance provided may not be more than $500,000, as determined to be appropriate based on any consequences experienced as a result of the discrimination. The program shall be administered by 1 or more qualified nongovernmental entities selected by the USDA in compliance with USDA-set standards.

6. $24 million for administrative costs, including training of USDA employees.

The USDA is prohibited under this section from entering into any agreement for which payment shall be disbursed after September 30, 2031, and from using other funds available to carry out obligations initially made under this section.