,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #caag  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ba1     
#bjah ,mr4 ,jones 7for himself and ,mr4 
,scott7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1
 and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill  ,to require  
the ,secretary of ,agriculture to grant 
farm numbers to individuals with certain
 documentation1 to amend the            
,consolidated ,farm and ,rural          
,development ,act to include qualified  
intermediaries as recipients of farm    
ownership loans1 to provide for a study 
of farmland tenure1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,fair ,access for   
,farmers and ,ranchers ,act of #bjah4   
#b4 ,definition of ,secretary ,in this  
,act1 the term ,secretary means the     
,secretary of ,agriculture4  #c4        
,eligibility for operators on heirs     
property land to obtain a farm number   
7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3  7#a7

 ,eligible documentation ,the term      
eligible documentation1 with respect to 
land for which a farm operator seeks    
assignment of a farm number under       
subsection 7b77#a71 includes--  7,a7 in 
,states that have adopted a statute     
consisting of an enactment or adoption  
of the ,uniform ,partition of ,heirs    
,property ,act1 as approved and         
recommended for enactment in all ,states
 by the ,national ,conference of        
,commissioners on ,uniform ,state ,laws 
in #bjaj--  7i7 a court order verifying 
the land meets the definition of heirs  
property 7as defined in that ,act72 or  
7ii7 a certification from the local     
recorder of deeds that the recorded     
owner of the land is deceased and not   
less than #a heir of the recorded owner 
of the land has initiated a procedure to
 retitle the land in the name of the    
rightful heir2  7,b7 a fully executed1  
unrecorded tenancy-in-common agreement  
that sets out ownership rights and      
responsibilities among all of the owners

 of the land that--  7i7 has been       
approved by a majority of the ownership 
interests in that property2  7ii7 has   
given a particular owner the right to   
manage and control any portion or all of
 the land for purposes of operating a   
farm or ranch2 and  7iii7 was validly   
entered into under the authority of the 
jurisdiction in which the land is       
located2  7,c7 the tax return of a farm 
operator farming a property with        
undivided interests for each of the #e  
years preceding the date on which the   
farm operator submits the tax returns as
 eligible documentation under subsection
 7b72  7,d7 self-certification that the 
farm operator has control of the land   
for purposes of operating a farm or     
ranch2 and  7,e7 any other documentation
 identified by the ,secretary under     
subsection 7c74  7#b7 ,farm number ,the 
term farm number has the meaning given  
the term in section #gah4b of title #g1 
,code of ,federal ,regulations 7as in   
effect on the date of enactment of this 

,act74  7b7 ,farm number  7#a7 ,in      
general ,the ,secretary shall provide   
for the assignment of a farm number to  
any farm operator who provides any form 
of eligible documentation for purposes  
of demonstrating that the farm operator 
has control of the land for purposes of 
defining that land as a farm4  7#b7     
,eligibility ,any farm number provided  
under paragraph 7#a7 shall be sufficient
 to satisfy any requirement of the      
,secretary to have a farm number to     
participate in a program of the         
,secretary4  7c7 ,eligible documentation
 ,the ,secretary shall identify         
alternative forms of eligible           
documentation that a farm operator may  
provide in seeking the assignment of a  
farm number under subsection 7b77#a74   
#d4 ,loans to purchasers of land with   
undivided interest and no administrative
 authority  7a7 ,reauthorization of     
beginning farmer and rancher individual 
development accounts pilot program      
,section #ccc;,b7h7 of the ,consolidated

 ,farm and ,rural ,development ,act 7#g 
,u4,s4,c4 #aihc;b7h77 is amended by     
striking #bjah and inserting #bjbd4  7b7
 ,pilot program ,subtitle ,d of the     
,consolidated ,farm and ,rural          
,development ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #aiha et
 seq47 is amended by inserting after    
section #ccc;,d the following3  #ccc;,e4
 ,farmer loan pilot projects  7a7 ,in   
general ,the ,secretary may conduct     
pilot projects of limited scope and     
duration that are consistent with       
subtitles ,a1 ,b1 ,c1 and this subtitle 
to evaluate processes and techniques    
that may improve the efficiency and     
effectiveness of the programs carried   
out under subtitle ,a1 ,b1 ,c1 and this 
subtitle4  7b7 ,notification ,the       
,secretary shall-- 7#a7 not less than   
#fj days before the date on which the   
,secretary initiates a pilot project    
under subsection 7a71 submit notice of  
the proposed pilot project to the       
,committee on ,agriculture of the ,house
 of ,representatives and the ,committee 

on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and        
,forestry of the ,senate2 and  7#b7     
consider any recommendations or feedback
 provided to the ,secretary in response 
to the notice provided under paragraph  
7#a74  4  7c7  ,relending program       
,subtitle ,a of title ,,iii of the      
,consolidated ,farm and ,rural          
,development ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #aibb et
 seq47 is amended by adding at the end  
the following3  #caj;,i4 ,relending     
program to resolve ownership and        
succession on farmland  7a7 ,in general 
,the ,secretary may make or guarantee   
loans to eligible entities described in 
subsection 7b7 using amounts made       
available for farm ownership loans under
 this subtitle so that the eligible     
entities may relend the funds to        
individuals and entities for the        
purposes described in subsection 7c74   
7b7 ,eligible entities ,entities        
eligible for loans and loan guarantees  
described in subsection 7a7 are         
cooperatives1 credit unions1 and        

nonprofit organizations with--  7#a7    
certification under section #ahje4bja of
 title #ab1 ,code of ,federal           
,regulations 7or successor regulations7 
to operate as a lender2  7#b7 experience
 assisting socially disadvantaged       
farmers and ranchers 7as defined in     
section #beja7;e7 of the ,food1         
,agriculture1 ,conservation1 and ,trade 
,act of #aiij 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bbgi7;e777 
or limited resource or new and beginning
 farmers and ranchers1 rural businesses1
 cooperatives1 or credit unions1        
including experience in making and      
servicing agricultural and commercial   
loans2 and  7#c7 the ability to provide 
adequate assurance of the repayment of a
 loan4  7c7 ,eligible purposes ,the     
proceeds from loans made or guaranteed  
by the ,secretary pursuant to subsection
 7a7 shall be relent by eligible        
entities for projects that assist heirs 
with undivided ownership interests to   
resolve ownership and succession on     
farmland that has multiple owners4  7d7 

,preference ,in making loans under      
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall    
give preference to eligible entities--  
7#a7 with not less than #aj years of    
experience serving socially             
disadvantaged farmers and ranchers2 and 
7#b7 in ,states that have adopted a     
statute consisting of an enactment or   
adoption of the ,uniform ,partition of  
,heirs ,property ,act1 as approved and  
recommended for enactment in all ,states
 by the ,national ,conference of        
,commissioners on ,uniform ,state ,laws 
in #bjaj1 that relend to owners of heirs
 property 7as defined in that ,act74    
7e7 ,loan terms and conditions ,the     
following terms and conditions shall    
apply to loans made or guaranteed under 
this section3 7#a7 ,the interest rate at
 which intermediaries may borrow funds  
under this section shall be equal to the
 rate at which farm ownership loans     
under this subtitle are made4  7#b7 ,the
 rates1 terms1 and payment structure for
 borrowers to which intermediaries lend 

shall be-- 7,a7 determined by the       
intermediary in an amount sufficient to 
cover the cost of operating and         
sustaining the revolving loan fund2 and 
7,b7 clearly and publicly disclosed to  
qualified ultimate borrowers4  7#c7     
,borrowers to which intermediaries lend 
shall be--  7,a7 required to complete a 
succession plan as a condition of the   
loan2 and  7,b7 be offered the          
opportunity to borrow sufficient funds  
to cover costs associated with the      
succession plan under subparagraph 7,a7 
and other associated legal and closing  
costs4  7f7 ,report ,not later than #a  
year after the date of enactment of this
 section1 the ,secretary shall submit to
 the ,committee on ,agriculture of the  
,house of ,representatives and the      
,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 
and ,forestry of the ,senate a report   
describing the operation and outcomes of
 the program under this section1 with   
recommendations on how to strengthen the
 program4  7g7 ,funding ,the ,secretary 

shall carry out this section using funds
 otherwise made available to the        
,secretary4  4  #e4 ,farmland ownership 
data collection  7a7 ,in general ,the   
,secretary shall collect and1 not less  
frequently than once every #e years     
report1 data and analysis on farmland   
ownership1 tenure1 transition1 and entry
 of beginning farmers and ranchers 7as  
defined in section #cdc7;a7 of the      
,consolidated ,farm and ,rural          
,development ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4         
#aiia7;a777 and socially disadvantaged  
farmers and ranchers 7as defined in     
section #beja7;e7 of the ,food1         
,agriculture1 ,conservation1 and ,trade 
,act of #aiij 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bbgi7;e7774
  7b7 ,requirements ,in carrying out    
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall1 at
 a minimum-- 7#a7 collect and distribute
 comprehensive reporting of trends in   
farmland ownership1 tenure1 transition1 
barriers to entry1 profitability1 and   
viability of beginning farmers and      
ranchers and socially disadvantaged     

farmers and ranchers2  7#b7 develop     
surveys and report statistical and      
economic analysis on farmland ownership1
 tenure1 transition1 barriers to entry1 
profitability1 and viability of         
beginning farmers and ranchers1         
including a regular follow-on survey to 
each ,census of ,agriculture with       
results of the follow-on survey made    
public not later than #c years after the
 previous ,census of ,agriculture2 and  
7#c7 require the ,national ,agricultural
 ,statistics ,service-- 7,a7 to include 
in the ,tenure1 ,ownership1 and         
,transition of ,agricultural ,land      
survey questions relating to--  7i7 the 
extent to which non-farming landowners  
are purchasing and holding onto farmland
 for the sole purpose of real estate    
investment2  7ii7 the impact of these   
farmland ownership trends on the        
successful entry and viability of       
beginning farmers and ranchers and      
socially disadvantaged farmers and      
ranchers2  7iii7 the extent to which    

farm and ranch land with undivided      
interests and no administrative         
authority identified have farms or      
ranches operating on that land2 and     
7iv7 the impact of land tenure patterns1
 categorized by-- 7,i7 race1 gender1 and
 ethnicity2 and  7,,ii7 region2 and     
7,b7 to include in the report of each   
,tenure1 ,ownership1 and ,transition of 
,agricultural ,land survey the results  
of the questions under subparagraph     
7,a74