,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dhbj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #bc1        
#bjai,mr4 ,brindisi 7for himself1 ,ms4  
,craig1 and ,mr4 ,katko7 introduced the 
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,agriculture  ,a      
,,bill  ,to amend the ,department of    
,agriculture ,reorganization ,act of    
#aiid to provide assistance to manage   
farmer and rancher stress and for the   
mental health of individuals in rural   
areas1 and for other purposes4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,seeding ,rural ,resilience ,act4   
#b4 ,definition of ,secretary ,in this  
,act1 the term ,secretary means the     
,secretary of ,agriculture4  #c4        
,findings ,congress finds that-- 7#a7   
according to the ,centers for ,disease  
,control and ,prevention1 the suicide   
rate is #de percent greater in rural    
areas of the ,united ,states than the   
suicide rate in urban areas of the      
,united ,states2  7#b7 farmers face     

social isolation1 the potential for     
financial losses1 barriers to seeking   
mental health services1 and access to   
lethal means to commit suicide2 and     
7#c7 as commodity prices fall and       
farmers face uncertainty1 reports of    
farmer suicides are increasing4  #d4    
,public service announcement campaign to
 address farm and ranch mental health   
7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary1 in     
consultation with the ,secretary of     
,health and ,human ,services1 shall     
carry out a public service announcement 
campaign to address the mental health of
 farmers and ranchers4  7b7             
,requirements ,the public service       
announcement campaign under subsection  
7a7 shall include television1 radio1    
print1 outdoor1 and digital public      
service announcements4  7c7 ,contractor 
,the ,secretary may enter into a        
contract or other agreement with a third
 party to carry out the public service  
announcement campaign under subsection  
7a74  7d7 ,authorization of             

appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to the ,secretary to    
carry out this section #c1jjj1jjj1 to   
remain available until expended4  #e4   
,employee training program to manage    
farmer and rancher stress  7a7 ,in      
general ,subtitle ,a of the ,department 
of ,agriculture ,reorganization ,act of 
#aiid 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #fiab et seq47 is   
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  #bbd;,b4 ,employee training 
program to manage farmer and rancher    
stress  7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary 
shall establish a voluntary program to  
train employees of the ,farm ,service   
,agency1 the ,risk ,management ,agency1 
and the ,natural ,resources             
,conservation ,service in the management
 of stress experienced by farmers and   
ranchers1 including the detection of    
stress and suicide prevention4  7b7     
,requirement ,not later than #ahj days  
after the date on which the ,secretary  
submits a report on the results of the  
pilot program being carried out by the  

,secretary as of the date of enactment  
of this section to train employees of   
the ,department in the management of    
stress experienced by farmers and       
ranchers1 and based on the              
recommendations contained in that       
report1 the ,secretary shall develop a  
training program to carry out subsection
 7a74  7c7 ,report ,not less frequently 
than once every #b years1 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  
implementation of this section4  4  7b7 
,conforming amendments  7#a7 ,subtitle  
,a of the ,department of ,agriculture   
,reorganization ,act of #aiid is amended
 by redesignating section #bbe 7#g      
,u4,s4,c4 #fibe7 as section #bbd;,a4    
7#b7 ,section #bif7;b7 of the           
,department of ,agriculture             
,reorganization ,act of #aiid 7#g       
,u4,s4,c4 #gjad7;b77 is amended by      

adding at the end the following3  7#aa7 
,the authority of the ,secretary to     
carry out section #bbd;,b4  4  #f4 ,task
 force for assessment of causes of      
mental stress and best practices for    
response  7a7 ,in general ,the          
,secretary shall convene a task force of
 agricultural and rural stakeholders at 
the national1 ,state1 and local levels--
  7#a7 to assess the causes of mental   
stress in farmers and ranchers2 and     
7#b7 to identify best practices for     
responding to that mental stress4  7b7  
,submission of report ,not later than #a
 year after the date of enactment of    
this ,act1 the task force convened under
 subsection 7a7 shall submit to the     
,secretary a report containing the      
assessment and best practices under     
paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b71 respectively1 
of subsection 7a74  7c7 ,collaboration  
,in carrying out this section1 the task 
force convened under subsection 7a7     
shall collaborate with nongovernmental  
organizations and ,state and local      

agencies4