,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #efb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #ae1        
#bjai,mr4 ,bost 7for himself and ,mr4   
,lawson of ,florida7 introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,agriculture1 and in  
addition to the ,committee on ,veterans'
 ,affairs1 for a period to be           
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to establish a ,department  
of ,agriculture loan program to support 
mentorship and apprenticeship           
opportunities for veterans of the ,armed
 ,forces to become farmers or ranchers4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,veterans' ,agricultural        
,apprenticeship ,act of #bjai4  #b4     
,mentorship and apprenticeship program  
for veterans of the ,armed ,forces to   
become farmers and ranchers  7a7        
,program required ,the ,secretary of    

,agriculture shall establish a program  
to make direct loans to farmers and     
ranchers who will provide mentorship and
 apprenticeship opportunities for       
veterans of the ,armed ,forces to learn 
the skills necessary to become a        
successful farmer or rancher4  7b7      
,agreements with ,states ,the ,secretary
 of ,agriculture shall carry out the    
mentorship and apprenticeship program   
through agreements with ,state          
departments of agriculture that will--  
7#a7 select veterans to participate in  
the program2  7#b7 secure established   
farmers and ranchers to provide the     
mentorship and apprenticeship           
opportunities2 and  7#c7 make and       
administer direct loans to support the  
resulting mentorship and apprenticeship4
  7c7 ,active involvement ,as a         
condition of a loan under the mentorship
 and apprenticeship program1 a          
participating veteran must be allowed to
 materially and substantially           
participate in the operation of the farm

 or ranch providing the mentorship and  
apprenticeship opportunities4  7d7      
,terms of loans  7#a7 ,interest rate ,a 
loan under the mentorship and           
apprenticeship program shall be made    
without interest4  7#b7 ,term and       
repayment ,the term of a loan under the 
program may not exceed one year and the 
loan shall be repaid after the harvest  
season in such installments as the      
,secretary may require4  7e7 ,source of 
funds ,of the amounts appropriated for  
each of fiscal years #bjbj through #bjbd
 to fund operation of the ,office of the
 ,secretary of ,agriculture1 the        
,secretary shall use #a1jjj1jjj each of 
such fiscal years to carry out this     
section4  7f7 ,comptroller general      
report ,not later than ,march #a1 #bjbc1
 the ,comptroller ,general of the       
,united ,states 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       

evaluating the effectiveness of the     
mentorship and apprenticeship program in
 assisting veterans who participate in  
the program in becoming farmers and     
ranchers4  7g7 ,veteran defined ,in this
 section1 the term veteran means an     
individual who has served in the ,armed 
,forces 7as defined in section #aja7aj7 
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code7 and
 who has not previously operated a farm 
or ranch4