Overview

Title

To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to expand outreach and assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers who are women, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

H.R. 9363 wants to help women who are farmers by making sure they get more support and money. It plans to change a law so that special programs give more attention to these women and the groups that help them.

Summary AI

H.R. 9363, also known as the “Empowering Women in Agriculture Act,” proposes amendments to the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. This bill aims to enhance outreach and support for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers who are women by including women’s nonprofit organizations as eligible for assistance. It extends funding and program availability through 2029 and mandates that at least 10% of the funding for certain programs be dedicated to addressing the needs of women who are socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.

Published

2024-08-16
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: HOUSE
Status: Introduced in House
Date: 2024-08-16
Package ID: BILLS-118hr9363ih

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
637
Pages:
4
Sentences:
11

Language

Nouns: 161
Verbs: 38
Adjectives: 26
Adverbs: 7
Numbers: 51
Entities: 51

Complexity

Average Token Length:
3.91
Average Sentence Length:
57.91
Token Entropy:
4.63
Readability (ARI):
28.98

AnalysisAI

General Summary of the Bill

The proposed legislation, titled the "Empowering Women in Agriculture Act" (H.R. 9363), is designed to amend an existing law, the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. The primary aim of this amendment is to expand outreach and assistance specifically targeting socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers who are women. In practice, this involves recognizing gender-related prejudice alongside racial and ethnic prejudice, extending the duration for funding farming outreach programs, and ensuring a significant portion of funds are directed towards supporting women who face social disadvantages in the agricultural sector.

Summary of Significant Issues

One of the core issues this bill attempts to address is the inclusion of "gender prejudice" as a recognized category of discrimination within the scope of existing agricultural policies. However, the bill lacks clarity on how this expanded definition will be enforced or what it means for current and future policies.

Furthermore, the bill introduces the concept of a "women’s nonprofit organization" without detailing its role or how it will affect other existing nonprofit organizations in the same field. Without a clear explanation, there is potential for confusion or overlap between organizations receiving support.

Additionally, the legislation proposes to extend funding from 2023 to 2029 without instituting any formal review or accountability measures for evaluating the effectiveness of this long-term funding. Such an absence of oversight mechanisms could pose challenges in monitoring the successful implementation of the programs.

Lastly, the bill mandates that at least 10% of certain funds must be set aside for initiatives supporting women who are socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. This provision could raise concerns about preferential treatment, as it may be perceived as prioritizing one subgroup of socially disadvantaged individuals over others.

Impact on the Public Broadly

By addressing gender prejudice and increasing resources for female farmers and ranchers who face social disadvantages, the bill aims to foster inclusiveness and equity within the agricultural sector. This could lead to broader societal benefits by empowering women with opportunities for economic advancement and participation in a vital industry.

However, the broad implementation of these changes without detailed guidance or review protocols may lead to challenges or inconsistencies in how these policies unfold on the ground. The bill’s impact could vary significantly depending on how effectively these new provisions are integrated into existing frameworks and policies.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

For women who are socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, this bill potentially represents a significant positive shift. The allocation of resources and recognition of gender discrimination could open avenues for development, training, and financial support previously inaccessible to them.

On the other hand, other groups classified as socially disadvantaged might view the specific allocation of funds for women as a disadvantage to their own opportunities for support. This could stir debates about fairness and proper resource distribution among different demographic groups in the agricultural sphere.

Organizations in the nonprofit sector that already work to support disadvantaged agricultural communities may face new dynamics with the introduction of designated "women’s nonprofit organizations." Depending on how these organizations are integrated into the system, existing nonprofits might need to adapt their structures or strategies to align with the new legislative priorities.

In conclusion, while the "Empowering Women in Agriculture Act" strives to create more equitable opportunities for women in agriculture, its successful impact will depend heavily on executing detailed and thoughtful implementation plans. The potential for significant positive change is evident, but balancing these modifications without side-lining other disadvantaged groups remains a critical challenge.

Issues

  • The amendment in Section 2 to expand the definition of prejudice to include 'gender prejudice' could have significant implications for the enforcement of existing policies. However, the bill does not provide details on how this inclusion will impact the application of these policies.

  • In Section 2, the introduction of the term 'women’s nonprofit organization' lacks clarity about its role, scope, and potential impact on existing organizations. This could result in ambiguity about how these organizations will participate in or benefit from the proposed changes.

  • Section 2 proposes extending funding and grant programs from 2023 to 2029 without mentioning any periodic review process to assess their effectiveness. This could lead to a long-term commitment without accountability mechanisms in place.

  • The requirement in Section 2 that at least 10 percent of funding be allocated to 'socially disadvantaged women farmers or ranchers' could be seen as favoring one group over other socially disadvantaged groups, potentially creating legal or ethical concerns about fair distribution of resources.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The first section of the act simply states that it will be known as the “Empowering Women in Agriculture Act.”

2. Farming opportunities training and outreach Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The bill amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to include "gender" alongside "racial and ethnic" prejudice in its language and defines a "women's nonprofit organization" as one founded by women, serving women, and tax-exempt under IRS code. Additionally, it extends funding for farming outreach programs through 2029 and requires that at least 10% of certain funds support socially disadvantaged women farmers and ranchers.