S. 3838: A bill to appropriate funds for the final settlement of lawsuits against the Federal Government for discrimination against Black Farmers and to provide relief for discrimination in a credit program of the Department of Agriculture under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

S. 3838: A bill to appropriate funds for the final settlement of lawsuits against the Federal Government for discrimination against Black Farmers and to provide relief for discrimination in a credit program of the Department of Agriculture under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

111th Congress · introduced 2010-09-23 · Agriculture and Food · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-09-23 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Lincoln, Blanche L. [D-AR] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

A bill to appropriate funds for the final settlement of lawsuits against the Federal Government for discrimination against Black Farmers and to provide relief for discrimination in a credit program of the Department of Agriculture under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

Plain summary

Appropriates funds to the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to carry out the Settlement Agreement (dated February 18, 2010, between plaintiffs and the Secretary to resolve claims that were raised or that could have been raised in the cases consolidated in In re Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation , including Pigford claims) if the Agreement is approved by a court order that is or becomes final and nonappealable. States that: (1) such funds are in addition to certain Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds and shall be available only after the CCC funds are fully obligated; and (2) if the Agreement is not approved the CCC funds shall be the sole funding for Pigford claims. Permits an eligible complaint alleging discrimination in violation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act involving a USDA credit program to file a civil action or request administrative review as provided for by this Act.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

A bill to appropriate funds for the final settlement of lawsuits against the Federal Government for discrimination against Black Farmers and to provide relief for discrimination in a credit program of the Department of Agriculture under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Lincoln, Blanche L. [D-AR] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Agencies named in this bill

Department of Agriculture: its federal spending and other bills that name it

Found automatically: the agency's full official name appears in the bill title. A bill can affect agencies it does not name, so this list may be incomplete.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s3838.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s3838 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111