S. 2839: Assist Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018

115th Congress · introduced 2018-05-15 · Agriculture and Food · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2018-05-15 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] · 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 Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. 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

Assist Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018

Plain summary

Assist Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018 This bill amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to reauthorize through FY2023 and modify the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program. (The program provides funding to assist socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers in participating in USDA programs and in owning and operating farms and ranches.) The bill includes provisions that: authorize multiyear grants, contracts, and agreements for terms of up to three years; require USDA to establish an external peer review process to use in making grants and entering into contracts and agreements; and modify reporting requirements.

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

Assist Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Act of 2018

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Tina Smith (D-MN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] reported raising $2.5 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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 (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
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).

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-115s2839.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/s>

Record fed-us-cong115-s2839 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115