Increasing Land Access, Security and Opportunities Act

What it does

If Congress passes it, this bill would improve underserved and beginning farmers’ access to capital and land. Specifically, the bill would fund USDA with $100 million annually to:

• Provide competitive funding to eligible organizations to strengthen land, capital and market access outcomes for young and beginning farmers and historically underserved producers operating in high-poverty areas;

• Provide funds for services that help producers acquire land, cover closing costs and down payments, secure clear titles, make site improvements, and access training and technical assistance; 

• Prioritize projects that give direct financial assistance to farmers, involve collaborative partnerships and transition farmland from existing producers to the next generation; and

• Establish a committee of stakeholders to develop a process for evaluating applications and distributing funds effectively. 

Who supports this bill?

The Increasing Land Access, Security and Opportunities Act is a bicameral, bipartisan bill, which means it has some support in both the Senate and the House, as well as among both Republicans and Democrats. Representative Nikki Budzinski and Senator Tina Smith introduced the bill. In the House, this bill is referred to as H.R. 3955 and these Representatives are already supporting the bill. In the Senate, this bill is referred to as S. 2340, and these Senators are already supporting the bill.

This bill is endorsed by the National Young Farmers Coalition, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, among others.

Want to support this bill?

You can call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected with your elected officials. An operator will ask for your address and then forward your call to friendly staff who work for the people elected to represent you. As a constituent in their district, your voice matters!

If your Senators and House Representative aren’t already on the list of cosponsors who support the bill:

• Ask your two Senators to “cosponsor the Increasing Land Access, Security and Opportunities Act, S. 2340”
• Ask your House Representative to “cosponsor the Increasing Land Access, Security and Opportunities Act, H.R. 3955.”

If your elected officials are already supporting the Increasing Land Access, Security and Opportunities Act, you can always contact them to thank them and help spread the word among your networks.

Resources

If you’d like to learn more about the Increasing Land Access, Security and Opportunities Act, you can:

• Find detailed instructions for calling or writing your Senators and Representative (tip: enter your address)
• Track the bill’s progress on Congress.gov or GovTrack
• Learn why lawmakers support this bill (Senator Tina Smith’s press release and Representative Nikki Budzinski’s press release)
• Read the full bill text

See more bills worthy of your support in the 2023 Farm Bill.