Sponsors (18)
The bill provides sustained federal funding and stronger referral networks to expand behavioral health and crisis supports for farmers and rural communities, at the cost of modest federal spending and added administrative, privacy, and liability burdens for small local providers.
Farmers, ranchers, and other residents of rural communities gain stronger, more direct access to crisis lines, behavioral health counseling, and substance‑use treatment through authorized referral pathways and coordinated services.
Rural health providers and community clinics (including certified community behavioral health clinics, FQHCs, rural health clinics, health centers, and critical access hospitals) see improved connections and partnerships with the program, which can increase referrals and integration with existing treatment infrastructure.
Grant programs to support Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network activities receive predictable, multi‑year funding with a $5 million annual authorization for FY2026–2030, helping sustain services and planning.
Small grant recipients and rural providers may face added administrative and operational costs to build and maintain referral relationships and crisis‑line services, potentially diverting limited staff time and funds from other local programs.
Expanding formal referral partnerships can create privacy, coordination, and liability risks for small rural providers if technical assistance and safeguards are not provided, which could deter participation or expose providers to legal/operational challenges.
Taxpayers fund the $5 million annual authorization, adding to federal spending priorities and requiring budgetary tradeoffs elsewhere.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes $5M/year (2026–2030) for the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network and allows crisis lines plus formal referral relationships with specified behavioral health providers.
Official title: To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to reauthorize the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 15, 2025 by Randy Feenstra · Last progress July 15, 2025
Amends the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network to explicitly allow grant-funded programs to operate crisis lines, to authorize $5,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2026–2030, and to permit grant recipients to form referral relationships with specified behavioral health providers (including certified community behavioral health clinics, Section 330 health centers, rural health clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and critical access hospitals). Also sets the Act's short title "Farmers First Act of 2025." These changes expand allowable services and partnerships and provide multi-year program funding authorization.