Sponsors (3)
The bill directs targeted federal funding and annual reporting to help low-income, veteran, and socially disadvantaged heirs retain rural land and improve data-driven policy, at the cost of recurring taxpayer spending, added administrative burdens, potential limits on smaller service providers, privacy concerns, and uncertainty about long-term program continuity.
Low-income and underserved heirs (especially in rural communities) will be able to receive free legal and accounting help to resolve multi-owner land succession, improving their ability to farm, retain family land, and access USDA programs.
Farmers, rural communities, and program providers gain a dedicated funding stream (up to $60M per year for FY2027–2031) to support legal/accounting services for land succession.
Program recipients and taxpayers benefit from a cap on administrative spending (3%), which directs a larger share of funds to direct legal/accounting services rather than bureaucracy.
Taxpayers face a new recurring federal cost (the $60M/year appropriation) and potential additional reporting/data expenses, which could increase deficits or require offsets.
Heirs and nonprofit providers face uncertainty because continued funding beyond the initial multi‑year awards is discretionary, risking interruption of services if grants are not renewed.
Federal staff and program delivery may be burdened by annual reporting and increased data-collection requirements, potentially diverting USDA resources and staff time away from direct services.
Based on analysis of 10 sections of legislative text.
Creates USDA cooperative agreements to fund nonprofits providing free legal/accounting help to underserved heirs of multi-owner farmland/forest, requires annual reports, and authorizes $60M/year (FY2027–2031).
Official title: To reauthorize and improve the relending program to resolve ownership and succession on farmland, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 3, 2026 by Sanford Dixon Bishop · Last progress March 3, 2026
Authorizes the USDA to fund and run a new program that pays eligible nonprofits to provide free legal and accounting services to underserved heirs who share undivided interests in multi-owner farmland or forest land, to help resolve succession and ownership disputes and keep land in agricultural production. It also changes related reporting and data-collection requirements at USDA and authorizes $60 million per year for FY2027–2031 to carry out the new services, with limits on administrative use and new annual reporting to Congress. The law amends existing USDA heirs property and farmland ownership reporting provisions: it redesignates and adds subsections to the heirs property intermediary relending program to permit cooperative agreements with nonprofits, requires annual public reports, and modifies the Secretary’s farmland ownership/data reporting duties to change timing and content of required reports.