No Discrimination in Farm Programs Act

The No Discrimination in Farm Programs Act would bar the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from using a person’s race or sex when deciding who gets help in certain farm and rural programs. It also tells the USDA to run these programs based on merit, fairness, and equal opportunity for everyone who applies.

• Who is affected: People who apply to the listed USDA programs, including farmers, ranchers, and landowners.
• What changes: USDA decisions for these programs cannot use race‑based or sex‑based criteria and must focus on fair, merit‑based access for all participants.
• Programs covered: Pandemic aid for producers (like CFAP and PARP), Federal Crop Insurance, Wildlife Habitat Incentive, indemnity payment programs, farm loans, the Conservation Reserve Program, Agricultural Management Assistance, the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (including wetlands easements), rural development programs, and certain USDA loan guarantee programs.