dec 20, 2018 - Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018

Description:

The bill puts the Undersecretary for Rural Development back into a mandatory existence. The removal of this position was taken out last year on the decision of Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

A new program came from this bill called Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach (FOTO) program. The program was made by combining the two programs Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) and the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program ("Section 2501"). The program has been given a permanent annual funding of $50 million.

The legalization of industrial hemp was a major portion of this bill that allowed farmers and ranchers to produce a high-value of the crop. The bill will also remove the corp from the controlled substances list allowing states and territories to create their own regulations regarding the boundaries to grow the plant. The crop will now be legally produced while retaining federal farm program benefits.

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