March 27, 2025
Mr. Booker (for himself, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Welch, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Heinrich, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. King, Ms. Smith, Mr. Markey, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Sanders, and Mr. Whitehouse) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
To unfreeze funding for contracts of the Department of Agriculture, to prohibit Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service office closures, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Honor Farmer Contracts Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Department of Agriculture funding and offices
The Secretary of Agriculture—
(1)
shall, immediately after the enactment of this Act, unfreeze funding for and implement all agreements and contracts entered into by the Secretary of Agriculture prior to the date of enactment of this Act;
(2)
shall, as rapidly as possible after the enactment of this Act, pay all past due amounts owed by the Secretary of Agriculture under the agreements and contracts described in paragraph (1);
(3)
shall not cancel any signed agreement or contract with a farmer or an entity providing assistance to farmers, unless the farmer or entity has failed to comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement or contract; and
(4)
shall not close any Farm Service Agency county office, Natural Resources Conservation Service field office, or Rural Development Service Center without providing written notice and justification to Congress not later than 60 days before the date on which the applicable office is intended to be closed.