HARVEST Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8502 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8502

 To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on ways to 
  increase opportunities for 1890 Institutions to conduct educational 
   programs and provide technical assistance with respect to issues 
  relating to the transfer of agricultural land and assets, including 
heirs property, to the next generation of farmers and ranchers, and for 
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 27, 2026

Mr. Figures (for himself, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Sewell, and 
 Mrs. Beatty) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on ways to 
  increase opportunities for 1890 Institutions to conduct educational 
   programs and provide technical assistance with respect to issues 
  relating to the transfer of agricultural land and assets, including 
heirs property, to the next generation of farmers and ranchers, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Heirs' Agricultural Resources, 
Viability, Education, and Succession Transfer'' or the ``HARVEST Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH RESPECT TO TRANSFER OF 
              AGRICULTURAL LAND AND ASSETS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than September 30, 2026, the Secretary 
of Agriculture shall conduct a study on, and submit to Congress a 
report on, ways to increase opportunities for 1890 Institutions (as 
defined in section 2 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and 
Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601)) to conduct educational 
programs and provide technical assistance with respect to issues 
relating to the transfer of agricultural land and assets, including 
heirs property, to the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
    (b) Heirs Property Defined.--In this section, the term ``heirs 
property'' means real property held in tenancy in common which, as of 
the date on which a partition action is filed, satisfies all of the 
following requirements:
            (1) There is no recorded agreement binding all the co-
        tenants which governs the partition of the property.
            (2) One or more of the co-tenants acquired title from a 
        relative, whether living or deceased.
            (3) Any of the following applies:
                    (A) 20 percent or more of the interests are held by 
                co-tenants who are relatives.
                    (B) 20 percent or more of the interests are held by 
                an individual who acquired title from a relative, 
                whether living or deceased.
                    (C) 20 percent or more of the co-tenants are 
                relatives.
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