AG VETS Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The AG VETS Act adds an agriculture grants program for veteran education and training services. The Secretary of Agriculture must award competitive grants to eligible entities to establish and enhance farming and ranching opportunities for veterans. Eligible entities include cooperative extension services, land-grant colleges and universities, non-land-grant colleges of agriculture, Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities, state departments of agriculture, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, and combinations of those entities. Grant funds support training and classroom education that gives veterans a comprehensive understanding of farm and ranch business operations and management practices.
Who Benefits and How
Veterans entering agriculture benefit from grant-funded classroom education and training in farm and ranch business operations. Cooperative extension services benefit because they can receive federal grants to deliver veteran agriculture training. Land-grant colleges and Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges benefit from eligibility to run veteran farming programs. Rural agricultural communities benefit if more veterans build viable farm and ranch businesses.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Department of Agriculture must establish, compete, award, and oversee the veteran agriculture grant program. Grant recipients must design training, manage federal funds, and document education outcomes for veterans. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of competitive grants and USDA administration. Veteran participants still bear startup, land, equipment, and market risks after training ends.
Key Provisions
- Establishes competitive USDA grants for veteran farming and ranching opportunities.
- Authorizes cooperative extension, land-grant colleges, agricultural colleges, state agriculture departments, nonprofits, and community groups to apply.
- Requires grant funds to support training and classroom education in farm and ranch business operations.
- Strengthens veteran pathways into agriculture rather than creating direct farm ownership subsidies.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Creates USDA competitive grants for eligible education, extension, agriculture, nonprofit, and community entities to train veterans in farming and ranching operations.
Key Policy Areas
Agriculture, Veterans, Workforce
Primary Purpose
Creates USDA competitive grants for eligible education, extension, agriculture, nonprofit, and community entities to train veterans in farming and ranching operations.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Veterans entering agriculture
- Cooperative extension services
- Agricultural colleges
- Rural agricultural communities
Identified Costs
- Department of Agriculture
- Grant recipients
- Federal taxpayers
- Veteran participants
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
Mr. Van Orden (for himself and Mr. Davis of North …
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to …
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology