Congress funds study to help Black farmers keep family land
H.R. 8502 — HARVEST Act · Filed by Shomari Figures (D-AL) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Apr 27, 2026 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study how historically Black colleges and universities (1890 Institutions) can better help farmers—especially those inheriting family land—learn about transferring agricultural property to the next generation. The study focuses on 'heirs property,' a common situation where multiple family members co-own land without a formal agreement, which can complicate succession and leave farms vulnerable to forced sales.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a directive to conduct a study and report on expanding technical assistance for farm succession, particularly for heirs property situations. It is a research and capacity-building measure, not a subsidy, deregulation, or appropriation.
What the text implies
- Study may identify barriers to farm succession that could inform future legislation on heirs property reform, potentially affecting state probate law or federal lending standards.
- Expanded technical assistance at 1890 Institutions could increase their role as trusted advisors in rural communities, potentially shifting agricultural extension dynamics away from traditional land-grant universities.
- Focus on heirs property succession may indirectly support wealth retention in Black farming communities, addressing a documented gap in intergenerational farm transfer rates.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill funds research and educational capacity at institutions serving Black farmers and rural communities, addressing a documented barrier to farm succession and wealth retention in families that have historically faced discrimination in land ownership and credit access. No restrictions on citizens' rights or remedies are imposed; the mechanism is purely informational and capacity-building.
Who stands to gain
- 1890 Institutions (historically Black colleges and universities) — funding for study and program dev
Named in the bill
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 1890 Institutions, Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998, Congress
Where it stands
3 cosponsors: 3 Democrats.
- Apr 27, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Apr 27, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Agriculture · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,465 characters) on Jun 8, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
“Congress funds study to help Black farmers keep family land” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/hr8502 Report an error
The week in bills
One email, Sunday: what Congress passed, what it changed, and who paid.
One link arrives to confirm the address. It is used for this email and nothing else, and every issue carries an unsubscribe link.