Source: PRESS RELEASE, 12/17/18

On Monday, December 17, 2018, at 11 AM EST, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) will host a press call to discuss the programs and protections it fought for in the $867 billion Farm Bill that Congress recently passed. One of the programs the CBC fought for will help ensure Black farmers can pass their farm on to their families, and one of the protections the CBC fought for will help ensure 19 historically black land-grant universities get funding that some states have been unfairly denying them for years. A summary of all of the programs and protections the CBC fought for is below.  

Historically Black Land-Grant Universities  
• The bill includes $40 million in mandatory funding and $40 million in discretionary funding for new scholarships at each of the 1890 land-grant universities (19 public HBCUs), meaning each will have at least $2 million in new funding for scholarships to attract students over the next five years. 
• The bill includes $10 million a year to establish research centers on at least three HBCU campuses with specific focuses, such as food security. 
• The bill strips a decades-old provision mandating that 1890 land-grant universities (19 public HBCUs) could only carry over 20% of federal funding if it wasn't used in a calendar year. The rule didn't apply to predominantly white land-grants (1862 Land Grant Universities). 
• The bill requires states to report to Congress how much funding they're providing both historically black land-grants and their predominantly white peers. States are required to match federal funding for land-grant universities, but many HBCUs have not been getting the money they’re owed.

Disadvantaged Farmers
• The bill protects the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from reorganization and political interference. Specifically, this bill prohibits implementation of actions, policies, or decision documents until a civil rights analysis is conducted by the agency. In addition, this section requires a study and report on the USDA’s processing and resolving of civil rights complaints. 
• The bill provides owners of heirs’ property with access to the credentials and capital they need to ensure they can pass their farms on to their families. Heirs’ property is often passed down without a will or transfer of title, leaving owners of this type of property without access to USDA programs. Some estimates show that 60% of land owned by African-Americans in the United States is heirs’ property.
• The bill requires GAO to conduct a study regarding the lending situation for socially disadvantaged farmers with the Farm Credit System and all other commercial lenders as well as recommendations for improvement.
• The bill boosts funding for grants to organizations that work with farmers of color and veterans and assists them in operating farms and participating in USDA programs. 
• The bill provides for the creation of the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production at the USDA. The new office would encourage and promote indoor agriculture and other emerging practices, help farmers collaborate with new partners, navigate complex programs, and ensure they are employing best practices.
Who
• CBC Chairman Cedric L. Richmond
• Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH-11)
o Member of the House Committee on Agriculture
• Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC-12)
o Member of the House Committee on Agriculture
What  
A press call on the programs and protections the Congressional Black Caucus fought for in the $867 billion Farm Bill that Congress recently passed.
When
11 AM EST
Monday, December 17, 2018
Where
Dial-in Number: 1-712-770-8003
Participant Code: 434697  

Participant Instructions

• First, dial the dial-in number (1-712-770-8003).
• Second, dial the 6-digit conference code (434697). You don’t have to press pound (#), but it will ask for your name, which you have to give to join the call.
o You’ll be joined as a participant, but your line will be muted.
• None of this works if you try to join the call before the host has joined, so if you’d like to join early, please don’t join before 11:55 AM EST.
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The Congressional Black Caucus was established in 1971 and has a historic 48 members for the 115th Congress, including one Republican member and two senators. Congressman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02) is the chair of the caucus.
     
Visit Our New Website: https://cbc.house.gov/