Source:  POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 8/21/19

The 2018 farm bill was seen as Washington's biggest step yet to address the issue of heirs' property, which USDA has called the leading cause of land loss among black Americans. But advocates and lawmakers are growing frustrated that those changes have yet to take effect, partly because of a budgetary logjam in Congress, writes POLITICO's Arren Kimbel-Sannit this morning.

What's in the farm bill: It authorized $50 million over five years for a loan program aimed at helping heirs' property tenants establish a clear title to the land. The legislation also made it easier for producers operating on heirs' property to register with USDA for a farm serial number, which is required to access a range of federal farm services.

What's the holdup: Congress needs to provide funding for the loan program in a fiscal 2020 appropriations bill. The House in June approved $5 million for the program in a broader spending package, while the Senate has yet to write its own Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill.

— And USDA has yet to implement the provision defining alternative documentation that farmers without a deed can use to obtain a farm number, though the department held two listening sessions on heirs' property this summer. A spokesperson said USDA is "in the process of gathering feedback and writing the rule." (Of course, the department has a long list of farm bill programs to implement, including highly anticipated hemp production rules expected next month.)

Heirs' property meets 2020: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has pledged to build on the farm bill provisions in an agriculture policy plan she released earlier this month.