# Honor Farmer Contracts Act

This bill addresses a situation where the Department of Agriculture has frozen funding and halted contracts that were already agreed to before this bill was introduced. The main goal is to get that money flowing again and protect farmers from having their agreements suddenly canceled or having local agricultural offices shut down without warning.

Here's what the bill requires: First, the Agriculture Secretary must immediately restart all the funding for contracts and agreements that were signed before the bill passes. Second, the department has to pay back any money it owes farmers under those frozen contracts as quickly as possible. This matters because farmers often depend on these payments to operate their businesses, buy supplies, or meet their obligations. If payments get frozen unexpectedly, it can create serious financial hardship for people whose livelihoods depend on agriculture.

The bill also prevents the Agriculture Department from canceling farmer contracts unless the farmer actually broke the rules of the agreement. This protects farmers from having their deals terminated arbitrarily. Finally, the bill requires the department to give Congress at least 60 days' notice before closing any local Farm Service Agency offices, Natural Resources Conservation Service field offices, or Rural Development centers. This gives Congress time to weigh in on closures that could affect farmers' access to government assistance in their communities. Without this requirement, rural areas could lose their local agricultural support offices without any public debate or warning.

Honor Farmer Contracts Act

Vasquez, Gabe

Honor Farmer Contracts ActThis bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to unfreeze funding for agreements and contracts and&nbsp;prohibits USDA from closing certain offices and service centers without notifying Congress in advance.Specifically, USDA must (1) unfreeze funding for, and implement, all agreements and contracts entered into by USDA prior to the bill's enactment; and (2) pay all related past due amounts owed by USDA as rapidly as possible.Further, the bill prohibits USDA from canceling a signed agreement or contract with a farmer or an entity providing assistance to farmers (unless the farmer or entity is not in compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract).Finally, the bill prohibits USDA from closing Farm Service Agency county offices, Natural Resources Conservation Service field offices, or Rural Development Service Centers without providing written notice and a justification to Congress at least 60 days before the closure.