To provide assistance to manage farmer and rancher stress and for the mental health of individuals in rural areas.

SA 1966. Mr. TESTER (for himself and Mr. Grassley) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4049, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

SEC. 1___. ASSISTANCE FOR FARMER AND RANCHER STRESS AND
MENTAL HEALTH OF INDIVIDUALS IN RURAL AREAS.

(a) Definition of Secretary.--In this section, the term
``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Agriculture.
(b) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the suicide rate is 45 percent greater in rural
areas of the United States than the suicide rate in urban
areas of the United States;
(2) farmers face social isolation, the potential for
financial losses, barriers to seeking mental health services,
and access to lethal means to commit suicide; and
(3) as commodity prices fall and farmers face uncertainty,
reports of farmer suicides are increasing.
(c) Public Service Announcement Campaign to Address Farm
and Ranch Mental Health.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall carry out a
public service announcement campaign to address the mental
health of farmers and ranchers.
(2) Requirements.--The public service announcement campaign
under paragraph (1) shall include television, radio, print,
outdoor, and digital public service announcements.
(3) Contractor.--The Secretary may enter into a contract or
other agreement with a third party to carry out the public
service announcement campaign under paragraph (1).
(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this
subsection

[[Page S3457]]

$3,000,000, to remain available until expended.
(d) Employee Training Program to Manage Farmer and Rancher
Stress.--
(1) In general.--Subtitle A of the Department of
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6912 et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 224B. EMPLOYEE TRAINING PROGRAM TO MANAGE FARMER AND
RANCHER STRESS.

``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a
voluntary program to train employees of the Farm Service
Agency, the Risk Management Agency, and the Natural Resources
Conservation Service in the management of stress experienced
by farmers and ranchers, including the detection of stress
and suicide prevention.
``(b) Requirement.--Not later than 180 days after the date
on which the Secretary submits a report on the results of the
pilot program being carried out by the Secretary as of the
date of enactment of this section to train employees of the
Department in the management of stress experienced by farmers
and ranchers, and based on the recommendations contained in
that report, the Secretary shall develop a training program
to carry out subsection (a).
``(c) Report.--Not less frequently than once every 2 years,
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report
describing the implementation of this section.''.
(2) Conforming amendments.--
(A) Subtitle A of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 is amended by redesignating
section 225 (7 U.S.C. 6925) as section 224A.
(B) Section 296(b) of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(11) The authority of the Secretary to carry out section
224B.''.
(e) Task Force for Assessment of Causes of Mental Stress
and Best Practices for Response.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall convene a task force
of agricultural and rural stakeholders at the national,
State, and local levels--
(A) to assess the causes of mental stress in farmers and
ranchers; and
(B) to identify best practices for responding to that
mental stress.
(2) Submission of report.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the task force convened under
paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary a report
containing the assessment and best practices under
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, of that paragraph.
(3) Collaboration.--In carrying out this subsection, the
task force convened under paragraph (1) shall collaborate
with nongovernmental organizations and State and local
agencies.
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