H.R. 4400House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Farmers First Act of 2025

Introduced July 15, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 23, 2025 at 11:31 PM UTC

The Farmers First Act of 2025 amends the 2008 Food, Conservation, and Energy Act to reauthorize the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. It expands the network to include crisis lines, boosts its funding to $15 million per year for FY 2026‑2030, and authorizes grant recipients to connect farmers and ranchers with various health providers for comprehensive mental‑health and substance‑use services.

Key Provisions

  • Adds “including crisis lines” to the description of the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, expanding its scope to cover crisis hotlines.
  • Increases the program’s annual funding to $15 million for fiscal years 2026‑2030 (up from $10 million for FY 2019‑2023).
  • Replaces the previous subsection (e) with new language that lets grant recipients refer farmers and ranchers to a range of health providers—including certified community behavioral health clinics, health centers, rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, and critical access hospitals—for mental‑health and substance‑use counseling and support.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

July 15, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

July 15, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

July 15, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued July 15, 2025

I

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 4400

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 15, 2025

Mr. Feenstra (for himself, Ms. Craig, Mr. Bost, Mr. Costa, and Mr. Nunn of Iowa) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to reauthorize the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Farmers First Act of 2025.

2.

Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network

Section 7522 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 5936) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (b)(1)(A), by inserting , including crisis lines before the semicolon at the end;

(2)

in subsection (d), by striking $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023 and inserting $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030; and

(3)

by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:

(e)

Referrals to providers

As part of the efforts of the recipient of a grant under subsection (a) to connect individuals to behavioral health counseling and wellness support and to ensure individuals have access to a comprehensive scope of mental health and substance use treatments and supports, when applicable, the grant recipient may establish referral relationships with—

(1)

certified community behavioral health clinics described in section 223 of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (42 U.S.C. 1396a note; Public Law 113–93);

(2)

health centers (as defined in section 330(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(a)));

(3)

rural health clinics (as defined in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)));

(4)

Federally qualified health centers (as defined in that section); and

(5)

critical access hospitals (as defined in section 1861(mm) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(mm))).

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