(a) Land access

Not later than 1 year after December 20, 2018, the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Chief Economist, shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a report identifying—

(1) the barriers that prevent or hinder the ability of beginning farmers and ranchers (as defined in section 2279(a) of this title) and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (as defined in such section) to acquire or access farmland;

(2) the extent to which Federal programs, including agricultural conservation easement programs, land transition programs, and financing programs, are improving—

(A) farmland access and tenure for beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; and

(B) farmland transition and succession; and

(3) the regulatory, operational, or statutory changes that are necessary to improve—

(A) the ability of beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers to acquire or access farmland;

(B) farmland tenure for beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers; and

(C) farmland transition and succession.

(b) Farmland ownership

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The Secretary shall collect and, not less frequently than once every 3 years report, data and analysis on farmland ownership, tenure, transition, and entry of beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (as those terms are defined in section 2279(a) of this title). In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall, at a minimum—

(1) collect and distribute comprehensive reporting of trends in farmland ownership, tenure, transition, barriers to entry, profitability, and viability of beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers;

(2) develop surveys and report statistical and economic analysis on farmland ownership, tenure, transition, barriers to entry, profitability, and viability of beginning farmers and ranchers, including a regular follow-on survey to each Census of Agriculture with results of the follow-on survey made public not later than 3 years after the previous Census of Agriculture; and

(3) require the National Agricultural Statistics Service to include in the Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land survey questions relating to—

(A) the extent to which non-farming landowners are purchasing and holding onto farmland for the sole purpose of real estate investment;

(B) the impact of these farmland ownership trends on the successful entry and viability of beginning farmers and ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers;

(C) the extent to which farm and ranch land with undivided interests and no administrative authority identified have farms or ranches operating on that land; and

(D) the impact of land tenure patterns, categorized by—

(i) race, gender, and ethnicity; and

(ii) region.

(c) Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $3,000,000 for each fiscal ¹ years 2019 through 2023, to remain available until expended.