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To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on ways to increase opportunities for 1890 Institutions to conduct educational programs and provide technical assistance with respect to issues relating to the transfer of agricultural land and assets, including heirs property, to the next generation of farmers and ranchers, and for other purposes.
Summary
HR 8502, the HARVEST Act, directs the Secretary of Agriculture to study and report to Congress on ways to expand opportunities for 1890 Institutions (historically black land-grant colleges and universities) to provide educational programs and technical assistance regarding the transfer of agricultural land and assets to the next generation of farmers and ranchers. The bill specifically addresses issues related to heirs property, which is real property held in family tenancy without a recorded agreement governing partition. The Secretary must submit the report to Congress by September 30, 2026.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
3 cosponsors
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Shomari Figures’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- NULL $50,975
- CUNNINGHAM BOUNDS LLC $42,900
- BALL HEALTHCARE SERVICES $13,200
- BCBSAL $9,900
- KDF STRATEGIES $9,900
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Shomari Figures → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Apr 27, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. · house
- Apr 27, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 27, 2026
Mr. Figures (for himself, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Sewell, and Mrs. Beatty) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on ways to increase opportunities for 1890 Institutions to conduct educational programs and provide technical assistance with respect to issues relating to the transfer of agricultural land and assets, including heirs property, to the next generation of farmers and ranchers, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Heirs’ Agricultural Resources, Viability, Education, and Succession Transfer” or the “HARVEST Act”.
SEC. 2. STUDY ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH RESPECT TO TRANSFER OF AGRICULTURAL LAND AND ASSETS.
(a) In General.—Not later than September 30, 2026, the Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct a study on, and submit to Congress a report on, ways to increase opportunities for 1890 Institutions (as defined in section 2 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601)) to conduct educational programs and provide technical assistance with respect to issues relating to the transfer of agricultural land and assets, including heirs property, to the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
(b) Heirs Property Defined.—In this section, the term “heirs property” means real property held in tenancy in common which, as of the date on which a partition action is filed, satisfies all of the following requirements:
(1) There is no recorded agreement binding all the co- tenants which governs the partition of the property.
(2) One or more of the co-tenants acquired title from a relative, whether living or deceased.
(3) Any of the following applies:
(A) 20 percent or more of the interests are held by co-tenants who are relatives.
(B) 20 percent or more of the interests are held by an individual who acquired title from a relative, whether living or deceased.
(C) 20 percent or more of the co-tenants are relatives. <all>
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