Congress·In Committee·S. 3936
USDA Loan Modernization Act
USDA Loans: Expanding Eligibility for Farmers
Legislative Progress
Senate
Key Points
- This bill makes it easier for farmers to get federal loans by lowering the required ownership stake. Currently, a person or group usually needs to own more than half of a farm to qualify for certain USDA loans, but this change would allow those with exactly 50% ownership to apply.
- It expands who can get help with buying land, running daily operations, or recovering from emergencies. This includes 'operating-only' businesses where the person running the farm owns at least half of the company, even if they do not own all the land themselves.
- The plan also helps family farms that use complex business structures. If a farm is owned by a group of smaller companies, they can still get loans as long as 75% of the business is owned by the people actually doing the farming work.
- By updating these rules, the bill aims to reflect how modern farms are organized. Many family farms today use different legal setups for taxes or inheritance, and these changes ensure those farmers are not locked out of government support programs.
Impact Analysis
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Milestones
2 milestones2 actions
Feb 26, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Feb 26, 2026
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
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Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
USDA Loan Modernization Act
Bill NumberS 3936
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(1)R: 1
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.