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HB2730 • 2025

Establishes a beginning farmer and rancher incentive program in the State Department of Agriculture.

Establishes a beginning farmer and rancher incentive program in the State Department of Agriculture.

Agriculture
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Representative Boice,, Owens,, Scharf, Representative Boshart Davis,, Breese-Iverson,, Chotzen,, Diehl,, Elmer,, Evans,, Gamba,, Helfrich,, Helm,, Levy B,, Lively,, McDonald,, McIntire,, McLain,, Neron,, Osborne,, Pham H,, Smith G,, Walters,
Last action
2025-06-27
Official status
In House Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Establishes a beginning farmer and rancher incentive program in the State Department of Agriculture.

<b>Digest: The Act creates a new program to encourage beginning farmers and ranchers and creates a new fund for the program.

What This Bill Does

  • <b>Digest: The Act creates a new program to encourage beginning farmers and ranchers and creates a new fund for the program.
  • The Act goes into effect when the Governor signs it.
  • (Flesch Readability Score: 73.1).</b> [<i>Digest: The Act creates a new program to encourage beginning farmers and ranchers.
  • The Act creates a new fund for the program.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-27 House

    In committee upon adjournment.

  2. 2025-04-03 House

    Recommendation: Do pass with amendments, be printed A-Engrossed, and be referred to Ways and Means by prior reference.

  3. 2025-04-03 House

    Referred to Ways and Means by prior reference.

  4. 2025-03-31 House

    Work Session held.

  5. 2025-03-17 House

    Public Hearing held.

  6. 2025-01-17 House

    Referred to Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water with subsequent referral to Ways and Means.

  7. 2025-01-13 House

    First reading. Referred to Speaker's desk.

Official Summary Text

<b>Digest: The Act creates a new program to encourage beginning farmers and ranchers and creates a new fund for the program. The Act goes into effect when the Governor signs it. (Flesch Readability Score: 73.1).</b>
[<i>Digest: The Act creates a new program to encourage beginning farmers and ranchers. The Act creates a new fund for the program. (Flesch Readability Score: 79.3).</i>]
Establishes a beginning farmer and rancher incentive program in the State Department of Agriculture. Requires the department to establish types of incentives to provide to beginning farmers and ranchers.
Establishes the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Incentive Fund. Continuously appropriates moneys in the fund to the department for purposes of the incentive program. <b>Appropriates moneys for deposit into the fund.
<b>Declares an emergency, effective on passage.</b>
Relating to: Relating to incentives for beginning agricultural operators; declaring an emergency.
Current location: In House Committee

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
A-Engrossed
House Bill 2730
Ordered by the House April 3
Including House Amendments dated April 3
Sponsored by Representatives BOICE, OWENS, SCHARF; Representatives BOSHART DAVIS, DIEHL, HELM, LEVY
B, MCDONALD, MCINTIRE, MCLAIN (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability standards.
Digest: The Act creates a new program to encourage beginning farmers and ranchers and
creates a new fund for the program. The Act goes into effect when the Governor signs it.
(Flesch Readability Score: 73.1).
[Digest: The Act creates a new program to encourage beginning farmers and ranchers. The Act
creates a new fund for the program. (Flesch Readability Score: 79.3). ]
Establishes a beginning farmer and rancher incentive program in the State Department of Ag-
riculture. Requires the department to establish types of incentives to provide to beginning farmers
and ranchers.
Establishes the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Incentive Fund. Continuously appropriates
moneys in the fund to the department for purposes of the incentive program. Appropriates moneys
for deposit into the fund.
Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to incentives for beginning agricultural operators; and declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
(1) There is created in the State Department of Agriculture a beginning
farmer and rancher incentive program for the purpose of assisting beginning farmers and
ranchers in this state. The department shall prescribe by rule:
(a) Participant eligibility criteria, including the types of farmers and ranchers who may
participate in the program.
(b) The terms and conditions of participation in the program.
(c) The types of incentives that may be provided, including but not limited to:
(A) Loan repayment subsidies;
(B) Stipends; and
(C) Scholarships for students at institutions of higher education based in this state who
are enrolled in training programs aimed at preparing students to be farmers and ranchers,
if:
(i) The scholarship funds are distributed equitably among schools offering the training
programs, based on the percentage of Oregon students attending those schools; and
(ii) The maximum scholarship for each student does not exceed the highest resident tui-
tion rate at publicly funded farming or ranching training programs in this state.
(d) If the funds allocated to the program from the Beginning Farmer and Rancher In-
centive Fund established under section 2 of this 2025 Act are insufficient to provide assist-
ance to all of the applicants who are eligible to participate in the program, the priority for
NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 2766
A-Eng. HB 2730
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the distribution of funds.
(e) The financial penalties imposed on an individual who fails to comply with terms and
conditions of participation.
(2) The department may enter into contracts with one or more public or private entities
to administer the beginning farmer and rancher incentive program or parts of the program.
(3) The department shall decide no later than April 1 of each academic year the distrib-
ution of funds for scholarships that will be provided in the next academic year.
(4) The department may receive gifts, grants or contributions from any source, whether
public or private, to carry out the provisions of this section. Moneys received under this
subsection shall be deposited in the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Incentive Fund estab-
lished under section 2 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 2.
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Incentive Fund is established in the
State Treasury, separate and distinct from the General Fund. Interest earned by the Begin-
ning Farmer and Rancher Incentive Fund shall be credited to the fund. The fund consists
of moneys appropriated to the fund by the Legislative Assembly and gifts, grants or other
moneys contributed to the fund by any source, whether public or private. Moneys in the fund
are continuously appropriated to the State Department of Agriculture to carry out section
1 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 3.
There is appropriated to the State Department of Agriculture, for the
biennium beginning July 1, 2025, out of the General Fund, the amount of $400,000 for deposit
in the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Incentive Fund established by section 2 of this 2025
Act.
SECTION 4. This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
on its passage.
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