Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network Act of 2007

Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network Act of 2007 - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to: (1) direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network to provide behavioral health programs to participants in the agricultural sector in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; and (2) provide grants to states for Network pilot projects.

[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3751 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3751

 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish 
    and provide for the administration of the Farm and Ranch Stress 
                          Assistance Network.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 4, 2007

 Mr. Boswell introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish 
    and provide for the administration of the Farm and Ranch Stress 
                          Assistance Network.

    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 ``Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance 
Network Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) agriculture continues to be highly stressful, subject 
        to the vagaries of weather, changing market conditions, and 
        other factors beyond the control of agricultural producers;
            (2) the suicide rate of participants in the agricultural 
        sector is twice as high as the rate of the general population;
            (3) farmers, ranchers, farm workers, and their families, 
        and communities dependent on agriculture are twice as likely as 
        the general population to lack health insurance;
            (4) behavioral healthcare providers are less available in 
        agricultural regions; and
            (5) due to the factors described in paragraphs (1) through 
        (4), together with other factors, participants in the 
        agricultural sector constitute a health disparity group in need 
        of specialized behavioral health programs that are affordable, 
        available as needed, and culturally appropriate.

SEC. 3. FARM AND RANCH STRESS ASSISTANCE NETWORK.

    Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
U.S.C. 1981 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 379E. FARM AND RANCH STRESS ASSISTANCE NETWORK.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Corporation.--The term `Corporation' means 
        AgriWellness, Inc., a nonprofit organization.
            ``(2) Network.--The term `Network' means the Farm and Ranch 
        Stress Assistance Network established under subsection (b)(1).
    ``(b) Network.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--As soon as practicable after the date 
        of enactment of this section, the Secretary, in cooperation 
        with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall 
        establish a network, to be known as the `Farm and Ranch Stress 
        Assistance Network'.
            ``(2) Purpose.--The purpose of the Network shall be to 
        provide behavioral health programs to participants in the 
        agricultural sector in the States of--
                    ``(A) Iowa;
                    ``(B) Kansas;
                    ``(C) Minnesota;
                    ``(D) Nebraska;
                    ``(E) North Dakota;
                    ``(F) South Dakota; and
                    ``(G) Wisconsin.
            ``(3) Administration.--The Secretary shall offer to enter 
        into a contract with the Corporation under which the 
        Corporation, in consultation with the Secretary, shall 
        administer the Network.
    ``(c) Grant Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--In administering the Network, the 
        Corporation shall provide grants to States to carry out pilot 
        projects to achieve the purpose of the Network.
            ``(2) Term.--The term of a grant provided under this 
        subsection shall be 2 years.
            ``(3) Evaluation.--Not later than 2 years after the date on 
        which grants are provided under paragraph (1), the Corporation 
        shall provide for a comprehensive third-party evaluation of, 
        and submit to Congress a report describing the results of the 
        evaluation, the extent to which the purpose of the Network has 
        been achieved by each project that receives a grant under this 
        subsection.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section for 
each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.''.
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