To provide for the political affairs authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 49 - 0.
Introduced:Sep 10, 2025
Primary Sponsor
Maria Elvira Salazar
Representative
Republican
FL-27
Cosponsors
10
Quick Stats
Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Summary
This bill establishes a national agricultural crisis hotline to provide mental health and other support services to farmers, ranchers, and their families. It also expands the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) program, which funds projects that connect agricultural workers to stress assistance resources.
Latest Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill establishes a national agricultural crisis hotline to provide mental health and other support services to farmers, ranchers, and their families. It also expands the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) program, which funds projects that connect agricultural workers to stress assistance resources.
Last updated: 12/29/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>National Agricultural Crisis Hotline Act of 2023</strong></p><p>This bill establishes a national agricultural crisis hotline. The bill also reauthorizes the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) Program through FY2028. (The FRSAN Program funds projects that aim to maintain a network connecting individuals engaged in farming, ranching, and other agriculture-related occupations to stress assistance programs.)</p><p>Specifically, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) must establish, and maintain directly or by grant or contract, a national agricultural crisis hotline as part of the FRSAN. The crisis hotline must provide emotional support, information, suicide crisis intervention, mental health and substance use disorder, and agricultural support resources to farmers, farm managers, farm workers, and ranchers affected by mental health and substance use disorders and their families or household members.</p><p>Under the program, USDA or an entity receiving a grant or contract must (1) form partnerships between the crisis hotline and existing farm telephone helplines and websites; and (2) develop, and periodically update, a directory of organizations to which hotline staff can make referrals.</p><p>The bill also includes requirements for</p><ul><li>the qualifications and training for the call responders and supervisors operating the hotline,</li><li>data collection by the hotline, and</li><li>conducting a public awareness campaign for the hotline. </li></ul><p>In addition, the bill expands the types of programs eligible for FRSAN grants to include mental health training for agriculture professionals (e.g., farm loan officers, extension agents, and state department of agriculture staff). </p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Creates a new national agricultural crisis hotline to offer emotional support, information, and referrals to mental health and substance use treatment for farmers, ranchers, and their families.
Reauthorizes the FRSAN program through 2028 to maintain a network of support services for agricultural workers.
Expands FRSAN eligibility to include mental health training for agricultural professionals like farm loan officers and extension agents.
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
This bill would directly benefit farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers by providing them and their families access to a 24/7 crisis hotline and expanding the network of available mental health and substance use resources. It aims to address the high rates of stress, depression, and suicide in the agriculture industry.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Related Subjects
Emergency communications systems
Employment and training programs
First responders and emergency personnel
Health care coverage and access
Mental health
Rural conditions and development
Telephone and wireless communication
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
5246, 119th Congress (2025). "To provide for the political affairs authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes.". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-5246
