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National Agricultural Crisis Hotline Act of 2024
3/5/2024, 5:13 AM
Summary of Bill S 3761
The bill outlines the responsibilities of the hotline, including providing information on mental health services, financial assistance programs, and other resources available to farmers and ranchers. It also requires the hotline to be staffed by individuals trained in crisis intervention and knowledgeable about the unique challenges facing those in the agricultural industry.
Additionally, the bill calls for the establishment of a grant program to support organizations that provide assistance to farmers and ranchers in crisis. These grants would be used to expand services, increase outreach efforts, and improve access to resources for those in need. Overall, the National Agricultural Crisis Hotline Act of 2024 aims to address the growing mental health and financial challenges facing farmers and ranchers across the country. By providing a centralized resource for those in crisis, the bill seeks to improve the well-being and resilience of the agricultural community.
Congressional Summary of S 3761
National Agricultural Crisis Hotline Act of 2024
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.)
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.
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.
The bill also includes requirements for
- the qualifications and training for the call responders and supervisors operating the hotline,
- data collection by the hotline, and
- conducting a public awareness campaign for the hotline.
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).
