Heirs Education and Investment to Resolve Succession of Property Act
Sponsored By: Representative Bishop
Introduced
Summary
Resolve ownership and succession disputes on family farmland and forest land. This bill would reauthorize and expand the USDA Heirs Property Intermediary Relending Program through 2031 and create cooperative agreements to give free legal and accounting help to underserved heirs so they can clear title, keep land in production, and access USDA programs.
Show full summary
- Families and heirs: Underserved heirs with undivided interests would get free legal or accounting services to resolve claims, transition land to or keep it in agricultural production, and meet ownership rules for USDA programs. The bill also allows limited help to some non-underserved heirs who plan to enroll land in a USDA program.
- Nonprofit service providers: Eligible nonprofits with experience in heirs property can get cooperative agreements up to 4 years, may renew if needed, must report progress, and risk termination for failure to demonstrate success.
- USDA reporting and data: The Secretary would provide annual progress reports to Congress and the bill extends the deadline for collecting land access and farmland ownership data to 2031.
*It would authorize $60 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, with up to 3 percent for administrative costs, thereby increasing federal spending.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Free legal help for heirs
If enacted, underserved heirs who hold an undivided share of multi-owner farmland or forest land would be able to get free legal or accounting help. The Secretary would make cooperative agreements with nonprofit groups that have experience resolving heirs property and succession disputes. Help would generally run up to 4 years per agreement, and the Secretary could renew agreements if ownership is still unresolved, but extra funding past the first term would not be guaranteed. The bill would authorize $60 million each year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 and limit admin costs to 3 percent. The Secretary would also have to report to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees within 1 year and every year after.
Annual relending program reports
If enacted, the Secretary would have to report every year on the heirs property intermediary relending program instead of reporting just once. The bill would also change a date in that law from 2023 to 2031 to extend the related statutory timeline.
Delay land access data deadline
If enacted, the deadline for USDA to collect land access and farmland ownership data would move from 2023 to 2031. This change affects when the government must gather data, but it does not itself change who gets program benefits.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Bishop
GA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Scott, Austin [R-GA-8]
GA • R
Sponsored 3/3/2026
Davis (NC)
NC • D
Sponsored 3/3/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov