Support for Ownership and Investment in Land Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Don Bacon

Establishes a USDA pilot to speed up qualification and approval of direct and guaranteed farm ownership loans through expedited underwriting and lender coordination.

Introduced in House

Purpose and intent

HR 8472 proposes to establish a pilot program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to accelerate the qualification and approval process for two categories of farm ownership loans:

Direct farm ownership loans
Guaranteed farm ownership loans serviced by a Preferred Certified Lender

The goal is to reduce processing time and streamline eligibility and loan approval, thereby facilitating quicker access to farm ownership for eligible applicants.

Key provisions and changes

Pilot program structure: Establishes a defined, time-limited pilot within USDA to test an expedited process for qualifying and approving certain farm ownership loan applications.

Direct loan streamlining: Applies expedited procedures specifically to direct farm ownership loans, potentially shortening underwriting, credit review, and approval timelines for qualifying applicants.

Guaranteed loan streamlining: Extends expedited processes to guaranteed farm ownership loans that are serviced by lenders designated as Preferred Certified Lenders. This implies enhanced coordination between USDA and these lenders to speed up approvals.

Lender participation: Creates or designates a subset of lenders as Preferred Certified Lenders responsible for servicing guaranteed loans under the pilot, with criteria to qualify for that status (implied but not detailed in the summary).

Oversight and evaluation: The pilot would likely include reporting, performance metrics, and a sunset or evaluation mechanism to determine whether the expedited process should be expanded, modified, or terminated.

Funding and authorities: The bill would authorize or appropriate funds to implement the pilot and support administrative activities, though specific dollar amounts are not provided in the summary.

Who would be affected

Farm ownership loan applicants: Individuals seeking direct farm ownership loans would be affected through faster qualification and approval timelines.

Lenders: Direct lenders and Preferred Certified Lenders participating in guaranteed loan programs would experience changes in processes, eligibility alignment, and potential oversight requirements.

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA): The agency would implement, manage, and monitor the pilot, including process changes, coordination with lenders, and data collection for evaluation.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Referral and introduction: The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the House Committee on Agriculture on April 23, 2026.

Pilot duration: The text indicates a pilot program, implying a defined period for implementation and assessment; specific duration is not stated in the summary.

Evaluation: Likely includes performance reviews and a recommendation framework to inform potential expansion or modification, though exact metrics are not enumerated in the summary.

Additional notes

The bill has a sponsor and at least one co-sponsor (Don Bacon), signaling bipartisan or cross-partisan interest in accelerating access to farm ownership through USDA loan programs.

As a pilot, outcomes would guide future policy decisions about broader adoption of expedited processes.

This summary focuses on the bill’s substantive intent and anticipated impact based on the available information. For a complete understanding, reviewing the full text, fiscal notes, and legislative analysis once released would be advisable.

Bill