Christopher Murphy (D-CT)
Student Loan Forgiveness for Farmers and Ranchers Act
A Democratic bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Student Loan Forgiveness for Farmers and Ranchers Act," aims to establish a student loan forgiveness plan for specific borrowers. It targets individuals employed at qualified farms or ranches that have a specific farm number on file. To qualify, borrowers must meet certain employment and demographic criteria, such as being a beginning farmer, a veteran, or part of an underrepresented population. The program requires making 120 monthly payments while maintaining specific employment status. If requirements are met, the Secretary will cancel the remaining balance of interest and principal on eligible Federal Direct Loans.
Yes· 3 of 12
- Scored +7
Would farmers be better off under this?
The bill provides significant financial incentives for beginning farmers and ranchers through loan cancellation.
- Scored +7
Does this reduce what student borrowers owe or repay?
The bill establishes a mechanism for the cancellation of existing student loan balances after a period of qualifying employment.
- Scored +6
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill creates a specific path for veteran farmers and ranchers to have their student loans forgiven.
The opposite
- Scored -4
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill directs the cancellation of principal and interest on federal student loans, which reduces federal revenue.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Student Loan Forgiveness: The Secretary will cancel the remaining balance of principal and interest on eligible Federal Direct Loans after the specified employment period is completed (Section 2(b) and 2(c)).
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Support for Diverse Agricultural Workers: The bill targets specific groups for assistance, including beginning farmers or ranchers, individuals from underrepresented populations such as minorities or women, socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, and veteran farmers or ranchers (Section 2(b)(1)(B)).
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Flexibility for Specific Employment Types: The plan provides benefits for those working as farmers or ranchers, as well as those serving as full-time employees or managers of a qualified farm or ranch (Section 2(b)(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Strict Employment Requirements: To keep the forgiveness, borrowers must maintain full-time employment as an employee or manager of a qualified farm or ranch; failure to do so can result in being removed from the program (Section 2(b)(3) and 2(d)(1)).
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Risk of Program Removal: If a borrower was under 40 when they entered the program, they can be removed if they fail to maintain full-time employment for more than 7 cumulative years; those 40 or older face removal if they fail to maintain employment for more than 3 cumulative years (Section 2(d)(1)).
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Difficult Readmission: Once a borrower is removed from the program due to employment gaps, they are prohibited from being readmitted unless the Secretary finds exceptional circumstances (Section 2(d)(3)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill provides significant financial incentives for beginning farmers and ranchers through loan cancellation. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill creates a specific path for veteran farmers and ranchers to have their student loans forgiven. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The bill includes minorities in its target demographics for loan forgiveness. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The bill includes minorities in its target demographics for loan forgiveness. Would women be better off under this? — The bill explicitly includes women as an underrepresented population eligible for loan forgiveness. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The bill provides significant debt relief for young professionals entering the agricultural workforce. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The loan forgiveness program provides direct financial relief to borrowers with student debt.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated? — The bill includes women in the definition of underrepresented populations eligible for the loan forgiveness program. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill explicitly targets individuals from underrepresented populations, including minorities, for loan forgiveness.
- Education And Technology
- Does this reduce what student borrowers owe or repay? — The bill establishes a mechanism for the cancellation of existing student loan balances after a period of qualifying employment.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill provides a pathway to student loan forgiveness for veteran farmers and ranchers.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill incentivizes workforce retention in the agricultural sector which supports rural communities.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill directs the cancellation of principal and interest on federal student loans, which reduces federal revenue.
- 9/14/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat · Wisconsin
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota