A bill put forward by U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick in the House of Representatives is designed to expand federal aid and program access for socially disadvantaged women in agriculture, according to the U.S. Congress.
H.R.8042 was introduced March 24, 2026, during the 119th Congress’ regular session. The following outline is based on the official text of the bill and contains language to clarify its aims where needed.
This legislation proposes to amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, focusing on outreach and support for socially disadvantaged women farmers and ranchers. It updates existing laws, notably expanding outreach to include nonprofit groups serving women. Appropriations are designated to ensure at least 10% of available federal funds each fiscal year from 2021 through 2031 directly support programs targeting these women. This approach intends to address the specific barriers faced by socially disadvantaged female agricultural producers.
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla., 20th District) sponsored the bill, joined by co-sponsors Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Fla., 26th District), Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson (D-Fla., 1st District), and Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Fla., 6th District).
Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick has put forward 13 additional bills since the current session’s start.
Congressional bills may originate either in the House of Representatives or Senate, aside from revenue bills, which begin in the House. After a bill is introduced, it goes through committee referral, hearings, amendments, and debate before it is eligible for votes in both chambers. If both the House and Senate pass matching versions, the bill is sent to the president, who can sign or veto it. Each Congress lasts two years, is numbered sequentially, and split into two annual sessions. The U.S. Congress staffs and maintains records of all legislation and progress through Congress.gov.
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick serves as a representative from Florida, elected as a Democrat to the 117th Congress after a special election for the seat left vacant by Alcee Lamar Hastings’ death. She earned a B.A. from Howard University in 2001 and a J.D. from St. Thomas University School of Law in 2010, and also attended the University of Maryland Global Campus between 2005 and 2007.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| H.R.8042 | 03/24/2026 | Empowering Women in Agriculture Act |
| H.R.7899 | 03/12/2026 | Respect for Essential Workers Act |
| H.R.7820 | 03/05/2026 | To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the rules for investments in qualified opportunity funds, and for other purposes. |
| H.R.6564 | 12/10/2025 | Historically Underserved Veterans Inclusion Act of 2025 |
| H.R.5676 | 10/03/2025 | Stop Stealing Our Jobs Act |
| H.R.5110 | 09/03/2025 | Federal Disaster Housing Stability Act of 2025 |
| H.R.4586 | 07/22/2025 | AIDA |
| H.R.3752 | 06/05/2025 | Specialist Fourth Class Keith Smith Glioblastoma Parity Act of 2025 |
| H.R.3489 | 05/19/2025 | Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Physicist Pay Cap Relief Act |
| H.R.2927 | 04/17/2025 | All-Americans Tax Relief Act of 2025 |
| H.R.2826 | 04/10/2025 | CAST Act |
| H.R.2494 | 03/31/2025 | To direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to annually submit to the Congress a report that analyzes State and local strategies, activities, and plans that promote affordable housing, and for other purposes. |
| H.R.1597 | 02/26/2025 | Compassion for Vulnerable and Struggling Workers Act |
| H.R.1114 | 02/07/2025 | L’Ouverture Economic Development Plan for Haiti Act of 2025 |
Details in this report were obtained from the U.S. Congress. The original data is available here.
