OR HB2730

Creates a beginning farmer and rancher incentive program within the State Department of Agriculture to assist new agricultural operators through loan repayment subsidies, stipends, and scholarships for students in farming/ranching training programs

Establishes the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Incentive Fund in the State Treasury, separate from the General Fund, with continuous appropriation to the department for program purposes

Appropriates $400,000 from the General Fund for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, for deposit into the incentive fund

Requires scholarship funds to be distributed equitably among Oregon-based institutions based on Oregon student enrollment, with individual scholarships capped at the highest resident tuition rate at publicly funded farming programs

Declares an emergency, making the act effective immediately upon the Governor's signature