[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2606 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 259
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2606
[Report No. 117-345]
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 with respect to the acceptance
and use of contributions for public-private partnerships, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 15, 2021
Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. Feenstra, Mr. Johnson of
South Dakota, Mr. Baird, and Mr. Crawford) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
June 3, 2022
Additional sponsors: Ms. Stefanik and Mr. Bacon
June 3, 2022
Reported from the Committee on Agriculture; committed to the Committee
of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 with respect to the acceptance
and use of contributions for public-private partnerships, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Sponsoring USDA Sustainability
Targets in Agriculture to Incentivize Natural Solutions Act of 2021'',
or the ``SUSTAINS Act''.
SEC. 2. ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF CONTRIBUTIONS FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS.
Section 1241(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3841(f)) is amended--
(1) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``for Public-
Private Partnerships'' after ``Contributions'';
(2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) Authority to establish public-private partnership
contributions accounts.--The Secretary, acting through the
Natural Resources Conservation Service, may establish a sub-
account for each covered program to accept contributions of
non-Federal funds for the purposes of addressing the changing
climate, sequestering carbon, improving wildlife habitat,
protecting sources of drinking water, and addressing other
natural resource priorities identified by the Secretary.'';
(3) in paragraph (2), by striking ``a conservation program
administered by the Secretary under subtitle D'' and inserting
``a covered program''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Match of contributed funds.--The Secretary may
provide matching funds for contributions received under this
subsection, subject to the availability of funding under
subsection (a) for the applicable covered program.
``(4) Role of contributing entity.--
``(A) In general.--An entity contributing funds
under this subsection may--
``(i) designate the covered program for
which the contributed funds are intended to be
used; and
``(ii) specify the geographic area in which
the contributed funds are intended to be used.
``(B) Significant contributions.--The Secretary
shall establish a procedure under which an entity
making a significant contribution may--
``(i) identify a natural resource concern
the contributed funds are to be used to
address; and
``(ii) have the name or brand of the
individual or entity associated with the use of
the contributed funds.
``(5) Producer participation.--
``(A) Priority.--In selecting producers to carry
out, through a covered program, an activity funded
pursuant to this subsection, the Secretary shall give
priority to--
``(i) socially disadvantaged farmers or
ranchers, as defined in section 355(e) of the
Agricultural Act of 1961 (7 U.S.C. 2003);
``(ii) limited resource farmers or
ranchers, as determined by the Secretary; and
``(iii) beginning farmers or ranchers.
``(B) Sale of ecosystem benefits.--If an activity
funded pursuant to this section may result in
environmental services benefits to be sold through an
environmental services market, the producer carrying
out the activity and the entity that contributed the
applicable funds shall negotiate a mutually beneficial
sale of such benefits.
``(6) Rules for easements.--An easement funded pursuant to
this subsection shall be subject to the requirements of the
covered program for which the contributed funds were used,
except that the Secretary may modify such requirements, as they
apply to the easement, for the purpose of addressing climate
change, as the Secretary determines appropriate.
``(7) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Covered program.--The term `covered program'
means a program carried out by the Secretary under--
``(i) subtitle D, subtitle H, or subtitle
I;
``(ii) section 403 of the Agricultural
Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2203);
``(iii) title V of the Healthy Forests
Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6571 et
seq.); or
``(iv) the Watershed Protection and Flood
Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), except
for any program established by the Secretary to
carry out section 14 of such Act (16 U.S.C.
1012).
``(B) Significant contribution.--The term
`significant contribution' means a contribution under
this subsection of at least a minimum dollar amount
established by the Secretary.''.
Union Calendar No. 259
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 2606
[Report No. 117-345]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 with respect to the acceptance
and use of contributions for public-private partnerships, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
June 3, 2022
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union
and ordered to be printed