[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1189 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1189
To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to
establish a competitive grant program under which the Secretary of
Agriculture provides grants to land-grant colleges and universities to
support agricultural producers in adopting conservation and innovative
climate practices, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 15, 2021
Mr. Young (for himself, Ms. Smith, Mr. Braun, and Mr. Schatz)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to
establish a competitive grant program under which the Secretary of
Agriculture provides grants to land-grant colleges and universities to
support agricultural producers in adopting conservation and innovative
climate practices, 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 ``Conservation and Innovative Climate
Partnership Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. CONSERVATION AND INNOVATIVE CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP COMPETITIVE
GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Subtitle H of title XVI of the Food, Agriculture,
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 is amended by inserting after
section 1672 (7 U.S.C. 5925) the following:
``SEC. 1672A. CONSERVATION AND INNOVATIVE CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP
COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) 1862 institution; 1890 institution.--The terms `1862
Institution' and `1890 Institution' have the meanings given
those terms in section 2 of the Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601).
``(2) 1994 institution.--The term `1994 Institution' has
the meaning given the term in section 532 of the Equity in
Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note;
Public Law 103-382).
``(3) Conservation practice.--The term `conservation
practice' means a practice--
``(A) that may include any or a combination of--
``(i) carbon retention or carbon
sequestration cropping practices;
``(ii) resource conserving crop rotation;
``(iii) alley cropping;
``(iv) integrated livestock-crop systems;
``(v) advanced grazing management;
``(vi) improved forestry or agroforestry
management;
``(vii) the insertion of buffers or
saturated buffers; or
``(viii) any other practice that an
eligible institution carrying out a project
under the program determines to be appropriate;
and
``(B) the purpose of which is to increase overall
sustainability on farmland or ranch land through--
``(i) improved soil health and tilth;
``(ii) improved water quality, quantity,
and management;
``(iii) improved nutrient management;
``(iv) reduction in tillage; or
``(v) wildlife promotion and maintenance.
``(4) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible
institution' means--
``(A) an 1862 Institution;
``(B) an 1890 Institution; and
``(C) a 1994 Institution.
``(5) Innovative climate practice.--The term `innovative
climate practice' means a practice, including any practice that
an eligible institution carrying out a project under the
program determines to be appropriate, that results in--
``(A) a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,
including carbon dioxide, methane, sulfur dioxide, and
nitrous oxide;
``(B) carbon sequestration;
``(C) soil health improvement; or
``(D) reduced exposure to climate-related risk.
``(6) Program.--The term `program' means the competitive
grant program established under subsection (b).
``(7) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
``(b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a program to
provide competitive grants pursuant to section 3(d) of the Smith-Lever
Act (7 U.S.C. 343(d)) to eligible institutions to carry out projects to
increase the voluntary adoption of conservation practices and
innovative climate practices through public awareness campaigns,
workshops, and specialized technical assistance.
``(c) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the
program, an eligible institution shall submit to the Secretary an
application, including a demonstration that the applicant will--
``(1) increase interaction with local agricultural
producers by a rate of not less than 25 percent above the
outreach rate before the implementation of the project under
the program;
``(2) assist agricultural producers in implementing new
conservation practices or innovative climate practices on farms
or edges of fields, improving existing conservation practices
or innovative climate practices on farms or edges of fields, or
any combination thereof; and
``(3) assist agricultural producers in implementing a
combination of conservation practices or innovative climate
practices that contribute to--
``(A) the overall improvement of conservation; or
``(B) a decrease in, or sequestration of,
greenhouse gas emissions.
``(d) Partnerships.--An eligible institution shall carry out a
project using a grant under the program in partnership with not fewer
than 1 other entity, which may include--
``(1) a nonprofit organization;
``(2) a State entity;
``(3) the Natural Resources Conservation Service;
``(4) an 1862 Institution;
``(5) an 1890 Institution;
``(6) a 1994 Institution; or
``(7) any combination thereof.
``(e) Maximum Amount.--The amount of a grant under the program
shall be not more than $400,000.
``(f) Use of Funds.--An eligible institution may use a grant under
the program--
``(1) to support agricultural producers in implementing a
conservation practice or an innovative climate practice;
``(2) subject to subsection (g), for additional staffing at
the eligible institution to assist in carrying out a project
using the grant;
``(3) to conduct workshops for agricultural producers, and
develop and distribute digital and hard-copy materials directly
to agricultural producers, that provide clear directions for
accessing technical assistance for adopting conservation
practices and innovative climate practices; and
``(4) for soil testing and the measuring of other
indicators of the effectiveness of conservation practices and
innovative climate practices.
``(g) Limitation on Administrative Expenses.--An eligible
institution may use not more than 30 percent of the amount of a grant
under the program for administrative expenses.
``(h) Duration.--A grant provided under the program shall be for
such period as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, but not less
than 4 years.
``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to provide grants under the program pursuant to section
3(d) of the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 343(d)) $13,000,000 for each
fiscal year.''.
(b) Eligibility of 1994 Institutions.--Section 3(d) of the Smith-
Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 343(d)) is amended, in the third sentence--
(1) by striking ``program and'' and inserting ``program,'';
and
(2) by inserting ``, and the conservation and innovative
climate partnership competitive grant program established under
section 1672A of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade
Act of 1990'' before the period at the end.
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