[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7076 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7076
To promote innovative practices for soil health through USDA
conservation programs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 25, 2024
Mr. Beyer (for himself, Mr. Lawler, and Ms. Pingree) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To promote innovative practices for soil health through USDA
conservation programs, 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 ``Innovative Practices for Soil Health
Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--Section 1240A of the Food Security Act of 1985
(16 U.S.C. 3839aa-1) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (6)(B)--
(A) in clause (v), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) by redesignating clause (vi) as clause (vii);
and
(C) by inserting after clause (v) the following:
``(vi) greenhouse gas emissions reduction
planning; and'';
(2) in paragraph (7), in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by striking ``natural resource concern or problem'' and
inserting ``resource concern'';
(3) by redesignating paragraphs (9) and (10) as paragraphs
(10) and (11), respectively; and
(4) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following:
``(9) Resource concern.--The term `resource concern' means
a natural resource condition of the soil, water, air, plant,
animal, or energy resource base that impairs the sustainability
or intended uses of the resource.''.
(b) On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials.--Section
1240H(c)(1)(B)(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-
8(c)(1)(B)(i)) is amended--
(1) in subclause (II), by inserting ``on-farm nutrient
recycling,'' after ``plans,'';
(2) in subclause (VI), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(VII) perennial production
systems, including agroforestry and
perennial forages and grain crops;
and''.
SEC. 3. CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--Section 1240I of the Food Security Act of 1985
(16 U.S.C. 3839aa-21) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting
``enhancements,'' after ``practices,''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B)(v), by inserting ``and
climate change'' before the period at the end;
(2) in paragraph (3)(C), by inserting ``maintained,
actively'' after ``implemented,'';
(3) in paragraph (5), in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by striking ``natural resource concern or problem'' and
inserting ``resource concern'';
(4) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8); and
(5) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
``(7) Resource concern.--The term `resource concern' means
a natural resource condition of the soil, water, air, plant,
animal, or energy resource base that impairs the sustainability
or intended uses of the resource.''.
(b) Conservation Stewardship Program.--Section 1240J(a) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-22(a)) is amended by striking
paragraphs (1) and (2) and inserting the following:
``(1) by maintaining, actively managing, and, where
practicable, improving existing conservation activities; and
``(2) by undertaking additional conservation activities.''.
(c) Stewardship Contracts.--
(1) Submission of contract offers.--Section 1240K(a)(2)(B)
of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-23(a)(2)(B))
is amended by striking ``improving, maintaining, and managing''
and inserting ``maintaining, actively managing, and, where
practicable, improving''.
(2) Evaluation of contract offers.--Section 1240K(b) of the
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-23(b)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking clause (iii)
and inserting the following:
``(iii) other criteria consistent with an
equal weighting of the factors described in
clauses (i) and (ii), as determined by the
Secretary, including criteria the Secretary
determines are necessary to ensure that--
``(I) the program effectively
targets improvements to soil health,
increases in carbon sequestration, and
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions;
and
``(II) other national, State, and
local priority resource concerns are
effectively addressed.''; and
(B) by striking paragraph (3).
(3) Contract renewal.--Section 1240K(e) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-23(e)) is amended to
read as follows:
``(e) Contract Renewal.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary may provide the producer
an opportunity to renew an existing contract in the first half
of the fifth year of the contract period if the producer--
``(A) demonstrates compliance with the terms of the
existing contract;
``(B) agrees to adopt and continue to integrate new
or improved conservation activities across the entire
agricultural operation, demonstrating continued
improvement during the additional 5-year period, as
determined by the Secretary; and
``(C) agrees, by the end of the contract period, to
meet the stewardship threshold of at least 2 additional
priority resource concerns on the agricultural
operation, if applicable.
``(2) Ranking and payments.--In determining whether to
accept an application for contract renewal under this
subsection, and when calculating payments for those renewed
contracts, the Secretary shall consider the full conservation
benefits across the entire applicable agricultural operation,
including--
``(A) the number of priority resource concerns with
respect to which the producer is expected to meet or
exceed the stewardship threshold by the end of the
contract period; and
``(B) the active management and maintenance of
ongoing conservation activities, including--
``(i) the conservation activities adopted
during a prior contract period; and
``(ii) the new or improved conservation
activities to be adopted if a contract is
renewed.''.
(d) Duties of the Secretary.--
(1) Conservation stewardship payments.--Section 1240L(c) of
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-24(c)) is
amended--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``on
1 or more types of eligible land covered by the
contract'' after ``activities''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking
``improving, maintaining, and managing'' and
inserting ``maintaining, actively managing, and
improving''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) by striking subparagraph (B) and
inserting the following:
``(B) Income forgone by the producer, including
amounts that reflect--
``(i) increased economic risk; and
``(ii) loss in revenue due to--
``(I) production changes;
``(II) anticipated reductions in
yield;
``(III) transitioning to an
organic, resource-conserving cropping
or grazing, or perennial production
system; or
``(IV) acreage converted to
conservation uses.''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (E), by inserting ``,
actively managed, and, where applicable,
improved'' after ``maintained''.
(2) Supplemental payments.--Section 1240L(d) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-24(d)) is amended--
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``,
Perennial Production Systems,'' after ``Rotations'';
(B) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as
subparagraph (D); and
(ii) by inserting after subparagraph (B)
the following:
``(C) Perennial production system.--The term
`perennial production system' means--
``(i) the use of cropland for agroforestry,
including alley cropping, silvopasture, and
related production practices, as determined by
the Secretary;
``(ii) the use of woodland for
agroforestry, including forest farming,
multistory cropping, and related production
practices, as determined by the Secretary; and
``(iii) the use of cropland for perennial
forages or perennial grain crops.'';
(C) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``or''
at the end;
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking the
period at the end and inserting ``; or''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) a perennial production system.''; and
(D) in paragraph (3), by striking ``or advanced
grazing management'' and inserting ``, advanced grazing
management, or a perennial production system''.
(3) Soil health.--Section 1240L(k) of the Food Security Act
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-24(k)) is amended by striking the
period at the end and inserting the following: ``, including
by--
``(1) conducting outreach to encourage the use of contracts
to improve soil health and sequester carbon in the soil; and
``(2) offering payments for soil testing to provide
producers and the Secretary with information on the soil health
and carbon sequestration impacts of conservation activities.''.
SEC. 4. FUNDING AND ADMINISTRATION.
Section 1242 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(2)--
(A) by inserting ``an individual,'' before ``a
commercial entity'';
(B) by striking ``State or local'' and inserting
``State, local, or Tribal''; and
(C) by striking ``nutrient management planning,''
and inserting ``soil health planning, greenhouse gas
emissions reduction planning, nutrient management
planning, integrated pest management planning,
agroforestry planning, organic transition planning,'';
(2) in subsection (e)--
(A) in paragraph (3)(A)--
(i) by inserting ``individuals,'' before
``commercial entities,''; and
(ii) by striking ``State or local'' and
inserting ``State, local, or Tribal''; and
(B) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``or organic''
after ``sustainability''; and
(3) in subsection (i)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting
``Perennial Agriculture System,'' after ``Organic,'';
and
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``a perennial
agriculture system,'' after ``production,'' each place
it appears.
SEC. 5. NATIONAL AND REGIONAL AGROFORESTRY CENTERS.
Section 1243 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act
of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 1642 note; Public Law 101-624) is amended--
(1) by striking the section heading and inserting
``national and regional agroforestry centers'';
(2) by redesignating subsections (b), (c), and (d) as
subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively;
(3) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
``(a) Definition of Agroforestry.--In this section, the term
`agroforestry' means a management system that intentionally integrates
trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to build more
profitable and weather-resilient farms, ranches, and communities,
address natural resource concerns and conservation needs, and establish
productive and sustainable land use practices, including--
``(1) riparian forest buffers;
``(2) alley cropping;
``(3) silvopasture;
``(4) forest farming and multistory cropping; and
``(5) windbreaks, shelterbelts, hedgerows, field borders,
and living snow fences.
``(b) National and Regional Agroforestry Centers.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Agriculture (referred
to in this section as the `Secretary')--
``(A) shall establish at the Forestry Sciences
Laboratory of the Forest Service, in Lincoln, Nebraska,
a National Agroforestry Research, Development, and
Demonstration Center; and
``(B) acting through the Chief of the Forest
Service and in cooperation with the Natural Resources
Conservation Service, shall establish not fewer than 3
additional regional agroforestry centers at other
locations, as determined by the Secretary.
``(2) National and regional directors.--The Secretary,
acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, in coordination
with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, shall appoint
a National Director and Regional Directors to manage and
coordinate the program established under subsection (c).'';
(4) in subsection (c) (as so redesignated)--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``Center'' and inserting
``Centers established under subparagraphs (A)
and (B) of subsection (b)(1) (referred to in
this section as the `Centers')''; and
(ii) by inserting ``and organizations''
after ``nonprofit foundations'';
(B) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``on semiarid lands that''
and inserting ``that build soil health and'';
and
(ii) by inserting ``, including
agroforestry systems on semiarid land and other
fragile agroecosystems where woody perennial
plant communities can enhance carbon
sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions'' before the semicolon;
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``forestry
products for commercial sale from semiarid land'' and
inserting ``agroforestry products for commercial
sale'';
(D) in paragraph (4)--
(i) by striking ``in semiarid regions'';
and
(ii) by striking ``the Great Plains
region'' and inserting ``particular regions'';
(E) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``technical
assistance and'' before ``technology'';
(F) by striking paragraph (6) and inserting the
following:
``(6) develop improved silvopasture, alley cropping, forest
farming, multistory cropping, riparian buffer, windbreak and
shelterbelt, and other perennial production and conservation
systems and technologies to improve soil health, carbon
sequestration, drought preparedness, soil and water
conservation, environmental quality, and biological
diversity;'';
(G) in paragraph (7), by striking ``on semiarid
lands'';
(H) in paragraph (8), by striking ``on semiarid
lands worldwide'' and inserting ``worldwide, including
on semiarid land''; and
(I) in paragraph (9)--
(i) by striking ``on semiarid lands''; and
(ii) by inserting ``and climate change''
after ``pollution'';
(5) in subsection (d) (as so redesignated)--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by
striking ``Center'' and inserting ``Centers'';
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) facilitate agroforestry adoption by disseminating
comprehensive information on Federal, State, local, and Tribal
programs that provide support for agroforestry.''; and
(6) by amending subsection (e) (as so redesignated) to read
as follows:
``(e) Grants.--The Secretary may establish regional grant programs
at each of the Centers to support agroforestry projects, including
demonstration farms.''.
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