[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1592 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1592

To limit USDA funding for ground-mounted solar energy systems, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 2025

 Mr. Bost (for himself, Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, Mr. Finstad, and 
 Mr. Taylor) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To limit USDA funding for ground-mounted solar energy systems, 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 ``Securing Our Lands and Resources 
Act'' or the ``SOLAR Act''.

SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON USDA FUNDING FOR GROUND-MOUNTED SOLAR ENERGY 
              SYSTEMS.

    (a) Definitions.--
            (1) Conversion.--The term ``conversion'' means, with 
        respect to covered farmland, any activity that results in the 
        covered farmland failing to meet the requirements of a State 
        (defined in section 343 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
        Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991)) for agricultural production, 
        activity, or use.
            (2) Covered farmland.--The term ``covered farmland'' means 
        farmland, as defined in section 1540(c)(1) of the Farmland 
        Protection Policy Act (7 U.S.C. 4201(c)(1)).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
    (b) In General.--The Secretary may not provide financial assistance 
for a project that would result in the conversion of covered farmland 
for solar energy production.
    (c) Exception.--Subsection (b) shall not apply to a project if the 
project--
            (1) results in the conversion of less than 5 acres of 
        covered farmland;
            (2) results in the conversion of less than 50 acres of 
        covered farmland, and the majority of the energy produced by 
        the project is for on-farm use; or
            (3) has received a resolution of approval or support, or 
        other similar instrument from each county and municipality in 
        which the project is sited.
    (d) Covered Farmland Protection.--
            (1) Farmland conservation plan required.--A person who has 
        applied to the Secretary for financial assistance for a project 
        referred to in subsection (c)(3) shall--
                    (A) develop a farmland conservation plan for the 
                project to--
                            (i) implement best practices to protect 
                        future soil health and productivity, and 
                        mitigate soil erosion, compaction, and other 
                        effects of solar energy production during 
                        construction, operation, and decommissioning; 
                        and
                            (ii) remediate and restore the soil health 
                        of the farmland to that of the farmland before 
                        the solar energy production project 
                        construction; and
                    (B) ensure sufficient funds, as determined by the 
                Secretary, are provided for the decommissioning of the 
                solar energy production system and the remediation and 
                restoration of covered farmland to carry out the 
                farmland conservation plan described in subparagraph 
                (A).
            (2) Obligation and disbursement of funds.--The Secretary 
        may obligate financial assistance for a project described under 
        paragraph (1), but shall not disburse the financial assistance 
        until the Secretary has determined that the applicant for the 
        financial assistance has complied with paragraph (1).
            (3) Farmland conservation plan implementation.--A person 
        referred to in paragraph (1) shall carry out--
                    (A) the provisions of the plan that are described 
                in paragraph (1)(A)(i), on the receipt by the project 
                of financial assistance from the Secretary and for the 
                duration of solar energy production under the project; 
                and
                    (B) the provisions of the plan that are described 
                in paragraph (1)(A)(ii), on the cessation of solar 
                energy production under the project.
            (4) Compliance.--Any project that fails to comply with 
        paragraph (3) with respect to a project shall repay to the 
        Secretary the full amount of the financial assistance provided 
        by the Secretary to the person for the project.
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