[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1729 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1729
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to streamline conservation
practice standards, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 13, 2025
Ms. Ernst (for herself, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Marshall, and Mr. Durbin)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to streamline conservation
practice standards, 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 ``Streamlining Conservation Practice
Standards Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANTS AND PAYMENTS.
Section 1240H of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3939aa-8)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)--
(A) by striking ``pay the cost of'' and inserting
``award'';
(B) by inserting ``the development and evaluation
of new and'' before ``innovative approaches''; and
(C) by inserting ``, including for the purpose of
incorporating innovation and new technologies into
existing conservation practice standards or
establishing new conservation practice standards''
before the period at the end; and
(2) in subsection (d)(2)(A)--
(A) in clause (i)--
(i) by striking ``practices'' and inserting
``practices, including both management and
structural practices,''; and
(ii) by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii);
(C) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
``(ii) evaluation data for new and emerging
technology and recommendations for State and
regional applications; and''; and
(D) in clause (iii) (as so redesignated), by
striking ``practices.'' and inserting ``practices for
consideration through the process established under
section 1242(h)(3).''.
SEC. 3. CONSERVATION STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS.
Section 1241(j)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3841(j)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(D) a schedule for the revision of existing, and
establishment of new, conservation practice standards
under section 1242(h).''.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT AND REVIEW OF CONSERVATION PRACTICE STANDARDS.
Section 1242(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3842(h)) is amended--
(1) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``Establishment
and'' before ``Review'';
(2) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A)--
(i) by striking ``not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of the Agriculture
Improvement Act of 2018'' and inserting ``not
less frequently than once every 5 years'';
(ii) by inserting ``on a rolling basis,''
after ``standard,''; and
(iii) by striking ``that Act'' and
inserting ``the Streamlining Conservation
Practice Standards Act of 2025'';
(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(C) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``ensures
equivalent natural resource benefits.'' and inserting
``integrates new and innovative technologies providing
equivalent or improved natural resources benefits
compared to the current conservation practice
standard;''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) provide an opportunity for public input on
each conservation practice standard under review;
``(F) publicly post a summary of comments received
under subparagraph (E) and decisions made or not made
due to those comments; and
``(G) publish each revised conservation practice
standard.'';
(3) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
``(3) Establishment of conservation practice standards.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of the Streamlining Conservation
Practice Standards Act of 2025, the Secretary shall--
``(i) develop, for the programs under this
title, a streamlined, publicly accessible,
administrative process for establishing,
including proposing, reviewing, and adopting,
interim conservation practice standards and
conservation practice standards; and
``(ii) publish a detailed description of
the process developed under clause (i),
including--
``(I) specific thresholds
appropriate for expedited review; and
``(II) an associated timeline for
the implementation of the review.
``(B) Requirements.--Under the process established
under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall--
``(i) consider conservation innovations and
scientific and technological advancements,
including from projects developed under section
1240H;
``(ii) allow State and local flexibility in
the creation of--
``(I) interim conservation practice
standards and supplements to existing
conservation practice standards to
address the considerations described in
clause (i); and
``(II) partnership-led proposals
for new and innovative techniques to
facilitate implementing agreements and
grants under this title;
``(iii) solicit regular input from State
technical committees established under section
1261(a) for recommendations that identify
innovations or advancements described in clause
(i); and
``(iv) allow for public submission of
conservation practices for consideration as
interim conservation practice standards.
``(C) Innovative technology priority.--The
Secretary shall prioritize the review of interim
conservation practice standards and new conservation
practice standards under the process established under
subparagraph (A) for the purpose of integrating
innovative technologies, including--
``(i) precision agriculture technologies;
``(ii) biological sources of fertilizer,
nutrient use efficiency technologies, and other
tools, as determined by the Secretary, that
reduce nutrient loss;
``(iii) animal feed additives;
``(iv) perennial production systems,
including agroforestry and perennial forages
and grain crops; and
``(v) any other innovative technology, as
determined by the Secretary.
``(D) Public information.--Under the process
established under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall
make publicly available information describing--
``(i) what constitutes--
``(I) a conservation practice
standard; and
``(II) an interim conservation
practice standard;
``(ii) the process by which the public can
submit to the Secretary conservation practices
for consideration as interim conservation
practice standards, including a template and
written instructions for how to submit a
conservation practice for consideration;
``(iii) the data, metrics, third-party or
scientific information, and other relevant
information that the Secretary needs to
consider in the establishment of interim
conservation practice standards;
``(iv) the process by which an interim
conservation practice standard becomes a
conservation practice standard;
``(v) the means by which the public can
engage State technical committees established
under section 1261(a) to consider interim
conservation practice standards already in
effect in other States; and
``(vi) such other information as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate.''; and
(4) in paragraph (4)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--
(i) by striking ``Agriculture Improvement
Act of 2018'' and inserting ``Streamlining
Conservation Practice Standards Act of 2025'';
and
(ii) by striking ``Congress a report on--''
and inserting ``Congress and make publicly
available on a website of the Department of
Agriculture a report describing--'';
(B) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``a detailed
description of'' before ``the administrative'';
(C) in subparagraph (B)--
(i) by striking ``or revised''; and
(ii) by striking ``and'' at the end;
(D) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at
the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(E) by adding at the end the following:
``(D) such other information as the Secretary
determines to be appropriate with respect to improving
the process for reviewing and establishing conservation
practice standards.''.
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