[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2608 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2608
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve the conservation
reserve program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 31, 2025
Mr. Thune (for himself, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Moran, and Ms. Smith)
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 improve the conservation
reserve program, 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 ``CRP Improvement and Flexibility Act
of 2025''.
SEC. 2. CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS.
(a) State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Continuous Enrollment.--
Section 1231(d)(6)(A)(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3831(d)(6)(A)(i)) is amended--
(1) in subclause (II), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(IV) land that will be enrolled
under the State acres for wildlife
enhancement practice established by the
Secretary; and''.
(b) Emergency Haying During the Primary Nesting Season; Conditions
on Haying and Grazing.--Section 1233(b) of the Food Security Act of
1985 (16 U.S.C. 3833(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)(B)(i)--
(A) by redesignating subclauses (I) through (VI) as
subclauses (II) through (VII), respectively;
(B) by inserting before subclause (II) (as so
redesignated) the following:
``(I) emergency haying in response
to a localized or regional drought,
flooding, wildfire, or other emergency,
on all practices, during the final 2
weeks of, and outside of, the primary
nesting season, on not more than 50
percent of contract acres, as
identified in the site-specific plan,
when--
``(aa) the county is
designated as D2 (severe
drought) or greater according
to the United States Drought
Monitor;
``(bb) there is at least a
40 percent loss in forage
production in the county; or
``(cc) the Secretary, in
coordination with the State
technical committee, determines
that the program can assist in
the response to a natural
disaster event without
permanent damage to the
established cover;'';
(C) in subclause (II) (as so redesignated), in the
matter preceding item (aa), by striking ``emergency
haying, emergency grazing, or other emergency use'' and
inserting ``emergency grazing or other emergency use'';
and
(D) in subclause (III) (as so redesignated), by
striking ``payments'' and inserting ``the conditions
described in item (aa), (bb), or (cc) of subclause (I)
are met or payments''; and
(2) in paragraph (2)(B)--
(A) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii);
and
(B) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
``(ii) Damage to cover for wildlife
populations.--Haying or grazing described in
paragraph (1) shall not be permitted on land
subject to a contract under the conservation
reserve program, or under a particular
practice, if haying or grazing during the final
2 weeks of the primary nesting season under
that practice, as applicable, would cause long-
term damage to vegetative cover for wildlife
populations supported by the applicable
practice on that land.''.
(c) Cost Sharing Payments for Establishment of Grazing
Infrastructure.--
(1) Cost sharing payments; other federal cost share
assistance.--Section 1234(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985
(16 U.S.C. 3834(b)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``establishing water'' and
inserting the following: ``establishing--
``(A) water'';
(ii) in subparagraph (A) (as so
designated), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) grazing infrastructure, including interior
cross fencing, perimeter fencing, and water
infrastructure (such as rural water connections, water
wells, pipelines, and water tanks), under each
contract, for all practices, if grazing is included in
the conservation plan and addresses a resource
concern.''; and
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``land'' and
inserting ``activities required by the contract entered
into under this subchapter''.
(2) Reenrollment of land with grazing infrastructure.--
Section 1231(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3831(h)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Land with grazing infrastructure.--On the expiration
of a contract entered into under this subchapter that covers
land that includes grazing infrastructure established with cost
sharing assistance under section 1234(b)(1)(B)--
``(A) the Secretary shall consider that land to be
planted for purposes of subsection (b)(1)(B); and
``(B) that land shall be eligible for reenrollment
in the conservation reserve, subject to the
requirements of this subchapter.''.
(d) Mid-Contract Management for Activities Not Relating to Haying
or Grazing.--
(1) Definition of management.--Section 1232(a)(5) of the
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3832(a)(5)) is amended by
inserting ``(as defined in section 1231A(a))'' after
``management''.
(2) Management payments.--Section 1234(b)(2) of the Food
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3834(b)(2)) is amended by
striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:
``(B) Management payments.--The Secretary shall
make cost sharing payments to an owner or operator
under this subchapter for any management activity
described in section 1232(a)(5), except for those
management activities relating to haying or grazing.''.
(e) Payment Limitation for Rental Payments.--Section 1234(g)(1) of
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3834(g)(1)) is amended by
striking ``$50,000'' and inserting ``$125,000''.
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