Soil Health Federal Bill Tracker Alert - April 4, 2023
In case you missed it, we recently completely redesigned our bill tracker, with a major design update that brings the tracker from a simple spreadsheet to an interactive web-based tool! Learn more in our latest press release.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
With the Farm Bill fast-approaching (and the FY24 Appropriations and Senate Ag Committee Farm Bill request deadlines just behind us), Members of the 118th Congress have been hard at work introducing bills in the last few weeks. We have added over 40 bills to our tracker that would impact soil health and resilience, and will be adding more in the coming weeks.
In this alert, in addition to highlighting key bills to watch, we break down newly introduced bills and list reintroduced bills from the last Congress. The majority of these bills have bipartisan support (15 of 23), indicating a promising start for Farm Bill proceedings.
As always, check out our newly redesigned tracker to find a quick snapshot of each bill, including key details, supporters, and non-partisan analysis to help you stay up to date with legislative proposals that might align with your interests or goals. We also encourage you to check out the Legislators feature to find bills sponsored by individual members of Congress, or to search by representatives from specific states.
We’re always excited to hear how you’re using the tracker - please keep your feedback coming!
Stay tuned as we add more bills and more detailed analysis in the coming days.
The Land Core Team
*See tracker for full details and links on the bills below.
Highlighted Bills
H.R. 1840 / S. 1016 - Agriculture Resilience Act of 2023 (Democrat only, reintroduced):
Sponsors: Rep. Pingree (D-ME-1), Sen. Heinrich (D-NM)
A comprehensive bill for agriculture that “ensures all farmers have access to the resources they need to implement the on-farm changes they want to see” (NSAC). Aims to reduce the impact of climate change on the agricultural sector, and to achieve net zero ag emissions by 2040. Sets national goals. Sections for advancing research; soil health & expanding conservation programs - includes crop insurance; farmland preservation & farm viability; pasture-based livestock (establishing advanced grazing management on 100% of grazing land); on-farm renewable energy; reducing food loss & waste.
H.R. 945 / S. 354 - Strengthening Local Processing Act of 2023 (bipartisan, reintroduced):
Sponsors: Rep. Pingree (D-ME-1), Sen. Thune (R-SD)
To support small and very small (SVS) meat and poultry processing establishments through cost-share for state inspection of interstate facilities, grants for SVS establishments for COVID-19 response and recovery, a meat processing training program, among other provisions.
S. 174 - Conservation Reserve Program Improvement Act of 2023 (bipartisan, reintroduced):
Sponsor: Sen. Thune (R-SD)
Would update the Conservation Reserve Program by increasing the annual payment limit from $50K to $125K; provide cost-share for the establishment of grazing infrastructure on CRP contracts where grazing is included in conservation plan; and through other provisions.
S. 98 - Agriculture Innovation Act of 2023 (bipartisan, reintroduced):
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar (D-MN)
Directs USDA to identify, collect, link, analyze & publish data on impacts of conservation practices on “enhancing crop yields, soil health, and ecosystem services, reducing risk, and improving farm, ranch, and other working land profitability”, and to use research to improve farm program implementation.
S. 900 - Conservation and Innovative Climate Partnership Act of 2023 (bipartisan, reintroduced):
Sponsor: Sen. Young (R-IN)
Creates a competitive grant program at USDA to fund land-grant colleges and universities to support producers in adopting “conservation and innovative climate practices”. Allocates $13 million annually. Grants of up to $400K and lasting at least four years.
S. 795 - Agricultural Management Assistance Act of 2023 (bipartisan, based on a House bill from last Congress):
Sponsor: Sen. Murphy (D-CT)
This bill would reauthorize and make adjustments to the Agriculture Risk Management Education (ARME) and the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) programs, including tripling funding for AMA and making soil health improvements an eligible activity for funding.
New Bills
New Bipartisan Bills
S. 658 - EQIP Improvement Act of 2023
Sponsor: Sen. Booker (D-NJ)
Adjusts EQIP by reducing the payment cap by two thirds, reducing the federal cost-share from 75% to 40% for structural practices, and eliminates the requirement that 50% of EQIP funding flow to livestock operators.
H.R. 2385 / S. 834 - Advancing Cutting Edge (ACE) Agriculture Act
Sponsors: Rep. Panetta (D-CA-19), Sen. Bennet (D-CO)
Reauthorizes the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AgARDA) and doubles funding for the program, which supports research and development of innovative agricultural practices and technologies to increase productivity and resilience in agriculture.
H.R. 1495 / S. 719 - Precision Agriculture Loan (PAL) Program Act of 2023
Sponsors: Rep. Feenstra (R-IA-4), Sen. Fischer (R-NE)
Establishes a loan program at USDA-FSA to provide financing for precision agriculture projects.
S. 1070 - Livestock Consolidation Research Act of 2023
Sponsor: Sen. Smith (D-MN)
Directs USDA-ERS to conduct and publish a report on consolidation and concentration in the livestock industry.
H.R. 1697 / S. 734 - Promoting Precision Agriculture Act (secondary)
Sponsors: Rep. Davis (D-NC-1), Sen. Thune (R-SD)
Directs USDA to establish a task force to develop “voluntary interconnectivity standards and prioritize the cybersecurity needs for precision agriculture technologies”, with the goal of promoting precision agriculture and reducing regulatory barriers to its adoption.
H.R. 541 - Beginning Agriculturalist Lifetime Employment (BALE) Act of 2023 (secondary)
Sponsor: Rep. Bost (R-IL-12)
Increases portion of conservation, ownership and operating loans that USDA can guarantee, including for socially disadvantaged or beginning farmers or ranchers; prohibits USDA from guaranteeing loans exceeding $4 million, and other provisions, with the goal of increasing credit access for small and beginning farmers.
New Democrat Only Bills
H.R. 598 - Earth Act to Stop Climate Pollution by 2030 (secondary)
Sponsor: Rep. Espaillat (D-NY-13)
Sets a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the United States to net-zero by 2030, and establishes a range of policies and programs to achieve this goal, including targets for 100% of all agricultural land to be managed with at least one regenerative agricultural practice (as defined) by 2030.
New Republican Only Bills
S. 1078 - NRCS Wetland Compliance and Appeals Reform Act
Sponsor: Sen. Rounds (R-SD)
Seeks to reform the NRCS wetland compliance and appeals processes.
Reintroduced Bills
Reintroduced Bipartisan Bills
H.R. 1645 / S. 732 - Biochar Research Network Act; Sponsors: Rep. Miller-Meeks (R-IA-1), Sen. Grassley (R-IA)
H.R. 1472 / S. 802 - Plant Biostimulant Act; Sponsors: Rep. Panetta (D-CA-19), Sen. Braun (R-IN)
H.R. 1459 / S. 720 - Producing Responsible Energy and Conservation Incentives and Solutions for the Environment (PRECISE) Act; Sponsors: Rep. Hinson (R-IA-2), Sen. Fischer (R-NE)
H.R. 1646 / S. 846 - New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act of 2023 (secondary); Sponsors: Sen. Rounds (R-SD), Rep. Mooney (R-WV-2)
H.R. 559 - Butcher Block Act (secondary); Sponsor: Rep. Johnson (R-SD-AL)
H.R. 1604 - USA Beef Act (secondary); Sponsor: Rep. Rosendale (R-MT-2)
Reintroduced Democrat Only Bills
H.R. 797/S. 271 - Farm System Reform Act of 2023 (with one Independent cosponsor in the Senate); Sponsor: Rep. Khanna (D-CA-17), Sen. Booker (D-NJ)
H.R. 651 / S. 179 - Cultivating Organic Matter through the Promotion Of Sustainable Techniques (COMPOST) Act; Sponsors: Rep. Brownley (D-CA-26), Sen. Booker (D-NJ)
H.R. 1167 / S. 96 - Justice for Black Farmers Act of 2023; Sponsors: Rep. Adams (D-NC-12), Sen. Booker (D-NJ)
H.R. 1236 / S. 540 - Protect the West Act of 2023 (reintroduced under a new name); Sponsors: Rep. Crow (D-CO-6), Sen. Bennet (D-CO)
H.R. 707 - Conservation for Agricultural Leased Land (CALL) Act; Sponsor: Rep. Brownley (D-CA-26)
H.R. 708 - Climate Agricultural Conservation Practices Act; Sponsors: Rep. Brownley (D-CA-26)
H.R. 1824 - Food and Farm Act; Sponsor: Rep. Blumenauer (last introduced in 2017)
H.R. 2378 - Farmers’ Market and Food Bank Local Revitalization Act of 2023; Sponsor: Rep. Kaptur (D-OH-9)
H. Res. 210 - Supporting the designation of December 5 of each year as "National Soil Health Day" (resolution); Sponsor: Rep. Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8)
Reintroduced Republican Only Bills
N/A
Bill tracker alerts summarize updates to our soil health federal bill tracker. View this update as a PDF.
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