HR 4428
Strong Farms, Strong Future Act
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Bill overview
The Strong Farms, Strong Future Act aims to encourage farmers to adopt and maintain sustainable agricultural practices by providing additional financial support through the Conservation Stewardship Program. It modifies the Food Security Act of 1985 to allow for more flexible contract renewal terms, prioritize soil health and carbon sequestration, and establish ‘climate change mitigation bundles’ – groupings of conservation activities designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil health. The bill also adjusts payment calculations to account for inflation and encourages the use of perennial production systems.
Key provisions
- Provides additional payments to farmers participating in the Conservation Stewardship Program for adopting or improving perennial production systems.
- Allows for contract renewal with specific requirements related to continued conservation improvements and meeting a resource stewardship threshold.
- Introduces ‘climate change mitigation bundles’ – pre-designed groups of conservation activities to help farmers reduce emissions and sequester carbon.
- Modifies payment calculations to account for inflation associated with conservation activities.
- Defines ‘perennial production systems’ for program purposes.
- Requires the Secretary to offer at least four climate change mitigation bundles, covering various agricultural practices.
- Mandates a report to Congress assessing the effectiveness of climate change mitigation bundles and identifying barriers to adoption.
- Expands the program to include adjustments for planned annual payments to account for inflation.
Who is affected
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 4428
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Agriculture to provide additional payments for producers that, in participating in the conservation stewardship program, agree to adopt or improve, manage, and maintain perennial production systems, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Strong Farms, Strong Future Act
.
Section 1240I(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–21(2)) is amended—
in subparagraph (A), by inserting enhancements,
after practices,
; and
in subparagraph (B)(v), by inserting climate change and
after mitigate against,
.
in clause (ii), by striking ; and
and inserting a semicolon;
by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (iv); and
by inserting after clause (ii) the following:
demonstrates compliance with the terms of the existing contract;
agrees to adopt and continue to integrate new or improved conservation activities across the agricultural operation, demonstrating continued improvement during the additional 5-year period, as determined by the Secretary; and
agrees, by the end of the contract period, to meet the stewardship threshold of at least 1 additional priority resource concern on the agricultural operation, if applicable.
In determining whether to renew an existing contract under paragraph (1), and in calculating payments for such existing contract, the Secretary shall consider the full conservation benefits across the entire agricultural operation on eligible land that is subject to such existing contract, including—
the number of priority resource concerns for which the producer is expected to meet or exceed the stewardship threshold by the end of the contract period of the existing contract; and
the active management and maintenance of ongoing conservation activities, including—
the conservation activities adopted during the contract period of the existing contract; and
the new or improved conservation activities to be adopted if such existing contract is renewed.
The Secretary may automatically renew an existing contract under paragraph (1) if—
the conditions under paragraph (1) are met; and
the producer installed or improved a perennial production system, as such term is defined in section 1240L(d)(1), during the contract period of the existing contract.
in subparagraph (A), by striking and
at the end;
in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
; and
by adding at the end the following:
Section 1240L(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–24(d)) is amended—
in the subsection heading, by inserting , perennial production systems
after resource-conserving crop rotations
;
in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following:
in paragraph (2)—
in subparagraph (A), by striking or
at the end;
in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or
; and
by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
in paragraph (3), by striking or advanced grazing management
and inserting , advanced grazing management, or a perennial production system
.
In this subsection, the term climate change mitigation bundle means a grouping of conservation activities, determined by the Secretary and based on the best available science, to achieve substantial progress, when carried out together, toward—
providing a net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; or
increasing carbon sequestration and improving soil health.
In entering into a contract with a producer under the program, the Secretary shall make available State- or region-specific climate change mitigation bundles to such a producer, including climate change mitigation bundles for cropland, pastureland, rangeland, and forest land.
The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, design climate change mitigation bundles that allow a producer to select conservation activities that meet the requirements of paragraph (1)(A) in order to tailor a climate change mitigation bundle to the site-specific needs of such a producer.
The Secretary shall make available at least 1 climate change mitigation bundle for each of the following:
Soil health management systems, as defined in such subsection.
Advanced grazing management, as defined in such subsection.
Specialty crops.
Climate change mitigation bundles made available under paragraph (2) shall be equally accessible to organic and conventional producers, or separate additional bundles designed for organic producers shall be offered.
Each year, to the greatest extent practicable, the Secretary shall conduct targeted outreach and promotion regarding the availability of, and any changes to, climate change mitigation bundles to eligible producers.
Not later than 2 years after the date on which the Secretary of Agriculture makes available to producers the climate change mitigation bundles under section 1240L(m) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–24) (as added by subsection (c)), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on the activities carried out under such section.
The Secretary shall include in the report under paragraph (1)—
a summary of feedback from producers that have adopted climate change mitigation bundles pursuant to section 1240L(m), regarding—
barriers to adoption of such bundles;
the makeup of such bundles;
payment rates for such bundles;
technical assistance relating to such bundles; and
other relevant information, as determined by the Secretary;
data on such producers disaggregated by gender, race, age, and congressional district;
an assessment of barriers, as identified by the Secretary, to the adoption of climate change mitigation bundles by producers;
recommendations on steps to increase the adoption of climate change mitigation bundles by producers, including recommendations for any statutory changes necessary to implement such steps;
average per acre estimates of greenhouse gases mitigated and carbon sequestered for each climate change mitigation bundle offered; and
a summary of the outreach and promotional activities conducted by the Secretary to promote the availability of climate change mitigation bundles.