109 HR 5313 : Open Space and Farmland Preservation U.S. House of Representatives 2006-11-13 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IIB 109th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5313 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 27, 2006 Received November 13, 2006 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry AN ACT To reserve a small percentage of the amounts made available to the Secretary of Agriculture for the farmland protection program to fund challenge grants to encourage the purchase of conservation easements and other interests in land to be held by a State agency, county, or other eligible entity, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Open Space and Farmland Preservation Act.

2.

Additional title-holding option under farmland protection program

(a)

Additional title-holding option; reservation of funds

Section 1238I of the Farm Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838i) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (d)

Option for title to be held by eligible entity

(1)

Reservation of funds; purpose

Of the funds made available under section 1241(a)(4) for a fiscal year to carry out this section, the Secretary shall reserve not less than 15 percent to make grants to support cooperative efforts by an eligible State agency, a county, and one or more other eligible entities to purchase conservation easements and other interests in eligible land under subsection (a), the title to which will be held by an eligible entity rather than the United States. (2)

Cost sharing

Notwithstanding subsection (c)(1), the share of the cost of purchasing a conservation easement or other interest in eligible land borne by the United States under this subsection shall not exceed 25 percent. The State agency involved in the purchase shall contribute 25 percent of the purchase price, the county involved in the purchase shall contribute 25 percent of the purchase price, and the other eligible entities involved in the purchase shall contribute 25 percent of the purchase price. (3)

Prohibition on use of grant funds

Federal funds made available under this subsection may not be used by grant recipients for administrative purposes. . (b)

Effective date

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect on October 1, 2006.

Passed the House of Representatives September 26, 2006. Karen L. Haas, Clerk.