[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6075 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6075

 To permit the chief executive of a State to create an exemption from 
  certain requirements of Federal environmental laws for producers of 
           agricultural commodities, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 29, 2012

 Ms. Buerkle (for herself, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Broun of Georgia, Mrs. 
   Hartzler, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Roe of Tennessee, and Mr. Westmoreland) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation 
 and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To permit the chief executive of a State to create an exemption from 
  certain requirements of Federal environmental laws for producers of 
           agricultural commodities, 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. UNDULY BURDENSOME REGULATIONS EXEMPTION.

    (a) In General.--If the chief executive of a State determines, in 
accordance with this section, that a requirement of a covered Federal 
environmental law, or a regulation thereunder, is unduly burdensome to 
persons in the State acting in their capacity as farmers, such 
requirement or regulation shall not apply to such persons acting in 
such capacity.
    (b) Procedure.--Before finalizing any determination under 
subsection (a), the chief executive of a State shall solicit and accept 
public comments regarding such determination for a period of not less 
than 90 days.
    (c) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Covered federal environmental law.--The term ``covered 
        Federal environmental law'' means--
                    (A) the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.), 
                insofar as such Act applies to emissions of air 
                pollutants other than emissions resulting from the 
                combustion of any fossil fuel;
                    (B) the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
                U.S.C. 1251 et seq.); and
                    (C) the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et 
                seq.).
            (2) Farmer.--The term ``farmer'' means--
                    (A) a producer, as that term is defined in--
                            (i) section 1001 of the Food, Conservation, 
                        and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8702);
                            (ii) section 1506(a) of the Food, 
                        Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
                        8773(a)); and
                            (iii) section 212 of the Agricultural 
                        Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1635a); and
                    (B) a producer of a specialty crop, as that term is 
                defined in section 3 of the Specialty Crops 
                Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. 1621 note; Public 
                Law 108-465).
            (3) State.--The term ``State'' means any of the several 
        States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, 
        Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
        Islands, and any other territory or possession of the United 
        States.
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