[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6877 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6877

 To amend section 1242 of the Food Security Act of 1985 to enhance and 
    update conservation practice standards, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 19, 2023

   Ms. Spanberger (for herself and Mr. Nunn of Iowa) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend section 1242 of the Food Security Act of 1985 to enhance and 
    update conservation practice standards, 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 ``Streamlining Conservation Practice 
Standards Act''.

SEC. 2. DELIVERY OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

    Section 1242(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3842(h)) is amended--
            (1) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Review'' and 
        inserting ``Establishment and Review'';
            (2) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as 
                follows:
                    ``(A) not later than 1 year after the date of 
                enactment of the Streamlining Conservation Practice 
                Standards Act, and at least every 5 years thereafter on 
                a rolling basis, complete a review of each conservation 
                practice standard, including engineering design 
                specifications;'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (C) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) provide a process for public input on each 
                conservation practice standard under such review, 
                including a process for consideration of State and 
                local input;
                    ``(F) publicly post a summary of any input received 
                under subparagraph (E) and any decisions made relating 
                to such input; and
                    ``(G) revise any conservation practice standard 
                based on the results of such review, as determined 
                appropriate by the Secretary, and publish any such 
                revised standard.'';
            (3) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
            ``(3) Process for establishment of interim and new 
        conservation practice standards.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the 
                date of enactment of the Streamlining Conservation 
                Practice Standards Act, the Secretary shall develop a 
                streamlined process under which the Secretary shall 
                establish interim conservation practice standards and 
                new conservation practice standards.
                    ``(B) Development.--In developing the streamlined 
                process under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall--
                            ``(i) ensure that the public can engage 
                        with the Department of Agriculture, including 
                        by recommending interim conservation practice 
                        standards; and
                            ``(ii) establish--
                                    ``(I) the types of data, metrics, 
                                and other relevant information that are 
                                necessary for the establishment of 
                                interim conservation practice standards 
                                and new conservation practice 
                                standards;
                                    ``(II) the process by which an 
                                interim conservation practice standard 
                                may become a new conservation practice 
                                standard; and
                                    ``(III) specific requirements for 
                                an expedited review of a new 
                                conservation practice for the purpose 
                                of establishing a new conservation 
                                practice standard for such practice.
                    ``(C) Considerations.--In establishing an interim 
                conservation practice standard or a new conservation 
                practice standard under this subsection, the Secretary 
                shall consider--
                            ``(i) input from State technical committees 
                        on recommendations that identify innovations or 
                        advancements in conservation practices;
                            ``(ii) technological advancements, 
                        including advancements from projects developed 
                        under section 1240H; and
                            ``(iii) State and local input in the form 
                        of--
                                    ``(I) recommendations for interim 
                                conservation practice standards; and
                                    ``(II) partnership-led proposals 
                                for new and innovative techniques to 
                                facilitate implementing agreements and 
                                grants under this title.
                    ``(D) Transparency.--The Secretary shall make 
                available on a public website a detailed description of 
                the process for recommending, reviewing, and 
                establishing interim conservation practice standards 
                and new conservation practice standards under this 
                paragraph.'';
            (4) in paragraph (4)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) by striking ``Agriculture Improvement 
                        Act of 2018'' and inserting ``Streamlining 
                        Conservation Practice Standards Act''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``a report on'' and 
                        inserting ``a report detailing'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                ``administrative'' and inserting ``streamlined'';
                    (C) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (D) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (E) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) any other information the Secretary 
                determines useful to improve such streamlined process 
                for reviewing and establishing conservation practice 
                standards.''; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) Funding.--The Secretary shall use funding from the 
        annual appropriations for conservation operations of the 
        Natural Resources Conservation Service to carry out this 
        subsection.''.

SEC. 3. COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION.

    Section 1241(j)(1)(A) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3841(j)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting ``, including schedules for 
revising existing conservation practice standards and establishing 
interim conservation practice standards or new conservation practice 
standards under section 1242(h)'' before the semicolon at the end.

SEC. 4. CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANTS AND PAYMENTS.

    (a) Competitive Grants for Innovative Conservation Approaches.--
Section 1240H(a)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-
8(a)(1)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(1) Grants.--Out of the funds made available to carry out 
        this subchapter, the Secretary may award competitive grants 
        that are intended to stimulate development and evaluation of 
        new and innovative approaches to leveraging the Federal 
        investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in 
        conjunction with agricultural production or forest resource 
        management, through the program, including grants for the 
        development and evaluation of new and innovative technologies 
        that may be incorporated into conservation practice 
        standards.''.
    (b) Reporting and Database.--Section 1240H(d)(2)(A) of the Food 
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-8(d)(2)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i)--
                    (A) by inserting ``, including both management and 
                structural conservation practices,'' after 
                ``conservation practices''; and
                    (B) by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii);
            (3) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
                            ``(ii) data that may be used to evaluate 
                        new and emerging technologies and 
                        recommendations for State and regional 
                        applications of such new and emerging 
                        technologies; and''; and
            (4) in clause (iii), as so redesignated, by inserting ``for 
        consideration under the streamlined process developed under 
        section 1242(h)(3)'' before the period at the end.
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