118 S1555 IS: Pollinator Power Act of 2023 U.S. Senate 2023-05-11 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.

II118th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 1555IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESMay 11, 2023Mr. Merkley (for himself and Mr. Booker) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and ForestryA BILLTo amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to support solar projects under the Rural Energy for America Program, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Pollinator Power Act of 2023.

2.

Solar projects under Rural Energy for America Program

Section 9007(c) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107(c)) is amended—(1)in paragraph (1)—(A)in subparagraph (A)—(i)in clause (i)(II), by striking and at the end;(ii)in clause (ii)(III), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and(iii)by adding at the end the following:(iii)loan guarantees and grants to agricultural producers, rural small businesses, and farmer-owned cooperatives to carry out solar projects that include the creation of pollinator habitat (as defined by the Natural Resources Conservation Service), in accordance with subparagraph (C).; and(B)by adding at the end the following:(C)

Solar projects with pollinator habitat requirement

A project described in subparagraph (A)(iii) shall meet the following requirements:(i)Not less than 35 percent of new solar area created under the project shall be pollinator habitat (as defined by the Natural Resources Conservation Service).(ii)Not less than 50 percent of the pollinator habitat (as so defined) shall be planted and maintained as a native cover composed only of native plant species.;(2)by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively; (3)by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:(2)

Priority

In providing loan guarantees and grants under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall give priority to projects described in clause (iii) of that paragraph.; and(4)in paragraph (4) (as so redesignated), in subparagraph (A)—(A)by striking The amount and inserting the following:(i)

In general

Except as provided in clause (ii), the amount; and(B)by adding at the end the following:(ii)

Solar projects with pollinator habitat

The amount of a grant under paragraph (1)(A)(iii) shall not exceed 55 percent of the cost of the activity carried out using funds from the grant, including the cost of the creation of a pollinator habitat..