[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3023 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3023

  To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish and maintain a 
  training program for Department of Agriculture personnel and third-
  party providers on the rapidly evolving methodologies, science, and 
practices of biological soil health management systems on agricultural 
                     land, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 4, 2023

Mr. Merkley (for himself and Mr. Wyden) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish and maintain a 
  training program for Department of Agriculture personnel and third-
  party providers on the rapidly evolving methodologies, science, and 
practices of biological soil health management systems on agricultural 
                     land, 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 ``Soil Conservation And Regeneration 
Education Act of 2023'' or the ``Soil CARE Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. TRAINING FOR REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE IN NRCS PROGRAMS.

    (a) Establishment of Training Program.--Section 1242 of the Food 
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
                paragraphs (3) and (5), respectively;
                    (B) by inserting before paragraph (3) (as so 
                redesignated) the following:
            ``(1) Biological soil health management.--The term 
        `biological soil health management' means land management 
        methods that are employed to increase and balance soil biology, 
        such as microbial biomass and macrofauna, for the purpose of 
        improving biological functions, including forming and 
        stabilizing soil structure, cycling nutrients, controlling 
        pests and disease, and degrading or detoxifying contaminants.
            ``(2) Department.--The term `Department' means the 
        Department of Agriculture.''; and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (3) (as so 
                redesignated) the following:
            ``(4) Soil biology.--The term `soil biology' includes the 
        collective biomass and activities of soil-dwelling organisms 
        from an array of trophic levels.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(j) Training for Biological Soil Health Management in NRCS 
Programs.--
            ``(1) Establishment of training program.--Not later than 1 
        year after the date of enactment of the Soil CARE Act of 2023, 
        the Secretary shall establish a training program (referred to 
        in this subsection as the `training program')--
                    ``(A) to provide education, resources, and 
                technical support to Department personnel and third-
                party providers on the rapidly evolving methodologies, 
                science, and practices for improving soil health; and
                    ``(B) to assist Department personnel and third-
                party providers in supporting agricultural producers in 
                understanding and implementing biological soil health 
                management systems that regenerate farmland.
            ``(2) Program development and delivery.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The training program shall--
                            ``(i) be made available in each Natural 
                        Resources Conservation Service region twice 
                        every 2 years; and
                            ``(ii) include--
                                    ``(I) a nationally available online 
                                curriculum on biological soil health 
                                management systems that is--
                                            ``(aa) developed through 
                                        cooperative agreements with 
                                        entities described in 
                                        subparagraph (B); and
                                            ``(bb) delivered by the 
                                        Natural Resources Conservation 
                                        Service; and
                                    ``(II) in-person training workshops 
                                on biological soil health management 
                                systems that regenerate farmland, 
                                that--
                                            ``(aa) include coverage 
                                        across regions and geography 
                                        types;
                                            ``(bb) are developed 
                                        through cooperative agreements 
                                        with entities described in 
                                        subparagraph (B); and
                                            ``(cc) are delivered by the 
                                        Natural Resources Conservation 
                                        Service.
                    ``(B) Cooperative agreements.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The training program 
                        shall be developed and delivered through 
                        cooperative agreements with entities with 
                        biological soil health management systems 
                        expertise and experience working with and 
                        training producers, including--
                                    ``(I) farming consultants, 
                                including producers and producer 
                                cooperatives;
                                    ``(II) nonprofit organizations 
                                serving organic, agroecological, and 
                                other regenerative producers;
                                    ``(III) conservation districts;
                                    ``(IV) land-grant colleges and 
                                universities (as defined in section 
                                1404 of the National Agricultural 
                                Research, Extension, and Teaching 
                                Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103));
                                    ``(V) Long-Term Agroecosystem 
                                Research sites; and
                                    ``(VI) other entities with adequate 
                                expertise in biological soil health 
                                management systems, as determined by 
                                the Secretary.
                            ``(ii) Initial agreements.--Not later than 
                        1 year after the date of enactment of the Soil 
                        CARE Act of 2023, the Secretary shall enter 
                        into cooperative agreements under clause (i) 
                        for the initial development and delivery of the 
                        training program.
                    ``(C) Participation.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Secretary shall 
                        encourage relevant Department personnel and 
                        third-party providers--
                                    ``(I) to complete the online 
                                curriculum described in subparagraph 
                                (A)(ii)(I); and
                                    ``(II) to the extent practicable, 
                                to attend at least 1 in-person training 
                                workshop described in subparagraph 
                                (A)(ii)(II).
                            ``(ii) Relevant department personnel.--For 
                        purposes of clause (i), relevant Department 
                        personnel shall include, at a minimum, 
                        Department personnel involved in conservation 
                        planning activities with, and the delivery of 
                        technical assistance to, producers, including 
                        field office staff of the Natural Resources 
                        Conservation Service.
                            ``(iii) Completion schedules for third-
                        party providers.--
                                    ``(I) Establishment of schedules.--
                                The Secretary shall establish--
                                            ``(aa) a schedule for the 
                                        completion by third-party 
                                        providers of the online 
                                        curriculum described in 
                                        subparagraph (A)(ii)(I); and
                                            ``(bb) a schedule of in-
                                        person training workshops that 
                                        will be provided in accordance 
                                        with subparagraph (A)(ii)(II).
                                    ``(II) Use of schedules.--The 
                                Secretary shall encourage each third-
                                party provider--
                                            ``(aa) to complete the 
                                        online curriculum in accordance 
                                        with the schedule established 
                                        under subclause (I)(aa); and
                                            ``(bb) to the extent 
                                        practicable, to attend at least 
                                        1 training workshop identified 
                                        on the schedule established 
                                        under subclause (I)(bb).
                    ``(D) Continuing education.--The Secretary shall 
                provide continuing education for relevant Department 
                personnel and third-party providers, with a focus on 
                the use of new conservation practice standards related 
                to soil health.
                    ``(E) Materials for producers.--The Secretary shall 
                require relevant Department personnel and third-party 
                providers to provide soil health education materials to 
                producers through the programs and conservation 
                activities of the Natural Resources Conservation 
                Service, including materials relating to the topics 
                covered by the curriculum described in paragraph (3).
            ``(3) Curriculum.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The training program shall 
                include the following minimum curriculum components:
                            ``(i) A unit on the principles of soil 
                        health published by the Natural Resources 
                        Conservation Service, with a focus on 
                        biological function and regional context.
                            ``(ii) A unit on--
                                    ``(I) the transition to agriculture 
                                management systems that build soil 
                                health, including operations, 
                                infrastructure, regulations, finance, 
                                and marketing needs; and
                                    ``(II) associated risks and 
                                opportunities, including reducing input 
                                costs by building on-farm and ranch 
                                fertility.
                            ``(iii) A unit on organic production and 
                        soil health systems.
                            ``(iv) A unit on diversified production 
                        systems, including--
                                    ``(I) perennial cropping systems;
                                    ``(II) agroforestry or silvopasture 
                                systems;
                                    ``(III) livestock integration into 
                                cropping systems; and
                                    ``(IV) prescribed grazing.
                            ``(v) A unit on the body of research on 
                        soil biology and agriculture that regenerates 
                        farmland, including potential impacts on soil 
                        health, water quality and security, 
                        biodiversity, ecosystem function, resilience to 
                        extreme weather, carbon sequestration, and 
                        agricultural profitability.
                            ``(vi) A unit on key conservation practices 
                        that maximize soil health and mitigate climate 
                        impacts by implementing soil health principles.
                            ``(vii) A unit on--
                                    ``(I) issues specific to Indian 
                                Tribes; and
                                    ``(II) traditional ecological 
                                knowledge.
                            ``(viii) A unit on--
                                    ``(I) the special needs of new, 
                                small scale, and underserved producers; 
                                and
                                    ``(II) how best to meet those 
                                needs.
                            ``(ix) A unit on approaches, tools, and 
                        skills to support farmers in performing soil 
                        health tests.
                            ``(x) A unit on all conservation programs 
                        available to producers that improve soil 
                        health, reduce production inputs, and 
                        regenerate soil, farmland, and nearby 
                        ecosystems.
                    ``(B) Updates.--The Secretary shall review and 
                update the curriculum of the training program every 2 
                years based on the latest--
                            ``(i) biological soil health management 
                        innovations; and
                            ``(ii) scientific and technological 
                        advancements.
            ``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this 
        subsection $10,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2024 
        through 2028.''.
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