[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4193 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4193

  To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve wildlife habitat 
 connectivity and wildlife migration corridors, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 18, 2024

 Mr. Heinrich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve wildlife habitat 
 connectivity and wildlife migration corridors, 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 ``Habitat Connectivity on Working 
Lands Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. CONSERVATION PROGRAMS.

    (a) Definition of Native Big Game Species.--Section 1201(a) of the 
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (18) through (27) as 
        paragraphs (19) through (28), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (17) the following:
            ``(18) Native big game species.--The term `native big game 
        species' means a native species of a large mammal, including a 
        wild deer, an elk, a pronghorn, a wild sheep, and a moose.''.
    (b) Regional Conservation Partnership Program Critical Conservation 
Areas.--Section 1271F(a)(2)(C) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 
U.S.C. 3871f(a)(2)(C)) is amended by inserting ``, including 
restoration and enhancement of wildlife habitat connectivity and 
wildlife migration corridors, with a focus on native big game species'' 
before ``; and''.
    (c) Enrollment in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and 
the Conservation Stewardship Program of Grassland Enrolled in the 
Conservation Reserve Program.--
            (1) Environmental quality incentives program.--Section 
        1240B(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-
        2(d)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (6), by striking ``A producer'' 
                and inserting ``Except as provided in paragraph (8), a 
                producer''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) Cost-share payments for grassland enrolled in the 
        conservation reserve program.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may provide 
                payments under the program for costs associated with 
                planning, design, materials, equipment, installation, 
                labor, management, maintenance, or training with 
                respect to eligible land that is--
                            ``(i) enrolled in the conservation reserve 
                        program under section 1231(d)(2)(A); and
                            ``(ii) of ecological significance, as 
                        described in section 1231(d)(2)(B)(iii).
                    ``(B) Limitations.--
                            ``(i) Other federal programs.--A producer 
                        shall not be eligible for payments under 
                        subparagraph (A) for practices if the producer 
                        receives payments or other benefits for the 
                        same practice on the same land under another 
                        Federal program (other than the conservation 
                        reserve program under subchapter B of chapter 
                        1).
                            ``(ii) Protection of emergency grazing and 
                        haying.--An activity to restore or enhance 
                        wildlife habitat connectivity or wildlife 
                        migration corridors carried out using a payment 
                        under subparagraph (A) shall not prevent or 
                        alter emergency haying or emergency grazing 
                        carried out in accordance with the requirements 
                        of the conservation reserve program under 
                        subchapter B of chapter 1.''.
            (2) Conservation stewardship program.--Section 1240J(b) of 
        the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-22(b)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding 
                subparagraph (A), by inserting ``and except as provided 
                in paragraph (3),'' after ``paragraph (2),''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Cost-share payments for grassland enrolled in the 
        conservation reserve program.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may provide 
                payments under the program for costs associated with 
                planning, design, materials, equipment, installation, 
                labor, management, maintenance, or training with 
                respect to eligible land that is--
                            ``(i) enrolled in the conservation reserve 
                        program under section 1231(d)(2)(A); and
                            ``(ii) of ecological significance, as 
                        described in section 1231(d)(2)(B)(iii).
                    ``(B) Limitations.--
                            ``(i) Other federal programs.--A producer 
                        shall not be eligible for payments under 
                        subparagraph (A) for conservation activities if 
                        the producer receives payments or other 
                        benefits for the same conservation activities 
                        on the same land under another Federal program 
                        (other than the conservation reserve program 
                        under subchapter B of chapter 1).
                            ``(ii) Protection of emergency grazing and 
                        haying.--An activity to restore or enhance 
                        wildlife habitat connectivity or wildlife 
                        migration corridors carried out using a payment 
                        under subparagraph (A) shall not prevent or 
                        alter emergency haying or emergency grazing 
                        carried out in accordance with the requirements 
                        of the conservation reserve program under 
                        subchapter B of chapter 1.''.
            (3) Payment limitation for rental payments under the 
        conservation reserve program.--Section 1234(g)(1) of the Food 
        Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3834(g)(1)) is amended by 
        striking ``$50,000'' and inserting ``$125,000''.
    (d) Increased Payments Under the Environmental Quality Incentives 
Program.--Section 1240B(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3839aa-2(d)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3)(F), by inserting ``and wildlife 
        habitat connectivity'' before ``; or''; and
            (2) in paragraph (7)(A)--
                    (A) in clause (iii), by striking ``or'' at the end;
                    (B) in clause (iv), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``; or''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(v) addresses the conservation and 
                        restoration of wildlife habitat, including 
                        wildlife habitat connectivity and wildlife 
                        migration corridors.''.
    (e) Conservation Practice Standards.--Section 1242 of the Food 
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
    ``(j) Addressing Barriers to Habitat Connectivity.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) to the maximum extent practicable, fully 
                incorporate nonstructural methods to manage livestock 
                distribution, such as virtual fencing, into the 
                conservation practice standards; and
                    ``(B) provide for the appropriate range of 
                conservation practices and resource mitigation measures 
                available to landowners using nonstructural methods 
                described in subparagraph (A).
            ``(2) Availability of adequate technical assistance.--The 
        Secretary shall ensure that adequate technical assistance is 
        available for the implementation of--
                    ``(A) nonstructural methods described in paragraph 
                (1)(A); and
                    ``(B) other practices that support habitat 
                connectivity through Federal conservation programs.''.
    (f) Administrative Requirements for Conservation Programs.--Section 
1244 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(q) Encouragement of Habitat Connectivity and Native Big Game 
Migration Corridors.--In carrying out any conservation program 
administered by the Secretary, the Secretary may, as appropriate, 
encourage--
            ``(1) the conservation of landscape corridors and 
        hydrologic connectivity, where native big game species and 
        ecological processes can transition from one habitat to 
        another, in order to conserve native biodiversity and ensure 
        resiliency against impacts from a range of stressors; and
            ``(2) the use of conservation practices that support the 
        development, restoration, and maintenance of landscape 
        corridors and hydrologic connectivity.''.

SEC. 3. HIGH-PRIORITY RESEARCH AND EXTENSION AREAS.

    Section 1672(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade 
Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925(d)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
            ``(21) Virtual fencing.--Research and extension grants may 
        be made under this section for the purposes of--
                    ``(A) understanding and addressing the barriers to 
                the adoption of virtual fencing technology; or
                    ``(B) studying the effects of virtual fencing 
                technology on--
                            ``(i) natural and cultural resources, such 
                        as--
                                    ``(I) sensitive riparian areas; and
                                    ``(II) crucial winter range and 
                                stopover habitats for native big game 
                                species (as defined in section 1201(a) 
                                of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 
                                U.S.C. 3801(a))); or
                            ``(ii) overall range health.''.
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