[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 125 (Thursday, July 20, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S3462]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. THUNE (for himself, Ms. Smith, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Cramer, Ms. 
        Klobuchar, and Mr. Hoeven):
  S. 2412. A bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture to allow 
emergency haying under the conservation reserve program during the 
primary nesting season under certain conditions; to the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2412

       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 ``Conservation Reserve Program 
     Flexibility Act of 2023'' or the ``CRP Flexibility Act of 
     2023''.

     SEC. 2. EMERGENCY HAYING DURING THE PRIMARY NESTING SEASON.

       Section 1233(b)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 
     U.S.C. 3833(b)(1)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by inserting ``subject to 
     subclauses (I) and (III) of clause (i), and subclauses (I) 
     and (II) of clause (ii), of subparagraph (B),'' before ``are 
     subject to''; and
       (2) in subparagraph (B)(i)--
       (A) by redesignating subclauses (I) through (VI) as 
     subclauses (II) through (VII), respectively;
       (B) by inserting before subclause (II) (as so redesignated) 
     the following:

       ``(I) emergency haying in response to a localized or 
     regional drought, flooding, wildfire, or other emergency, on 
     all practices, during or outside the primary nesting season, 
     when--

       ``(aa) the county is designated as D2 (severe drought) or 
     greater according to the United States Drought Monitor;
       ``(bb) there is at least a 40 percent loss in forage 
     production in the county; or
       ``(cc) the Secretary, in coordination with the State 
     technical committee, determines that the program can assist 
     in the response to a natural disaster event without permanent 
     damage to the established cover;'';
       (C) in subclause (II) (as so redesignated), in the matter 
     preceding item (aa), by striking ``emergency haying, 
     emergency grazing, or other emergency use'' and inserting 
     ``emergency grazing or other emergency use''; and
       (D) in subclause (IV) (as so redesignated), by striking 
     ``outside the primary nesting season'' and inserting ``during 
     or outside the primary nesting season''.

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