[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 129 (Thursday, August 6, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S4520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. Heinrich, and Mr. Schiff):
  S. 5309. A bill to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to provide 
payments for alternative manure management practices under the 
environmental quality incentives program, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Converting Our 
Waste Sustainably (COWS) Act. This legislation will help dairy and 
livestock producers reduce methane emissions, improve air and water 
quality, and implement more sustainable alternative manure management 
practices.
  As the leading dairy State in the country and the second in cheese 
production, California is the largest producer of milk, butter, and 
cheeses like mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and queso fresco. Dairy 
operations contribute billions to California's economy but are also a 
significant source of California's methane emissions.
  Recognizing the urgency of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions like 
methane, California and the dairy industry are working to reduce dairy 
methane emissions by 40 percent below 2013 levels by 2030, largely due 
to the successes of California's own Alternative Manure Management 
Program, AMMP.
  The COWS Act would allow alternative manure management practices to 
be eligible under USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Program, 
EQIP, to help dairy and livestock producers transition towards pasture-
based management, alternative treatment and storage practices, solid 
separation systems, and scrape technologies.
  These practices, which have proven to be effective through the AMMP, 
will provide more resources for the dairy and livestock industry to 
modernize technologies for manure management that help boost 
profitability, improve water quality, and reduce methane and nitrogen 
oxide emissions.
  Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural operations is 
critical for addressing the climate crisis. Because of the high 
construction and operation costs associated with anaerobic digesters, 
nondigester manure management practices can provide a more cost-
effective alternative for family dairy and livestock operators seeking 
to improve air and water quality for their communities.
  I would like to thank Congressman Costa for leading this bill in the 
House, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the 
COWS Act.
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