Agriculture Committee, Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology Subcommittee
Introduced
In Committee
On Floor
Passed Chamber
Enacted
Healthy Soils Healthy Climate Act of 2023 This bill modifies the Environmental Quality Incentives Program of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide permanent incentive payments to producers to adopt practices designed to increase organic carbon levels in soil. USDA must conduct a study regarding changes in soil health and soil organic carbon levels as a result of the adopted practices; develop ranking and scoring criteria under the program that prioritize soil health practices that score highest in soil carbon sequestration on eligible land; create a soil organic carbon conservation activity plan under the program to measure and monitor sequestration and mitigation improvement levels from the practices; provide for streamlined and coordinated procedures for the program and the Conservation Stewardship Program, including for contracting, conservation planning, conservation practices, and related administrative procedures; and establish a program to provide grants to land-grant colleges and universities to conduct research relating to soil health and carbon science and to conduct research relating to soil health and carbon science at its agricultural research stations.
Agricultural conservation and pollutionAgricultural educationAgricultural prices, subsidies, creditAgricultural researchAir qualityClimate change and greenhouse gasesCongressional oversightEnvironmental assessment, monitoring, researchGovernment studies and investigationsHigher educationMinority and disadvantaged businessesRural conditions and developmentSmall businessSoil pollution
Healthy Soils Healthy Climate Act of 2023
USA118th CongressHR-5043| House
| Updated: 9/19/2023
Healthy Soils Healthy Climate Act of 2023 This bill modifies the Environmental Quality Incentives Program of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide permanent incentive payments to producers to adopt practices designed to increase organic carbon levels in soil. USDA must conduct a study regarding changes in soil health and soil organic carbon levels as a result of the adopted practices; develop ranking and scoring criteria under the program that prioritize soil health practices that score highest in soil carbon sequestration on eligible land; create a soil organic carbon conservation activity plan under the program to measure and monitor sequestration and mitigation improvement levels from the practices; provide for streamlined and coordinated procedures for the program and the Conservation Stewardship Program, including for contracting, conservation planning, conservation practices, and related administrative procedures; and establish a program to provide grants to land-grant colleges and universities to conduct research relating to soil health and carbon science and to conduct research relating to soil health and carbon science at its agricultural research stations.