What This Bill Does
This bill creates a new grant program run by the Secretary of Agriculture. The program gives money to land-grant colleges and universities (schools that receive federal funding to teach agriculture and related subjects) to help farmers and ranchers adopt conservation and climate-friendly farming practices. These practices aim to improve soil health, water quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and lower climate-related risks.
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Who It Affects
Land-grant colleges and universities (including 1862 institutions, 1890 institutions, and 1994 institutions, which are specific categories of federally funded agricultural schools), agricultural producers and farmers, nonprofit organizations, state entities, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Secretary of Agriculture.
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Key Provisions
- The Secretary of Agriculture must establish a competitive grant program that awards money to eligible land-grant institutions to run projects promoting climate and conservation practices through public awareness campaigns, workshops, and technical assistance (Sec. 3(b))
- Eligible institutions must demonstrate they will increase interaction with local farmers by at least 25 percent above their current outreach rate and help producers implement new or improved conservation practices (Sec. 3(c))
- Each grant cannot exceed $400,000, and institutions can spend no more than 30 percent of grant money on administrative costs like staffing and overhead (Sec. 3(e) and (g))
- Grants must last at least 4 years and can be used for supporting farmers, workshops, educational materials, soil testing, and measuring how well practices work (Sec. 3(h) and (f))
- Eligible institutions must partner with at least one other organization, such as nonprofits, state agencies, other land-grant colleges, or the Natural Resources Conservation Service (Sec. 3(d))
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What Changes
If this becomes law, a new competitive grant program will be created under the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. Land-grant universities will have access to federal funding to expand their work helping farmers adopt practices like improved crop rotation, better grazing management, agroforestry, and other methods that reduce greenhouse gases and improve soil and water quality. The law also makes 1994 institutions eligible to receive these grants alongside other land-grant colleges.
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Important Definitions
The bill defines "practices" by referring to a section of the Food Security Act of 1985, but does not list specific examples within this bill text. The bill does reference in its findings section that innovative practices may include carbon sequestration cropping, crop rotation, alley cropping (planting trees and crops together), integrated livestock-crop systems, advanced grazing management, improved forestry management, and buffers. "Eligible institution" means an 1862 institution, an 1890 institution, or a 1994 institution (these are specific categories of land-grant colleges defined in other federal laws).
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II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 900
To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990
to establish a competitive grant program under which the Secretary
of Agriculture provides grants to land-grant colleges and universities
to support agricultural producers in adopting conservation and innovative
climate practices, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 21, 2023
Mr. YOUNG (for himself, Ms. SMITH, Mr. BRAUN, and Mr. SCHATZ) intro-
duced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
A BILL
To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade
Act of 1990 to establish a competitive grant program
under which the Secretary of Agriculture provides grants
to land-grant colleges and universities to support agricul-
tural producers in adopting conservation and innovative
climate practices, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Conservation and Inno-
4
vative Climate Partnership Act of 2023’’.
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•S 900 IS
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
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Congress finds that—
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(1) farmers and producers engage in innovative
3
climate and conservation practices that may include
4
a wide variety of activities, such as—
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(A) carbon retention or carbon sequestra-
6
tion cropping practices;
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(B) resource conserving crop rotation;
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(C) alley cropping;
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(D) integrated livestock-crop systems;
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(E) advanced grazing management;
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(F) improved forestry or agroforestry man-
12
agement; and
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(G) the insertion of buffers or saturated
14
buffers;
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(2) the purpose of implementing innovative cli-
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mate and conservation practices on farm or ranch
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land is to increase sustainability through—
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(A) improved soil health and tilth;
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(B) improved water quality, quantity, and
20
management;
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(C) improved nutrient management;
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(D) reduction in tillage; or
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(E) wildlife promotion and management;
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and
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(3) the benefits of engaging in innovative cli-
1
mate and conservation practices include—
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(A) a reduction of greenhouse gases emis-
3
sions, including carbon dioxide, methane, sulfur
4
dioxide, and nitrous oxide;
5
(B) carbon sequestration;
6
(C) soil health improvement; and
7
(D) reduced exposure to climate-related
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risk.
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SEC. 3. CONSERVATION AND INNOVATIVE CLIMATE PART-
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NERSHIP COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle H of title XVI of the
12
Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990
13
is amended by inserting after section 1672 (7 U.S.C.
14
5925) the following:
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‘‘SEC. 1672A. CONSERVATION AND INNOVATIVE CLIMATE
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PARTNERSHIP COMPETITIVE GRANT PRO-
17
GRAM.
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‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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‘‘(1) 1862 INSTITUTION; 1890 INSTITUTION.—
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The terms ‘1862 Institution’ and ‘1890 Institution’
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have the meanings given those terms in section 2 of
22
the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education
23
Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601).
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‘‘(2) 1994 INSTITUTION.—The term ‘1994 In-
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stitution’ has the meaning given the term in section
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532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Sta-
3
tus Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law
4
103–382).
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‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.—The term ‘eligi-
6
ble institution’ means—
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‘‘(A) an 1862 Institution;
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‘‘(B) an 1890 Institution; and
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‘‘(C) a 1994 Institution.
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‘‘(4) PRACTICE.—The term ‘practice’ has the
11
meaning given the term in section 1240A of the
12
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–1).
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‘‘(5) PROGRAM.—The term ‘program’ means
14
the competitive grant program established under
15
subsection (b).
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‘‘(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means
17
the Secretary of Agriculture.
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‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab-
19
lish a program to provide competitive grants pursuant to
20
section 3(d) of the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 343(d)) to
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eligible institutions to carry out projects to increase the
22
voluntary adoption of practices through public awareness
23
campaigns, workshops, and specialized technical assist-
24
ance.
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‘‘(c) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible to receive a grant
1
under the program, an eligible institution shall submit to
2
the Secretary an application, including a demonstration
3
that the applicant will—
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‘‘(1) increase interaction with local agricultural
5
producers by a rate of not less than 25 percent
6
above the outreach rate before the implementation of
7
the project under the program, as determined by the
8
Secretary;
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‘‘(2) assist agricultural producers in imple-
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menting new practices on farms or edges of fields,
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improving existing practices on farms or edges of
12
fields, or any combination thereof; and
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‘‘(3) assist agricultural producers in imple-
14
menting a combination of practices that contribute
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to—
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‘‘(A) the overall improvement of conserva-
17
tion; or
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‘‘(B) a decrease in, or sequestration of,
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greenhouse gas emissions.
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‘‘(d) PARTNERSHIPS.—An eligible institution shall
21
carry out a project using a grant under the program in
22
partnership with not fewer than 1 other entity, which may
23
include—
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‘‘(1) a nonprofit organization;
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‘‘(2) a State entity;
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‘‘(3) the Natural Resources Conservation Serv-
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ice;
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‘‘(4) an 1862 Institution;
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‘‘(5) an 1890 Institution;
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‘‘(6) a 1994 Institution; or
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‘‘(7) any combination thereof.
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‘‘(e) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The amount of a grant
8
under the program shall be not more than $400,000.
9
‘‘(f) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible institution may use
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a grant under the program—
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‘‘(1) to support agricultural producers in imple-
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menting a practice;
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‘‘(2) subject to subsection (g), for additional
14
staffing at the eligible institution to assist in car-
15
rying out a project using the grant;
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‘‘(3) to conduct workshops for agricultural pro-
17
ducers, and develop and distribute digital and hard-
18
copy materials directly to agricultural producers,
19
that provide clear directions for accessing technical
20
assistance for adopting practices; and
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‘‘(4) for soil testing and the measuring of other
22
indicators of the effectiveness of practices.
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‘‘(g) LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—
24
An eligible institution may use not more than 30 percent
25
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of the amount of a grant under the program for adminis-
1
trative expenses.
2
‘‘(h) DURATION.—A grant provided under the pro-
3
gram shall be for such period as the Secretary determines
4
to be appropriate, but not less than 4 years.
5
‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
6
authorized to be appropriated to provide grants under the
7
program pursuant to section 3(d) of the Smith-Lever Act
8
(7 U.S.C. 343(d)) $13,000,000 for each fiscal year.’’.
9
(b) ELIGIBILITY OF 1994 INSTITUTIONS.—Section
10
3(d) of the Smith-Lever Act (7 U.S.C. 343(d)) is amend-
11
ed, in the third sentence—
12
(1) by striking ‘‘program and’’ and inserting
13
‘‘program,’’; and
14
(2) by inserting ‘‘, and the conservation and in-
15
novative climate partnership competitive grant pro-
16
gram established under section 1672A of the Food,
17
Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990’’
18
before the period at the end.
19
Æ
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