COMPOST Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6023 To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the designation of composting as a conservation practice and conservation activity, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 28, 2020 Ms. BROWNLEY of California (for herself and Ms. PINGREE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the designation of composting as a conservation practice and conservation activity, 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 ‘‘Cultivating Organic 4 Matter through the Promotion Of Sustainable Techniques 5 Act’’ or the ‘‘COMPOST Act’’. 6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 7 Congress finds the following: 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 03, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6023.IH H6023 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6023 IH (1) Composting is one of the most environ- 1 mentally friendly means to dispose of food waste and 2 other organic wastes. 3 (2) Composting not only causes less nutrient 4 pollution of surface and ground water and emits a 5 smaller quantity of greenhouse gases compared to 6 alternative disposal methods, but also yields a valu- 7 able soil amendment that enhances soil health and 8 fertility and agricultural resilience to the impacts of 9 climate change. 10 (3) It is critical for the Natural Resources Con- 11 servation Service to provide technical and financial 12 support to producers in the on-farm production of 13 compost from on-farm and off-farm organic byprod- 14 ucts, and the utilization of compost in accordance 15 with sound soil health and nutrition management. 16 SEC. 3. COMPOSTING AS CONSERVATION PRACTICE. 17 Section 1241(j) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 18 U.S.C. 3841(j)) is amended— 19 (1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para- 20 graph (3); and 21 (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol- 22 lowing new paragraph: 23 ‘‘(2) COMPOSTING AS CONSERVATION PRACTICE 24 AND ACTIVITY.— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 03, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6023.IH H6023 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6023 IH ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall by 1 regulation provide that composting is a con- 2 servation practice and a conservation activity 3 for the purposes of this title. 4 ‘‘(B) COMPOSTING DEFINED.— 5 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes 6 of this paragraph, the term ‘composting’ 7 means— 8 ‘‘(I) an activity (including an ac- 9 tivity that does not require the use of 10 a composting facility) to produce com- 11 post from organic waste that is— 12 ‘‘(aa) generated on a farm; 13 or 14 ‘‘(bb) brought to a farm 15 from a nearby community and 16 used to produce compost on that 17 farm; and 18 ‘‘(II) the use and active manage- 19 ment of compost on a farm, in accord- 20 ance with any applicable Federal, 21 State, or local law, to improve water 22 retention and soil health. 23 ‘‘(ii) DETERMINATION OF NEARBY 24 COMMUNITIES.—The Secretary, in con- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 03, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6023.IH H6023 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 6023 IH sultation with the Administrator of the En- 1 vironmental Protection Agency, shall issue 2 regulations for determining whether a com- 3 munity is nearby for purposes of clause 4 (i)(I) which shall ensure that bringing or- 5 ganic waste from the community to the 6 farm to produce compost results in a net 7 reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.’’. 8 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:25 Mar 03, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6023.IH H6023 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS