Investing in Our Crops Act

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 4066 To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to provide additional payments under the environmental quality incentives program for implementation of a nutrient management practice, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 13, 2023 Mr. HARDER of California (for himself and Mr. PANETTA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to provide additional payments under the environmental quality incentives pro- gram for implementation of a nutrient management prac- tice, 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 ‘‘Investing in Our Crops 4 Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jul 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4066.IH H4066 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 4066 IH SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT ASSIST- 1 ANCE. 2 (a) PAYMENTS.—During the period beginning on the 3 date of enactment of this section and ending on September 4 30, 2025, the Secretary of Agriculture shall provide pay- 5 ments under this section to producers that have entered 6 into contracts with the Secretary under the environmental 7 quality incentives program to implement the nutrient man- 8 agement practice. 9 (b) AMOUNT.—A payment to a producer under this 10 section shall be in an amount that, in combination with 11 the applicable payment under section 1240B(d) of the 12 Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(d)), does 13 not exceed 100 percent of the costs of implementing the 14 nutrient management practice. 15 (c) FUNDING.— 16 (1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 17 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec- 18 retary to carry out this section $750,000,000 for the 19 period of fiscal years 2024 and 2025. 20 (2) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary 21 may use up to 5 percent of funds made available 22 pursuant to paragraph (1) to provide technical as- 23 sistance under this section. 24 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jul 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4066.IH H4066 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 4066 IH (1) ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES 1 PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘environmental quality incen- 2 tives program’’ means the environmental quality in- 3 centives program established under subchapter A of 4 chapter 4 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Se- 5 curity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa et seq.). 6 (2) NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE.—The 7 term ‘‘nutrient management practice’’ means the 8 practice described in the conservation practice stand- 9 ard for nutrient management established by the 10 Natural Resources Conservation Service, Code 590, 11 dated May, 2019, or any successor conservation 12 practice standard for nutrient management estab- 13 lished by the Natural Resources Conservation Serv- 14 ice pursuant to title XII of the Food Security Act 15 of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.). 16 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:45 Jul 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H4066.IH H4066 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB