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This bill changes a part of federal conservation law so the Agriculture Secretary can still accept private donations for conservation programs, but it removes the older rules that specifically dealt with public-private partnerships. In simple terms, it keeps the idea of using non-federal money to support conservation work, while getting rid of several detailed partnership provisions.
- It lets the Secretary create a separate sub-account for each conservation program under subtitle D.
- These sub-accounts may receive contributions from non-federal sources to help support the program’s goals.
- It changes the existing language so contributions are tied to conservation programs, rather than “public-private partnerships.”
- It deletes several existing paragraphs in the law, which removes the more detailed rules that were previously in place.
Official Summaries
This bill repeals provisions that allow the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to accept and use contributions for public-private partnerships.
Specifically, the bill repeals the public-private partnerships allowed under an act commonly known as the Sponsoring USDA Sustainability Targets in Agriculture to Incentivize Natural Solutions Act (the SUSTAINS Act). In addition, the bill allows NRCS to continue to accept nonfederal contributions of funds to certain programs (e.g., the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program) in order to support the purposes of the programs.
As background, Congress enacted provisions of the SUSTAINS Act as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Under the SUSTAINS Act provisions, the NRCS may accept contributions of nonfederal funds to support a broad range of conservation programs for the purposes of addressing issues related to climate change, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat improvement, and protection of drinking water sources. NRCS may match these contributions. In addition, those contributing funds may designate the funds for use in a specific program or geographic area.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 773 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 773
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to repeal certain provisions
relating to the acceptance and use of contributions for public-private
partnerships, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 28, 2025
Ms. Hageman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to repeal certain provisions
relating to the acceptance and use of contributions for public-private
partnerships, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF CONTRIBUTIONS.
Section 1241(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C.
3841(f)) is amended--
(1) in the subsection heading, by striking ``for Public-
Private Partnerships'';
(2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) Authority to establish contribution accounts.--
Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary may establish a sub-
account for each conservation program administered by the
Secretary under subtitle D to accept contributions of non-
Federal funds to support the purposes of the program.'';
(3) in paragraph (2), by striking ``a covered program shall
be deposited into the account'' and inserting ``a conservation
program administered by the Secretary under subtitle D shall be
deposited into the sub-account''; and
(4) by striking paragraphs (3) through (10).
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