US Codex
Bill
Notes

Climate Agricultural Conservation Practices Act

H.R. 8909 · 116th Congress · Dec 9, 2020 · Lineage

A BILL

To require the Natural Resources Conservation Service to review the national conservation practice standards, taking into consideration climate benefits, and for other purposes.

Section 1 Short title

This Act may be cited as the “Climate Agricultural Conservation Practices Act”.

Sec. 2 Consideration of climate benefits in conservation practice standards

Section 1242(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842(h)) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (1)—
(A)
by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:

“(A) not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of the Climate Agricultural Conservation Practices Act, and every 4 years thereafter, complete a review of each conservation practice standard, including engineering design specifications, in effect on the first day of the 4-year period covered by such review;”

(B)
in subparagraph (C), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;
(C)
in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
(D)
by adding at the end the following:

“(E) evaluate the climate benefits of the standards.”

(2)
in paragraph (3)(B), by striking “conservation innovations and” and inserting “climate benefits, conservation innovations, and”; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:

“(5) Climate benefit defined—In this subsection, the term climate benefit means—

“(A) a reduction in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions;

“(B) an increase in carbon sequestration; or

“(C) mitigation against, or adaptation to, increased weather volatility.”