I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8676 

To reduce enteric methane emissions, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 11, 2024 

Ms. CROCKETT (for herself and Mr. MOLINARO) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To reduce enteric methane emissions, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Enteric Methane Innovation Tools for Lower Emissions 

6 and Sustainable Stock Act of 2024’’ or the ‘‘EMIT LESS 

7 Act of 2024’’. 

8 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

9 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Definition of Secretary. 

TITLE I—ENABLING ENTERIC METHANE RESEARCH 


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Sec. 101. Creation of enteric methane product and practice testing capacity 

through the Agricultural Research Service. 

Sec. 102. Training programs for enteric methane livestock emissions. 

TITLE II—ON-FARM ENTERIC METHANE EMISSION REDUCTIONS 

Sec. 201. On-farm conservation innovation trials. 

Sec. 202. Review of conservation practice standards. 

Sec. 203. Environmental quality incentives program payments. 

Sec. 204. Conservation Stewardship Program payments. 

1 SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF SECRETARY. 

2 In this Act, the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Sec3 retary of Agriculture. 

4 TITLE I—ENABLING ENTERIC 

5 METHANE RESEARCH 

6 SEC. 101. CREATION OF ENTERIC METHANE PRODUCT AND 

7 PRACTICE TESTING CAPACITY THROUGH THE 

8 AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the 

10 Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, 

11 shall— 

12 (1) establish and operate laboratory and testing 

13 facilities to conduct studies to enhance the under14 standing of baseline enteric methane emissions and 

15 the safety and efficacy of enteric methane-mitigating 

16 products and practices; 

17 (2) develop the ongoing capacity of personnel of 

18 the Agricultural Research Service with expertise in 

19 conducting the studies described in paragraph (1); 

20 and 

21 (3) regularly assess— 


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1 (A) baseline enteric methane emissions; 

2 (B) the impacts of enteric methane produc3 tion on animal productivity and animal health 

4 and welfare; and 

5 (C) the impacts of enteric methane-miti6 gating products and practices on greenhouse 

7 gas emissions, animal productivity, and animal 

8 health and welfare. 

9 (b) ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary, acting through the 

10 Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, may 

11 use amounts made available to carry out this section, in 

12 accordance with subsection (a)— 

13 (1) to construct federally owned testing facili14 ties; 

15 (2) to purchase assessment technologies; 

16 (3) to retrofit or renovate existing facilities; and 

17 (4) to contract with independent or academic 

18 facilities to conduct research. 

19 SEC. 102. TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR ENTERIC METHANE 

20 LIVESTOCK EMISSIONS. 

21 Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and 

22 Education Reform Act of 1998 is amended by inserting 

23 before section 404 (7 U.S.C. 7624) the following: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 401. TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR ENTERIC METHANE 

2 LIVESTOCK EMISSIONS. 

3 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish or 

4 expand at eligible institutions training programs relating 

5 to, with respect to enteric methane emissions from live6 stock— 

7 ‘‘(1) livestock management and nutrition; 

8 ‘‘(2) greenhouse gas monitoring, verification, 

9 and reporting technologies; 

10 ‘‘(3) testing skills and capacity; 

11 ‘‘(4) innovation; and 

12 ‘‘(5) livestock health and welfare. 

13 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS.— 

14 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An institution eligible for a 

15 training program under this section is an 1862 In16 stitution, an 1890 Institution, or a 1994 Institution. 

17 ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall es18 tablish or expand a training program under this sec19 tion at not less than one 1862 Institution, not less 

20 than one 1890 Institution, and not less than one 

21 1994 Institution.’’. 


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1 TITLE II—ON-FARM ENTERIC 

2 METHANE EMISSION REDUC3 TIONS 

4 SEC. 201. ON-FARM CONSERVATION INNOVATION TRIALS. 

5 Section 1240H(c) of the Food Security Act of 1985 

6 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–8(c)) is amended— 

7 (1) in paragraph (1)(B)(i)— 

8 (A) in subclause (VI), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

9 the end; 

10 (B) by redesignating subclause (VII) as 

11 subclause (VIII); and 

12 (C) by inserting after subclause (VI) the 

13 following: 

14 ‘‘(VII) livestock-related practices 

15 that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 

16 including enteric methane emissions; 

17 and’’; and 

18 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(8) ENTERIC METHANE EMISSIONS STUD20 IES.— 

21 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 

22 after the date of enactment of this paragraph, 

23 the Secretary shall carry out one or more stud24 ies on changes in methane emissions and, if fea25 sible, economic outcomes, generated as a result 


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1 of livestock-related practices that reduce green2 house gas emissions, including enteric methane 

3 emissions. 

4 ‘‘(B) REPORTS.—Not later than 2 years 

5 after the date of enactment of this paragraph 

6 and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 

7 submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutri8 tion, and Forestry of the Senate and the Com9 mittee on Agriculture of the House of Rep10 resentatives a report on the progress and re11 sults of the studies under subparagraph (A).’’. 

12 SEC. 202. REVIEW OF CONSERVATION PRACTICE STAND13 ARDS. 

14 Section 1242(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 

15 (16 U.S.C. 3842(h)) is amended by adding at the end the 

16 following: 

17 ‘‘(5) ENTERIC METHANE EMISSIONS.—Not later 

18 than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 

19 paragraph, the Secretary shall— 

20 ‘‘(A) complete a review of conservation 

21 practice standards in effect on the day before 

22 the date of enactment of this paragraph to con23 sider any revisions to conservation practice 

24 standards, including for feed management, or 

25 new conservation practice standards that would 


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1 be appropriate to assist in reducing enteric 

2 methane emissions; 

3 ‘‘(B) revise appropriate conservation prac4 tice standards in effect on the day before the 

5 date of enactment of this paragraph as nec6 essary to assist in reducing enteric methane 

7 emissions; and 

8 ‘‘(C) establish any appropriate new con9 servation practice standards to assist in reduc10 ing enteric methane emissions.’’. 

11 SEC. 203. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PRO12 GRAM PAYMENTS. 

13 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 1240A of the Food Secu14 rity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–1) is amended— 

15 (1) in paragraph (3)— 

16 (A) by inserting ‘‘management’’ after 

17 ‘‘means a’’; and 

18 (B) by inserting ‘‘land or livestock man19 agement’’ after ‘‘set of’’; and 

20 (2) in paragraph (6)(A)(ii), by inserting ‘‘or 

21 livestock’’ after ‘‘land’’. 

22 (b) PAYMENTS.—Section 1240B(d) of the Food Se23 curity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(d)) is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (3)(E), by inserting ‘‘, includ2 ing greenhouse gas emission reductions’’ before the 

3 semicolon; and 

4 (2) in paragraph (7)(A)— 

5 (A) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 

6 end; 

7 (B) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause 

8 (v); and 

9 (C) by inserting after clause (iii) the fol10 lowing: 

11 ‘‘(iv) provides reduction of greenhouse 

12 gas emissions, including enteric methane 

13 emissions from livestock; or’’. 

14 SEC. 204. CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM PAY15 MENTS. 

16 (a) DEFINITION OF CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES.— 

17 Section 1240I(2)(B)(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 

18 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–21(2)(B)(i)) is amended by inserting 

19 ‘‘livestock or’’ after ‘‘measures, and’’. 

20 (b) SUPPLEMENTAL PAYMENTS FOR RESOURCE21 CONSERVING CROP ROTATIONS, ADVANCED GRAZING

22 MANAGEMENT, AND LIVESTOCK FEED MANAGEMENT.— 

23 Section 1240L(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

24 U.S.C. 3839aa–24(d)) is amended— 


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1 (1) in the subsection heading, by striking ‘‘AND

2 ADVANCED GRAZING MANAGEMENT’’ and inserting 

3 ‘‘, ADVANCED GRAZING MANAGEMENT, AND LIVE4 STOCK FEED MANAGEMENT’’; 

5 (2) in paragraph (1)— 

6 (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) 

7 and (C) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), respec8 tively; and 

9 (B) by inserting after subparagraph (A) 

10 the following: 

11 ‘‘(B) LIVESTOCK FEED MANAGEMENT.— 

12 The term ‘livestock feed management’ means 

13 providing livestock with forage and feed that— 

14 ‘‘(i) manipulates and controls the 

15 quantity and quality of available nutrients, 

16 feedstuffs, ingredients, or additives fed to 

17 livestock; 

18 ‘‘(ii) minimizes excess nutrients in 

19 surface water and ground water by reduc20 ing the quantity of nitrogen, phosphorus, 

21 sulfur, salts, or other nutrients excreted in 

22 manure; or 

23 ‘‘(iii) reduces emissions of ammonia, 

24 odors, greenhouse gases, volatile organic 


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1 components, or dust from animal feeding 

2 operations.’’; 

3 (3) in paragraph (2)— 

4 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘or’’ 

5 at the end; 

6 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the 

7 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

8 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(C) livestock feed management.’’; and 

10 (4) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, livestock 

11 feed management,’’ after ‘‘crop rotations’’. 

Æ 


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