II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3023 

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish and maintain a training 

program for Department of Agriculture personnel and third-party providers on the rapidly evolving methodologies, science, and practices of 

biological soil health management systems on agricultural land, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 4, 2023 

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself and Mr. WYDEN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish and 

maintain a training program for Department of Agriculture personnel and third-party providers on the rapidly evolving methodologies, science, and practices of biological soil health management systems on agricultural 

land, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Soil Conservation And 

3 Regeneration Education Act of 2023’’ or the ‘‘Soil CARE 

4 Act of 2023’’. 

5 SEC. 2. TRAINING FOR REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE IN 

6 NRCS PROGRAMS. 

7 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF TRAINING PROGRAM.—Sec8 tion 1242 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

9 3842) is amended— 

10 (1) in subsection (a)— 

11 (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and 

12 (2) as paragraphs (3) and (5), respectively; 

13 (B) by inserting before paragraph (3) (as 

14 so redesignated) the following: 

15 ‘‘(1) BIOLOGICAL SOIL HEALTH MANAGE16 MENT.—The term ‘biological soil health manage17 ment’ means land management methods that are 

18 employed to increase and balance soil biology, such 

19 as microbial biomass and macrofauna, for the pur20 pose of improving biological functions, including 

21 forming and stabilizing soil structure, cycling nutri22 ents, controlling pests and disease, and degrading or 

23 detoxifying contaminants. 

24 ‘‘(2) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘Department’ 

25 means the Department of Agriculture.’’; and 


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1 (C) by inserting after paragraph (3) (as so 

2 redesignated) the following: 

3 ‘‘(4) SOIL BIOLOGY.—The term ‘soil biology’ in4 cludes the collective biomass and activities of soil5 dwelling organisms from an array of trophic levels.’’; 

6 and 

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

8 ‘‘(j) TRAINING FOR BIOLOGICAL SOIL HEALTH MAN9 AGEMENT IN NRCS PROGRAMS.— 

10 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF TRAINING PRO11 GRAM.—Not later than 1 year after the date of en12 actment of the Soil CARE Act of 2023, the Sec13 retary shall establish a training program (referred to 

14 in this subsection as the ‘training program’)— 

15 ‘‘(A) to provide education, resources, and 

16 technical support to Department personnel and 

17 third-party providers on the rapidly evolving 

18 methodologies, science, and practices for im19 proving soil health; and 

20 ‘‘(B) to assist Department personnel and 

21 third-party providers in supporting agricultural 

22 producers in understanding and implementing 

23 biological soil health management systems that 

24 regenerate farmland. 


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1 ‘‘(2) PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND DELIV2 ERY.— 

3 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The training program 

4 shall— 

5 ‘‘(i) be made available in each Natural 

6 Resources Conservation Service region 

7 twice every 2 years; and 

8 ‘‘(ii) include— 

9 ‘‘(I) a nationally available online 

10 curriculum on biological soil health 

11 management systems that is— 

12 ‘‘(aa) developed through co13 operative agreements with enti14 ties described in subparagraph 

15 (B); and 

16 ‘‘(bb) delivered by the Nat17 ural Resources Conservation 

18 Service; and 

19 ‘‘(II) in-person training work20 shops on biological soil health man21 agement systems that regenerate 

22 farmland, that— 

23 ‘‘(aa) include coverage 

24 across regions and geography 

25 types; 


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1 ‘‘(bb) are developed through 

2 cooperative agreements with enti3 ties described in subparagraph 

4 (B); and 

5 ‘‘(cc) are delivered by the 

6 Natural Resources Conservation 

7 Service. 

8 ‘‘(B) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 

9 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The training pro10 gram shall be developed and delivered 

11 through cooperative agreements with enti12 ties with biological soil health management 

13 systems expertise and experience working 

14 with and training producers, including— 

15 ‘‘(I) farming consultants, includ16 ing producers and producer coopera17 tives; 

18 ‘‘(II) nonprofit organizations 

19 serving organic, agroecological, and 

20 other regenerative producers; 

21 ‘‘(III) conservation districts; 

22 ‘‘(IV) land-grant colleges and 

23 universities (as defined in section 

24 1404 of the National Agricultural ReVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:58 Oct 05, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3023.IS S3023

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1 search, Extension, and Teaching Pol2 icy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103)); 

3 ‘‘(V) Long-Term Agroecosystem 

4 Research sites; and 

5 ‘‘(VI) other entities with ade6 quate expertise in biological soil 

7 health management systems, as deter8 mined by the Secretary. 

9 ‘‘(ii) INITIAL AGREEMENTS.—Not 

10 later than 1 year after the date of enact11 ment of the Soil CARE Act of 2023, the 

12 Secretary shall enter into cooperative 

13 agreements under clause (i) for the initial 

14 development and delivery of the training 

15 program. 

16 ‘‘(C) PARTICIPATION.— 

17 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary 

18 shall encourage relevant Department per19 sonnel and third-party providers— 

20 ‘‘(I) to complete the online cur21 riculum described in subparagraph 

22 (A)(ii)(I); and 

23 ‘‘(II) to the extent practicable, to 

24 attend at least 1 in-person training 


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1 workshop described in subparagraph 

2 (A)(ii)(II). 

3 ‘‘(ii) RELEVANT DEPARTMENT PER4 SONNEL.—For purposes of clause (i), rel5 evant Department personnel shall include, 

6 at a minimum, Department personnel in7 volved in conservation planning activities 

8 with, and the delivery of technical assist9 ance to, producers, including field office 

10 staff of the Natural Resources Conserva11 tion Service. 

12 ‘‘(iii) COMPLETION SCHEDULES FOR

13 THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS.— 

14 ‘‘(I) ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHED15 ULES.—The Secretary shall estab16 lish— 

17 ‘‘(aa) a schedule for the 

18 completion by third-party pro19 viders of the online curriculum 

20 described in subparagraph 

21 (A)(ii)(I); and 

22 ‘‘(bb) a schedule of in-per23 son training workshops that will 

24 be provided in accordance with 

25 subparagraph (A)(ii)(II). 


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1 ‘‘(II) USE OF SCHEDULES.—The 

2 Secretary shall encourage each third3 party provider— 

4 ‘‘(aa) to complete the online 

5 curriculum in accordance with 

6 the schedule established under 

7 subclause (I)(aa); and 

8 ‘‘(bb) to the extent prac9 ticable, to attend at least 1 train10 ing workshop identified on the 

11 schedule established under sub12 clause (I)(bb). 

13 ‘‘(D) CONTINUING EDUCATION.—The Sec14 retary shall provide continuing education for 

15 relevant Department personnel and third-party 

16 providers, with a focus on the use of new con17 servation practice standards related to soil 

18 health. 

19 ‘‘(E) MATERIALS FOR PRODUCERS.—The 

20 Secretary shall require relevant Department 

21 personnel and third-party providers to provide 

22 soil health education materials to producers 

23 through the programs and conservation activi24 ties of the Natural Resources Conservation 

25 Service, including materials relating to the topVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:58 Oct 05, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3023.IS S3023

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1 ics covered by the curriculum described in para2 graph (3). 

3 ‘‘(3) CURRICULUM.— 

4 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The training program 

5 shall include the following minimum curriculum 

6 components: 

7 ‘‘(i) A unit on the principles of soil 

8 health published by the Natural Resources 

9 Conservation Service, with a focus on bio10 logical function and regional context. 

11 ‘‘(ii) A unit on— 

12 ‘‘(I) the transition to agriculture 

13 management systems that build soil 

14 health, including operations, infra15 structure, regulations, finance, and 

16 marketing needs; and 

17 ‘‘(II) associated risks and oppor18 tunities, including reducing input 

19 costs by building on-farm and ranch 

20 fertility. 

21 ‘‘(iii) A unit on organic production 

22 and soil health systems. 

23 ‘‘(iv) A unit on diversified production 

24 systems, including— 

25 ‘‘(I) perennial cropping systems; 


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1 ‘‘(II) agroforestry or silvopasture 

2 systems; 

3 ‘‘(III) livestock integration into 

4 cropping systems; and 

5 ‘‘(IV) prescribed grazing. 

6 ‘‘(v) A unit on the body of research on 

7 soil biology and agriculture that regen8 erates farmland, including potential im9 pacts on soil health, water quality and se10 curity, biodiversity, ecosystem function, re11 silience to extreme weather, carbon seques12 tration, and agricultural profitability. 

13 ‘‘(vi) A unit on key conservation prac14 tices that maximize soil health and miti15 gate climate impacts by implementing soil 

16 health principles. 

17 ‘‘(vii) A unit on— 

18 ‘‘(I) issues specific to Indian 

19 Tribes; and 

20 ‘‘(II) traditional ecological knowl21 edge. 

22 ‘‘(viii) A unit on— 

23 ‘‘(I) the special needs of new, 

24 small scale, and underserved pro25 ducers; and 


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1 ‘‘(II) how best to meet those 

2 needs. 

3 ‘‘(ix) A unit on approaches, tools, and 

4 skills to support farmers in performing soil 

5 health tests. 

6 ‘‘(x) A unit on all conservation pro7 grams available to producers that improve 

8 soil health, reduce production inputs, and 

9 regenerate soil, farmland, and nearby eco10 systems. 

11 ‘‘(B) UPDATES.—The Secretary shall re12 view and update the curriculum of the training 

13 program every 2 years based on the latest— 

14 ‘‘(i) biological soil health management 

15 innovations; and 

16 ‘‘(ii) scientific and technological ad17 vancements. 

18 ‘‘(4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

19 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec20 retary to carry out this subsection $10,000,000 for 

21 the period of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.’’. 

Æ 


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