I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4688 

To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to make land grants-mercedes 

eligible for assistance, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 19, 2017 

Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to make land 

grants-mercedes eligible for assistance, 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. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Land Grants-Mercedes 

5 Conservation Program Eligibility Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY FOR LAND GRANTS-MERCEDES. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 1201(a) of the Food Se8 curity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)) is amended by 

9 redesignating paragraphs (17) through (27) as paraVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:38 Dec 20, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4688.IH H4688

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1 graphs (18) through (28), respectively, and inserting after 

2 paragraph (16) the following: 

3 ‘‘(17) LAND GRANT-MERCED.—The term ‘land 

4 grant-merced’ means a community, town, colony, or 

5 pueblo— 

6 ‘‘(A) the land of which was granted by the 

7 government of Spain or by the government of 

8 Mexico to— 

9 ‘‘(i) the community, town, colony, or 

10 pueblo; or 

11 ‘‘(ii) a person for the purpose of 

12 founding or establishing a community, 

13 town, colony, or pueblo; or 

14 ‘‘(B) that asserted title pursuant to the 

15 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, through— 

16 ‘‘(i) the Office of the Surveyor Gen17 eral for New Mexico established pursuant 

18 to the Act of July 22, 1854 (Chapter 103; 

19 10 Stat. 308); or 

20 ‘‘(ii) the United States Court of Pri21 vate Land Claims established by the Act of 

22 March 3, 1891 (Chapter 539; 26 Stat. 

23 854) (commonly known as the Court of 

24 Private Land Claims Act).’’. 


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1 (b) ALTERNATIVE FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS FOR

2 LAND GRANTS-MERCEDES.—Section 1244 of the Food 

3 Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844) is amended by 

4 adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(m) ALTERNATIVE FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS FOR

6 LAND GRANTS-MERCEDES.— 

7 ‘‘(1) ALTERNATIVE FUNDING ARRANGE8 MENTS.—Notwithstanding section 1001(f)(6), the 

9 Secretary may enter into an alternative funding ar10 rangement under any conservation program adminis11 tered by the Secretary with a land grant-merced if 

12 the Secretary determines that— 

13 ‘‘(A) the goals and objectives of the appli14 cable program will be met by the arrangement; 

15 and 

16 ‘‘(B) statutory limitations regarding con17 tracts with individual producers will not be ex18 ceeded by any member of the land grant19 merced. 

20 ‘‘(2) TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSIST21 ANCE.—The Secretary may provide technical and 

22 administrative assistance, as mutually agreed by the 

23 parties, under an alternative funding arrangement 

24 entered into under paragraph (1).’’. 

25 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 


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1 (1) DEFINITIONS.—Section 1201(a)(18)(B) of 

2 the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 

3 3801(a)(18)(B)) is amended by inserting ‘‘land 

4 grant-merced,’’ after ‘‘Indian tribe,’’. 

5 (2) CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.— 

6 Section 1238G(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 

7 (16 U.S.C. 3838g(f)) is amended by inserting ‘‘or 

8 land grants-mercedes’’ after ‘‘Indian tribes’’. 

9 (3) ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR CON10 SERVATION PROGRAMS.—Section 1244(a) of the 

11 Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(a)) is 

12 amended— 

13 (A) in the subsection header, by inserting 

14 ‘‘AND LAND GRANTS-MERCEDES’’ after ‘‘IN15 DIAN TRIBES’’; and 

16 (B) by adding at the end of paragraph (2) 

17 the following: 

18 ‘‘(G) Land grants-mercedes.’’. 

19 (4) AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION EASEMENT

20 PROGRAM.—Subtitle H of title XII of the Food Se21 curity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865 et seq.) is 

22 amended— 

23 (A) in section 1265A(2)(A), by striking 

24 ‘‘or an Indian tribe’’ and inserting ‘‘, or an In25 dian tribe or land grant-merced,’’; 


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1 (B) in section 1265C— 

2 (i) in subsection (b)(1)(D), by insert3 ing ‘‘and land grants-mercedes’’ after ‘‘In4 dian tribes’’; 

5 (ii) in subsection (d)(2), by striking 

6 ‘‘or Indian tribe’’ and inserting ‘‘Indian 

7 tribe, or land grant-merced’’; and 

8 (iii) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘or 

9 Indian tribe’’ and inserting ‘‘Indian tribe, 

10 or land grant-merced’’; and 

11 (C) in section 1265D(a)(2), by adding ‘‘, 

12 other than land of a land grant-merced’’ before 

13 the semicolon. 

14 (5) REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP

15 PROGRAM.—Section 1271A(4) of the Food Security 

16 Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3871a(4)) is amended by 

17 adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(I) A land grant-merced.’’. 

Æ 


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