II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2215 

To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to better assist producers desiring 

to voluntarily transition into organic production systems. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 11, 2017 

Mr. CASEY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to better assist 

producers desiring to voluntarily transition into organic 

production systems. 

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 ‘‘Homegrown Organic 

5 Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROGRAMS FOR PRODUCERS TRANSITIONING TO 

7 ORGANIC PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. 

8 (a) PAYMENTS UNDER THE CONSERVATION RE9 SERVE PROGRAM.—Section 1234(c) of the Food Security 

10 Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3834(c)) is amended— 


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1 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 

2 subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indent3 ing appropriately; 

4 (2) by inserting after ‘‘(c) INCENTIVE PAY5 MENTS.—’’ the following: 

6 ‘‘(1) THINNING AND OTHER PRACTICES PRO7 MOTING FOREST MANAGEMENT AND WILDLIFE HABI8 TAT.—’’; 

9 (3) in paragraph (1)(B) (as redesignated), by 

10 striking ‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘subpara11 graph (A)’’; and 

12 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(2) ORGANIC FARMING AND RANCHING.— 

14 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

15 offer an incentive payment to an owner or oper16 ator of eligible land in an amount that the Sec17 retary determines is sufficient to encourage the 

18 voluntary transition of the eligible land to or19 ganic farming or ranching immediately fol20 lowing the termination of the contract under 

21 this subchapter that covers the eligible land. 

22 ‘‘(B) ORGANIC CERTIFICATION PROCESS.— 

23 In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Sec24 retary shall allow the owner or operator to 

25 begin the organic certification process under the 


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1 Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 

2 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) beginning on the date that 

3 is 1 year before the date of termination of the 

4 contract under this subchapter. 

5 ‘‘(C) TERMS OF PAYMENT.—The Sec6 retary— 

7 ‘‘(i) shall make payments under sub8 paragraph (A) for a period of not less than 

9 2 years beginning on the date of termi10 nation of the contract under this sub11 chapter; and 

12 ‘‘(ii) may establish an annual limita13 tion on the number of acres of eligible land 

14 for which an incentive payment is made 

15 under subparagraph (A) if the Secretary 

16 determines that the limitation is necessary 

17 to mitigate significant erosion of organic 

18 commodity premiums.’’. 

19 (b) COORDINATION WITH ORGANIC CERTIFICATION

20 UNDER THE CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.— 

21 Section 1238G(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

22 U.S.C. 3838g(h)) is amended— 

23 (1) by striking ‘‘(h) COORDINATION WITH OR24 GANIC CERTIFICATION.—The Secretary’’ and insert25 ing the following: 


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1 ‘‘(h) ORGANIC CERTIFICATION.— 

2 ‘‘(1) COORDINATION.—The Secretary’’; and 

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

4 ‘‘(2) TRANSITION.—The Secretary shall estab5 lish suites of organic transition conservation activi6 ties to be available through the program for crop7 ping systems and grazing systems.’’. 

8 (c) REMOVAL OF PAYMENT LIMITATIONS UNDER

9 THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PRO10 GRAM.—Section 1240B(i) of the Food Security Act of 

11 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(i)) is amended— 

12 (1) by striking paragraph (3); and 

13 (2) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as 

14 paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively. 

15 SEC. 3. FUNDING AND ADMINISTRATION. 

16 Section 1241(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 

17 (16 U.S.C. 3841(a)) is amended— 

18 (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 

19 striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’; and 

20 (2) in paragraph (1)— 

21 (A) in subparagraph (A)— 

22 (i) by striking ‘‘section 1234(c)’’ and 

23 inserting ‘‘section 1234(c)(1)’’; and 

24 (ii) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 


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1 (B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as 

2 subparagraph (C); and 

3 (C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) 

4 the following: 

5 ‘‘(B) $50,000,000 for the period of fiscal 

6 years 2019 through 2023 to provide payments 

7 under section 1234(c)(2); and’’. 

Æ 


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