I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6232 

To establish an interagency committee on soil carbon sequestration research, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 6, 2023 

Ms. MCCLELLAN (for herself and Mr. LAWLER) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 

and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To establish an interagency committee on soil carbon 

sequestration research, 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 ‘‘Coordination for Soil 

5 Carbon Research and Monitoring Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SOIL CARBON RESEARCH AND MONITORING. 

7 (a) INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is established an 

2 interagency committee to be known as the ‘‘Inter3 agency Committee on Soil Carbon Research’’ (in this 

4 section referred to as the ‘‘Interagency Committee’’), 

5 to be led by the Office of Science and Technology 

6 Policy and composed of representatives from the fol7 lowing: 

8 (A) The Department of Agriculture. 

9 (B) The Department of Energy. 

10 (C) The Department of the Interior. 

11 (D) The Environmental Protection Agency. 

12 (E) The United States Geological Survey. 

13 (F) The National Oceanic and Atmos14 pheric Administration. 

15 (G) The National Science Foundation. 

16 (H) The National Aeronautics and Space 

17 Administration. 

18 (I) The White House Environmental Jus19 tice Advisory Council. 

20 (J) The National Institute of Standards 

21 and Technology. 

22 (K) Such other Federal agencies as the Di23 rector of the Office of Science and Technology 

24 Policy determines appropriate. 


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1 (2) DUTIES.—The Interagency Committee 

2 shall— 

3 (A) develop a cross-agency strategic plan 

4 for Federal research, development, and deploy5 ment regarding soil carbon sequestration sam6 pling and measurement methodologies, meas7 urement and monitoring technologies, and com8 munity needs; 

9 (B) propose roles and responsibilities to 

10 each Federal agency to advance soil carbon se11 questration research and monitoring; 

12 (C) oversee working groups established 

13 under this section; 

14 (D) as appropriate, seek to consult with 

15 Federal agencies and with the Office of Man16 agement and Budget regarding planning and 

17 budget review, respectively, concerning matters 

18 relating to Federal soil carbon sequestration re19 search and monitoring; 

20 (E) submit to Congress a baseline report 

21 on existing soil carbon sequestration research 

22 and monitoring activities; 

23 (F) submit to Congress progress reports 

24 on soil carbon sequestration research and moniVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:46 Nov 13, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6232.IH H6232

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1 toring activities at one-, three-, and five-year in2 tervals; 

3 (G) encourage coordination between Fed4 eral agencies and evaluate soil carbon seques5 tration monitoring activities, data collection on 

6 soil carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes, 

7 and long-term storage protocols for soil carbon; 

8 (H) support comprehensive reporting on 

9 soil carbon sequestration related activities based 

10 on a standardized integration of existing and 

11 new relevant data collection efforts across Fed12 eral agencies; 

13 (I) share recommendations for review and 

14 input with soil science experts from academia, 

15 private industry, and nonprofit organizations 

16 that represent the geographic, operational, and 

17 demographic diversity of United States agri18 culture; and 

19 (J) designate a member of the Interagency 

20 Committee to collaborate with Federal agency 

21 heads on soil carbon sequestration research and 

22 monitoring activities. 

23 (3) WORKING GROUPS.— 

24 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Interagency Com25 mittee may, as appropriate and necessary, esVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:46 Nov 13, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6232.IH H6232

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1 tablish working groups to coordinate on cross2 cutting priorities on soil carbon research as de3 termined by the Interagency Committee, includ4 ing relating to the following: 

5 (i) Monitoring, Reporting, and 

6 Verification (MRV). 

7 (ii) Data collection and management, 

8 with a focus on measurement standards, 

9 standards for use of new technologies, and 

10 data architecture for accessibility across 

11 agencies. 

12 (iii) Fundamental research, including 

13 regarding soil carbon dynamics, plant 

14 breeding, and soil amendments. 

15 (iv) Community engagement in re16 search development and dissemination of 

17 results, particularly with historically under18 served and disadvantaged groups. 

19 (B) DUTIES.—Working groups established 

20 pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall— 

21 (i) identify ongoing research and mon22 itoring efforts on soil carbon at each Fed23 eral agency represented in each such work24 ing group; 


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1 (ii) identify gaps in current efforts on 

2 soil carbon sequestration research and 

3 monitoring; 

4 (iii) outline current collaboration 

5 across agencies on soil carbon sequestra6 tion research and monitoring; 

7 (iv) propose coordinated projects and 

8 budget requests to advance the field of soil 

9 carbon sequestration research and moni10 toring; 

11 (v) engage with and conduct outreach 

12 to agricultural communities and producers, 

13 particularly those historically underserved, 

14 to ensure soil carbon sequestration re15 search and monitoring is rooted in stake16 holder engagement and on-the-ground per17 spectives; 

18 (vi) engage with research and exten19 sion soil scientists, private industry, non20 profit organizations, and other inter21 disciplinary soil science expert groups to 

22 ensure that recommendations are informed 

23 by the best available science; and 

24 (vii) collaborate on the development of 

25 standardized monitoring of the long-term 


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1 carbon and environmental impacts of soil 

2 carbon sequestration research. 

3 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

4 authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 to carry out 

5 this section. 

Æ 


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