II 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2989 

To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to encourage soil health, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 5, 2018 

Mr. BENNET 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 encourage 

soil health, 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 ‘‘Conservation for Very 

5 Erodible Row Cropland Act of 2018’’ or the ‘‘COVER 

6 Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. SOIL HEALTH INITIATIVE. 

8 Section 1240B of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

9 U.S.C. 3839aa–2) is amended by adding at the end the 

10 following: 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 2989 IS

1 ‘‘(j) SOIL HEALTH INITIATIVE.— 

2 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF COVER CROP.—In this 

3 subsection, the term ‘cover crop’ means a grass, leg4 ume, or forb that is planted for seasonal vegetative 

5 cover. 

6 ‘‘(2) SOIL HEALTH INITIATIVE.— 

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

8 provide payments under the program for prac9 tices that— 

10 ‘‘(i) improve soil health; 

11 ‘‘(ii) enhance the ability of a farmer 

12 to absorb and recover from shocks and 

13 stresses to production; 

14 ‘‘(iii) increase the storage of carbon 

15 on agricultural land; and 

16 ‘‘(iv) achieve other conservation out17 comes, as determined by the Secretary. 

18 ‘‘(B) DIVERSITY.—The Secretary shall en19 sure that producers receiving payments for 

20 practices described in clauses (i) through (iv) of 

21 subparagraph (A) are located in areas that re22 flect diverse conditions with respect to region, 

23 water quantity, and agricultural practice. 

24 ‘‘(3) SOIL HEALTH PRACTICES.— 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 2989 IS

1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Practices that im2 prove soil health under paragraph (2)(A)(i) 

3 shall— 

4 ‘‘(i) reflect regional soil and climate 

5 conditions; and 

6 ‘‘(ii) include— 

7 ‘‘(I) any practice that improves 

8 soil health, as determined by the Sec9 retary; and 

10 ‘‘(II) not fewer than two of the 

11 practices described in subparagraph 

12 (B). 

13 ‘‘(B) PRACTICES DESCRIBED.—The prac14 tices referred to in subparagraph (A)(ii)(II) are 

15 the following: 

16 ‘‘(i) The planting of a regionally ap17 propriate cover crop. 

18 ‘‘(ii) No-till or reduced-till agriculture. 

19 ‘‘(iii) Resource-conserving crop rota20 tion. 

21 ‘‘(iv) The use of organic soil amend22 ments, including compost, biochar, and 

23 digestate. 

24 ‘‘(v) The integration of livestock graz25 ing.’’. 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 2989 IS

1 SEC. 3. COVER CROP PILOT PROGRAM. 

2 Section 1240H of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 

3 U.S.C. 3839aa–8) is amended— 

4 (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub5 section (d); and 

6 (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol7 lowing: 

8 ‘‘(c) COVER CROP PILOT PROGRAM.— 

9 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab10 lish a pilot program to provide payments under this 

11 subsection to producers to encourage— 

12 ‘‘(A) the measurement of outcomes relat13 ing to the planting of a regionally appropriate 

14 cover crop; and 

15 ‘‘(B) opportunities to increase farm in16 come. 

17 ‘‘(2) THIRD-PARTY PARTNERS.—In carrying out 

18 the pilot program under paragraph (1), the Sec19 retary shall give priority to producers that partner 

20 with— 

21 ‘‘(A) academic entities to study the impact 

22 of soil carbon sequestration on soil health and 

23 farm productivity; 

24 ‘‘(B) carbon offset protocol developers to 

25 develop quantification methodologies for carbon 

26 offset protocols; 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 2989 IS

1 ‘‘(C) livestock producers to integrate graz2 ing where regionally appropriate; or 

3 ‘‘(D) food manufacturers— 

4 ‘‘(i) to enter into supply agreements 

5 for food produced under the pilot program; 

6 and 

7 ‘‘(ii) to develop marketing products 

8 relating to the soil health benefits of that 

9 food. 

10 ‘‘(3) DIVERSITY.—The Secretary shall ensure 

11 that producers receiving payments under paragraph 

12 (1)— 

13 ‘‘(A) are located in areas that reflect di14 verse conditions with respect to region, water 

15 quantity, and agricultural practice; and 

16 ‘‘(B) plant regionally appropriate cover 

17 crops that enhance nutrient cycling and the ca18 pacity of soil to hold water. 

19 ‘‘(4) FUNDING.—Of the funds made available 

20 to carry out this chapter, the Secretary shall use to 

21 carry out this subsection $20,000,000 for each of 

22 fiscal years 2019 through 2023.’’. 

Æ 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS