SUSTAINS Act

To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 with respect to the acceptance and use of contributions for public-private partnerships, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Sponsoring USDA Sustainability Targets in Agriculture to Incentivize Natural Solutions Act of 2021 SUSTAINS Act 2. Acceptance and use of contributions for public-private partnerships Section 1241(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3841(f) (1) in the subsection heading, by inserting for public-Private partnerships contributions (2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows: (1) Authority to establish public-private partnership contributions accounts The Secretary, acting through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, may establish a sub-account for each covered program to accept contributions of non-Federal funds for the purposes of addressing the changing climate, sequestering carbon, improving wildlife habitat, protecting sources of drinking water, and addressing other natural resource priorities identified by the Secretary. ; (3) in paragraph (2), by striking a conservation program administered by the Secretary under subtitle D a covered program (4) by adding at the end the following: (3) Match of contributed funds The Secretary may provide matching funds for contributions received under this subsection, subject to the availability of funding under subsection (a) for the applicable covered program. (4) Role of contributing entity (A) In general An entity contributing funds under this subsection may— (i) designate the covered program for which the contributed funds are intended to be used; and (ii) specify the geographic area in which the contributed funds are intended to be used. (B) Significant contributions The Secretary shall establish a procedure under which an entity making a significant contribution may— (i) identify a natural resource concern the contributed funds are to be used to address; and (ii) have the name or brand of the individual or entity associated with the use of the contributed funds. (5) Producer participation (A) Priority In selecting producers to carry out, through a covered program, an activity funded pursuant to this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to— (i) socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, as defined in section 355(e) of the Agricultural Act of 1961 ( 7 U.S.C. 2003 (ii) limited resource farmers or ranchers, as determined by the Secretary; and (iii) beginning farmers or ranchers. (B) Sale of ecosystem benefits If an activity funded pursuant to this section may result in environmental services benefits to be sold through an environmental services market, the producer carrying out the activity and the entity that contributed the applicable funds shall negotiate a mutually beneficial sale of such benefits. (6) Rules for easements An easement funded pursuant to this subsection shall be subject to the requirements of the covered program for which the contributed funds were used, except that the Secretary may modify such requirements, as they apply to the easement, for the purpose of addressing climate change, as the Secretary determines appropriate. (7) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Covered program The term covered program (i) subtitle D, subtitle H, or subtitle I; (ii) section 403 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 ( 16 U.S.C. 2203 (iii) title V of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6571 et seq. (iv) the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. 16 U.S.C. 1012 (B) Significant contribution The term significant contribution . June 3, 2022 Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Summary: Sponsoring USDA Sustainability Targets in Agriculture to Incentivize Natural Solutions Act of 2021 or the SUSTAINS Act This bill authorizes the Natural Resources Conservation Service to accept contributions of nonfederal funds to support a broader range of conservation programs. Current law authorizes the service to accept nonfederal contributions of funds to support certain programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. This bill expands the authority to include other conservation programs, including those that address climate change, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat improvement, and protection of drinking water sources. The bill also makes other changes to the administration of contributed funds, such as by allowing the service to match contributions and permitting contributors to designate funds for use in a specific program or geographic area.