254 
nical committees, to select projects and initiatives for 
funding under this section at the State level. The Sec-
retary shall develop criteria for this allocation made 
on a similar basis as to the program priorities under 
subsection (f). 
‘‘(3) UNUSED FUNDING.—Any funds reserved for 
a fiscal year under paragraph (1) that are not obli-
gated by April 1 of that fiscal year may be used to 
carry out other activities under conservation pro-
grams under subtitle D during the remainder of that 
fiscal year. 
‘‘(4) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS FUNDING CAP.—Of 
the funds made available under this section for a par-
ticular project or initiative, not more than 5 percent 
may be expended by the eligible entity on the admin-
istrative costs of the project or initiative.’’. 
SEC. 2404. REGIONAL EQUITY AND FLEXIBILITY. 
Section 1241(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 
U.S.C. 3841(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘$12,000,000’’ and 
inserting ‘‘$15,000,000’’. 
SEC. 2405. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR CON-
SERVATION PROGRAMS. 
(a) INCENTIVES FOR CERTAIN PRODUCERS.—Section 
1244(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3844(a)) is amended— 
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(1) in the subsection heading, by striking ‘‘BE-
GINNING’’ and inserting ‘‘INCENTIVES FOR CERTAIN’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘, socially disadvantaged farm-
ers and ranchers, limited resource farmers and ranch-
ers,’’ after ‘‘beginning farmers and ranchers’’; and 
(3) by striking ‘‘and limited resource agricul-
tural producers’’. 
(b) SINGLE, SIMPLIFIED APPLICATION PROCESS FOR 
CONSERVATION PROGRAMS.—Section 1244 of the Food Se-
curity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844), as amended by section 
2403, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(f) SINGLE, SIMPLIFIED APPLICATION PROCESS.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—In carrying out any of 
the conservation programs under this title adminis-
tered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, 
the Secretary shall establish and make available to 
producers and landowners a single, simplified appli-
cation process to be used by producers and land-
owners in initially requesting assistance under such 
programs. The Secretary shall ensure that— 
‘‘(A) conservation program applicants are 
not required to provide information that dupli-
cates information and resources already avail-
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256 
able to the Secretary regarding that applicant 
and for that specific operation; and 
‘‘(B) the application process is streamlined 
to minimize complexity and redundancy. 
‘‘(2) REVIEW
OF
APPLICATION
PROCESS.—The 
Secretary shall review the conservation application 
process and the forms and related mechanisms used to 
receive assistance requests from producers and land-
owners. The purpose of the review shall be to deter-
mine what information the applicant is actually re-
quired to submit during the application process, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(A) identification information for the ap-
plicant; 
‘‘(B) identification and location informa-
tion for the land parcel or tract of concern; 
‘‘(C) a general statement of the applicant’s 
resource concern or concerns for the land parcel 
or tract; and 
‘‘(D) the minimum amount of other infor-
mation the Secretary considers essential for the 
applicant to provide. 
‘‘(3) REVISION
AND
STREAMLINING.—The Sec-
retary shall carry out a revision of the application 
forms and processes for conservation programs cov-
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257 
ered in this subsection to enable utilization of infor-
mation technology as an avenue to incorporate appro-
priate data and information concerning the conserva-
tion needs and solutions appropriate for the land 
area identified by the applicant. The revision shall 
seek to streamline the application process to minimize 
the burden placed on the applicant. 
‘‘(4) CONSERVATION
PROGRAM
APPLICATION.— 
When the needs of an applicant are adequately as-
sessed by the Secretary, directly or through a third- 
party provider under section 1242, in order to deter-
mine the conservation programs under this title that 
best match the needs of the applicant, with the ap-
proval of the applicant, the Secretary may convert the 
initial application into a specific application for as-
sistance for a specific program. To the maximum ex-
tent practical, the specific application for conserva-
tion program assistance shall be carried out by the 
Secretary by requesting only that specific further in-
formation from the applicant that is not already 
available to the Secretary. 
‘‘(5) IMPLEMENTATION AND NOTIFICATION.—Not 
later than one year after the date of the enactment of 
the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007, the 
Secretary shall complete the requirements of this sub-
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258 
section and shall submit to Congress a written notifi-
cation of such completion.’’. 
SEC. 2406. ANNUAL REPORT ON PARTICIPATION BY SPE-
CIALTY CROP PRODUCERS IN CONSERVATION 
PROGRAMS. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Subtitle F of title XII of the 
Food Security Act of 1985 is amended by inserting after 
section 1251 (16 U.S.C. 2005a) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 1252. ANNUAL REPORT ON PARTICIPATION BY SPE-
CIALTY CROP PRODUCERS IN CONSERVATION 
PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Agri-
culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate an annual 
report that— 
‘‘(1) documents and analyzes the participation 
by producers of specialty crops in conservation pro-
grams under subtitle D, including the conservation se-
curity program and the environmental quality incen-
tives program; 
‘‘(2) tracks such participation by crop and live-
stock type; and 
‘‘(3) describes the results of implementing the 
plan required by subsection (b), as well as any modi-
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