I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2235 
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve wildlife habitat 
connectivity and wildlife migration corridors, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 18, 2025 
Mr. VASQUEZ (for himself, Mr. ZINKE, and Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agri-
culture 
A BILL 
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve wildlife 
habitat connectivity and wildlife migration corridors, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Habitat Connectivity 
on Working Lands Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 1240A of the Food Secu-
rity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–1) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:00 Mar 29, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2235.IH
H2235
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
‘‘(11) HABITAT CONNECTIVITY.—The term 
‘habitat connectivity’ means the degree to which 
landscape or habitat elements facilitate native 
species movement among seasonal habitats. 
‘‘(12) BIG GAME SPECIES.—The term ‘big 
game species’ means native species of large 
mammals including, wild deer, elk, pronghorn, 
wild sheep, and moose.’’. 
(b) REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PRO-
GRAM
CRITICAL
CONSERVATION
AREAS.—Section 
1271F(a)(2)(C) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 
U.S.C. 3871f(a)(2)(C)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, includ-
ing restoration and enhancement of wildlife habitat 
connectivity and wildlife migration corridors, with a focus 
on big game species’’ before ‘‘; and’’. 
(c) ENROLLMENT IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 
INCENTIVES PROGRAM AND THE CONSERVATION STEW-
ARDSHIP PROGRAM OF GRASSLAND ENROLLED IN THE 
CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM.— 
(1) ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY
INCENTIVES 
PROGRAM.—Section 1240B(d) of the Food Security 
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(d)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘A pro-
ducer’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in 
paragraph (8), a producer’’; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:00 Mar 29, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2235.IH
H2235
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) COST-SHARE PAYMENTS FOR GRASSLAND 
ENROLLED IN THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PRO-
GRAM.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
provide payments under the program for costs 
associated with planning, design, materials, 
equipment, installation, labor, management, 
maintenance, or training with respect to eligible 
land that is— 
‘‘(i) enrolled in the conservation re-
serve 
program 
under 
section 
1231(d)(2)(A); and 
‘‘(ii) of ecological significance, as de-
scribed in section 1231(d)(2)(B)(iii). 
‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—A producer shall not 
be eligible for payments under subparagraph 
(A) for practices if the producer receives pay-
ments or other benefits for the same practice on 
the same land under another Federal program 
(other than the conservation reserve program 
under subchapter B of chapter 1).’’. 
(2) CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.— 
Section 1240J(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 
(16 U.S.C. 3839aa–22(b)) is amended— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:00 Mar 29, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2235.IH
H2235
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(A) in paragraph (1), in the matter pre-
ceding subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘and ex-
cept as provided in paragraph (3),’’ after 
‘‘paragraph (2),’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) COST-SHARE PAYMENTS FOR GRASSLAND 
ENROLLED IN THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PRO-
GRAM.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
provide payments under the program for costs 
associated with planning, design, materials, 
equipment, installation, labor, management, 
maintenance, or training with respect to eligible 
land that is— 
‘‘(i) enrolled in the conservation re-
serve 
program 
under 
section 
1231(d)(2)(A); and 
‘‘(ii) of ecological significance, as de-
scribed in section 1231(d)(2)(B)(iii). 
‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—A producer shall not 
be eligible for payments under subparagraph 
(A) for conservation activities if the producer 
receives payments or other benefits for the 
same conservation activities on the same land 
under another Federal program (other than the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:00 Mar 29, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2235.IH
H2235
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
conservation reserve program under subchapter 
B of chapter 1). 
‘‘(C) EMERGENCY GRAZING AND HAYING 
ACCESS PRESERVED.—No priority resource con-
cern, practice, or incentive pertaining to res-
toration and enhancement of wildlife habitat 
connectivity and wildlife migration corridors on 
the acres described above will prevent or alter 
emergency grazing and haying access for grass-
land acres enrolled in the conservation reserve 
program.’’. 
(3) PAYMENT LIMITATION FOR RENTAL PAY-
MENTS UNDER THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PRO-
GRAM.—Section 1234(g)(1) of the Food Security 
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3834(g)(1)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘$50,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$125,000’’. 
(d) INCREASED PAYMENTS UNDER THE ENVIRON-
MENTAL
QUALITY
INCENTIVES
PROGRAM.—Section 
1240B(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3839aa–2(d)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3)(F), by inserting ‘‘and 
wildlife habitat connectivity’’ before ‘‘; or’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (7)(A)— 
(A) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:00 Mar 29, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2235.IH
H2235
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(B) in clause (iv), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(v) addresses the conservation and 
restoration of wildlife habitat, including 
wildlife habitat connectivity and wildlife 
migration corridors.’’. 
(e) CONSERVATION PRACTICE STANDARDS.—Section 
1242 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(j) 
ADDRESSING
BARRIERS
TO
HABITAT 
CONNECTIVITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) to the maximum extent practicable, 
fully incorporate nonstructural methods to con-
trol livestock distribution, such as virtual fenc-
ing, into the conservation practice standards; 
and 
‘‘(B) provide for the appropriate range of 
conservation practices and resource mitigation 
measures available to landowners using non-
structural methods described in subparagraph 
(A). 
‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY OF ADEQUATE TECHNICAL 
ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall ensure that ade-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:00 Mar 29, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2235.IH
H2235
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
quate technical assistance is available for the imple-
mentation of— 
‘‘(A) nonstructural methods described in 
paragraph (1)(A); and 
‘‘(B) other practices that support habitat 
connectivity (as that term is defined in section 
1240A) through Federal conservation pro-
grams.’’. 
(f) ADMINISTRATIVE
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
CON-
SERVATION PROGRAMS.—Section 1244 of the Food Secu-
rity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(q) ENCOURAGEMENT OF HABITAT CONNECTIVITY 
AND BIG GAME CORRIDORS.—In carrying out any con-
servation program administered by the Secretary, the Sec-
retary may, as appropriate, encourage— 
‘‘(1) the conservation of landscape corridors 
and hydrologic connectivity, where native big game 
species (as that term is defined in section 1240A) 
and ecological processes can transition from one 
habitat to another, in order to conserve native bio-
diversity and ensure resiliency against impacts from 
a range of stressors; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:00 Mar 29, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2235.IH
H2235
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
‘‘(2) the use of conservation practices that sup-
port the development, restoration, and maintenance 
of landscape corridors and hydrologic connectivity.’’. 
SEC. 3. HIGH-PRIORITY RESEARCH AND EXTENSION AREAS. 
Section 1672(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conserva-
tion, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925(d)) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(21) VIRTUAL FENCING.—Research and exten-
sion grants may be made under this section for the 
purposes of— 
‘‘(A) understanding and addressing the 
barriers to the adoption of virtual fencing tech-
nology; and 
‘‘(B) studying the effects of virtual fencing 
technology on natural and cultural resources, 
such as— 
‘‘(i) sensitive riparian areas; and 
‘‘(ii) crucial winter range and stopover 
habitats for native big game species (as 
that term is defined in section 1240A of 
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3839aa–1)).’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:00 Mar 29, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2235.IH
H2235
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS