I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3478 
To amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to establish a Good Steward 
Cover Crop program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 18, 2023 
Mr. CASTEN (for himself, Ms. SLOTKIN, and Mr. BOST) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to establish a 
Good Steward Cover Crop program, 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 ‘‘Conservation Oppor-
tunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience Program 
Act of 2023’’ or the ‘‘COVER Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. GOOD STEWARD COVER CROP PROGRAM. 
The Federal Crop Insurance Act is amended by in-
serting after section 508D (7 U.S.C. 1508d) the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 508E. GOOD STEWARD COVER CROP PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) COVERED
INSURANCE
PROGRAM.—The 
term ‘covered insurance program’ means a plan of 
insurance offered by the Corporation. 
‘‘(2) PROGRAM.—The term ‘program’ means 
the Good Steward Cover Crop program established 
under subsection (b)(1). 
‘‘(3) QUALIFYING
COVER
CROP.—The term 
‘qualifying cover crop’ means cereal or other grass, 
legume, brassica, nonlegume broadleaf, or any com-
bination thereof that is planted for conservation pur-
poses in accordance with— 
‘‘(A) guidance of the Natural Resources 
Conservation Service; and 
‘‘(B) any other expert guidance, as deter-
mined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(4) UNDERSERVED
PRODUCER.—The term 
‘underserved producer’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 508(a)(7)(A). 
‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning with crop year 
2023, the Secretary shall carry out a program, to be 
known as the ‘Good Steward Cover Crop program’, 
to provide additional premium subsidies to producers 
for each acre— 
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‘‘(A) on which qualifying cover crops are 
planted during a crop year; and 
‘‘(B) for which the producers, during such 
crop year— 
‘‘(i) plant crops other than the quali-
fying cover crops; and 
‘‘(ii) purchase insurance under a cov-
ered insurance program with respect to 
such planted crops. 
‘‘(2) REPORT.—For each acre described in 
paragraph (1), for each crop year, a producer shall 
be required to submit to the Secretary a report of 
acreage form. 
‘‘(c) PREMIUM SUBSIDY AMOUNT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2) 
and (3), an additional premium subsidy provided to 
a producer under the program shall— 
‘‘(A) be calculated on a common land unit 
basis or an equivalent or more precise basis; 
and 
‘‘(B) be in an amount equal to the product 
obtained by multiplying— 
‘‘(i) $5; and 
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‘‘(ii) the number of acres of the pro-
ducer for which the additional premium 
subsidy is provided. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—An additional premium sub-
sidy under paragraph (1) for an acre described in 
subsection (b)(1) shall not exceed the amount of the 
premium owed by the producer with respect to that 
acre. 
‘‘(3) RULE WITH RESPECT TO A PRODUCER- 
SHARE.—An additional premium subsidy under 
paragraph (1) shall be modified to reflect the indi-
vidual producer share of such acres. 
‘‘(4) INCLUSION.—Participation by a producer 
in a State program that provides premium subsidies 
for conservation practices, including cover crops, 
shall not disqualify a producer from receiving assist-
ance under this section. 
‘‘(d) OUTREACH.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, in co-
ordination with the Administrator of the Farm Serv-
ice Agency and the Chief of the Natural Resources 
Conservation Service, conduct outreach to producers, 
including underserved producers, to provide informa-
tion on— 
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‘‘(A) the program, including eligibility for 
the program; and 
‘‘(B) qualifying cover crops under the pro-
gram. 
‘‘(2) COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS.—The Sec-
retary shall enter into 1 or more cooperative agree-
ments with organizations capable of assisting with 
the outreach described in paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(A) to carry out such outreach; and 
‘‘(B) to coordinate with soil and water con-
servation districts to encourage the adoption of 
qualifying cover crop practices. 
‘‘(e) REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this section, and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary shall, in coordination with 
the Administrator of the Risk Management Agency, 
the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency, and 
the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service, submit to Congress a report that includes— 
‘‘(A) a summary of the activities carried 
out under the program, including— 
‘‘(i) the number and amount of pre-
mium subsidies provided to producers 
under the program; 
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‘‘(ii) the number of acres of cover 
crops planted for which a premium subsidy 
was received; and 
‘‘(iii) the outreach carried out under 
subsection (d); and 
‘‘(B) recommendations to increase the 
number of producers that qualify for additional 
premium subsidies under the program. 
‘‘(2) STUDY; REPORT.—Not later than 4 years 
after the date of enactment of this section, the Sec-
retary shall, in coordination with the Administrator 
of the Risk Management Agency, the Administrator 
of the Farm Service Agency, and the Chief of the 
Natural Resources Conservation Service, carry out, 
and submit to Congress a report on the results of, 
a study that examines whether planting qualifying 
cover crops in accordance with this section results in 
decreased crop insurance payments and stabilized 
yields compared to crop insurance payments and 
yields for acres not utilizing cover crops. 
‘‘(f) FUNDING.— 
‘‘(1) MANDATORY FUNDING.—Of the funds of 
the Corporation, the Secretary shall use the fol-
lowing amounts to carry out this section: 
‘‘(A) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2024. 
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