I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8057 
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act with respect 
to the conservation loan and loan guarantee program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 14, 2020 
Ms. SPANBERGER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act with respect to the conservation loan and loan guar-
antee program. 
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 ‘‘Healthy Soil, Resilient 
Farmers Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. CONSERVATION LOAN AND LOAN GUARANTEE PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 304(b) of the Consoli-
dated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
1924(b)) is amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘or a soil 
health transition plan’’ after ‘‘conservation plan’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) SOIL
HEALTH
TRANSITION
LOAN.—The 
term ‘soil health transition loan’ means a qualified 
conservation loan with respect to which the applica-
ble qualified conservation project addresses provi-
sions of a soil health transition plan. 
‘‘(5) SOIL
HEALTH
TRANSITION
PLAN.—The 
term ‘soil health transition plan’ means a com-
prehensive, whole-farm plan, approved by the Sec-
retary, that, for a farming or ranching operation, 
identifies the conservation activities that will be ad-
dressed with loan funds provided or guaranteed 
under this section to assist the borrower in making 
a transition to a farming or ranching production and 
conservation system that includes one or more of the 
following: 
‘‘(A) Cover cropping or other continuous 
living cover systems. 
‘‘(B) Resource-conserving crop rotation, as 
defined in section 1240L(d)(1) of the Food Se-
curity Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–24). 
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‘‘(C) Advanced grazing management, in-
cluding management-intensive rotational graz-
ing, as defined in section 1240L(d)(1) of the 
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa– 
24). 
‘‘(D) Certified organic production under 
the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 
U.S.C. 6501 et seq.). 
‘‘(E) Such other soil health management 
systems, including systems to increase soil car-
bon levels, as the Secretary may designate.’’. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—Section 304(c)(2) of the Consoli-
dated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
1924(c)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘subparagraphs (A) 
and (B)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraphs (A), (B), and 
(C)’’. 
(c) PRIORITY.—Section 304(d) of the Consolidated 
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1924(d)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and 
inserting a semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(4) farmers or ranchers whose farm or ranch 
land is subject to the jurisdiction of an Indian 
tribe.’’. 
(d) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.—Section 304(f) 
of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
U.S.C. 1924(f)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) SOIL HEALTH TRANSITION LOANS.— 
‘‘(A) LIMITATIONS PERMITTED.—In mak-
ing or guaranteeing soil health transition loans 
under this section, the Secretary may limit eli-
gibility to individuals and entities described in 
subsection (d). 
‘‘(B) WAIVER OF PRINCIPAL AND INTER-
EST.—The Secretary shall establish terms and 
conditions for making or guaranteeing soil 
health transition loans under this section that 
waive principal and interest repayment for up 
to three years from the date on which the loan 
is made or guaranteed in order for the borrower 
to make a satisfactory transition to the farming 
or ranching production and conservation system 
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to be adopted under the soil health transition 
plan.’’. 
Æ 
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