I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2508 
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to optimize the sequestration 
of carbon and the reduction of net emissions through agricultural prac-
tices, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 14, 2021 
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to optimize the 
sequestration of carbon and the reduction of net emis-
sions through agricultural practices, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Naturally Offsetting 
Emissions by Managing and Implementing Tillage Strate-
gies Act of 2021’’, or the ‘‘NO EMITS Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. SOIL HEALTH TRANSITION INCENTIVE PROGRAM. 
Section 1240B of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 
U.S.C. 3839aa–2) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(k) SOIL HEALTH TRANSITION INCENTIVE PRO-
GRAM.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT
AND
PURPOSES.—The 
Secretary shall establish a soil health transition in-
centive program to assist producers in transitioning 
to soil health cropping systems by— 
‘‘(A) providing incentives to adopt soil 
health cropping systems, including by address-
ing the economic risk during a transition to a 
new soil health cropping system; and 
‘‘(B) providing technical assistance for 
such a transition. 
‘‘(2) CONTRACTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
enter into soil health transition incentive con-
tracts with producers under this subsection to 
provide payments for— 
‘‘(i) the adoption and installation of 
soil health practices (including cover crop-
ping, no till, and minimum till) or cropping 
systems; and 
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‘‘(ii) completing, managing, maintain-
ing, and improving the soil health practices 
or cropping systems for the duration of the 
contract, as determined appropriate by the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(B) PAYMENT AMOUNTS.—In determining 
the amount of payments under subparagraph 
(A), the Secretary shall consider, to the extent 
practicable— 
‘‘(i) the level and extent of the soil 
health practice or cropping system to be 
adopted, installed, completed, managed, 
maintained, or improved; 
‘‘(ii) the cost of the adoption, installa-
tion, completion, management, mainte-
nance, or improvement of the soil health 
practice or cropping system; 
‘‘(iii) income foregone by the pro-
ducer, including payments, as appropriate, 
to address— 
‘‘(I) increased economic risk; 
‘‘(II) loss in revenue due to an-
ticipated reductions in yield; and 
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‘‘(III) economic losses during 
transition to new cropping systems; 
and 
‘‘(iv) the extent to which compensa-
tion would ensure long-term continued 
management, maintenance, and improve-
ment of the soil health practice or cropping 
system. 
‘‘(C) TERM.—A contract under this sub-
section shall have a term of not fewer than 5 
years and not more than 7 years. 
‘‘(3) INDIVIDUALIZED AGRONOMIC TECHNICAL 
ASSISTANCE.—To assist producers in making a suc-
cessful transition to a soil health cropping system, 
the Secretary shall provide individualized and 
multiyear agronomic technical assistance, at the op-
tion of the producer, through— 
‘‘(A) the Secretary; 
‘‘(B) a third party provider; 
‘‘(C) a commercial entity (including a 
farmer cooperative or agriculture retailer); 
‘‘(D) a nonprofit entity with agronomic ex-
pertise; or 
‘‘(E) a State or local government (includ-
ing a conservation district).’’. 
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