H. R. 2617—1515 
such purposes, the Secretary shall establish a voluntary pro-
gram, to be known as the ‘‘Greenhouse Gas Technical Assist-
ance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program’’, to register 
covered entities that carry out activities described in subsection 
(c). 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after making the 
determination under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall publish 
a report describing the reasons for such determination, 
including how establishing a program under this subsection 
would or would not further each of the purposes described 
in paragraph (1)(A). 
(c) PROTOCOLS, QUALIFICATIONS, AND ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) WIDELY ACCEPTED PROTOCOLS AND QUALIFICATIONS.— 
After providing public notice and at least a 60-day period for 
public comment, but not later than 90 days after the date 
on which the Program is established, the Secretary shall pub-
lish— 
(A) a list of, and documents relating to, widely accepted 
protocols that are designed to ensure consistency, reli-
ability, effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency of vol-
untary environmental credit markets, including protocol 
documents and details relating to— 
(i) calculations; 
(ii) sampling methodologies; 
(iii) voluntary environmental credit accounting 
principles; 
(iv) systems for verification, monitoring, measure-
ment, and reporting; and 
(v) methods to account for additionality, perma-
nence, leakage, and, where appropriate, avoidance of 
double counting; and 
(B) descriptions of widely accepted qualifications pos-
sessed by covered entities that provide technical assistance 
to farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners. 
(2) ACTIVITIES.—A covered entity may register under the 
Program with respect to technical assistance or process 
verification the covered entity carries out for activities that 
prevent, reduce, or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, 
including— 
(A) land or soil carbon sequestration; 
(B) emissions reductions derived from fuel choice or 
reduced fuel use; 
(C) livestock emissions reductions, including emissions 
reductions achieved through— 
(i) feeds, feed additives, and the use of byproducts 
as feed sources; or 
(ii) manure management practices; 
(D) on-farm energy generation; 
(E) energy feedstock production; 
(F) fertilizer or nutrient use emissions reductions; 
(G) reforestation; 
(H) forest management, including improving har-
vesting practices and thinning diseased trees; 
(I) prevention of the conversion of forests, grasslands, 
and wetlands; 
(J) restoration of wetlands or grasslands;
H. R. 2617—1516 
(K) 
grassland 
management, 
including 
prescribed 
grazing; 
(L) current practices associated with private land con-
servation programs administered by the Secretary; and 
(M) such other activities, or combinations of activities, 
that the Secretary, in consultation with the Advisory 
Council, determines to be appropriate. 
(3) INCLUSIONS.—In publishing the list of widely accepted 
protocols and the descriptions of widely accepted qualifications 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary, in consultation with the 
Advisory Council, shall include all relevant information relating 
to market-based protocols, as appropriate, with regard to— 
(A) quantification; 
(B) verification; 
(C) additionality; 
(D) permanence; 
(E) reporting; and 
(F) other expertise, as determined by the Secretary. 
(4) PERIODIC REVIEW.—As appropriate, the Secretary shall 
periodically review and revise the list and descriptions pub-
lished under paragraph (1) to include any additional protocols 
or qualifications described in paragraph (3). 
(d) REGISTRATION, WEBSITE, AND PUBLICATION OF LISTS.— 
(1) REGISTRATION LIST.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after estab-
lishing the Program, the Secretary shall publish, through 
a website maintained by the Secretary, a registration list 
consisting of a list of covered entities that have submitted 
information to the Secretary, which list the Secretary shall 
regularly update. 
(B) REGISTRATION.—A covered entity may register 
under the Program to be included on the registration list 
by submitting to the Secretary, through a website main-
tained by the Secretary, information that— 
(i) shall include— 
(I) the region in which the covered entity pro-
vides its services; 
(II) whether the covered entity is a technical 
assistance provider or a verifier; and 
(III) the protocols in which the covered entity 
has proficiency; and 
(ii) may include additional information that— 
(I) has been identified by the Advisory Council 
in its initial assessment under subsection (g)(1) 
to ensure certainty for producers in the market-
place for agriculture or forestry credits; and 
(II) the Secretary determines is appropriate 
for inclusion. 
(2) WEBSITE AND SOLICITATION.—During the 180-day period 
beginning on the date on which the Program is established, 
the Secretary shall publish, through an existing website main-
tained by the Secretary— 
(A) information describing how covered entities may 
register under the Program in accordance with paragraph 
(1);
H. R. 2617—1517 
(B) a list of the widely accepted protocols and qualifica-
tions published by the Secretary under subsection (c)(1); 
and 
(C) instructions and suggestions to assist farmers, 
ranchers, and private forest landowners in facilitating the 
development of agriculture or forestry credits and accessing 
voluntary environmental credit markets, including— 
(i) through working with covered entities reg-
istered under the Program; and 
(ii) by providing information relating to programs, 
registries, and protocols of programs and registries 
that provide market-based participation opportunities 
for working and conservation agricultural and forestry 
lands. 
(3) PROGRAMMATIC INTEGRITY.—The Secretary shall ensure, 
to the maximum extent practicable, that covered entities reg-
istered under the Program— 
(A) act in good faith to provide realistic estimates 
of costs and revenues relating to activities and verification 
of processes described in subsection (c)(2), as applicable 
to the covered entity; and 
(B) demonstrate expertise in, and are able to perform 
in accordance with, best management practices for agricul-
tural and forestry activities that prevent, reduce, or miti-
gate greenhouse gas emissions (including through the 
sequestration of carbon). 
(4) REMOVAL FROM REGISTRATION LIST.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.— 
(i) REMOVAL.—The Secretary shall remove a cov-
ered entity from the registration list under the Pro-
gram if the Secretary determines that the covered 
entity has not acted in accordance with— 
(I) the information provided by the entity 
under paragraph (1)(B); or 
(II) best management practices for agricultural 
and forestry activities that prevent, reduce, or miti-
gate greenhouse gas emissions (including through 
the sequestration of carbon). 
(ii) DETERMINATION.—The Secretary may make a 
determination under clause (i)— 
(I) based on a periodic review of a representa-
tive sample of covered entities, which shall occur 
not less frequently than once each year; or 
(II) as necessary. 
(B) APPEAL OF REMOVAL.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—A covered entity that has been 
removed from the registration list pursuant to subpara-
graph (A) may appeal the determination to the Sec-
retary. 
(ii) RE-REGISTRATION.—A covered entity that 
appeals a determination under clause (i) may re-reg-
ister under the Program if the covered entity success-
fully proves, as determined by the Secretary, that the 
covered entity has acted in accordance with, as 
applicable— 
(I) the information provided by the entity 
under paragraph (1)(B); and
H. R. 2617—1518 
(II) best management practices for agricultural 
and forestry activities that prevent, reduce, or miti-
gate greenhouse gas emissions (including through 
the sequestration of carbon). 
(C) NOTIFICATION.—If the Secretary removes a covered 
entity from the registration list pursuant to subparagraph 
(A), to the extent practicable, the Secretary shall— 
(i) request from that covered entity contact 
information for all farmers, ranchers, and private forest 
landowners to which the covered entity provided tech-
nical assistance or the verification of the processes 
described in protocols of voluntary environmental 
credit markets; and 
(ii) notify those farmers, ranchers, and private 
forest landowners of the removal. 
(5) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section authorizes 
the Secretary to compel a farmer, rancher, or private forest 
landowner to participate in a transaction or project facilitated 
by a covered entity certified under paragraph (1). 
(e) SUBMISSION OF FRAUDULENT INFORMATION OR CLAIMS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A person or entity, regardless of whether 
the person or entity is registered under the Program, shall 
not make a fraudulent submission under subsection (d) or make 
a fraudulent claim regarding the presence of that person or 
entity on the registration list published under such subsection. 
(2) PENALTY.—Any person or entity that violates paragraph 
(1) shall be— 
(A) subject to a civil penalty equal to such amount 
as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, not to exceed 
$1,000 per violation; and 
(B) ineligible to register under the Program for the 
5-year period beginning on the date of the violation. 
(f) GREENHOUSE GAS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDER AND 
THIRD-PARTY VERIFIER PROGRAM ADVISORY COUNCIL.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—During the 90-day period beginning on 
the date on which the Program is established, the Secretary 
shall establish an advisory council, to be known as the ‘‘Green-
house Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party 
Verifier Program Advisory Council’’. 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Advisory Council shall be com-
posed of members appointed by the Secretary in accordance 
with this paragraph. 
(B) GENERAL REPRESENTATION.—The Advisory Council 
shall— 
(i) be broadly representative of the agriculture and 
private forest sectors; 
(ii) include beginning, socially disadvantaged, lim-
ited resource, and veteran farmers, ranchers, and pri-
vate forest landowners; and 
(iii) be composed of not less than 51 percent 
farmers, ranchers, or private forest landowners. 
(C) MEMBERS.—Members appointed under subpara-
graph (A) shall include— 
(i) not more than 2 representatives of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture, as determined by the Secretary;
H. R. 2617—1519 
(ii) not more than 1 representative of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency, as determined by the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; 
(iii) not more than 1 representative of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology; 
(iv) not fewer than 12 representatives of the agri-
culture industry, appointed in a manner that is broadly 
representative of the agriculture sector, including not 
fewer than 6 active farmers and ranchers; 
(v) not fewer than 4 representatives of private 
forest landowners or the forestry and forest products 
industry appointed in a manner that is broadly rep-
resentative of the private forest sector; 
(vi) not more than 4 representatives of the relevant 
scientific research community, including not fewer than 
2 representatives from land-grant colleges and univer-
sities (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agri-
cultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act 
of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103)), of which 1 shall be a rep-
resentative of a college or university eligible to receive 
funds under the Act of August 30, 1890 (commonly 
known as the ‘‘Second Morrill Act’’) (26 Stat. 417, 
chapter 841; 7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), including Tuskegee 
University; 
(vii) not more than 2 experts or professionals 
familiar with voluntary environmental credit markets 
and the verification requirements in those markets; 
(viii) not more than 3 members of nongovern-
mental or civil society organizations with relevant 
expertise, of which not fewer than 1 shall represent 
the interests of socially disadvantaged groups; 
(ix) not more than 3 members of private sector 
entities or organizations that participate in voluntary 
environmental credit markets; and 
(x) any other individual whom the Secretary deter-
mines to be necessary to ensure that the Advisory 
Council is composed of a diverse group of representa-
tives of industry, academia, independent researchers, 
and public and private entities. 
(D) CHAIR.—The Secretary shall designate a member 
of the Advisory Council to serve as the Chair. 
(E) TERMS.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—The term of a member of the 
Advisory Council shall be 2 years, except that, of the 
members first appointed— 
(I) not fewer than 8 members shall serve for 
a term of 1 year; 
(II) not fewer than 12 members shall serve 
for a term of 2 years; and 
(III) not fewer than 12 members shall serve 
for a term of 3 years. 
(ii) ADDITIONAL TERMS.—After the initial term of 
a member of the Advisory Council, including the mem-
bers first appointed, the member may serve not more 
than 4 additional 2-year terms. 
(3) MEETINGS.—
H. R. 2617—1520 
(A) FREQUENCY.—The Advisory Council shall meet not 
less frequently than annually, at the call of the Chair. 
(B) INITIAL MEETING.—During the 90-day period begin-
ning on the date on which the members are appointed 
under paragraph (2)(A), the Advisory Council shall hold 
an initial meeting. 
(4) GENERAL DUTIES.—The Advisory Council shall— 
(A) periodically review and recommend any appropriate 
changes to— 
(i) the list of protocols and description of qualifica-
tions published by the Secretary under subsection 
(c)(1); and 
(ii) the activities described in subsection (c)(1)(B); 
(B) make recommendations to the Secretary regarding 
the best practices that should be included in the protocols, 
description of qualifications, and activities described in 
subparagraph (A); and 
(C) advise the Secretary regarding— 
(i) the current methods used by voluntary environ-
mental credit markets to quantify and verify the 
prevention, reduction, or mitigation of greenhouse gas 
emissions (including the sequestration of carbon); 
(ii) means to reduce barriers to entry in the busi-
ness 
of 
providing 
technical 
assistance 
or 
the 
verification of the processes described in protocols of 
voluntary environmental credit markets for covered 
entities, including by improving technical assistance 
provided by the Secretary; 
(iii) means to reduce compliance and verification 
costs for farmers, ranchers, and private forest land-
owners in entering voluntary environmental credit 
markets, including through mechanisms and processes 
to aggregate the value of activities across land owner-
ship; 
(iv) issues relating to land and asset ownership 
in light of evolving voluntary environmental credit 
markets; and 
(v) additional means to reduce barriers to entry 
in voluntary environmental credit markets for farmers, 
ranchers, and private forest landowners, particularly 
for beginning, socially disadvantaged, limited resource, 
and veteran farmers, ranchers, and private forest land-
owners. 
(5) COMPENSATION.—The members of the Advisory Council 
shall serve without compensation. 
(6) CONFLICT OF INTEREST.—The Secretary shall prohibit 
any member of the Advisory Council from— 
(A) engaging in any determinations or activities of 
the Advisory Council that may result in the favoring of, 
or a direct and predictable effect on— 
(i) the member or a family member, as determined 
by the Secretary; 
(ii) stock owned by the member or a family 
member, as determined by the Secretary; or 
(iii) the employer of, or a business owned in whole 
or in part by, the member or a family member, as 
determined by the Secretary; or
H. R. 2617—1521 
(B) providing advice or recommendations regarding, 
or otherwise participating in, matters of the Advisory 
Council that— 
(i) constitute a conflict of interest under section 
208 of title 18, United States Code; or 
(ii) may call into question the integrity of the 
Advisory Council, the Program, or the technical assist-
ance or verification activities described under sub-
section (c)(2). 
(7) FACA APPLICABILITY.—The Advisory Council shall be 
subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), 
except that section 14(a)(2) of that Act shall not apply. 
(g) ASSESSMENT.— 
(1) INITIAL ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 90 days after the 
Advisory Council holds an initial meeting, the Advisory Council 
shall submit to the Secretary, the Committee on Agriculture 
of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Agri-
culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate an initial assess-
ment that examines ways to ensure certainty for farmers, 
ranchers, or private forest landowners in the marketplace for 
agriculture or forestry credits, including identification of any 
information that may be appropriate for entities to provide 
when registering under subsection (d)(1)(B). 
(2) GENERAL ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 240 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation 
with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency, shall— 
(A) 
conduct 
an 
assessment, 
which 
incorporates 
information from existing publications and reports of the 
Department of Agriculture and other entities with relevant 
expertise, regarding— 
(i) the number and categories of non-Federal actors 
in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors involved in 
development, generation, or sale of agriculture or for-
estry credits in voluntary environmental credit mar-
kets; 
(ii) the estimated overall domestic market demand 
for agriculture or forestry credits at the end of the 
preceding 4-calendar year period, and historically, in 
voluntary environmental credit markets; 
(iii) the total number of agriculture or forestry 
credits (measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide 
equivalent) that were estimated to be in development, 
generated, or sold in market transactions during the 
preceding 4-calendar year period, and historically, in 
voluntary environmental credit markets; 
(iv) the estimated supply and demand of metric 
tons of carbon dioxide equivalent of offsets in the global 
marketplace for the next 4 years; 
(v) the barriers to entry due to compliance and 
verification costs described in subsection (f)(4)(C)(iii); 
(vi) the state of monitoring and measurement tech-
nologies needed to quantify long-term carbon seques-
tration in soils and from other activities to prevent, 
reduce, or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in the 
agriculture and forestry sectors;
H. R. 2617—1522 
(vii) means to reduce barriers to entry into vol-
untary environmental credit markets for beginning, 
socially disadvantaged, limited resource, and veteran 
farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners, and 
the extent to which existing protocols of voluntary 
environmental credit markets allow for aggregation 
of projects among farmers, ranchers, and private forest 
landowners; 
(viii) the extent to which the existing regimes for 
generating and selling agriculture or forestry credits 
(as the regimes exist at the end of the preceding 4- 
calendar year period, and historically), and existing 
voluntary environmental credit markets, may be 
impeded or constricted, or achieve greater scale and 
reach, if the Department of Agriculture were involved, 
including involvement in education described in clause 
(ix); 
(ix) the extent to which Department of Agriculture 
education of stakeholders about voluntary environ-
mental credit markets would benefit those stake-
holders, including whether that education would reduce 
barriers to entry identified under clause (v); 
(x) the extent to which existing protocols of vol-
untary 
environmental 
credit 
markets, 
including 
verification, additionality, permanence, and reporting, 
adequately take into consideration and account for fac-
tors encountered by the agriculture and private forest 
sectors in preventing, reducing, or mitigating green-
house gas emissions (including by sequestering carbon) 
through agriculture and forestry practices, considering 
variances across regions, topography, soil types, crop 
or species varieties, and business models; 
(xi) the extent to which existing protocols of vol-
untary environmental credit markets consider options 
to ensure the continued valuation, through discounting 
or other means, of agriculture and forestry credits in 
the case of the practices underlying those credits being 
disrupted due to unavoidable events, including produc-
tion challenges and natural disasters; and 
(xii) opportunities for other voluntary markets out-
side of voluntary environmental credit markets to 
foster the trading, buying, or selling of credits that 
are derived from activities that provide other ecosystem 
service benefits, including activities that improve water 
quality, water quantity, wildlife habitat enhancement, 
and other ecosystem services, as the Secretary deter-
mines appropriate; 
(B) publish the assessment; and 
(C) submit the assessment to the Committee on Agri-
culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the 
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives. 
(3) QUADRIENNIAL
ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary, in con-
sultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency and the Advisory Council, shall conduct the assess-
ment described in paragraph (2)(A) and publish and submit 
such assessment in accordance with subparagraphs (B) and 
(C) of paragraph (2) every 4 years after the publication and
H. R. 2617—1523 
submission of the first assessment under subparagraphs (B) 
and (C) of paragraph (2). 
(h) CONFIDENTIALITY.— 
(1) PROHIBITION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
the Secretary, any other officer or employee of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture or any agency of the Department of 
Agriculture, or any other person may not disclose to the 
public the information held by the Secretary described 
in subparagraph (B). 
(B) INFORMATION.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in clause (ii), 
the information prohibited from disclosure under 
subparagraph (A) is— 
(I) 
personally 
identifiable 
information, 
including in a contract or service agreement, of 
a farmer, rancher, or private forest landowner, 
obtained by the Secretary under subsection 
(d)(4)(C)(i); and 
(II) confidential business information in a con-
tract or service agreement of a farmer, rancher, 
or private forest landowner obtained by the Sec-
retary under subsection (d)(4)(C)(i). 
(ii) AGGREGATED RELEASE.—Information described 
in clause (i) may be released to the public if the 
information has been transformed into a statistical 
or aggregate form that does not allow the identification 
of the person who supplied or is the subject of the 
particular information. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not prohibit the disclo-
sure by an officer or employee of the Federal Government 
of information described in paragraph (1)(B) as otherwise 
directed by the Secretary or the Attorney General for enforce-
ment purposes. 
(i) FUNDING.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In addition to the 
amount made available under paragraph (2), there is authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027. 
(2) DIRECT FUNDING.— 
(A) RESCISSION.—There is rescinded $4,100,000 of the 
unobligated balance of amounts made available by section 
1003 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public 
Law 117–2). 
(B) APPROPRIATION.—If such unobligated amounts are 
available to execute the rescission under subparagraph (A), 
on the day after the execution of the rescission, there 
is appropriated to the Secretary, out of amounts in the 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $4,100,000 to carry 
out this section to remain available for fiscal years 2023 
through 2027. 
(3) PROHIBITION.—None of the funds of the Commodity 
Credit Corporation shall be used to carry out this section. 
(j) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to provide authority to the Secretary for the establish-
ment or operation of a Federal market through which agriculture 
or forestry credits may be bought or sold.