Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience Program Act
Bill: H.R.8527 | Sponsor: Rep. Casten, Sean (D-IL)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience Program Act or the COVER Act
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to establish a Good Steward Cover Crop Program to provide producers additional premium subsidies when they plant cover crops.
Additionally, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation must carry out a pilot program under which a producer who uses innovative soil health practices may receive additional premium subsidies on multi-peril crop insurance.

To establish a Good Steward Cover Crop Program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Conservation Opportunity and 
Voluntary Environment Resilience Program Act'' or the ``COVER Act''.

SEC. 2. GOOD STEWARD COVER CROP PROGRAM.

    Subtitle A of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 525. GOOD STEWARD COVER CROP PROGRAM.

    ``(a) 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--
            ``(1) on which qualifying cover crops are planted during a 
        crop year; and
            ``(2) for which the producers--
                    ``(A) during such crop year--
                            ``(i) plant crops other than the qualifying 
                        cover crops; and
                            ``(ii) purchase insurance under a covered 
                        insurance program with respect to such planted 
                        crops; and
                    ``(B) file a report of acreage form to the 
                Secretary with respect to such crop year.
    ``(b) Premium Subsidy Amount.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided paragraph (2), an 
        additional premium subsidy to a producer under subsection (a) 
        shall be--
                    ``(A) calculated on a common land unit or 
                equivalent or more precise basis; and
                    ``(B) be in an amount equal to--
                            ``(i) $5, multiplied by
                            ``(ii) the number of acres of the producer 
                        described in such subsection.
            ``(2) Limitation.--An additional premium subsidy under 
        paragraph (1) shall not exceed the amount of the premium owed 
        by the producer with respect to the acres described in 
        subsection (a).
            ``(3) Rule with respect to a producer-share.--For purposes 
        of the limitation under paragraph (2), an additional premium 
        subsidy shall be modified to reflect the individual producer 
        share of such acres.
    ``(c) Outreach With Respect to Program.--
            ``(1) Coordination with fsa and nrcs.--The Secretary shall, 
        in coordination with the Administrator of the Farm Service 
        Agency and the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation 
        Service, carry out outreach to producers, including underserved 
        producers, to provide information with respect to--
                    ``(A) the program under this section, including 
                eligibility for the program and the additional premium 
                subsidies under the program; and
                    ``(B) qualifying cover crops.
            ``(2) Cooperative agreements for outreach.--The Secretary 
        shall enter into one or more cooperative agreements with 
        organizations capable of assisting with outreach with respect 
        to the program under this section to--
                    ``(A) carry out such outreach; and
                    ``(B) coordinate with soil and water conservation 
                districts to encourage the adoption of qualifying cover 
                crop practices.
    ``(d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
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--
            ``(1) a summary of the activities carried out under this 
        section, including--
                    ``(A) the number and amount of premium subsidies 
                provided to producers under this section;
                    ``(B) the number of acres of cover crops planted 
                for which a premium subsidy was received; and
                    ``(C) the outreach carried out under subsection 
                (c); and
            ``(2) recommendations to increase the number of producers 
        that qualify for the additional premium subsidies under the 
        program under this section.
    ``(e) Funding.--
            ``(1) Mandatory funding.--Of the funds of the Corporation, 
        the Secretary shall use such sums as are necessary to carry out 
        this section.
            ``(2) Reservation for technical assistance, outreach, and 
        program support.--Of the amounts made available under paragraph 
        (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve $5,000,000 
        to carry out technical assistance, outreach, and program 
        support with respect to the program under this section.
    ``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Covered insurance program.--The term `covered 
        insurance program' means a plan of insurance offered by the 
        Corporation, as determined by the Secretary.
            ``(2) Qualifying cover crop.--The term `qualifying cover 
        crop' means cereals or other grasses, legumes, brassicas, non-
        legume broadleaves, or any combination thereof that are planted 
        for conservation purposes in accordance with--
                    ``(A) Natural Resources Conservation Service 
                guidance; and
                    ``(B) additional expert guidance, as determined by 
                the Secretary.
            ``(3) Underserved producer.--The term `underserved 
        producer' has the meaning given the term in section 
        508(a)(7)(A)(ii).''.

SEC. 3. SOIL HEALTH PILOT PROGRAM.

    Section 523 of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1523) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(j) Soil Health Pilot Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--In addition to any other authority of 
        the Corporation, the Corporation shall establish and carry out 
        a pilot program under which a producer who uses innovative soil 
        health practices may receive additional premium subsidies on 
        multiperil crop insurance, as determined by the Corporation.
            ``(2) Terms and conditions.--The additional premium 
        subsidies offered under the soil health pilot program under 
        this subsection shall--
                    ``(A) be offered through reinsurance arrangements 
                with private insurance companies;
                    ``(B) be actuarially sound; and
                    ``(C) require the payment of premiums and 
                administrative fees by a producer obtaining the 
                insurance.
            ``(3) Location.--The Corporation shall conduct the soil 
        health pilot program under this subsection in a number of 
        counties that is determined by the Corporation to be adequate 
        to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the feasibility, 
        effectiveness, and demand among producers for the risk 
        management tools evaluated in the pilot program.
            ``(4) Duration.--The Corporation shall commence the soil 
        health pilot program under this subsection as soon as 
        practicable after the date of the enactment of this 
        subsection.''.
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