Title: Acequia Conservation Program Eligibility Act
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Acequia Conservation Program Eligibility Act
This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to make acequias eligible for assistance under several Department of Agriculture conservation programs. An "acequia" is a political subdivision of a state that is organized to manage the operation of an irrigation ditch and does not have the power to impose taxes or levies.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5055 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5055

 To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to make acequias eligible for 
                  assistance, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 15, 2018

  Mr. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico (for himself and Ms. Michelle Lujan 
    Grisham of New Mexico) introduced the following bill; which was 
                referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to make acequias eligible for 
                  assistance, 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 ``Acequia Conservation Program 
Eligibility Act''.

SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY FOR ACEQUIAS.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 1201(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 
(16 U.S.C. 3801(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(28) Acequia.--The term `acequia' means an entity that--
                    ``(A) is a political subdivision of a State;
                    ``(B) is organized for the purpose of managing the 
                operation of an irrigation ditch; and
                    ``(C) does not have the authority to impose taxes 
                or levies.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Definitions.--Section 1201(a)(18)(B) of the Food 
        Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)(18)(B)) is amended by 
        inserting ``acequia,'' after ``Indian tribe,''.
            (2) Conservation security program.--Section 1238A(b)(2) of 
        the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838a(b)(2)) is 
        amended by inserting ``land of an acequia,'' before ``and 
        forested land''.
            (3) Conservation stewardship program.--Section 1238G(f) of 
        the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838g(f)) is amended 
        by inserting ``or acequias'' after ``Indian tribes''.
            (4) Administrative requirements for conservation 
        programs.--Section 1244(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 
        U.S.C. 3844(a)) is amended--
                    (A) in the subsection header, by inserting ``and 
                Acequias'' after ``Indian Tribes''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end of paragraph (2) the 
                following:
                    ``(G) Acequias.''.
            (5) Agricultural conservation easement program.--Subtitle H 
        of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865 
        et seq.) is amended--
                    (A) in section 1265A(2)(A), by striking ``or an 
                Indian tribe'' and inserting ``, or an Indian tribe or 
                acequia,'';
                    (B) in section 1265C--
                            (i) in subsection (b)(1)(D), by inserting 
                        ``and acequias'' after ``Indian tribes'';
                            (ii) in subsection (d)(2), by striking ``or 
                        Indian tribe'' and inserting ``Indian tribe, or 
                        acequia''; and
                            (iii) in subsection (e), by striking ``or 
                        Indian tribe'' and inserting ``Indian tribe, or 
                        acequia''; and
                    (C) in section 1265D(a)(2), by adding ``, other 
                than land of an acequia'' before the semicolon.
            (6) Regional conservation partnership program.--Section 
        1271A(4)(E) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
        3871a(4)) is amended by inserting ``, including an acequia'' 
        before the period at the end.
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