Title: WATER Act
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Water and Targeted Environmental Research Act of 2018 or the WATER Act
This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to modify the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Innovation Grants program.
The bill modifies the program to:
The bill also requires USDA to establish and maintain a publicly available database that provides: (1) a compilation and analysis of effective conservation practices for soil health, nutrient management, and source water protection in varying soil compositions, cropping systems, slopes, and landscapes; and (2) a list of recommended new and effective conservation practices.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5426 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5426

  To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 with respect to conservation 
        innovation grants and payments, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 5, 2018

Mr. Young of Iowa (for himself and Mrs. Noem) introduced the following 
        bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 with respect to conservation 
        innovation grants and payments, 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 ``Water and Targeted Environmental 
Research Act of 2018'' or the ``WATER Act''.

SEC. 2. CONSERVATION INNOVATION GRANTS AND PAYMENTS.

    (a) Competitive Grants for Innovative Conservation Approaches.--
Section 1240H(a)(2)(B) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3839aa-8(a)(2)(B)) is amended by inserting ``(which may include in-kind 
contributions provided by a cooperative extension service or a State 
agricultural experiment station, as defined in the National 
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977)'' 
before ``to promote environmental enhancement''.
    (b) Air Quality Concerns From Agricultural Operations.--Section 
1240H(b)(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-8(b)(2)) 
is amended by striking ``2018'' and inserting ``2023''.
    (c) Reporting and Database.--Section 1240H(c) of the Food Security 
Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-8(c)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(c) Reporting and Database.--
            ``(1) Reporting.--Not later than December 31, 2014, and 
        every two years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate 
        and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
        Representatives a report on the status of projects funded under 
        this section, including--
                    ``(A) funding awarded;
                    ``(B) project results; and
                    ``(C) incorporation of project findings, such as 
                new technology and innovative approaches, into the 
                conservation efforts implemented by the Secretary.
            ``(2) Database.--The Secretary shall use the data reported 
        under paragraph (1) to establish and maintain a publically 
        available database that provides--
                    ``(A) a compilation and analysis (including 
                economic analysis) of effective conservation practices 
                for soil health, nutrient management, and source water 
                protection in varying soil compositions, cropping 
                systems, slopes, and landscapes, including the sources 
                of the project data; and
                    ``(B) a list of recommended new and effective 
                conservation practices, based on the analysis under 
                subparagraph (A).''.
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