Title: Healthy Soil, Resilient Farmers Act of 2020
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Healthy Soil, Resilient Farmers Act of 2020
This bill revises the conservation loan and loan guarantee program of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to authorize USDA to provide loans for soil health transition plans. A soil health transition plan is a comprehensive, whole-farm plan, approved by USDA, that, for a farming or ranching operation, identifies the conservation activities that will be addressed with loan funds provided or guaranteed to assist the borrower in making a transition to a farming or ranching production and conservation system.
USDA may limit eligibility for soil health transition loans to certain entities, including farmers or ranchers whose farm or ranch land is subject to the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe.
USDA must establish terms and conditions for making or guaranteeing soil health transition loans that waive principal and interest repayment for up to three years from the date on which the loan is made or guaranteed in order for the borrower to make a satisfactory transition to the farming or ranching production and conservation system under a soil health transition plan.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8057 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8057

 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act with respect 
          to the conservation loan and loan guarantee program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 14, 2020

Ms. Spanberger introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act with respect 
          to the conservation loan and loan guarantee program.

    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 ``Healthy Soil, Resilient Farmers Act 
of 2020''.

SEC. 2. CONSERVATION LOAN AND LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 304(b) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1924(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``or a soil health 
        transition plan'' after ``conservation plan''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Soil health transition loan.--The term `soil health 
        transition loan' means a qualified conservation loan with 
        respect to which the applicable qualified conservation project 
        addresses provisions of a soil health transition plan.
            ``(5) Soil health transition plan.--The term `soil health 
        transition plan' means a comprehensive, whole-farm plan, 
        approved by the Secretary, that, for a farming or ranching 
        operation, identifies the conservation activities that will be 
        addressed with loan funds provided or guaranteed under this 
        section to assist the borrower in making a transition to a 
        farming or ranching production and conservation system that 
        includes one or more of the following:
                    ``(A) Cover cropping or other continuous living 
                cover systems.
                    ``(B) Resource-conserving crop rotation, as defined 
                in section 1240L(d)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 
                (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-24).
                    ``(C) Advanced grazing management, including 
                management-intensive rotational grazing, as defined in 
                section 1240L(d)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 
                (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-24).
                    ``(D) Certified organic production under the 
                Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et 
                seq.).
                    ``(E) Such other soil health management systems, 
                including systems to increase soil carbon levels, as 
                the Secretary may designate.''.
    (b) Eligibility.--Section 304(c)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1924(c)(2)) is amended by striking 
``subparagraphs (A) and (B)'' and inserting ``subparagraphs (A), (B), 
and (C)''.
    (c) Priority.--Section 304(d) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1924(d)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) farmers or ranchers whose farm or ranch land is 
        subject to the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe.''.
    (d) Administrative Provisions.--Section 304(f) of the Consolidated 
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1924(f)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting the 
        following:
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Soil health transition loans.--
                    ``(A) Limitations permitted.--In making or 
                guaranteeing soil health transition loans under this 
                section, the Secretary may limit eligibility to 
                individuals and entities described in subsection (d).
                    ``(B) Waiver of principal and interest.--The 
                Secretary shall establish terms and conditions for 
                making or guaranteeing soil health transition loans 
                under this section that waive principal and interest 
                repayment for up to three years from the date on which 
                the loan is made or guaranteed in order for the 
                borrower to make a satisfactory transition to the 
                farming or ranching production and conservation system 
                to be adopted under the soil health transition plan.''.
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