Wetland Delineation Act of 2018

Bill: 115-s-2834
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND]
Introduced: 2018-05-10
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Agricultural conservation and pollution

Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit

Department of Agriculture

Farmland

Wetlands
Latest action: action_date: 2018-05-10
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-05-10
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Wetland Delineation Act of 2018 </b></p> <p>This bill modifies wetland conservation requirements that deny various Department of Agriculture (USDA) program benefits to agricultural producers who plant crops on certain converted wetlands. </p> <p>The bill requires USDA to (1) determine that an exemption permitted under current law does not apply to a producer before determining that a producer is ineligible for benefits, and (2) publish categorical minimal effect exemptions within 180 days of the enactment of this bill. </p> <p>The bill also authorizes additional funding for the wetland mitigation banking program. </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2834 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 10, 2018 Mr. Hoeven introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve the wetland conservation program.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Wetland Delineation Act of 2018 . 2. Wetland conversion Section 1221(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3821(d) ) is amended— (1) by striking Except as and inserting the following: (1) In general Except as ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (2) Duty of the Secretary The Secretary shall determine that a person is ineligible under paragraph (1) only after the Secretary determines that an exemption under section 1222(b) does not apply to that person. . 3. Delineation of wetlands (a) Identification of minimal effect exemptions Section 1222(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3822(d) ) is amended in the first sentence by inserting and not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Wetland Delineation Act of 2018, before the Secretary . (b) Mitigation banking Section 1222(k)(1)(B) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3822(k)(1)(B) ) is amended— (1) by striking Of the funds and inserting the following: (i) Mandatory funding Of the funds ; (2) in clause (i) (as so designated), by striking $10,000,000 and all that follows through paragraph and inserting to carry out this paragraph $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2019 and each fiscal year thereafter, to remain available until expended ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (ii) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this paragraph $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023. .