PLACES Act

Bill: 115-s-2133
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM]
Introduced: 2017-11-15
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural conservation and pollution

Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit

Farmland

Public contracts and procurement

State and local government operations

Water use and supply
Latest action: action_date: 2017-11-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-11-15
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Providing Land Grants and Acequias Conservation and Environmental Services Act or the PLACES Act </b></p> <p>This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to authorize the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enter into an alternative funding arrangement under any USDA conservation program with an entity that: (1) is comprised of members who are producers that are eligible for payments under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and (2) is a local governmental entity that does not have the authority to impose taxes or levies. </p> <p>(An alternative funding arrangement would allow certain community irrigation associations and community land grants to receive assistance directly from the conservation programs.) USDA may also provide technical and administrative assistance under the alternative funding arrangement. </p> <p>USDA may enter into an arrangement if: (1) the goals and objectives of the applicable conservation program will be met by the arrangement, and (2) statutory limitations regarding contracts with individual producers will not be exceeded by any member of the entity. </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2133 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 15, 2017 Mr. Udall (for himself and Mr. Heinrich ) 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 authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into alternative funding arrangements with certain community irrigation associations and community land grants.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Providing Land Grants and Acequias Conservation and Environmental Services Act or the PLACES Act . 2. Alternative funding arrangements for community irrigation associations and community land grants Section 1244 of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3844 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (m) Alternative funding arrangements for community irrigation associations and community land grants (1) Definition of eligible entity In this subsection, the term eligible entity means an entity that, as determined by the Secretary— (A) is comprised of members who are producers that are eligible for payments under the environmental quality incentives program established under chapter 4 of subtitle D; and (B) is a local governmental entity that does not have the authority to impose taxes or levies. (2) Alternative funding arrangements The Secretary may enter into an alternative funding arrangement under any conservation program administered by the Secretary with an eligible entity if the Secretary determines that— (A) the goals and objectives of the applicable program will be met by the arrangement; and (B) statutory limitations regarding contracts with individual producers will not be exceeded by any member of the eligible entity. (3) Technical and administrative assistance The Secretary may provide technical and administrative assistance, as mutually agreed by the parties, under an alternative funding arrangement entered into under paragraph (2). .