COVER Act

Bill: 115-s-2989
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Introduced: 2018-06-05
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural conservation and pollution

Agricultural marketing and promotion

Agricultural practices and innovations

Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit

Farmland

Food supply, safety, and labeling

Higher education

Livestock

Soil pollution
Latest action: action_date: 2018-06-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-06-05
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Conservation for Very Erodible Row Cropland Act of 2018 or the COVER Act </b></p> <p>This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to modify Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs to authorize additional assistance for farm practices related to soil health and carbon storage. </p> <p>The bill modifies the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to require USDA to provide payments under the program for practices that: </p> <ul> <li> improve soil health, </li> <li> enhance the ability of a farmer to absorb and recover from shocks and stresses to production, </li> <li> increase the storage of carbon on agricultural land, and </li> <li> achieve other conservation outcomes determined by USDA. </li> </ul> <p>The bill modifies the Conservation Innovation Grants program to establish a pilot program to provide payments to encourage: (1) the measurement of outcomes relating to the planting of a regionally appropriate cover crop, and (2) opportunities to increase farm income. In carrying out the program, USDA must prioritize certain projects with third-party partners such as academic entities, carbon offset protocol developers, livestock producers, and food manufacturers. </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2989 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 5, 2018 Mr. Bennet 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 encourage soil health, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Conservation for Very Erodible Row Cropland Act of 2018 or the COVER Act . 2. Soil health initiative Section 1240B of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (j) Soil health initiative (1) Definition of cover crop In this subsection, the term cover crop means a grass, legume, or forb that is planted for seasonal vegetative cover. (2) Soil health initiative (A) In general The Secretary shall provide payments under the program for practices that— (i) improve soil health; (ii) enhance the ability of a farmer to absorb and recover from shocks and stresses to production; (iii) increase the storage of carbon on agricultural land; and (iv) achieve other conservation outcomes, as determined by the Secretary. (B) Diversity The Secretary shall ensure that producers receiving payments for practices described in clauses (i) through (iv) of subparagraph (A) are located in areas that reflect diverse conditions with respect to region, water quantity, and agricultural practice. (3) Soil health practices (A) In general Practices that improve soil health under paragraph (2)(A)(i) shall— (i) reflect regional soil and climate conditions; and (ii) include— (I) any practice that improves soil health, as determined by the Secretary; and (II) not fewer than two of the practices described in subparagraph (B). (B) Practices described The practices referred to in subparagraph (A)(ii)(II) are the following: (i) The planting of a regionally appropriate cover crop. (ii) No-till or reduced-till agriculture. (iii) Resource-conserving crop rotation. (iv) The use of organic soil amendments, including compost, biochar, and digestate. (v) The integration of livestock grazing. . 3. Cover crop pilot program Section 1240H of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3839aa–8 ) is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following: (c) Cover crop pilot program (1) In general The Secretary shall establish a pilot program to provide payments under this subsection to producers to encourage— (A) the measurement of outcomes relating to the planting of a regionally appropriate cover crop; and (B) opportunities to increase farm income. (2) Third-party partners In carrying out the pilot program under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to producers that partner with— (A) academic entities to study the impact of soil carbon sequestration on soil health and farm productivity; (B) carbon offset protocol developers to develop quantification methodologies for carbon offset protocols; (C) livestock producers to integrate grazing where regionally appropriate; or (D) food manufacturers— (i) to enter into supply agreements for food produced under the pilot program; and (ii) to develop marketing products relating to the soil health benefits of that food. (3) Diversity The Secretary shall ensure that producers receiving payments under paragraph (1)— (A) are located in areas that reflect diverse conditions with respect to region, water quantity, and agricultural practice; and (B) plant regionally appropriate cover crops that enhance nutrient cycling and the capacity of soil to hold water. (4) Funding Of the funds made available to carry out this chapter, the Secretary shall use to carry out this subsection $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023. .