COMPOST Act

Bill: 116-hr-6023
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26]
Introduced: 2020-02-28
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Air quality

Climate change and greenhouse gases

Environmental health

Environmental regulatory procedures

Farmland

Solid waste and recycling

Water use and supply
Latest action: action_date: 2020-03-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-02-28
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Cultivating Organic Matter through the Promotion Of Sustainable Techniques Act or the</b> <b>COMPOST Act</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue regulations that designate composting as a conservation practice and a conservation activity<b>.</b></p> <p>USDA must also issue regulations for determining whether a community is nearby for purposes of ensuring that bringing organic waste from the community to the farm to produce compost results in a net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6023 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 28, 2020 Ms. Brownley of California (for herself and Ms. Pingree ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the designation of composting as a conservation practice and conservation activity, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Cultivating Organic Matter through the Promotion Of Sustainable Techniques Act or the COMPOST Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Composting is one of the most environmentally friendly means to dispose of food waste and other organic wastes. (2) Composting not only causes less nutrient pollution of surface and ground water and emits a smaller quantity of greenhouse gases compared to alternative disposal methods, but also yields a valuable soil amendment that enhances soil health and fertility and agricultural resilience to the impacts of climate change. (3) It is critical for the Natural Resources Conservation Service to provide technical and financial support to producers in the on-farm production of compost from on-farm and off-farm organic byproducts, and the utilization of compost in accordance with sound soil health and nutrition management. 3. Composting as conservation practice Section 1241(j) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3841(j) ) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new paragraph: (2) Composting as conservation practice and activity (A) In general The Secretary shall by regulation provide that composting is a conservation practice and a conservation activity for the purposes of this title. (B) Composting defined (i) In general For the purposes of this paragraph, the term composting means— (I) an activity (including an activity that does not require the use of a composting facility) to produce compost from organic waste that is— (aa) generated on a farm; or (bb) brought to a farm from a nearby community and used to produce compost on that farm; and (II) the use and active management of compost on a farm, in accordance with any applicable Federal, State, or local law, to improve water retention and soil health. (ii) Determination of nearby communities The Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall issue regulations for determining whether a community is nearby for purposes of clause (i)(I) which shall ensure that bringing organic waste from the community to the farm to produce compost results in a net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. .