BUFFER Act

Bill: 118-hr-5466
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
Introduced: 2023-09-14
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Farmland

Lakes and rivers

Land use and conservation

State and local government operations

Water quality

Wetlands

Wildlife conservation and habitat protection
Latest action: action_date: 2023-09-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-09-14
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Building Up Farmland Frontiers for Ecological Resilience Act or the BUFFER Act</strong></p><p>This bill provides that certain land (that is under state regulations) is&nbsp;eligible to participate under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Under CRP, the Department of Agriculture provides annual payments to agricultural producers to take highly erodible and environmentally sensitive land out of production and install resource-conserving practices.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Specifically, land otherwise eligible under the program remains eligible for enrollment even if a tribal, state, or other local law, ordinance, or other regulation requires any resource-conserving or environmental protection measure or practice. The bill includes an exception that makes the land ineligible&nbsp;under the program if the implementation&nbsp;requirement has been imposed by an administrative order or a court order.</p><p>Current regulations&nbsp;exclude from enrollment eligibility (with exceptions) land that is subject to tribal, state, or other local laws, ordinances, or other regulations that require any resource-conserving or environmental protection measures or practices.</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5466 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 14, 2023 Ms. Balint introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to expand the definition of eligible land for the purposes of the conservation reserve program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Building Up Farmland Frontiers for Ecological Resilience Act or the BUFFER Act . 2. Eligible land under the conservation reserve program Section 1231(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3831(b) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (6)(B)(ii), by striking or at the end; (2) in paragraph (7)(C), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (8) land that is otherwise eligible for enrollment and for which a Tribal, State, or other local law, ordinance, or other regulation requires any resource-conserving or environmental protection measure or practice; however, if the requirement to implement such a measure or practice has been imposed by an administrative order or a court order, then such land shall not be eligible. .