PASTURES Act

Bill: 119-hr-774
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Hageman, Harriet M. [R-WY-At Large]
Introduced: 2025-01-28
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Latest action: action_date: 2025-02-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-28
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Protecting Agricultural Spaces Through Effective Ranching Strategies Act or the PASTURES Act</strong></p><p>This bill&nbsp;prohibits&nbsp;the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior from imposing penalties on livestock owners for grazing on certain public lands.&nbsp;</p><p>Under the bill, covered lands are National Forest System lands, lands administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or public lands (1) on which&nbsp;grazing is allowed by a permit or lease on or after the date of the bill's enactment and is then subsequently prohibited, and (2) that border private property.</p><p>Specifically, the departments may not impose a penalty on an owner of livestock (including cattle, bison, horses, sheep, and goats) for grazing on covered lands that do not have a fence to prevent grazing.</p><p>The bill specifies that USDA or Interior, depending on the covered land, is responsible for any expense related to the construction or maintenance of a fence for the prevention of grazing by livestock.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 774 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 28, 2025 Ms. Hageman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources , and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To limit the ability of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to penalize an owner of livestock for grazing by such livestock on certain Federal lands on which grazing is permitted on or after the date of enactment of this Act and subsequently prohibited, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protecting Agricultural Spaces Through Effective Ranching Strategies Act or the PASTURES Act . 2. Limitation on penalties for grazing livestock on certain covered lands (a) Limitation The Secretary concerned may not impose a penalty on an owner of livestock for grazing by such livestock on covered lands on which a fence for the prevention of such grazing does not exist. (b) Fence expenses The Secretary concerned shall be responsible for any expense related to the construction or maintenance of any fence constructed or maintained on covered lands for the prevention of grazing by livestock on such covered lands. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Covered lands The term covered lands means National Forest System lands, lands administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or public lands— (A) on which grazing is permitted by grazing permit or lease on or after the date of enactment of this Act and subsequently prohibited; and (B) that borders private property. (2) Grazing permit or lease The term grazing permit or lease means— (A) a grazing permit as such term is defined in section 222.1 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations); (B) a cooperative agreement referred to in section 29.2 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations) that permits grazing; or (C) a grazing permit or lease described in section 4130.2 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations). (3) Livestock The term livestock includes cattle, bison, horses, sheep, and goats. (4) National Forest System The term National Forest System has the meaning given the term in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 ( 16 U.S.C. 1609 ). (5) Public lands The term public lands has the meaning given that term in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1702 ). (6) Secretary concerned The term Secretary concerned means— (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National Forest System lands; and (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public lands and lands administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.