HR 4636

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 23, 2025

Ms. Brownley introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to encourage practices that benefit both soil and wildlife habitat by increasing payments to producers for such practices under the environmental quality incentives program and the conservation stewardship program, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Saving Our Interconnected Lives Act” or the “SOIL Act”.

SEC. 2. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM.

(a) Increased Payments for Certain Practices Relating to Soil and Wildlife Habitat.— Section 1240B(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-2(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(8) Increased payments for practices that benefit both soil and wildlife habitat.—Notwithstanding paragraph (2), the Secretary shall provide payment to producers at 90 percent of the cost associated with planning, design, materials, equipment, installation, labor, management, maintenance, or training for performing a practice that simultaneously benefits both soil and wildlife habitat for projects identified by the Secretary as addressing both soil and wildlife habitat resource concerns, including practices that—

“(A) achieve alley cropping;

“(B) apply conservation cover;

“(C) apply contour buffer strips;

“(D) enhance or restore wetlands;

“(E) establish filter strips;

“(F) establish permanent vegetation to stabilize critical areas;

“(G) establish riparian herbaceous cover;

“(H) establish trees and shrubs;

“(I) establish wildlife habitat plantings;

“(J) establish windbreaks;

“(K) implement field borders;

“(L) implement hedgerow planting;

“(M) implement riparian forest buffers;

“(N) improve forest stands;

“(O) manage forage harvest;

“(P) manage harvest of vegetation with grazing;

“(Q) manage or establish stands of trees or shrubs in coordination with the management of understory plants or nontimber forest products;

“(R) manage pest and environmental impacts;

“(S) manage residue and tillage management through no-till or reduced till;

“(T) manage seasonal water for wildlife;

“(U) manage upland and wetland habitat;

“(V) plant cover crops;

“(W) plant grassed waterways;

“(X) plant stripcrops;

“(Y) restore rare or declining natural communities; and

“(Z) rotate crops.”.

(b) Establishment and Administration.—Section 1240B(f)(2)(B) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-2(f)(2)(B)) is amended by striking “practices benefitting wildlife habitat under subsection

(g)” and inserting “practices within projects that address a habitat resource concern”.

(c) Evaluation and Prioritization of Applications.—Section 1240C(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-3(b)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (3), by striking “and” at the end;

(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(5) that are developed for the purpose of addressing both a soil and wildlife habitat resource concern.”.

SEC. 3. CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM.

(a) Evaluation and Ranking of Stewardship Contract Offers.—Section 1240K(b)(1)(A) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa- 23(b)(1)(A)) is amended—

(1) in clause (ii), by striking “and” at the end;

(2) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (iv); and

(3) by inserting after clause (ii) the following:

“(iii) the degree to which the project addresses both soil and wildlife habitat resource concerns; and”.

(b) Supplemental Payments for Resource-Conserving Crop Rotations, Advanced Grazing Management, and Co-Benefit Activities for Soil and Wildlife.—Section 1240L(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-24(d)) is amended—

(1) in the section heading, by striking “and Advanced Grazing Management” and inserting “, Advanced Grazing Management, and Co-benefit Activities for Soil and Wildlife”;

(2) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following:

“(D) Co-benefit activity.—The term ‘co-benefit activity’ means a conservation activity that—

“(i) addresses both soil and wildlife habitat resource concerns; and

“(ii) if implemented—

“(I) improves habitat for wildlife; and

“(II) increases carbon sequestration in the soil and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.”;

(3) in paragraph (2)—

(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “or” at the end;

(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; or”; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

“(C) co-benefit activities.”; and

(4) in paragraph (3), by striking “or advanced grazing management” and inserting “, advanced grazing management, or co-benefit activities”. <all>