119-hr4865

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4865 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4865

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct research relating to 
 measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification of soil carbon 
 sequestration, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 August 1, 2025

 Mr. Sorensen (for himself and Mr. Lawler) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct research relating to 
 measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification of soil carbon 
 sequestration, 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 ``Advancing Research on Agricultural 
Soil Health Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. STANDARD SOIL CARBON MEASUREMENT METHODOLOGY.

    (a) Methodology.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 270 days after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture (in this 
 Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall develop a 
 standardized methodology to directly measure soil carbon for 
 research and conservation purposes.

    (2) Review.--In developing the methodology under paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary shall conduct a review of widely used 
 existing methodologies for direct soil carbon measurement.

    (3) Consultation.--In developing the methodology under 
 paragraph

    (1) and conducting the review under paragraph

    (2) , 
 the Secretary shall consult with--
        (A) agricultural producers, including socially 
 disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (as defined in 
 

section 355

    (e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
 Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2003

    (e) ));
        (B) soil carbon experts;
            (C) nonprofit organizations;
            (D) academic researchers; and
        (E) other stakeholders who reflect the operational, 
 geographic, and socioeconomic diversity of United 
 States agricultural operations.

    (4) Requirements.--The methodology developed under 
 paragraph

    (1) shall, to the maximum extent practicable--
        (A) be usable at any location at which soil carbon 
 can be directly measured;
        (B) require measurement to a standard soil depth 
 appropriate for the sample site, determined using the 
 best available science;
            (C) measure the soil organic carbon concentration 
 and any other soil health variables, as determined by 
 the Secretary in consultation with stakeholders 
 described in paragraph

    (3) , to produce a standard set 
 of reporting metrics;
            (D) produce data that is interoperable with other 
 data collected by the Department of Agriculture;
        (E) account for calibration differences in soil 
 analysis between testing facilities;
        (F) account for differences in uncertainty between 
 different measurement tools; and
        (G) be usable for voluntary reporting of soil 
 carbon data under subsection

    (b) .

    (b) Voluntary Soil Carbon Reporting.--

    (1) Technical assistance.--
        (A) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
 Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, 
 shall provide to producers described in paragraph

    (2) technical assistance, including guidance, for 
 voluntarily measuring, monitoring, and reporting to the 
 Secretary soil carbon data using the methodology 
 developed under subsection

    (a) .
        (B) Guidance.--Guidance provided under subparagraph
        (A) shall be, at a minimum--
            (i) available in multiple languages; and
            (ii) available to producers described in 
 paragraph

    (2) in both digital and analog 
 formats.

    (2) Applicability.--The guidance developed under paragraph

    (1) shall be applicable to--
        (A) producers that are recipients of grants under 
 programs described in paragraph

    (3) to voluntarily 
 measure, monitor, and report to the Secretary soil 
 carbon outcomes under those programs; and
        (B) any other producer that elects to voluntarily 
 report to the Secretary direct measurements of soil 
 carbon.

    (3) Programs described.--The programs referred to in 
 paragraph

    (2)
        (A) include--
        (A) conservation innovation grants under 

section 1240H of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
 3839aa-8);
        (B) the sustainable agriculture research and 
 education program under subtitle B of title XVI of the 
 Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 
 (7 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.);
            (C) the organic agriculture research and extension 
 initiative established under 

section 1672B of that Act 
 (7 U.S.C. 5925b);
            (D) grants under the Agriculture and Food Research 
 Initiative under 

section 2

    (b) of the Competitive, 
 Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 
 3157

    (b) ); and
        (E) such other programs as the Secretary determines 
 to be appropriate.
            (c) Updates.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary shall update the methodology 
 developed under subsection

    (a)

    (1) and the guidance issued under 
 subsection

    (b)

    (1)
        (B) as needed to reflect the best-available 
 science.

    (2) Interoperability.--In making any updates under 
 paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary shall ensure that information 
 collected with the updated methodology remains interoperable 
 with previously collected measurements.
            (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000 for each fiscal year.

SEC. 3. DEVELOPMENT OF NEW MEASUREMENT TOOLS UNDER AFRI.

 Subsection

    (b)

    (2)
            (D) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities 
Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157

    (b)

    (2)
            (D) ) is amended--

    (1) in clause
            (vii) , by striking ``and'' at the end;

    (2) in clause
            (viii) , by striking the period at the end and 
 inserting ``; and''; and

    (3) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (ix) measuring, monitoring, reporting, 
 and verifying soil carbon sequestration and 
 emissions.''.

SEC. 4. SOIL HEALTH AND CARBON DEMONSTRATION TRIALS.

    (a) On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials.--

Section 1240H
            (c) of 
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-8
            (c) ) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (1)
        (B)
            (i) , by striking subclause
            (III) and 
 inserting the following:
 ``
            (III) soil health management 
 systems, including--
 ``

    (aa) systems to maintain 
 or increase soil carbon levels; 
 and
 ``

    (bb) cost-effective tools 
 to measure, monitor, report, 
 and verify greenhouse gas 
 emissions and carbon 
 sequestration;''; and

    (2) in paragraph

    (3)
            (D) , by striking ``3 years'' each place 
 it appears and inserting ``5 years''.

    (b) Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.--

Section 1621

    (e) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act 
of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5811

    (e) ) is amended--

    (1) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting the 
 following:
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Secretary''; and

    (2) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (2) Soil carbon sequestration demonstration projects.--In 
 carrying out this section, the Secretary shall conduct on-farm 
 demonstration projects for soil carbon sequestration.''.

SEC. 5. SOIL CARBON INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS NETWORK.

 Chapter 5 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 
1985 is amended by inserting after 

section 1240M (16 U.S.C. 3839bb) the 
following:

``

SEC. 1240N. SOIL CARBON INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS NETWORK.

 ``

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Conservation activities.--The term `conservation 
 activities' has the meaning given the term in 

section 1240I.
 ``

    (2) Eligible land.--The term `eligible land' means public 
 and private cropland, rangeland, pastureland, and wetlands in 
 the United States.
 ``

    (3) Program.--The term `program' means the program 
 established under subsection

    (b)

    (1) .
 ``

    (4) Regional resource area.--The term `regional resource 
 area' means a contiguous area of eligible land that has similar 
 resource characteristics.
 ``

    (5) Resource characteristics.--The term `resource 
 characteristics' means--
 ``
        (A) geographic, long-term weather pattern, 
 natural resource, and soil type characteristics; and
 ``
        (B) any other characteristics that the Secretary 
 determines to be appropriate for the purpose of 
 carrying out the program.
 ``

    (6) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary, 
 acting jointly through the Chief of the Natural Resources 
 Conservation Service and the Administrator of the Agricultural 
 Research Service.
 ``

    (b) Establishment.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a program 
 to inventory, monitor, and analyze soil carbon changes on 
 eligible land in the United States.
 ``

    (2) === Purposes ===
-The purposes of the program are--
 ``
        (A) to analyze soil properties, including soil 
 organic carbon, across space, time, and depth;
 ``
        (B) to analyze the impacts of land management 
 strategies, including conservation activities, on soil 
 carbon sequestration; and
 ``
            (C) to inform any tools of the Secretary designed 
 to predict the impacts of different land management 
 practices, including implementing conservation 
 activities, on soil carbon and associated environmental 
 outcomes, such as resilience to extreme weather, 
 reduced farm inputs, or other environment impacts, as 
 determined by the Secretary, across the United States.
 ``

    (3) Consultation.--In carrying out the program, the 
 Secretary shall consult with the Director of the National 
 Institute of Food and Agriculture, the Chief of the Forest 
 Service, the Chief Data Officer, the Administrator of the 
 Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of Energy, and 
 the head of any other department or agency that the Secretary 
 determines to be appropriate.
 ``
            (c) Sampling.--
 ``

    (1) Sample sites.--The Secretary shall select sample 
 sites under the program by taking into consideration--
 ``
        (A) the accessibility of sites;
 ``
        (B) the ease of collecting repeated measurements 
 over time; and
 ``
            (C) such other factors as the Secretary 
 determines to be appropriate.
 ``

    (2) Preference.--In selecting sample sites under 
 paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary shall give preference to sites 
 that have been used for soil testing previously.
 ``

    (3) Number of sample sites.--The Secretary shall select 
 sufficient sample sites under paragraph

    (1) to analyze changes 
 in soil carbon across regional resource areas, as determined by 
 the Secretary, over time, taking into account the geographical 
 size and heterogeneity of each regional resource area.
 ``
            (d) Soil Carbon Inventory.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--Every 5 years, the Secretary shall 
 prepare an inventory of soil carbon stocks on eligible land, 
 under which the Secretary shall collect measurements at each 
 sample site selected under subsection
            (c) .
 ``

    (2) Methodology.--The Secretary shall ensure that the 
 methodology developed under 

section 3

    (a) of the Advancing 
 Research on Agricultural Soil Health Act of 2025 is used for 
 purposes of conducting measurements at each sample site under 
 the program.
 ``

    (3) Minimum number of samples.--The Secretary shall 
 measure a sufficient number of samples to analyze changes in 
 soil carbon at each sample site selected under subsection
            (c) for each inventory under paragraph

    (1) .
 ``

    (4) Characteristics.--In preparing the inventory under 
 paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary shall document the following 
 characteristics for each sample site selected under subsection
            (c) :
 ``
        (A) Soil type and texture.
 ``
        (B) Land use history, including conservation 
 activities.
 ``
            (C) Environmental characteristics, such as 
 temperature and precipitation.
 ``
            (D) Other characteristics, as determined by the 
 Secretary.
 ``

    (e) Individual Protections.--
 ``

    (1) Protection of private property rights.--Before 
 selecting a sample site under subsection
            (c) or conducting any 
 measurement under subsection
            (d) (1) , the Secretary shall obtain 
 authorization from the owner of the eligible land.
 ``

    (2) Voluntariness requirement.--The Secretary may not 
 require authorization under paragraph

    (1) or any other 
 participation in any activity under this section as a condition 
 on receipt of any benefit under a program administered by the 
 Secretary.
 ``

    (3) Data privacy protection.--In carrying out the 
 program, the Secretary shall ensure that data is collected and 
 analyzed while respecting relevant privacy safeguards and does 
 not include any identifiable, proprietary, or personal 
 information of individual land owners or operators.
 ``

    (f) Soil Characteristics Inventory.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--Survey and analysis information 
 collected under the program shall be maintained in a soil 
 characteristics inventory operated by the Secretary.
 ``

    (2) Partnerships.--The inventory described in paragraph

    (1) may be operated in partnership with 1 or more of the 
 following entities, if the entity complies with paragraph

    (4) :
 ``
        (A) An 1862 Institution (as defined in 

section 2 
 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education 
 Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601)).
 ``
        (B) An 1890 Institution (as defined in that 
 section).
 ``
            (C) A 1994 Institution (as defined in 

section 532 
 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 
 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103-382)).
 ``
            (D) Institutions of higher education with 
 expertise in predictive modeling, large-scale data 
 collection, soil carbon research, or agricultural 
 conservation management practices.
 ``
        (E) Federal research centers.
 ``

    (3) Applications.--An entity described in any of 
 subparagraphs
        (A) through
        (E) of paragraph

    (2) seeking to enter 
 into a partnership to manage the inventory described in 
 paragraph

    (1) shall submit to the Secretary an application at 
 such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
 the Secretary may require.
 ``

    (4) Requirements.--The inventory described in paragraph

    (1) shall--
 ``
        (A) use the industry standard protocols to 
 protect identifiable, proprietary, or personal 
 information of individual land owners or operators;
 ``
        (B) ensure that individual producer information 
 is not sold through the inventory; and
 ``
            (C) comply with all applicable privacy 
 requirements, including--
 ``
            (i) section 1770 of the Food Security Act 
 of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 2276);
 ``
            (ii) section 1619 of the Food, 
 Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
 8791);
 ``
            (iii) section 502
            (c) of the Federal Crop 
 Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1502
            (c) ); and
 ``
            (iv) section 552 of title 5, United 
 States Code.
 ``

    (5) Limited release of information.--The Secretary may 
 release or disclose information maintained in the inventory 
 described in paragraph

    (1) pursuant to 

section 1619

    (b)

    (3)
        (A)
            (i) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
 8791

    (b)

    (3)
        (A)
            (i) ) to researchers for the purposes of 
 statistically analyzing the information.
 ``

    (g) Public Availability.--On completion of each inventory under 
subsection
            (d) (1) , the Secretary shall make publicly available--
 ``

    (1) the statistical or aggregated form of data collected 
 from measurements under that subsection;
 ``

    (2) information regarding the methodology used to collect 
 that data; and
 ``

    (3) any analysis made of the measurements described in 
 paragraph

    (1) .
 ``

    (h) Reports.--On completion of each inventory under subsection
            (d) (1) , the Secretary shall prepare, publish, and make available to the 
public a report that--
 ``

    (1) contains a description of soil carbon trends, 
 including by incorporating measurements conducted under 
 subsection
            (d) during the 5 years covered by the report;
 ``

    (2) contains an analysis of the impact of different land 
 management practices, including implementing 1 or more 
 conservation activities, on soil carbon levels;
 ``

    (3) contains an analysis of the effect of short- and 
 long-term weather variability on the observed trends;
 ``

    (4) contains an analysis of how land management 
 practices, including conservation activities, that influence 
 soil carbon sequestration may affect the rate of increase in 
 atmospheric carbon and other gases in the agricultural sector, 
 including methane and nitrous oxide; and
 ``

    (5) establishes a benchmark for the baseline soil carbon 
 absent additional conservation activities.
 ``
            (i) Strategic Plan.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of the Advancing Research on Agricultural Soil Health Act of 
2025, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a strategic 
plan to implement and carry out this section, which shall describe in 
detail--
 ``

    (1) the organization and procedures necessary to 
 implement and carry out this section; and
 ``

    (2) the plan for measurements in each regional resource 
 area under subsection
            (d) (1) for the first 5-year interval, 
 including the schedule and the number of samples collected from 
 each sample site selected under subsection
            (c) .
 ``

    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $17,500,000 for each fiscal 
year.''.

SEC. 6. PREDICTIVE MODELS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall develop and maintain a 
modeling tool (or combination of tools) that shall predict the impacts 
of different land management practices, including implementing 
conservation activities, on atmospheric carbon, methane, and nitrous 
oxide and soil carbon sequestration across the United States.

    (b) Consultation.--In developing the modeling tool or tools under 
subsection

    (a) , the Secretary shall consult with--

    (1) the Secretary of Energy;

    (2) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
 Agency;

    (3) agricultural producers, including socially 
 disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (as defined in 

section 355

    (e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
 U.S.C. 2003

    (e) ));

    (4) soil carbon experts;

    (5) nonprofit organizations;

    (6) academic researchers;

    (7) private companies with expertise in soil carbon 
 sequestration or in atmospheric carbon, methane, and nitrous 
 oxide monitoring for agricultural operations; and

    (8) other stakeholders, including the heads of other 
 appropriate Federal agencies or non-Federal entities, who 
 reflect the operational, geographic, and socioeconomic 
 diversity of United States agricultural operations.
            (c) Requirements.--The modeling tool or tools described in 
subsection

    (a) shall--

    (1) be anchored in direct measurements of land, including 
 soil sampling, such as under the program established under 
 

section 1240N of the Food Security Act of 1985 and the programs 
 described in 

section 3

    (b)

    (3) ;

    (2) account for differences that could impact land 
 management outcomes, including--
        (A) soil type;
        (B) type of land use;
            (C) type of crop;
            (D) geography and local long-term weather patterns;
        (E) geographic size of the land-use operation;
        (F) ongoing or existing conservation activities; 
 and
        (G) such other items as the Secretary determines to 
 be appropriate;

    (3) allow a user of the tool to estimate the changes in 
 atmospheric carbon, methane, and nitrous oxide or soil carbon 
 sequestration, and the uncertainty of those estimated changes, 
 that occur as a result of implementing 1 or more conservation 
 activities; and

    (4) be user-friendly and accessible--
        (A) to producers and researchers; and
        (B) in multiple languages.
            (d) Reviews and Updates.--

    (1) Reviews.--Not less frequently than annually, the 
 modeling tool or tools described in subsection

    (a) shall be 
 reviewed to determine if an update is required to reflect the 
 best available data and science.

    (2) Updates.--If it is determined that an update is 
 required under paragraph

    (1) , the update shall be made not 
 later than 1 year after the date of that determination.

    (e) Partners.--

    (1) In general.--In analyzing data, conducting research, 
 and developing and maintaining the modeling tool or tools under 
 subsection

    (a) , the Secretary may partner with--
        (A) an Institution described in paragraph

    (2) ;
        (B) an institution of higher education with 
 expertise in predictive modeling, large-scale data 
 collection, soil carbon research, or agricultural 
 conservation management; or
            (C) a Federal research center.

    (2) Institutions described.--An Institution referred to in 
 paragraph

    (1)
        (A) is any of the following:
        (A) An 1862 Institution (as defined in 

section 2 of 
 the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education 
 Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601)).
        (B) An 1890 Institution (as defined in that 
 section).
            (C) A 1994 Institution (as defined in 

section 532 
 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 
 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103-382)).

    (f) Reporting.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a report that--

    (1) describes the progress of the Secretary in developing 
 the modeling tool or tools under subsection

    (a) ;

    (2) contains an assessment of the accuracy with which a 
 user will be able to use the tool to determine the permanence 
 and additionality of atmospheric carbon, methane, and nitrous 
 oxide reduced or carbon sequestered;

    (3) describes the models and survey and analysis 
 information that the Secretary has developed or collected, or 
 intends to develop or collect, as applicable, for purposes of 
 developing or maintaining the tool;

    (4) describes--
        (A) whether it was determined that an update was 
 required under subsection
            (d) (1) ; and
        (B) if an update was required, the specifics of the 
 update; and

    (5) includes any other information that, as determined by 
 the Secretary, is relevant to--
        (A) the efficacy of the tool;
        (B) the intended applications of the tool; or
            (C) the determination of--
            (i) changes in atmospheric carbon, methane, 
 and nitrous oxide or soil carbon sequestration 
 associated with producer land-use practices; or
            (ii) 
            (I) estimates of the impacts of land 
 use practices, including conservation 
 activities, on atmospheric carbon, methane, and 
 nitrous oxide and soil carbon sequestration; 
 and
            (II) the measurement error of the tool.

    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $500,000 for each fiscal year.
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