119-hr5111

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5111 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5111

 To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve the conservation 
 reserve program, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 3, 2025

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

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve the conservation 
 reserve 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 ``CRP Improvement and Flexibility Act 
of 2025''.

SEC. 2. CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS.

    (a) State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Continuous Enrollment.--

Section 1231
            (d) (6)
        (A)
            (i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3831
            (d) (6)
        (A)
            (i) ) is amended--

    (1) in subclause
            (II) , by striking ``and'' at the end; and

    (2) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (IV) land that will be enrolled 
 under the State acres for wildlife 
 enhancement practice established by the 
 Secretary; and''.

    (b) Emergency Haying During the Primary Nesting Season; Conditions 
on Haying and Grazing.--

Section 1233

    (b) of the Food Security Act of 
1985 (16 U.S.C. 3833

    (b) ) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (1)
        (B)
            (i) --
        (A) by redesignating subclauses
            (I) through
            (VI) as 
 subclauses
            (II) through
            (VII) , respectively;
        (B) by inserting before subclause
            (II) (as so 
 redesignated) the following:
 ``
            (I) emergency haying in response 
 to a localized or regional drought, 
 flooding, wildfire, or other emergency, 
 on all practices, during the final 2 
 weeks of, and outside of, the primary 
 nesting season, on not more than 50 
 percent of contract acres, as 
 identified in the site-specific plan, 
 when--
 ``

    (aa) the county is 
 designated as D2 (severe 
 drought) or greater according 
 to the United States Drought 
 Monitor;
 ``

    (bb) there is at least a 
 40 percent loss in forage 
 production in the county; or
 ``
            (cc) the Secretary, in 
 coordination with the State 
 technical committee, determines 
 that the program can assist in 
 the response to a natural 
 disaster event without 
 permanent damage to the 
 established cover;'';
            (C) in subclause
            (II) (as so redesignated), in the 
 matter preceding item

    (aa) , by striking ``emergency 
 haying, emergency grazing, or other emergency use'' and 
 inserting ``emergency grazing or other emergency use''; 
 and
            (D) in subclause
            (III) (as so redesignated), by 
 striking ``payments'' and inserting ``the conditions 
 described in item

    (aa) ,

    (bb) , or
            (cc) of subclause
            (I) are met or payments''; and

    (2) in paragraph

    (2)
        (B) --
        (A) by redesignating clause
            (ii) as clause
            (iii) ; 
 and
        (B) by inserting after clause
            (i) the following:
 ``
            (ii) Damage to cover for wildlife 
 populations.--Haying or grazing described in 
 paragraph

    (1) shall not be permitted on land 
 subject to a contract under the conservation 
 reserve program, or under a particular 
 practice, if haying or grazing during the final 
 2 weeks of the primary nesting season under 
 that practice, as applicable, would cause long-
 term damage to vegetative cover for wildlife 
 populations supported by the applicable 
 practice on that land.''.
            (c) Cost Sharing Payments for Establishment of Grazing 
Infrastructure.--

    (1) Cost sharing payments; other federal cost share 
 assistance.--

Section 1234

    (b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 
 (16 U.S.C. 3834

    (b) ) is amended--
        (A) in paragraph

    (1) --
            (i) by striking ``establishing water'' and 
 inserting the following: ``establishing--
 ``
        (A) water'';
            (ii) in subparagraph
        (A) (as so 
 designated), by striking the period at the end 
 and inserting ``; and''; and
            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
        (B) grazing infrastructure, including interior 
 cross fencing, perimeter fencing, and water 
 infrastructure (such as rural water connections, water 
 wells, pipelines, and water tanks), under each 
 contract, for all practices, if grazing is included in 
 the conservation plan and addresses a resource 
 concern.''; and
        (B) in paragraph

    (3) , by striking ``land'' and 
 inserting ``activities required by the contract entered 
 into under this subchapter''.

    (2) Reenrollment of land with grazing infrastructure.--
 

Section 1231

    (h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
 3831

    (h) ) is amended by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (3) Land with grazing infrastructure.--On the expiration 
 of a contract entered into under this subchapter that covers 
 land that includes grazing infrastructure established with cost 
 sharing assistance under 

section 1234

    (b)

    (1)
        (B) --
 ``
        (A) the Secretary shall consider that land to be 
 planted for purposes of subsection

    (b)

    (1)
        (B) ; and
 ``
        (B) that land shall be eligible for reenrollment 
 in the conservation reserve, subject to the 
 requirements of this subchapter.''.
            (d) Mid-Contract Management for Activities Not Relating to Haying 
or Grazing.--

    (1) Definition of management.--

Section 1232

    (a)

    (5) of the 
 Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3832

    (a)

    (5) ) is amended by 
 inserting ``(as defined in 

section 1231A

    (a) )'' after 
 ``management''.

    (2) Management payments.--

Section 1234

    (b)

    (2) of the Food 
 Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3834

    (b)

    (2) ) is amended by 
 striking subparagraph
        (B) and inserting the following:
 ``
        (B) Management payments.--The Secretary shall 
 make cost sharing payments to an owner or operator 
 under this subchapter for any management activity 
 described in 

section 1232

    (a)

    (5) , except for those 
 management activities relating to haying or grazing.''.

    (e) Payment Limitation for Rental Payments.--

Section 1234

    (g)

    (1) of 
the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3834

    (g)

    (1) ) is amended by 
striking ``$50,000'' and inserting ``$125,000''.
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