(a) Short title.—This Act may be cited as the “Agriculture Resilience Act”.

(b) Table of contents.—The table of contents for this bill is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

(a) United States agriculture goal.—As part of a national greenhouse gas emission reduction effort to prevent climate change from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming above preindustrial levels, the goal for the agricultural sector in the United States shall be to achieve at least a 50 percent reduction in net greenhouse gases from 2010 levels by not later than 2030 and to achieve net zero emissions by not later than 2040.

(b) Subgoals.—

(1) RESEARCH.—To help achieve the goal specified in subsection (a), the total Federal investment in public food and agriculture research and extension should, at a minimum, triple by not later than 2030 and quadruple by not later than 2040, with a heightened emphasis on climate change adaptation and mitigation, soil health, agro-forestry, advanced grazing management and crop-livestock integration, other agro-ecological systems, on-farm and food system energy efficiency and renewable energy production, farmland preservation and viability, food waste reduction, and related topics to accelerate progress toward net zero emissions by not later than 2040.

(2) SOIL HEALTH.—To help achieve the goal specified in subsection (a)—

(A) the United States should immediately become a member of the 4 per 1000 Initiative’s forum and consortium, hosted by the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (commonly referred to as the “CGIAR”), with the aim of increasing total soil carbon stocks by 0.4 percent annually to reduce carbon in the atmosphere, restore soil health and productivity, and thereby improve food security;

(B) the agricultural sector should expand adoption of soil health practices (including diverse crop rotations, cover cropping, conservation tillage, perennialization of highly erodible land, agroforestry, composting, biologically based nutrient management, and advanced grazing management including silvopasture) sufficiently to restore at least a quarter of the soil carbon that has been lost in the last 300 years by not later than 2030 and at least half of lost soil carbon by not later than 2040; and

(C) cover crop acres in the United States should increase to at least 25 percent of crop acres by not later than 2030 and at least 50 percent by not later than 2040, with at least 50 percent of cropland acres covered by crops, cover crops, or residue year-round by not later than 2030 rising to at least 75 percent by not later than 2040.

(3) FARMLAND PRESERVATION.—To help achieve the goal specified in subsection (a), the rate of conversion in the United States of agricultural land to development, as well as the rate of grassland conversion to cropping, should be reduced by at least 80 percent by not later than 2030 and eliminated by not later than 2040.

(4) PASTURE-BASED LIVESTOCK.—To help achieve the goal specified in subsection (a), the livestock sector in the United States should—

(A) establish advanced grazing management, including management-intensive rotational grazing, on at least 50 percent of all grazing lands by not later than 2030 and 100 percent of all grazing land by not later than 2040;

(B) reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to feeding of ruminants by at least a third by not later than 2030 and by at least 50 percent by not later than 2040 by reducing non-grazing feeding of ruminants, growing feed grains and forages with soil health and nutrient management practices that minimize net greenhouse gas emissions from cropland, and designing livestock feed mixtures and supplements to mitigate enteric methane emissions;

(C) re-integrate livestock and crop production systems at farm, local and regional levels to facilitate environmentally sound management and field application of manure and reduce the need for long-term manure storage by increasing acreage on individual farms under crop-livestock integrated management by at least 50 percent over 2017 levels by not later than 2030 and by 100 percent over 2017 levels by not later than 2040; and

(D) immediately cease building any new or expanded waste lagoons for confined animal feeding operations and convert at least one third of wet manure handling and storage to alternative manure management (as described in section 1240T of the Food Security Act of 1985 (as added by this Act)) by not later than 2030 and at least two thirds by not later than 2040.

(5) ON-FARM RENEWABLE ENERGY.—To help achieve the goal specified in subsection (a), the agriculture sector in the United States should—

(A) implement energy audits and energy efficiency improvements on at least 50 percent of farms by not later than 2030 and 100 percent of farms by not later than 2040;

(B) expand on-farm clean renewable energy production to at least double 2017 levels by not later than 2030 and at least triple by not later than 2040; and

(C) install and manage on-farm renewable energy infrastructure in a way that does not adversely impact farmland, soil, and water resources, or food production.

(6) FOOD LOSS AND WASTE.—Consistent with the Food Waste Challenge launched by the Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency in June 2013 and the national food loss and waste goal announced in September 2015, the food and agriculture sector in the United States should commit to—

(A) at least a 50 percent reduction in food loss and waste by not later than 2030; and

(B) at least a 75 percent reduction in food loss and waste by not later than 2040.

(a) Plan development.—The Secretary shall develop a plan for actions to achieve, in combination with the other Federal agencies, the national goals declared by section 101. The plan shall include actions that will make significant and rapid progress toward meeting such goals.

(b) Actions To meet goals.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Actions selected by the Secretary to include in a plan developed under subsection (a) may include issuing regulations, providing incentives, carrying out research and development programs, and any other action the Secretary determines appropriate to achieve the goals declared by section 101.

(2) SELECTION.—In selecting actions to include in a plan developed under subsection (a), the Secretary shall select actions designed to—

(A) fully implement the provisions of this Act (and the amendments made by this Act);

(B) provide benefits for farmers and ranchers, rural communities, small businesses, and consumers;

(C) improve public health, resilience, and environmental outcomes, especially for rural and low-income households, communities of color, Tribal and indigenous communities, and communities that are disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, air and water pollution, and other resource degradation; and

(D) prioritize investments that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and sequester carbon while simultaneously helping to solve other pressing agro-environmental resource concerns, increase farming and ranching opportunities, create quality jobs, improve farmworker working conditions and living standards, and make communities more resilient to the effects of climate change.

(c) Plan implementation.—

(1) PUBLIC COMMENT.—Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make the proposed plan developed under subsection (a) available for public comment.

(2) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make public and submit to Congress a plan developed under subsection (a) that incorporates revisions to the proposed plan, as appropriate, to address the recommendations provided by the public pursuant to paragraph (1).

(3) IMPLEMENTATION.—Beginning not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall implement the plan developed under subsection (a) and submitted to Congress under paragraph (2).

(4) REVISIONS.—Beginning 24 months after the date on which the Secretary submits to Congress the plan under paragraph (2) and not less frequently than once every 24 months thereafter, the Secretary shall review and revise the plan to ensure it is sufficient to achieve the national goals declared by section 101. The Secretary shall include the conclusion of each such review and any revised plan resulting from such review in the next annual report required under paragraph (5).

(5) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall issue an annual public report on the plan (including any revisions to such plan), actions taken pursuant to such plan, and the effects of such actions, during the preceding calendar year.

Section 1402 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3101) is amended—

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (8) and (9) as paragraphs (9) and (10), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:

“(8) accelerate the ability of agriculture and the food system of the United States to first achieve net zero carbon emissions and then go further to be carbon positive by removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere;”.

Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 is amended by inserting before section 404 (7 U.S.C. 7624) the following new section:

(a) Sustainable agriculture research and education.—Section 1619 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5801) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) in paragraph (5), by striking “and” at the end;

(B) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

“(7) increase resilience in the context of a changing climate and related economic, social, and environmental shocks.”; and

(2) in subsection (b)—

(A) in paragraph (2)—

(i) by striking “management” and inserting “systems and practices”; and

(ii) by inserting “resilience,” after “profitability,”; and

(B) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:

“(3) The term ‘resilience’ means, with respect to an agricultural management system, the ability of such system to absorb and recover from climate and other disturbances, such that the system thrives in the face of severe shocks.”.

(b) Eligibility of tribal colleges To enter into research and extension project agreements.—Section 1621(b) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5811(b)) is amended by striking “or Federal or State” inserting “1994 Institutions (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)), or Federal, State, or Tribal”.

(c) Agricultural and food system resilience initiative.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1627 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5821) is amended—

(A) in subsection (a)—

(i) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—

(I) by striking the first sentence and inserting the following: “In close conjunction with programs and projects established under sections 1621 and 1623, the Secretary shall establish a research, education, extension, and outreach initiative, which may include farmer and rancher research and demonstration grants, and use an interdisciplinary approach wherever appropriate, to increase the resilience of agriculture and the food system in the context of a changing climate and related economic, social, and environmental shocks.”; and

(II) in the second sentence, by striking “program” and inserting “initiative”;

(ii) by striking paragraph (3);

(iii) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), (4), and (5) as paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (6), respectively;

(iv) by inserting before paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), the following:

“(1) to equip farmers to prepare for, adapt, and transform their farming systems when confronted by shocks and stresses to their agricultural production and livelihoods;

“(2) to support local and regional food systems that support resilience and enhance local access and control over productive resources;”;

(v) in paragraph (3) (as redesignated by clause (iii))—

(I) by inserting “climate and” after “adverse”;

(II) by inserting “soil quality and” after “enhance”; and

(III) by inserting “reduce dependency on fossil fuels,” after “inputs,”;

(vi) in paragraph (4) (as redesignated by clause (iii)), by inserting “increase resilience” after “practices to”; and

(vii) in paragraph (6) (as redesignated by clause (iii)), by striking “integrated” and all that follows through “programs” and inserting “policies and programs to improve food and agricultural system resilience”;

(B) by striking subsections (b), (c), and (d); and

(C) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:

“(b) Funding.—

“(1) MANDATORY FUNDING.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make available to carry out this section $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 and each fiscal year thereafter.

“(2) DISCRETIONARY FUNDING.—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2023.”.

(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The chapter heading of chapter 2 of subtitle B of title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5821) is amended to read as follows: “Agricultural and food system resilience initiative”.

(a) Technical guides and books.—Section 1628 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5831) is amended—

(1) in subsection (d)—

(A) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and

(B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:

“(3) adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change;”; and

(2) in subsection (e), by striking “Soil Conservation” and inserting “Natural Resources Conservation”.

(b) National training program.—Section 1629 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5832) is amended—

(1) in subsection (g)—

(A) in paragraph (5), by striking “Soil Conservation Service and the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service” and inserting “Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency”;

(B) by redesignating paragraphs (10) and (11) as paragraphs (11) and (12), respectively; and

(C) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following;

“(10) develop and provide information concerning climate change adaptation and mitigation developed under this subtitle and other research and education programs of the Department;”;

(2) in subsection (h), by striking “Soil Conservation Service” and inserting “Natural Resources Conservation Service”; and

(3) in subsection (i), by striking “2023” and inserting the following: “2020, and $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2030”.

Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 is amended by inserting after section 401 (as added by section 201), the following:

(a) In general.—The Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:

“(3) Definitions.—In this section:

“(A) CONVENTIONAL BREEDING.—The term ‘conventional breeding’ means the development of new varieties of an organism through controlled mating and selection without the use of transgenic methods, provided that information gained through gene sequencing, genomic, and metabolomics analyses can be used to inform mating and selection choices.

“(B) CULTIVAR.—The term ‘cultivar’ means a variety of a species of plant that has been intentionally selected for use in cultivation because of the improved characteristics of that variety of the species.

“(C) PUBLIC BREED AND CULTIVAR.—The term ‘public breed and cultivar’ means an animal breed or crop cultivar that is the commercially available end product of a publicly funded breeding program that has been sufficiently tested to demonstrate improved characteristics and stable performance, and for which the farmers' rights to save and use, and breeders' rights to share and improve are protected.”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(l) Public breed and cultivar development funding.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the amount of grants made under subsections (b) and (c), the Secretary shall ensure that not less than the following amounts are used for competitive research grants that support the development of public breeds and cultivars:

“(A) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;

“(B) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;

“(C) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;

“(D) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;

“(E) $90,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; and

“(F) $100,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

“(2) PRIORITY.—In making grants under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to high-potential research projects that lead to the release of public breeds and cultivars that assist producers in mitigating and adapting to climate change.

“(3) GRANTS.—The Secretary shall ensure that—

“(A) the terms for any competitive grants made under subsection (b) are not less than 5 years;

“(B) any such term or associated renewal process facilitates the development and commercialization of public breeds and cultivars through long-term grants; and

“(C) when necessary, Tribal consultation occurs to ensure public breed and cultivar development does not infringe on Tribes’ abilities to maintain culturally sensitive breeds and cultivars.”.

(b) Public breed and cultivar research activities coordinator.—Section 251 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6971) is amended—

(1) in subsection (e), by adding at the end the following:

“(7) PUBLIC BREED AND CULTIVAR RESEARCH ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall appoint a coordinator within the Office of the Chief Scientist that reports to the Under Secretary to coordinate research activities at the Department relating to the breeding of public breeds and cultivars (as defined in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(a))).

“(B) DUTIES OF COORDINATOR.—The coordinator appointed under subparagraph (A) shall—

“(i) coordinate animal and plant breeding research activities funded by the Department relating to the development and delivery to producers of climate resilient and regionally adapted public breeds and crop cultivars;

“(ii) (I) carry out ongoing analysis and track activities for any Federal research funding supporting animal and plant breeding (including any public breeds and cultivars developed with Federal funds); and

“(II) ensure that the analysis and activities are made available to the public not later than 60 days after the last day of each fiscal year;

“(iii) develop a strategic plan that establishes targets for public breed and cultivar research investments across the Department to ensure that a diverse range of animal and crop needs are being met in a timely and transparent manner, with a strong focus on delivery of resource-efficient, stress-tolerant, regionally adapted animal breeds and crop cultivars that help build agricultural resilience to climate change and support on-farm carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation, nutritional quality, and other farmer-identified priority agronomic and market traits;

“(iv) convene a working group in order to carry out the coordination functions described in this subparagraph comprised of individuals who are responsible for the management, administration, or analysis of public breeding programs within the Department from—

“(I) the National Institute of Food and Agriculture;

“(II) the Agricultural Research Service; and

“(III) the Economic Research Service;

“(v) in order to maximize delivery of public breeds and cultivars, promote collaboration among—

“(I) the coordinator;

“(II) the working group convened under clause (iv);

“(III) the advisory council established under section 1634 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5843);

“(IV) genetic resource conservation centers;

“(V) land-grant colleges and universities (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103));

“(VI) Hispanic-serving institutions (as defined in section 502(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a(a));

“(VII) Native American-serving nontribal institutions (as defined in section 371(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(c)));

“(VIII) Tribal organizations (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304));

“(IX) nongovernmental organizations with interest or expertise in public breeding; and

“(X) public and private plant breeders;

“(vi) convene regular stakeholder listening sessions to provide input on national and regional priorities for public breed and cultivar research activities across the Department; and

“(vii) evaluate and make recommendations to the Under Secretary on training and resource needs to meet future breeding challenges, including the challenges stemming from climate change.”; and

(2) in subsection (f)(1)(D)(i), by striking “(7 U.S.C. 450i(b))” and inserting “(7 U.S.C. 3157(b))”.

(c) Conforming amendment.—Section 296(b)(6)(B) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)(6)(B)) is amended by striking “Office; and” and inserting “Office (including the public breed and cultivar research activities coordinator under subsection (e)(7) of that section); and”.

(d) Public breed and cultivar development.—Subtitle H of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5921) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

(a) In general.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall, in accordance with section 922 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 2279c), carry out an internship program within the Agricultural Research Service for graduate students pursuing a degree or conducting research related to climate change and agriculture.

(b) Funding.—Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary may use not more than $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2030 to carry out the program referred to in subsection (a).

Subsection (b)(2) of the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Grant Act (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(G) AGRICULTURAL CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION.—Agricultural climate adaptation and mitigation, including—

“(i) strategies for agricultural adaptation to climate change, including adaptation strategies for small and medium-sized dairy, livestock, crop and other commodity operations;

“(ii) on-farm mitigation strategies and solutions, including infrastructure, equipment, and agricultural ecosystems-based strategies;

“(iii) the economic costs, benefits, effectiveness, and viability of producers adopting conservation practices and technologies designed to improve soil health, including carbon sequestration in soil;

“(iv) the effectiveness of existing conservation practices and enhancements to improve soil health, including the effectiveness to sequester carbon in soil;

“(v) new technologies to measure and verify environmentally beneficial outcomes of healthy soils practices, including carbon sequestration in soil; and

“(vi) links between human health and soil health.”.

Section 412 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7632) is amended—

(1) in subsection (b)—

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting “, multi-crop production systems,” after “specific crops”;

(B) in paragraph (4)(E), by striking “; and” at the end and inserting a semicolon;

(C) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(D) by adding at the end the following:

“(6) efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, including—

“(A) on-farm mitigation strategies and solutions, including agricultural ecosystems-based strategies;

“(B) conservation practices and technologies designed to improve soil health, including those that sequester carbon in soil; and

“(C) breeding research and cultivar development to help adapt to climate change.”; and

(2) in subsection (g)(3)(A), by striking “equal to not less than the amount of the grant” and inserting “in an amount that is equal to not less than 25 percent of the funds provided through the grant”.

Section 406 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7626) is amended—

(1) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), and (f) as subsections (f), (g), and (h), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:

“(d) Emphasis on climate resilience.—The Secretary shall ensure that grants made under this section are, where appropriate, consistent with the development of food and agricultural systems that improve climate resilience.

“(e) Ecologically Based pest management.—The Secretary shall ensure that grants made under this section to support pest management prioritize ecologically based approaches that are effective, affordable, and environmentally sound, maintain agricultural productivity and healthy communities, and improve climate resilience.”.

(a) Study.—The Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences, under which the National Academy agrees to produce an analysis of current scientific findings to determine the links between human health and soil health by—

(1) reviewing existing research on the connections between the human microbiome and soil microbiome;

(2) identifying linkages between soil management practices and the nutrient density of foods for human consumption;

(3) exploring potential impact of increasing soil organic matter across the agricultural and food value chain;

(4) determining how to best leverage healthy soil management practices to maximize benefits and minimize adverse impacts on human health; and

(5) highlighting areas for future research.

(b) Report.—The agreement under subsection (a) shall include a requirement that the National Academy of Sciences, not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on the results of the study conducted pursuant to subsection (a).

Section 310B(i)(2) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(i)(2)) is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking “and” at the end; and

(2) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E) and inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:

“(D) increase resilience by adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change; and”.

(a) Voluntary good farming practices.—Section 508(a)(3) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(a)(3)) is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by striking “practices” the first place it appears and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting “practices.”;

(2) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively; and

(3) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:

“(B) GOOD FARMING PRACTICES.—For purposes of subparagraph (A)(iii), good farming practices include the following:

“(i) Scientifically sound, sustainable, and organic farming practices, as determined by the Secretary.

“(ii) Conservation farming practices that are approved by—

“(I) the Natural Resources Conservation Service; or

“(II) an agricultural expert, as determined by the Secretary.”.

(b) Risk-Reduction-Based discounts.—Section 508(d) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(d)) is amended—

(1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:

“(4) RISK-REDUCTION-BASED DISCOUNT.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—Effective beginning with the 2021 reinsurance year, the Corporation may provide a risk-reduction-based premium discount for a producer of an agricultural commodity who uses risk-reduction farming practices, as determined by the Corporation.

“(B) RISK-REDUCTION FARMING PRACTICES.— For purposes of subparagraph (A), risk-reduction farming practices may include the following:

“(i) The use of cover crops.

“(ii) Resource-conserving crop rotations.

“(iii) Management-intensive rotational grazing.

“(iv) Composting.

“(v) Other risk-reducing and soil health promoting farming practices as determined by the Corporation.”.

(c) Crop production on native sod applicability.—

(1) AMENDMENT.—Section 508(o) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(o)) is amended by striking paragraph (3).

(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the first day of the first reinsurance year beginning at least 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(a) Purposes.—Section 1240 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa) is amended—

(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “and environmental quality” and inserting “environmental quality, and climate change adaptation and mitigation”;

(2) in paragraph (1)—

(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;

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

(C) by adding at the end the following:

“(D) greenhouse gas emissions reduction and carbon sequestration;”;

(3) in paragraph (3)(C), by inserting “reducing greenhouse gas emissions and” before “conserving energy”; and

(4) in paragraph (4), by inserting “climate change and” before “increasing weather volatility”.

(b) Definitions.—Section 1240A(6)(B) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–1(6)(B)) is amended—

(1) in clause (v), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;

(2) by redesignating clause (vi) as clause (vii); and

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

“(vi) greenhouse gas emissions reduction planning; and”.

(c) Establishment and administration of Environmental Quality Incentives Program.—

(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Section 1240B(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(a)) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2030”.

(2) PAYMENTS.—Section 1240B(d)(7)(A) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(d)(7)(A)) is amended—

(A) in clause (iii), by striking “; or” and inserting a semicolon;

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

(C) by adding at the end the following:

“(v) increases carbon sequestration or reduces greenhouse gas emissions.”.

(3) ALLOCATION OF FUNDING.—Section 1240B(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(f)) is amended—

(A) by striking “2023” each place is appears and inserting “2030”; and

(B) in paragraph (1), by striking “including grazing management” and inserting “of which not less than two thirds shall be targeted at practices relating to grazing management”.

(4) PAYMENTS FOR CONSERVATION PRACTICES RELATED TO ORGANIC PRODUCTION.—Section 1240B(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(i)) is amended by striking paragraph (3) and redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively.

(5) CONSERVATION INCENTIVE CONTRACTS.—Section 1240B(j)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(j)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(C) CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION.—For the purposes of this subsection, priority resource concerns include climate change adaptation and mitigation.”.

(d) Environmental quality incentives plan.—Section 1240E(a)(3) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–5(a)(3)) is amended by inserting “, and a greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan” after “if applicable”.

(e) Limitation on payments.—Section 1240G of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–7) is amended by striking “Not including payments made under section 1240B(j), a person or legal entity may not receive, directly or indirectly, cost-share or incentive payments under this subchapter that, in aggregate, exceed $450,000 for all contracts entered into under this subchapter by the person or legal entity during the period of fiscal years 2014 through 2018, or the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2023” and inserting “A person or legal entity (including a joint venture and a general partnership) may not receive, directly or indirectly, cost-share or incentive payments under this subchapter that, in aggregate, exceed $450,000 for all contracts entered into under this subchapter by the person or legal entity during any 5-fiscal-year period”.

(f) Conservation innovation grants.—

(1) AIR QUALITY CONCERNS FROM AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS.—Section 1240H(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–8(b)) is amended—

(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting “and to meet Federal, State, and local goals with respect to greenhouse gas emissions reductions” after “local regulatory requirements”; and

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking “2019 through 2023” and inserting “2019 and 2020, and $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2030”.

(2) ON-FARM CONSERVATION INNOVATION TRIALS.—Section 1240H(c)(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–8(c)(2)) is amended by striking “2019 through 2023” and inserting “2019 and 2020, $50,000,000 of the funds made available to carry out this subchapter for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2023, and $100,000,000 of the funds made available to carry out this subchapter for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2030”.

(a) Definitions.—Section 1240I(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–21(2)) is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting “enhancements,” after “practices,”; and

(2) in subparagraph (B)(v), by inserting “and climate change” before the period at the end.

(b) Conservation Stewardship Program.—Section 1240J(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–22(a)) is amended—

(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “2023” and inserting “2030”; and

(2) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and inserting the following:

“(1) by maintaining, actively managing, and, where possible, improving upon existing conservation activities; and

“(2) by undertaking additional conservation activities.”.

(c) Stewardship contracts.—

(1) SUBMISSION OF CONTRACT OFFERS.—Section 1240K(a)(2)(B) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–23(a)(2)(B)) is amended by striking “improving, maintaining, and managing” and inserting “maintaining, actively managing, and, where possible, improving”.

(2) EVALUATION OF CONTRACT OFFERS.—Section 1240K(b)(3) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–23(b)(3)) is amended by striking “that national, State, and local priority resource concerns are effectively addressed” and inserting “that the program effectively targets improvements to soil health, increases in carbon sequestration, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions”.

(3) CONTRACT RENEWAL.—Section 1240K(e)(3) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–23(e)(3)) is amended to read as follows:

“(3) agrees, by the end of the contract period, to meet the stewardship threshold of at least 2 additional priority resource concerns on the agricultural operation, if applicable.”.

(d) Duties of the Secretary.—

(1) CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION.—Section 1240L(a)(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–24(a)(2)) is amended by inserting “(which may include climate change adaptation and mitigation)” after “priority resource concerns”.

(2) CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PAYMENTS.—Section 1240L(c) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–24(c)) is amended—

(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking “improving, maintaining, and managing” and inserting “maintaining, actively managing, and improving”; and

(B) in paragraph (2)(E), by inserting “, actively managed, and, where applicable, improved” after “maintained”.

(3) PAYMENT LIMITATIONS.—Section 1240L(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–24(f)) is amended—

(A) by striking “fiscal years 2019 through 2023” and inserting “any consecutive 5-year period”; and

(B) by inserting “(including joint ventures and general partnerships)” before the period at the end.

(e) On-Farm conservation stewardship innovation grants.—Subchapter B of chapter 4 of subtitle D of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–21 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

Chapter 5 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839bb et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(a) Commodity Credit Corporation.—

(1) ANNUAL FUNDING.—Section 1241(a) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(a)) is amended—

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “For each of fiscal years 2014 through 2023, the Secretary” and inserting “The Secretary”;

(B) in paragraph (1)—

(i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting “, and $17,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2024 through 2030,” after “2023”; and

(ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting “and $70,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2024 through 2030, including not more than $5,000,000 to provide outreach and technical assistance,” after “technical assistance,”;

(C) in paragraph (2)—

(i) in subparagraph (E), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;

(ii) in subparagraph (F), by striking “2023.” and inserting “2021; and”; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following:

“(G) $700,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2030.”; and

(D) in paragraph (3)—

(i) in subparagraph (A)—

(I) in clause (iv), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon; and

(II) by adding at the end the following:

“(vi) $3,000,000,000 for fiscal years 2024 through 2030; and”; and

(ii) in subparagraph (B)—

(I) in clause (iii), by striking “$750,000,000” and inserting “$2,000,000,000”;

(II) in clause (iv), by striking “$800,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; and” and inserting “$2,500,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;”;

(III) in clause (v), by striking “$1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2023.” and inserting “$3,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; and”; and

(IV) by adding at the end the following:

“(vi) $4,000,000,000 for fiscal years 2024 through 2030.”.

(2) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Section 1241(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(b)) is amended by striking “2023” and inserting “2030”.

(3) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Section 1241(c) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(5) SPECIAL INITIATIVE.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—Beginning in fiscal year 2021 and every year thereafter through fiscal year 2030, the Secretary shall use for a special technical assistance initiative to assist producers in mitigating and adapting to climate change, from the Commodity Credit Corporation, an amount equal to not less than 1 percent of Commodity Credit Corporation funds made available for a fiscal year for each of the programs specified in subsection (a).

“(B) PROVISION OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall provide technical assistance under this special initiative to producers—

“(i) directly;

“(ii) through an agreement with a third-party provider (as defined in section 1242), or, at the option of the producer, through a payment, as determined by the Secretary, to the producer for a third-party provider approved under section 1242, if available; or

“(iii) through a cooperative agreement or contract with—

“(I) a cooperative extension;

“(II) a non-governmental organization; or

“(III) a State, tribal, or Federal agency.”.

(4) ASSISTANCE TO CERTAIN FARMERS OR RANCHERS FOR CONSERVATION ACCESS.—Section 1241(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(h)) is amended—

(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking “to the maximum extent practicable” and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting “to the maximum extent practicable, 30 percent to assist beginning farmers or ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.”; and

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking “2023” and inserting “2030”.

(b) Administrative requirements for conservation programs.—

(1) INCENTIVES FOR CERTAIN FARMERS AND RANCHERS AND INDIAN TRIBES.—Section 1244(a)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(a)(1)) is amended—

(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon; and

(B) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:

“(B) to establish a new generation of producers who use the full array of climate-friendly conservation activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase soil carbon, and improve resilience to weather extremes; and

“(C) to enhance other long-term environmental goals.”.

(2) REVIEW AND GUIDANCE FOR PRACTICE COSTS AND PAYMENT RATES.—Section 1244(j)(1)(B) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(j)(1)(B)) is amended—

(A) in clause (ii), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;

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

(C) by adding at the end the following:

“(iv) accelerates progress in meeting the goals established under title I of the Agriculture Resilience Act”..”.

(3) ADVANCED GRAZING MANAGEMENT.—Section 1244 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(q) Advanced grazing management.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out any conservation program administered by the Secretary, the Secretary shall encourage advanced grazing management, including management-intensive rotational grazing, as such terms are defined in section 1240L(d).

“(2) RESERVATION OF FUNDS.—In each of fiscal years 2021 through 2030, the Secretary shall use to carry out this subsection not less than two thirds of any funds available for activities related to livestock production under conservation programs administered by the Secretary under this title (other than the conservation reserve program established under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D, except for acres enrolled under section 1231(d)(2)).”.

(c) Environmental services markets.—Section 1245 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3845) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(f) Soil health and greenhouse gas federal advisory committee.—

“(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall establish an advisory committee, to be known as the Soil Health and Greenhouse Gas Federal Advisory Committee.

“(2) MEMBERSHIP.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall appoint members to the advisory committee that reflect diversity in gender, age, race, and geography and include—

“(A) farmers and ranchers, including those operating small and mid-sized farms;

“(B) organizations representing farmers and ranchers, including those representing small and mid-sized farms;

“(C) scientists;

“(D) environmental nonprofit organizations;

“(E) existing private sector carbon and ecosystem services market development initiatives;

“(F) businesses working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture in their supply chains;

“(G) relevant Federal agencies;

“(H) youth engaged in the agriculture or food sector;

“(I) tribal communities; and

“(J) State agriculture agencies.

“(3) TERMS.—

“(A) TERM LENGTH.—The term of a member of the advisory committee shall be 2 years.

“(B) REAPPOINTMENT.—The Secretary may reappoint a member for not more than 2 consecutive terms.

“(4) MEETINGS.—The advisory committee shall meet at least 4 times in the first year after it is established, and at least twice annually thereafter.

“(5) RECOMMENDATIONS.—Not later than 12 months after the date on which the advisory committee is established, and periodically thereafter, the advisory committee shall submit to the Secretary recommendations on—

“(A) the feasibility of establishing reliable outcomes-based measurement systems, as described in subsection (g);

“(B) existing technology that provides reliable measurement data;

“(C) for those parameters for which existing technology does not provide reliable measurement data, research and technical needs and, as appropriate, goals and plans for such research;

“(D) standards for data collection and dissemination;

“(E) farmer data management and privacy;

“(F) greenhouse gas emissions and soil health inventories and databases, as described in subsection (h); and

“(G) criteria for soil health and greenhouse gas emissions reductions payments and environmental markets, as described in subsection (i).

“(g) Measurement system.—

“(1) PURPOSE.—The Secretary shall evaluate existing outcomes-based measurement systems for recordkeeping, modeling, and measurement of farm-level greenhouse gas emissions and soil carbon sequestration, including measures of soil disturbance, plant diversity, continual living cover, residue management, advanced grazing management, and crop-livestock integration, to determine which such systems can be implemented quickly, improve in accuracy and ease over time, use the best available science and technology, and are cost-effective.

“(2) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall issue guidance on the outcomes-based measurement system evaluated under paragraph (1), based on recommendations from the advisory committee under subsection (f), and information from agroecosystem models (including COMET Farm and COMET Farm Planner), remote sensing data and analysis (including the Operational Tillage Information System), soil health demonstration trials carried out under section 1240H(c)(7), existing and emerging public and private environmental services protocols, measurement systems, and benchmarks, and field-level measurement.

“(3) REVIEW.—The Secretary, based on recommendations from the advisory committee established under subsection (f), shall—

“(A) establish and maintain such an outcomes-based measurement system when feasible;

“(B) conduct periodic review of such system, and any necessary updates; and

“(C) establish research and development goals and plans as needed.

“(h) Inventory.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this subsection, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation with the advisory committee established under subsection (f) and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall conduct a nationwide soil health and agricultural greenhouse gas emissions inventory that uses the best available science and data to establish expected average performance for soil carbon drawdown and storage and greenhouse gas emissions reduction by primary production type and production region.

“(2) DATABASE.—The Secretary shall create an accessible and interoperable database for the information collected through the inventory conducted under paragraph (1), and shall improve and update such database at least once every two years as new data is collected.

“(i) Criteria.—The Secretary, in consultation with the advisory committee established under subsection (f), shall establish criteria for payments, credits, or other forms of incentives to inform policy and markets established to promote soil carbon sequestration or greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The criteria shall—

“(1) have a documented likelihood to lead to long-term net increases in soil carbon sequestration and net reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, according to the best available science;

“(2) be based in part on environmental impact modeling of the changes of shifting from baseline agricultural practices to new or improved agricultural practices; and

“(3) be designed to prevent the degradation of other natural resource or environmental conditions.

“(j) Demonstration trials.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall periodically review the results from soil health demonstration trials carried out under section 1240H(c)(7), and other similar public and private demonstration trials the Secretary determines appropriate, to inform the activities under subsections (g), (h), and (i).

“(2) RECOMMENDATIONS.—In submitting reports pursuant to section 1240H(c)(7)(C), the Secretary shall include any recommendations to Congress for changes or additions to the conservation programs under this Act the Secretary determines appropriate to accelerate net increases in soil carbon sequestration and other improvements in soil health.”.

(a) Study.—The Secretary of the Treasury (“the Secretary”), in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall conduct a study of the feasibility of developing a credit against tax to incentivize carbon capture on farms and ranches.

(b) Report.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that describes the results of the study in subsection (a), including whether or not to proceed with a tax credit and, if so, detailed recommendations for—

(1) which taxpayers should be eligible for the credit;

(2) methods for measuring (if feasible) or estimating baseline soil carbon conditions on a farm or ranch;

(3) methods for measuring (if feasible) or estimating the amount of soil carbon sequestered or abated on a farm or ranch;

(4) incentivizing early adoption of carbon capture practices;

(5) the number of years a taxpayer should be eligible for the credit;

(6) establishing rules for recapture in instances in which carbon capture ceases or carbon is not retained in soil;

(7) establishing rules for recapture if ownership of land is transferred;

(8) setting the dollar value of the tax credit;

(9) setting phase outs for tax credit eligibility;

(10) establishing certification requirements for carbon capture;

(11) establishing rules for attributing the credit to a taxpayer;

(12) establishing rules for carrying over unused credits; and

(13) such other provisions as the Secretary determines necessary.

(a) Definitions.—

(1) CONSERVATION PLAN.—Section 1201(a)(3) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)(3)) is amended—

(A) by striking “highly erodible” each place it appears; and

(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking “and conservation treatment measures” and inserting “crop rotation and cover crop systems, and other relevant conservation treatment measures”.

(2) CONSERVATION SYSTEM.—Section 1201(a)(4) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)(4)) is amended—

(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;

(B) in subparagraph (B)—

(i) by striking “or a substantial improvement in soil conditions on a field or group of fields containing highly erodible cropland” and inserting “and a substantial improvement in soil health conditions (including soil carbon levels) on a field or group of fields containing cropland”; and

(ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

“(C) are designed to achieve, within five years of actively applying a conservation plan, a level of erosion not to exceed twice the soil loss tolerance level; and

“(D) are designed to effectively prevent the formation of new, or treat all existing, ephemeral gullies.”.

(3) HIGHLY ERODIBLE LAND.—Section 1201(a)(11)(A)(ii) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801(a)(11)(A)(ii)) is amended by striking “excessive average annual rate of erosion in relation to” and inserting “average annual rate of erosion exceeding twice”.

(b) Cropland conservation.—

(1) PROGRAM INELIGIBILITY.—Section 1211 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3811) is amended—

(A) in subsection (a)—

(i) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “produces an agricultural commodity on a field on which highly erodible land is predominant, or designates land on which highly erodible land is predominant to be set aside, diverted, devoted to conservation uses, or otherwise not cultivated under a program administered by the Secretary to reduce production of an agricultural commodity, as determined by the Secretary” and inserting “carries out an activity described in subsection (b), as determined by the Secretary,”; and

(ii) in paragraph (1)(D), by inserting “cropland or” before “highly erodible land”; and

(B) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:

“(b) Activities described.—Activities described in this subsection are—

“(1) the production of an agricultural commodity on a field on which highly erodible land is predominant;

“(2) the designation of land on which highly erodible land cropland is predominant to be set aside, diverted, devoted to conservation uses, or otherwise not cultivated under a program administered by the Secretary to reduce production of an agricultural commodity; and

“(3) the production of an agricultural commodity without having in place a conservation plan.

“(c) Authority of Secretary.—The Secretary shall have, and shall not delegate to any private person or entity, authority to determine whether a person has complied with this subtitle.”.

(2) EXEMPTIONS.—Section 1212 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3812) is amended—

(A) in subsection (a)(3), by striking “only be required to apply a conservation plan established under this subtitle. The person shall not be required to meet a higher conservation standard than” and inserting “be required to apply a conservation plan established under this subtitle consistent with”; and

(B) in subsection (f)(4)(A)—

(i) in clause (i), by striking “highly erodible”; and

(ii) in clause (ii)(II), by inserting “and soil health” after “erosion control”.

(3) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subtitle B of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3810 et seq.) is amended in the subtitle heading by striking “Highly Erodible Land” and inserting “Cropland”.

Section 1243 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 1642 note; Public Law 101–624) is amended—

(1) by amending the section heading to read as follows: “National and Regional Agroforestry Centers”;

(2) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

“(a) National and Regional Agroforestry Centers.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish at the Forestry Sciences Laboratory of the United States Forest Service, in Lincoln, Nebraska, a Semiarid Agroforestry Research, Development, and Demonstration Center, and acting through the Chief of the Forest Service and in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, shall establish three additional regional agroforestry centers at other locations to be determined by the Secretary (referred to in this section as the ‘Centers’). The Secretary shall appoint a National Director and three Regional Directors to manage and coordinate the program established under subsection (b).”;