H.R. 4636

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4636 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4636

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.

_______________________________________________________________________

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>