H.R. 5111

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

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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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