H.R. 6341

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6341 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6341

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to provide grants to covered 
entities to develop, modify, or implement climate adaptation and 
climate mitigation proposals on agricultural land, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 1, 2025

Ms. Schrier (for herself and Ms. Strickland) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to provide grants to covered 
entities to develop, modify, or implement climate adaptation and 
climate mitigation proposals on agricultural land, 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 ``Partnerships for Agricultural 
Climate Action Act''.

SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE FOR CLIMATE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION.

Section 1240H of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-8) 
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(2)--
(A) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``, Tribal,'' 
after ``provided by State''; and
(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``for 
pollution reduction'' and inserting ``for pollution and 
emissions reductions'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
``(d) Grants for Climate Mitigation and Climate Adaptation.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Climate adaptation.--The term `climate 
adaptation' means, with respect to an agricultural 
management system, management changes to such 
agricultural management system to reduce vulnerability 
to and recover from climate and other related 
disturbances, such that the system thrives in the face 
of severe weather impacts and other associated 
challenges, including management changes that builds 
agricultural resilience through actions such as 
improved nutrient management and enhancing soil health.
``(B) Climate mitigation.--The term `climate 
mitigation' means, with respect to an agricultural 
management system, management changes to such 
agricultural management system to reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions and sequester carbon in soil and plant 
biomass on agricultural land.
``(C) Covered entity.--The term `covered entity' 
means--
``(i) the department of agriculture of a 
State;
``(ii) an applicable Tribal Government 
authority;
``(iii) an agricultural or silvicultural 
producer association or other group of 
producers;
``(iv) a farmer cooperative;
``(v) an institution of higher education;
``(vi) a conservation commission or 
district; or
``(vii) an organization or entity with an 
established history of working cooperatively 
with producers on agricultural land, as 
determined by the Secretary, to address local 
conservation priorities related to agricultural 
production or nonindustrial private forestland 
management in connection to climate mitigation 
or adaptation.
``(D) Eligible proposal.--The term `eligible 
proposal' means a proposal for climate mitigation and 
climate adaptation activities on agricultural land, 
which--
``(i) is broadly consistent with part III 
of the Action Plan for Climate Adaptation and 
Resilience, titled `USDA's Adaptation Actions', 
published by the Department of Agriculture 
(August 2021);
``(ii) is broadly consistent with 
conservation practices identified by the 
Natural Resources Conservation Service to 
reduce greenhouse gas emissions or to sequester 
carbon;
``(iii) is broadly consistent with the 
latest available scientific research on 
regionally-relevant climate mitigation and 
adaptation strategies for agricultural land; 
and
``(iv) identifies effective strategies, 
including strategies developed from traditional 
ecological knowledge such as indigenous 
agricultural knowledge practices, for 
increasing adoption of regionally appropriate 
management practices and systems implemented on 
privately owned agricultural land under the 
jurisdiction of the applicable State government 
or Tribal Government that achieve at least two 
of the following outcomes:
``(I) Increase in carbon 
sequestration.
``(II) Reduction of greenhouse gas 
emissions.
``(III) Increased resilience 
against extreme weather.
``(E) Indigenous agricultural knowledge.--The term 
`indigenous agricultural knowledge' means the applied 
knowledge for raising or producing food and other 
agricultural products grounded in indigenous belief 
systems and practices that have been time-tested over 
millennia.
``(F) Traditional ecological knowledge.--The term 
`traditional ecological knowledge' means a cumulative 
body of knowledge, practice, and belief, developed by 
Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and 
other Indigenous communities, evolving by adaptive 
processes and handed down through generations by 
cultural transmissions, about the relationship of 
living beings (including humans) with one another and 
their environments, including indigenous agricultural 
knowledge.
``(G) Tribal government.--The term `Tribal 
Government' means--
``(i) the governing body of an Indian 
tribe;
``(ii) the governing body of a State-
recognized Tribal organization; and
``(iii) the governing body of a Native 
Hawaiian community or organization.
``(2) In general.--The Secretary shall provide grants to 
covered entities to--
``(A) develop or modify an eligible proposal; or
``(B) implement an eligible proposal.
``(3) Application.--
``(A) In general.--A covered entity applying for a 
grant under this subsection shall prepare and submit an 
application at such time, in such a manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary shall 
require, including an assurance that grant funds 
received under this subsection shall supplement, not 
supplant, the expenditure of funds of such covered 
entity in developing, modifying, or implementing 
eligible proposals.
``(B) Option for tribal governments.--At the sole 
discretion of a Tribal Government, such Tribal 
Government may, in lieu of submitting an applications 
under subparagraph (A), opt to join an application 
submitted by any other covered entity for an eligible 
proposal relating to agricultural lands under the 
jurisdiction of such Tribal Government and that are 
located within, at least in part, the geographic 
boundary of such covered entity.
``(C) Solicitation of applications.--
``(i) In general.--Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of the Partnerships 
for Agricultural Climate Action Act, the 
Secretary shall solicit applications for grants 
under this subsection.
``(ii) Additional solicitations.--The 
Secretary shall solicit applications for 
funding for eligible proposals on a recurring 
basis after the first round of applications 
until all amounts appropriated to carry out 
this subsection are expended.
``(D) Performance measures.--Each application 
submitted under this paragraph shall include 
performance measures to be used to evaluate an eligible 
proposal that was developed, modified, or implemented 
using a grant received under this subsection.
``(4) Selection.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than two years after 
the date of enactment of the Partnerships for 
Agricultural Climate Action Act, the Secretary shall 
select applications submitted under paragraph (3) to 
receive a grant under this subsection in accordance 
with this paragraph.
``(B) Criteria.--In selecting applications to 
receive a grant under this subsection--
``(i) in the case of an application for 
developing or modifying an eligible proposal, 
the Secretary shall select applications for 
eligible proposals that will, if implemented--
``(I) have a high potential for 
carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas 
emissions reductions; and
``(II) increase the resilience of 
agricultural management systems to 
extreme weather and climate conditions;
``(ii) in the case of an application for 
implementing an eligible proposal, the 
Secretary shall select applications for 
eligible proposals that--
``(I) have a high potential for 
carbon sequestration or greenhouse gas 
emissions reductions;
``(II) increase the resilience of 
agricultural management systems to 
extreme weather and climate conditions; 
and
``(iii) the Secretary shall select 
applications for eligible proposals that are 
based on any other criteria that the Secretary 
determines necessary or appropriate to carry 
out this subsection.
``(C) Geographical diversity.--In providing grants 
under this subsection, the Secretary shall, to the 
maximum extent practicable, ensure geographic 
diversity.
``(D) Priority.--In providing grants under this 
subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to--
``(i) a covered entity for an eligible 
proposal that--
``(I) includes dedicated resources 
to historically underserved producers 
or farming operations, including--
``(aa) beginning farmers or 
ranchers;
``(bb) socially 
disadvantaged farmers or 
ranchers;
``(cc) veteran farmers and 
ranchers, as defined in section 
2501(a) of the Food, 
Agriculture, Conservation, and 
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 
2279(a)); and
``(dd) small or mid-sized 
farms that are structured as 
family farms, as defined in 
section 761.2 of title 7, Code 
of Federal Regulations;
``(II) includes plans to transition 
whole farm systems to ecologically 
sound production systems that--
``(aa) increase carbon 
sequestration;
``(bb) reduce greenhouse 
gas emissions; or
``(cc) build resilience to 
extreme weather; or
``(III) supports additional 
conservation goals, including--
``(aa) improving soil 
health;
``(bb) erosion control;
``(cc) improving nutrient 
management;
``(dd) improving water 
quality;
``(ee) enhancing pollinator 
forage; and
``(ff) habitat restoration; 
and
``(ii) the applicable Tribal Government 
authority for an eligible proposal that 
includes use of traditional ecological 
knowledge or indigenous agricultural knowledge 
practices.
``(5) Partnerships option.--A covered entity may enter into 
partnership agreements for the development, modification, or 
implementation of an eligible proposal with one or more other 
covered entities.
``(6) Use of implementation grants.--A covered entity may 
use a grant provided under paragraph (2)(B) for activities to 
implement an eligible proposal, including--
``(A) provision of technical assistance to 
producers;
``(B) provision of financial assistance to 
producers;
``(C) on-farm research and demonstration;
``(D) extension, education, outreach, and training;
``(E) monitoring and evaluating soil carbon 
sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and 
other conservation outcomes;
``(F) local producer-to-producer networking and 
mentoring activities; and
``(G) other activities as the Secretary determines 
appropriate.
``(7) Grant term.--
``(A) Development and modification grants.--With 
respect to a grant under paragraph (2)(A), the 
Secretary--
``(i) shall provide such grant for a term 
of not less than one year and not more than two 
years; and
``(ii) may renew such grant once at the end 
of a term under clause (i), under which renewal 
the Secretary may provide additional grant 
funds after the initial grant funds have been 
expended.
``(B) Implementation grants.--With respect to a 
grant under paragraph (2)(B), the Secretary--
``(i) shall provide such grant for a term 
of not less than one year and not more than 
five years; and
``(ii) may renew such grant at the end of a 
term under clause (i), under which renewal the 
Secretary may provide additional grant funds 
after the initial grant funds have been 
expended.
``(8) Grant amount.--
``(A) Maximum amount.--The Secretary may provide a 
grant to a covered entity--
``(i) in the case of a grant under 
paragraph (2)(A), in an amount not to exceed 
$7,500,000 per fiscal year; and
``(ii) in the case of a grant under 
paragraph (2)(B), in an amount not to exceed 
$15,000,000 per fiscal year.
``(B) Federal share.--
``(i) Grants to certain covered entities.--
The Secretary shall not provide a grant under 
this subsection to a covered entity that is not 
an applicable Tribal Government authority in an 
amount that exceeds--
``(I) 75 percent of the cost of 
developing or modifying an eligible 
proposal under paragraph (2)(A); or
``(II) 50 percent of the cost of 
implementing an eligible proposal under 
paragraph (2)(B).
``(ii) Grants to tribal governments.--The 
Secretary shall not provide a grant under this 
subsection to an applicable Tribal Government 
authority in an amount that exceeds--
``(I) 100 percent of the cost of 
developing or modifying an eligible 
proposal under paragraph (2)(A); or
``(II) 85 percent of the cost of 
implementing an eligible proposal under 
paragraph (2)(B).
``(iii) Restriction.--Clause (ii) does not 
apply to Tribal Governments that opt to join an 
application submitted by another covered entity 
under paragraph (3)(B).
``(C) Non-federal funds.--The Secretary shall 
provide a grant under this subsection on the condition 
that any non-Federal share of expenditures be provided 
from non-Federal sources.
``(9) Performance measures review and evaluation.--Each 
covered entity that receives a grant under this subsection 
shall submit to the Secretary a review and evaluation of the 
progress of such covered entity, using the performance measures 
included in the application under paragraph (3)(D), at such 
intervals as the Secretary shall establish.
``(10) Effect of noncompliance.--If the Secretary, after 
reasonable notice to a covered entity, determines that there 
has been a failure by such covered entity to comply with the 
terms of a grant made under this subsection, the Secretary may 
disqualify, for one or more years, such covered entity from 
receipt of future grants under this subsection.
``(11) Audit requirement.--For each year that a covered 
entity receives funds from a grant provided under this 
subsection, such covered entity shall--
``(A) conduct an audit of any expenditures by such 
covered entity that were paid for using such funds; and
``(B) not later than 30 days after the completion 
of the audit under subparagraph (A), submit to the 
Secretary a copy of such audit.
``(12) Administrative expenses.--
``(A) Secretary.--The Secretary may not use more 
than 3 percent of the funds made available to carry out 
this subsection for a fiscal year for administrative 
expenses.
``(B) Certain covered entities.--A covered entity, 
that is not an applicable Tribal Government authority, 
receiving a grant under this section may not use more 
than 10 percent of the granted funds for administrative 
expenses.
``(C) Tribal governments.--An applicable Tribal 
Government authority receiving a grant under this 
section may not use more than 15 percent of the granted 
funds for administrative expenses.
``(13) Funding.--
``(A) In general.--Of the funds made available to 
carry out this subchapter, the Secretary shall carry 
out this subsection using $150,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2026 through 2034.
``(B) Allocation of funds.--The Secretary shall 
distribute funds made available to carry out this 
subsection as follows:
``(i) At least 33 percent of funds to 
support the development and modification of 
eligible proposals under paragraph (2)(A).
``(ii) At least 33 percent of funds to 
support the implementation of eligible 
proposals under paragraph (2)(B).
``(C) Reservation of funds.--Of the funds made 
available for grants under this subsection, 33 percent 
shall be reserved for grants provided to the applicable 
Tribal Government authorities.''.
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