Agricultural Lands Protection Act of 1995

Agricultural Lands Protection Act of 1995 - Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Food Security Act of 1985 to exempt from certain conservation requirements privately-owned crop, range, or pasture lands that have been used for crop production or livestock grazing for at least five of the preceding ten years.

[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H.R. 800 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 800

 To amend the conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985 
and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to permit the unimpeded use 
 of privately-owned crop, range, and pasture lands that have been used 
for the planting of crops or the grazing of livestock in at least five 
                      of the preceding ten years.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 2, 1995

 Mr. Hostettler (for himself, Mr. Baker of Louisiana, Mr. Boehner, Mr. 
  Bryant, Mr. Burton, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Chambliss, Mrs. Chenoweth, Mr. 
 Combest, Mr. Cooley, Mr. Emerson, Mr. Lewis of Kentucky, Mr. McHugh, 
  Mr. Smith of Texas, and Mr. Souder) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure and, in addition, to the Committee on Agriculture, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985 
and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to permit the unimpeded use 
 of privately-owned crop, range, and pasture lands that have been used 
for the planting of crops or the grazing of livestock in at least five 
                      of the preceding ten years.

    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 ``Agricultural Lands Protection Act of 
1995''.

SEC. 2. EXCLUSION OF HEAVILY USED AGRICULTURAL LANDS FROM DEFINITIONS 
              OF WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES AND NAVIGABLE WATERS UNDER 
              THE FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ACT.

    Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1344) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(t) In addition to the exception provided for prior converted 
croplands, the terms ``waters of the United States'' and ``navigable 
waters'' in this Act shall not include any privately-owned crop, range, 
or pasture lands that have been used for the production of crops or the 
grazing of livestock in not less than five of the immediately preceding 
ten calendar years.''.

SEC. 3. EXCLUSION OF HEAVILY USED AGRICULTURAL LANDS FROM SWAMPBUSTER 
              REQUIREMENTS.

    Section 1222(b)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 
3822(b)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D) as 
        subparagraphs (C), (D), and (E), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new 
        subparagraph:
                    ``(B) in addition to any prior converted croplands 
                under subparagraph (A), any privately-owned crop, 
                range, or pasture lands that have been used for the 
                production of an agricultural commodity or the grazing 
                of livestock in not less than five of the immediately 
                preceding ten calendar years;''.
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