Great Lakes Assurance Program Verification Act of 2012

Great Lakes Assurance Program Verification Act of 2012 - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), in consultation with the Great Lakes States, to establish a Great Lakes basin initiative for agricultural non-point source pollution prevention.

Defines "Great Lakes State" as Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4162 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4162

  To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the Secretary of 
      Agriculture to establish a Great Lakes basin initiative for 
           agricultural nonpoint source pollution prevention.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 7, 2012

   Mrs. Miller of Michigan introduced the following bill; which was 
                referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to require the Secretary of 
      Agriculture to establish a Great Lakes basin initiative for 
           agricultural nonpoint source pollution prevention.

    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 ``Great Lakes Assurance Program 
Verification Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES BASIN INITIATIVE FOR AGRICULTURAL NONPOINT SOURCE 
              POLLUTION PREVENTION.

    (a) In General.--The Food Security Act of 1985 is amended by 
inserting after section 1240I the following new section:

``SEC. 1240J. GREAT LAKES BASIN INITIATIVE FOR AGRICULTURAL NONPOINT 
              SOURCE POLLUTION PREVENTION.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary, in consultation with the Great 
Lakes States, shall establish a Great Lakes basin initiative for 
agricultural nonpoint source pollution prevention in accordance with 
this section.
    ``(b) Initiative Elements.--
            ``(1) Grants to states.--In implementing the initiative, 
        the Secretary shall provide grants to Great Lakes States to 
        fund the following:
                    ``(A) Education and outreach, for producers in the 
                Great Lakes basin, regarding--
                            ``(i) nonpoint pollution of ground and 
                        surface water from agricultural activities;
                            ``(ii) State verification programs; and
                            ``(iii) the initiative.
                    ``(B) Technical assistance, including training, to 
                producers in the Great Lakes basin for the 
                implementation of activities that reduce or prevent 
                nonpoint pollution of ground and surface water from 
                agricultural activities.
                    ``(C) Development and implementation of voluntary 
                State verification programs, with a funding priority 
                for voluntary State verification programs that 
                incorporate Department of Agriculture conservation 
                planning and practice standards.
            ``(2) Funding priority for certain producers.--In 
        implementing the initiative, the Secretary shall establish a 
        funding priority within the Great Lakes basin for payments to 
        producers under this chapter for producers that participate in 
        the initiative with the purpose of achieving verification 
        through a State verification program.
    ``(c) Use of Existing Data.--In establishing the initiative, the 
Secretary shall, where available, use existing plans, models, and 
assessments.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Great lakes state.--The term `Great Lakes State' 
        means any one of the States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, 
        Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin.
            ``(2) Initiative.--The term `initiative' means the Great 
        Lakes basin initiative for agricultural nonpoint source 
        pollution prevention established under subsection (a).
            ``(3) Nonpoint source pollution.--The term `nonpoint source 
        pollution' is used within the meaning of that term under the 
        Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.).
            ``(4) State verification program.--The term `State 
        verification program' means a program established by a Great 
        Lakes State to verify producer implementation of practices 
        approved by the State to reduce nonpoint pollution of ground 
        and surface water from agricultural activities, which may 
        include verification by a third party approved by the State or 
        the Secretary.
    ``(e) Funding.--Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, 
to carry out this section the Secretary shall use, to the maximum 
extent practicable--
            ``(1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
            ``(2) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2014;
            ``(3) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
            ``(4) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2016.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1240C of the Food Security Act 
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa-3) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection:
    ``(d) Special Rule for Great Lakes Basin.--In evaluating 
applications of producers in the Great Lakes basin under this chapter, 
the Secretary shall prioritize applications in accordance with section 
1240J(b)(2).''.
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