Conservation Opportunity and Voluntary Environment Resilience Program Act or the COVER Act
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to establish a Good Steward Cover Crop Program to provide producers additional premium subsidies when they plant cover crops.
Additionally, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation must carry out a pilot program under which a producer who uses innovative soil health practices may receive additional premium subsidies on multi-peril crop insurance.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8527 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8527
To establish a Good Steward Cover Crop Program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 27, 2022
Mr. Casten (for himself and Mrs. Axne) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a Good Steward Cover Crop 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 ``Conservation Opportunity and
Voluntary Environment Resilience Program Act'' or the ``COVER Act''.
SEC. 2. GOOD STEWARD COVER CROP PROGRAM.
Subtitle A of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 525. GOOD STEWARD COVER CROP PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--Beginning with crop year 2023, the Secretary
shall carry out a program (to be known as the `Good Steward Cover Crop
Program') to provide additional premium subsidies to producers for each
acre--
``(1) on which qualifying cover crops are planted during a
crop year; and
``(2) for which the producers--
``(A) during such crop year--
``(i) plant crops other than the qualifying
cover crops; and
``(ii) purchase insurance under a covered
insurance program with respect to such planted
crops; and
``(B) file a report of acreage form to the
Secretary with respect to such crop year.
``(b) Premium Subsidy Amount.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided paragraph (2), an
additional premium subsidy to a producer under subsection (a)
shall be--
``(A) calculated on a common land unit or
equivalent or more precise basis; and
``(B) be in an amount equal to--
``(i) $5, multiplied by
``(ii) the number of acres of the producer
described in such subsection.
``(2) Limitation.--An additional premium subsidy under
paragraph (1) shall not exceed the amount of the premium owed
by the producer with respect to the acres described in
subsection (a).
``(3) Rule with respect to a producer-share.--For purposes
of the limitation under paragraph (2), an additional premium
subsidy shall be modified to reflect the individual producer
share of such acres.
``(c) Outreach With Respect to Program.--
``(1) Coordination with fsa and nrcs.--The Secretary shall,
in coordination with the Administrator of the Farm Service
Agency and the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation
Service, carry out outreach to producers, including underserved
producers, to provide information with respect to--
``(A) the program under this section, including
eligibility for the program and the additional premium
subsidies under the program; and
``(B) qualifying cover crops.
``(2) Cooperative agreements for outreach.--The Secretary
shall enter into one or more cooperative agreements with
organizations capable of assisting with outreach with respect
to the program under this section to--
``(A) carry out such outreach; and
``(B) coordinate with soil and water conservation
districts to encourage the adoption of qualifying cover
crop practices.
``(d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Secretary
shall, in coordination with the Administrator of the Risk Management
Agency, the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency, and the Chief of
the Natural Resources Conservation Service, submit to Congress a report
that includes--
``(1) a summary of the activities carried out under this
section, including--
``(A) the number and amount of premium subsidies
provided to producers under this section;
``(B) the number of acres of cover crops planted
for which a premium subsidy was received; and
``(C) the outreach carried out under subsection
(c); and
``(2) recommendations to increase the number of producers
that qualify for the additional premium subsidies under the
program under this section.
``(e) Funding.--
``(1) Mandatory funding.--Of the funds of the Corporation,
the Secretary shall use such sums as are necessary to carry out
this section.
``(2) Reservation for technical assistance, outreach, and
program support.--Of the amounts made available under paragraph
(1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve $5,000,000
to carry out technical assistance, outreach, and program
support with respect to the program under this section.
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Covered insurance program.--The term `covered
insurance program' means a plan of insurance offered by the
Corporation, as determined by the Secretary.
``(2) Qualifying cover crop.--The term `qualifying cover
crop' means cereals or other grasses, legumes, brassicas, non-
legume broadleaves, or any combination thereof that are planted
for conservation purposes in accordance with--
``(A) Natural Resources Conservation Service
guidance; and
``(B) additional expert guidance, as determined by
the Secretary.
``(3) Underserved producer.--The term `underserved
producer' has the meaning given the term in section
508(a)(7)(A)(ii).''.
SEC. 3. SOIL HEALTH PILOT PROGRAM.
Section 523 of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1523) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(j) Soil Health Pilot Program.--
``(1) In general.--In addition to any other authority of
the Corporation, the Corporation shall establish and carry out
a pilot program under which a producer who uses innovative soil
health practices may receive additional premium subsidies on
multiperil crop insurance, as determined by the Corporation.
``(2) Terms and conditions.--The additional premium
subsidies offered under the soil health pilot program under
this subsection shall--
``(A) be offered through reinsurance arrangements
with private insurance companies;
``(B) be actuarially sound; and
``(C) require the payment of premiums and
administrative fees by a producer obtaining the
insurance.
``(3) Location.--The Corporation shall conduct the soil
health pilot program under this subsection in a number of
counties that is determined by the Corporation to be adequate
to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the feasibility,
effectiveness, and demand among producers for the risk
management tools evaluated in the pilot program.
``(4) Duration.--The Corporation shall commence the soil
health pilot program under this subsection as soon as
practicable after the date of the enactment of this
subsection.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management.
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