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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3478 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3478
To amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to establish a Good Steward
Cover Crop program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 18, 2023
Mr. Casten (for himself, Ms. Slotkin, and Mr. Bost) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act 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 of 2023'' or the ``COVER
Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. GOOD STEWARD COVER CROP PROGRAM.
The Federal Crop Insurance Act is amended by inserting after
section 508D (7 U.S.C. 1508d) the following:
``SEC. 508E. GOOD STEWARD COVER CROP PROGRAM.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Covered insurance program.--The term `covered
insurance program' means a plan of insurance offered by the
Corporation.
``(2) Program.--The term `program' means the Good Steward
Cover Crop program established under subsection (b)(1).
``(3) Qualifying cover crop.--The term `qualifying cover
crop' means cereal or other grass, legume, brassica, nonlegume
broadleaf, or any combination thereof that is planted for
conservation purposes in accordance with--
``(A) guidance of the Natural Resources
Conservation Service; and
``(B) any other expert guidance, as determined by
the Secretary.
``(4) Underserved producer.--The term `underserved
producer' has the meaning given the term in section
508(a)(7)(A).
``(b) Establishment.--
``(1) 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--
``(A) on which qualifying cover crops are planted
during a crop year; and
``(B) for which the producers, 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.
``(2) Report.--For each acre described in paragraph (1),
for each crop year, a producer shall be required to submit to
the Secretary a report of acreage form.
``(c) Premium Subsidy Amount.--
``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), an
additional premium subsidy provided to a producer under the
program shall--
``(A) be calculated on a common land unit basis or
an equivalent or more precise basis; and
``(B) be in an amount equal to the product obtained
by multiplying--
``(i) $5; and
``(ii) the number of acres of the producer
for which the additional premium subsidy is
provided.
``(2) Limitation.--An additional premium subsidy under
paragraph (1) for an acre described in subsection (b)(1) shall
not exceed the amount of the premium owed by the producer with
respect to that acre.
``(3) Rule with respect to a producer-share.--An additional
premium subsidy under paragraph (1) shall be modified to
reflect the individual producer share of such acres.
``(4) Inclusion.--Participation by a producer in a State
program that provides premium subsidies for conservation
practices, including cover crops, shall not disqualify a
producer from receiving assistance under this section.
``(d) Outreach.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall, in coordination
with the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency and the Chief
of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, conduct outreach
to producers, including underserved producers, to provide
information on--
``(A) the program, including eligibility for the
program; and
``(B) qualifying cover crops under the program.
``(2) Cooperative agreements.--The Secretary shall enter
into 1 or more cooperative agreements with organizations
capable of assisting with the outreach described in paragraph
(1)--
``(A) to carry out such outreach; and
``(B) to coordinate with soil and water
conservation districts to encourage the adoption of
qualifying cover crop practices.
``(e) Reports.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
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--
``(A) a summary of the activities carried out under
the program, including--
``(i) the number and amount of premium
subsidies provided to producers under the
program;
``(ii) the number of acres of cover crops
planted for which a premium subsidy was
received; and
``(iii) the outreach carried out under
subsection (d); and
``(B) recommendations to increase the number of
producers that qualify for additional premium subsidies
under the program.
``(2) Study; report.--Not later than 4 years after the date
of enactment of this section, 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, carry out,
and submit to Congress a report on the results of, a study that
examines whether planting qualifying cover crops in accordance
with this section results in decreased crop insurance payments
and stabilized yields compared to crop insurance payments and
yields for acres not utilizing cover crops.
``(f) Funding.--
``(1) Mandatory funding.--Of the funds of the Corporation,
the Secretary shall use the following amounts to carry out this
section:
``(A) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.
``(B) $66,000,000 for fiscal year 2025.
``(C) $72,000,000 for fiscal year 2026.
``(D) $78,000,000 for fiscal year 2027.
``(E) $84,000,000 for fiscal year 2028.
``(2) Unobligated funds.--Funds made available under
paragraph (1) that are not expended by the end of the
applicable fiscal year may be made available for use to carry
out this section in the following fiscal year.
``(3) Reservation for technical assistance, outreach, and
program support.--Of the amounts made available under paragraph
(1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall use not more than
$5,000,000 to carry out technical assistance, outreach, and
program support with respect to the program.''.
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, as soon as practicable after the date of
enactment of this subsection, the Corporation shall establish
and carry out a pilot program (referred to in this subsection
as the `pilot program') under which a producer that uses
innovative soil health practices, as determined by the
Secretary, including conservation crop rotations, may receive
additional premium subsidies on crop insurance.
``(2) Terms and conditions.--The additional premium
subsidies offered under the pilot program 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 the producer obtaining the
insurance.
``(3) Location.--The Corporation shall conduct the pilot
program 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.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.
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