Post by Speaker Hastert on Jan 5, 2006 1:12:46 GMT -5
As passed by the Senate
Mr. WILLIAMS, Mr. UXBRIDGE and Mr. HARDING, for themselves and others, propose the following:
SHORT TITLE
This bill shall be known as the Smart Farming Act.
FINDINGS
(1) The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 foresaw $127 bln of export and production subsidies over six years to farmers;
(2) Continuing agricultural subsidies and supports total ca. $28 bln p.a.;
(3 Agribusiness is the beneficiary of 78% of the above subsidies;
(4 The above subsidies distort world trade, hurt Third World farmers, needlessly cost the taxpayer money and hinder American global political interests vis-a-vis agriculturally dependent Third World states;
(5) American farms have the potential, without subsidies or supports, to be the most competitive, productive and advanced farms in the world;
(6) The abolition of agricultural subsidies is in the national interest.
Sec. 1. REPEAL OF AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES
Sec. 1001 of the Food Security Act of 1985 is repealed.
Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS
Of the $26.02 bln p.a. in savings resulting out of Sec. 1, $18.2 bln shall be appropriated to accelerate the retirement of outstanding federal debt and $7.81 bln shall be appropriated for the purposes under Sec. 3 of this Act.
Sec. 3. CONSERVATION
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish and carry out a conservation security program to assist farmers and agribusiness in carrying out appropriate conservation programs and in improving the quality of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and any other conservation purposes, as determined by the Secretary.
(b) ELIGIBILITY-
(1) ELIGIBLE LAND- private agricultural land (including cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved pasture land, and rangeland), land under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe (as defined by the Secretary), and forested land that is an incidental part of an agricultural operation shall be eligible for enrollment in the conservation security program.
(2) ECONOMIC USES- The Secretary shall permit a producer to implement economic uses that--
(A) maintain the agricultural nature of the land; and
(B) are consistent with the natural resource and conservation objectives of the conservation security program.
(c) CONSERVATION SECURITY PLANS-
(1) IN GENERAL- A conservation security plan shall--
(A) identify designated land and resources to be conserved under the conservation security plan;
(B) contain a schedule for implementing, maintening or improving the conservation practices described in the conservation security plan.
(2) RESOURCE PLANNING- The Secretary may assist producers entering into conservation security contracts in developing comprehensive, long-term strategies for conserving the environment, boosting agricultural productivity, crop yield and farm profitability.
(d) CONSERVATION CONTRACTS AND PRACTICES-
(1) IN GENERAL-
(A) ESTABLISHMENT OF TIERS- The Secretary shall establish, and offer to eligible producers, conservation contracts under which a grant under this subchapter may be received to be funded out of Sec. 2 (b).
(B) ELIGIBLE CONSERVATION PRACTICES-
(2) ON-FARM RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION OR PILOT TESTING- With respect to land enrolled in the conservation security program, the Secretary may approve a conservation security plan that includes--
(A) on-farm conservation research and demonstration activities; and
(B) pilot testing of new technologies or innovative environmental conservation practices designed to increase farm productivity, crop yield and profitability.
(3) CONSERVATION PRACTICES- Conservation practices that may be implemented by a producer under a conservation security contract (as appropriate for the agricultural operation of a producer) include--
(A) nutrient management;
(B) integrated pest management;
(C) water conservation (including through irrigation) and water quality management;
(D) grazing, pasture, and rangeland management;
(E) soil conservation, quality, and residue management;
(F) invasive species management;
(G) fish and wildlife habitat conservation, restoration, and management;
(H) air quality management;
(I) energy conservation measures;
(J) biological resource conservation and regeneration;(K) contour farming;
(L) strip cropping;
(M) cover cropping;
(N) controlled rotational grazing;
(O) resource-conserving crop rotation;
(P) conversion of portions of cropland from a soil-depleting use to a soil-conserving use, including production of cover crops;
(Q) partial field conservation practices;
(R) native grassland and prairie protection and restoration; and
(S) any other conservation practices that the Secretary determines to be appropriate and comparable to other conservation practices described in this paragraph.
(5) TIERS- to carry out this subsection, the Secretary shall establish 3 tiers of conservation contracts of which producers may be enrolled.
(e) CONSERVATION SECURITY CONTRACTS-
(1) IN GENERAL- On approval of a conservation security plan of a producer, the Secretary shall enter into a conservation security contract with the producer to enroll the land covered by the conservation security plan in the conservation security program.
(2) MODIFICATION-
(A) OPTIONAL MODIFICATIONS- A producer may apply to the Secretary for a modification of the conservation security contract of the producer that is consistent with the purposes of the conservation security program.
(3) TERMINATION-
(A) OPTIONAL TERMINATION- A producer may terminate a conservation security contract and retain payments received under the conservation security contract, if--
(i) the producer is in full compliance with the terms and conditions (including any maintenance requirements) of the conservation security contract as of the date of the termination; and
(ii) the Secretary determines that termination of the contract would not defeat the purposes of the conservation security plan of the producer.
(4) RENEWAL-
(A) IN GENERAL- the conservation security contract of the producer may be renewed for an additional period of not less than 5 nor more than 10 years.
(f) NONCOMPLIANCE DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THE CONTROL OF PRODUCERS- The Secretary shall include in the conservation security contract a provision, and may permit modification of a conservation security contract under subsection (e)(1), to ensure that a producer shall not be considered in violation of a conservation security contract for failure to comply with the conservation security contract due to circumstances beyond the control of the producer, including a disaster or related condition, as determined by the Secretary.
(1) This appropriation shall begin on the next fiscal year following passage and shall stand for five years.
(g) REVIEW- After five years, this program shall be reviewed by Congress.
Mr. WILLIAMS, Mr. UXBRIDGE and Mr. HARDING, for themselves and others, propose the following:
SHORT TITLE
This bill shall be known as the Smart Farming Act.
FINDINGS
(1) The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 foresaw $127 bln of export and production subsidies over six years to farmers;
(2) Continuing agricultural subsidies and supports total ca. $28 bln p.a.;
(3 Agribusiness is the beneficiary of 78% of the above subsidies;
(4 The above subsidies distort world trade, hurt Third World farmers, needlessly cost the taxpayer money and hinder American global political interests vis-a-vis agriculturally dependent Third World states;
(5) American farms have the potential, without subsidies or supports, to be the most competitive, productive and advanced farms in the world;
(6) The abolition of agricultural subsidies is in the national interest.
Sec. 1. REPEAL OF AGRICULTURAL SUBSIDIES
Sec. 1001 of the Food Security Act of 1985 is repealed.
Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS
Of the $26.02 bln p.a. in savings resulting out of Sec. 1, $18.2 bln shall be appropriated to accelerate the retirement of outstanding federal debt and $7.81 bln shall be appropriated for the purposes under Sec. 3 of this Act.
Sec. 3. CONSERVATION
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish and carry out a conservation security program to assist farmers and agribusiness in carrying out appropriate conservation programs and in improving the quality of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and any other conservation purposes, as determined by the Secretary.
(b) ELIGIBILITY-
(1) ELIGIBLE LAND- private agricultural land (including cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved pasture land, and rangeland), land under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe (as defined by the Secretary), and forested land that is an incidental part of an agricultural operation shall be eligible for enrollment in the conservation security program.
(2) ECONOMIC USES- The Secretary shall permit a producer to implement economic uses that--
(A) maintain the agricultural nature of the land; and
(B) are consistent with the natural resource and conservation objectives of the conservation security program.
(c) CONSERVATION SECURITY PLANS-
(1) IN GENERAL- A conservation security plan shall--
(A) identify designated land and resources to be conserved under the conservation security plan;
(B) contain a schedule for implementing, maintening or improving the conservation practices described in the conservation security plan.
(2) RESOURCE PLANNING- The Secretary may assist producers entering into conservation security contracts in developing comprehensive, long-term strategies for conserving the environment, boosting agricultural productivity, crop yield and farm profitability.
(d) CONSERVATION CONTRACTS AND PRACTICES-
(1) IN GENERAL-
(A) ESTABLISHMENT OF TIERS- The Secretary shall establish, and offer to eligible producers, conservation contracts under which a grant under this subchapter may be received to be funded out of Sec. 2 (b).
(B) ELIGIBLE CONSERVATION PRACTICES-
(2) ON-FARM RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION OR PILOT TESTING- With respect to land enrolled in the conservation security program, the Secretary may approve a conservation security plan that includes--
(A) on-farm conservation research and demonstration activities; and
(B) pilot testing of new technologies or innovative environmental conservation practices designed to increase farm productivity, crop yield and profitability.
(3) CONSERVATION PRACTICES- Conservation practices that may be implemented by a producer under a conservation security contract (as appropriate for the agricultural operation of a producer) include--
(A) nutrient management;
(B) integrated pest management;
(C) water conservation (including through irrigation) and water quality management;
(D) grazing, pasture, and rangeland management;
(E) soil conservation, quality, and residue management;
(F) invasive species management;
(G) fish and wildlife habitat conservation, restoration, and management;
(H) air quality management;
(I) energy conservation measures;
(J) biological resource conservation and regeneration;(K) contour farming;
(L) strip cropping;
(M) cover cropping;
(N) controlled rotational grazing;
(O) resource-conserving crop rotation;
(P) conversion of portions of cropland from a soil-depleting use to a soil-conserving use, including production of cover crops;
(Q) partial field conservation practices;
(R) native grassland and prairie protection and restoration; and
(S) any other conservation practices that the Secretary determines to be appropriate and comparable to other conservation practices described in this paragraph.
(5) TIERS- to carry out this subsection, the Secretary shall establish 3 tiers of conservation contracts of which producers may be enrolled.
(e) CONSERVATION SECURITY CONTRACTS-
(1) IN GENERAL- On approval of a conservation security plan of a producer, the Secretary shall enter into a conservation security contract with the producer to enroll the land covered by the conservation security plan in the conservation security program.
(2) MODIFICATION-
(A) OPTIONAL MODIFICATIONS- A producer may apply to the Secretary for a modification of the conservation security contract of the producer that is consistent with the purposes of the conservation security program.
(3) TERMINATION-
(A) OPTIONAL TERMINATION- A producer may terminate a conservation security contract and retain payments received under the conservation security contract, if--
(i) the producer is in full compliance with the terms and conditions (including any maintenance requirements) of the conservation security contract as of the date of the termination; and
(ii) the Secretary determines that termination of the contract would not defeat the purposes of the conservation security plan of the producer.
(4) RENEWAL-
(A) IN GENERAL- the conservation security contract of the producer may be renewed for an additional period of not less than 5 nor more than 10 years.
(f) NONCOMPLIANCE DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THE CONTROL OF PRODUCERS- The Secretary shall include in the conservation security contract a provision, and may permit modification of a conservation security contract under subsection (e)(1), to ensure that a producer shall not be considered in violation of a conservation security contract for failure to comply with the conservation security contract due to circumstances beyond the control of the producer, including a disaster or related condition, as determined by the Secretary.
(1) This appropriation shall begin on the next fiscal year following passage and shall stand for five years.
(g) REVIEW- After five years, this program shall be reviewed by Congress.
