Administrative requirements for conservation programs

(a) Tenant protections Section 1244(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(d)) is amended by striking I. and inserting J.. (b) Acreage limitations Section 1244(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(f)) is amended— (1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows: (1) Limitation The Secretary shall not enroll more than 25 percent of the cropland in any county in the conservation reserve program established under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D and wetland reserve easements under section 1265C.; (2) in paragraph (2)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking paragraph (1)(A) and inserting paragraph (1); and (B) in subparagraph (A), by striking and at the end and inserting or; (3) in paragraph (3), by striking paragraph (1)(A) and inserting paragraph (1); and (4) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking classes IV and inserting classes III. (c) Review and guidance for practice costs and payment rates (1) In general Section 1244(j)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(j)(1)) is amended— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, and not later than October 1 of each year thereafter, the Secretary shall and inserting The Secretary shall establish a process under which the Secretary shall annually; (B) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows: (A) review, with respect to each State, the actual practice costs and rates of payments (or, where actual practice costs and rates of payments are not available, estimates of such practice costs and rates) made to producers pursuant to programs under this title for practices on eligible land; and; and (C) in subparagraph (B)— (i) in clause (ii), by striking and at the end; (ii) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (iv); (iii) by inserting after clause (ii) the following: (iii) accounts for the variability in costs of implementing practices on eligible land under this title; and; and (iv) in clause (iv), as so redesignated, by striking regional, State, and and inserting State and. (2) Guidance; review Section 1244(j)(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(j)(2)) is amended— (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking estimates for; and (B) in subparagraph (B)— (i) in clause (i), by striking and at the end; (ii) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); (iii) by inserting after clause (i) the following: (ii) monitoring for and identifying significant variability in practice costs in each year; and; and (iv) in clause (iii), as so redesignated, by inserting and, when appropriate, adopting any recommendations made by such State technical committee after that State. (3) Effect on existing contracts Section 1244(j) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(j)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (3) Effect on existing contracts In order to provide rates of payments that are commensurate with the costs of implementing practices pursuant to programs under this title, the Secretary shall establish processes and procedures for updating rates of payments under a contract or agreement in effect under this title to reflect the appropriate practice costs and rates of payments determined under paragraph (2)(B) for the year in which the practice is implemented.. (d) Source water protection through targeting of agricultural practices Section 1244(n) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(n)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (2)— (A) in subparagraph (A)— (i) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); (ii) in clause (i), by striking the and at the end; and (iii) by inserting after clause (i) the following: (ii) identify in each State a source water protection coordinator who shall be responsible for coordinating such collaboration with community water systems under this subsection; and; and (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking under subparagraph (A)(ii) and inserting under subparagraph (A)(iii); and (2) by adding at the end the following: (4) Publicly available information Beginning on the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, shall make publicly available— (A) an annual report that details— (i) for each local priority area identified under paragraph (2)(A)(i)— (I) the conservation programs under which assistance is provided pursuant to paragraph (1); (II) the practices implemented pursuant to paragraph (1); and (III) the number of contracts and acres devoted to such practices; (ii) for each conservation program administered by the Secretary— (I) the amount of funds obligated and expended for practices implemented pursuant to paragraph (1); and (II) information regarding the status of compliance with paragraph (3); and (iii) the practices, by State, that are receiving increased incentives and higher payment rates under paragraph (2)(A)(iii); and (B) through an interactive map, aggregated data detailed under subparagraph (A).. (e) Encouragement of habitat connectivity and wildlife corridors Section 1244 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844) is amended by adding at the end the following: (q) Encouragement of habitat connectivity and wildlife corridors In carrying out any conservation program administered by the Secretary, the Secretary may, as appropriate, encourage the use of conservation practices that support the development, restoration, and maintenance of habitat connectivity and wildlife corridors..

(a) Tenant protections Section 1244(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(d)) is amended by striking I. and inserting J.. (b) Acreage limitations Section 1244(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(f)) is amended— (1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows: (1) Limitation The Secretary shall not enroll more than 25 percent of the cropland in any county in the conservation reserve program established under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D and wetland reserve easements under section 1265C.; (2) in paragraph (2)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking paragraph (1)(A) and inserting paragraph (1); and (B) in subparagraph (A), by striking and at the end and inserting or; (3) in paragraph (3), by striking paragraph (1)(A) and inserting paragraph (1); and (4) in paragraph (4)(B), by striking classes IV and inserting classes III. (c) Review and guidance for practice costs and payment rates (1) In general Section 1244(j)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(j)(1)) is amended— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, and not later than October 1 of each year thereafter, the Secretary shall and inserting The Secretary shall establish a process under which the Secretary shall annually; (B) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows: (A) review, with respect to each State, the actual practice costs and rates of payments (or, where actual practice costs and rates of payments are not available, estimates of such practice costs and rates) made to producers pursuant to programs under this title for practices on eligible land; and; and (C) in subparagraph (B)— (i) in clause (ii), by striking and at the end; (ii) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause (iv); (iii) by inserting after clause (ii) the following: (iii) accounts for the variability in costs of implementing practices on eligible land under this title; and; and (iv) in clause (iv), as so redesignated, by striking regional, State, and and inserting State and. (2) Guidance; review Section 1244(j)(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(j)(2)) is amended— (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking estimates for; and (B) in subparagraph (B)— (i) in clause (i), by striking and at the end; (ii) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); (iii) by inserting after clause (i) the following: (ii) monitoring for and identifying significant variability in practice costs in each year; and; and (iv) in clause (iii), as so redesignated, by inserting and, when appropriate, adopting any recommendations made by such State technical committee after that State. (3) Effect on existing contracts Section 1244(j) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(j)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (3) Effect on existing contracts In order to provide rates of payments that are commensurate with the costs of implementing practices pursuant to programs under this title, the Secretary shall establish processes and procedures for updating rates of payments under a contract or agreement in effect under this title to reflect the appropriate practice costs and rates of payments determined under paragraph (2)(B) for the year in which the practice is implemented.. (d) Source water protection through targeting of agricultural practices Section 1244(n) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844(n)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (2)— (A) in subparagraph (A)— (i) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); (ii) in clause (i), by striking the and at the end; and (iii) by inserting after clause (i) the following: (ii) identify in each State a source water protection coordinator who shall be responsible for coordinating such collaboration with community water systems under this subsection; and; and (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking under subparagraph (A)(ii) and inserting under subparagraph (A)(iii); and (2) by adding at the end the following: (4) Publicly available information Beginning on the date of enactment of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, shall make publicly available— (A) an annual report that details— (i) for each local priority area identified under paragraph (2)(A)(i)— (I) the conservation programs under which assistance is provided pursuant to paragraph (1); (II) the practices implemented pursuant to paragraph (1); and (III) the number of contracts and acres devoted to such practices; (ii) for each conservation program administered by the Secretary— (I) the amount of funds obligated and expended for practices implemented pursuant to paragraph (1); and (II) information regarding the status of compliance with paragraph (3); and (iii) the practices, by State, that are receiving increased incentives and higher payment rates under paragraph (2)(A)(iii); and (B) through an interactive map, aggregated data detailed under subparagraph (A).. (e) Encouragement of habitat connectivity and wildlife corridors Section 1244 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3844) is amended by adding at the end the following: (q) Encouragement of habitat connectivity and wildlife corridors In carrying out any conservation program administered by the Secretary, the Secretary may, as appropriate, encourage the use of conservation practices that support the development, restoration, and maintenance of habitat connectivity and wildlife corridors..