HR 622119th CongressIn Committee

To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to increase funding for the conservation stewardship program, and for other purposes.

Introduced: Jan 22, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill would significantly boost funding for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) within the Food Security Act of 1985 and repurpose funds from another broadly available federal pot. Specifically, it would set the CSP’s annual funding at $1.8 billion for fiscal years 2025 through 2031 and authorize a large transfer of unobligated balances from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) to the Secretary of Agriculture to administer CSP using the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) framework. In short, the measure aims to expand and accelerate on-farm conservation by increasing guaranteed annual spending and shifting additional IRA funds to CSP through CCC channels.

Key Points

1Annual funding increased: Establishes $1,800,000,000 for the Conservation Stewardship Program in each fiscal year 2025 through 2031.
2Legal framework updated: Amends Section 1241(a)(3)(B) of the Food Security Act of 1985 to specify the new CSP funding level.
3Large IRA-derived funds redirected: Transfers $5,020,000,000 of unobligated balances from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to support CSP.
4Administrative mechanism: Funds to be carried out using the facilities and authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).
5Status and sponsorship: Introduced in the House by Mr. Kelly of Mississippi on January 22, 2025; referred to the Committee on Agriculture.

Impact Areas

Primary affected group: Farmers, ranchers, and landowners who participate in or are eligible for the Conservation Stewardship Program, as well as producers seeking conservation-focused cost-share and technical assistance.Secondary affected areas: Environmental outcomes (soil health, water quality, wildlife habitat, climate resilience) due to expanded conservation practices; USDA program administration and CCC operations; potential overlap or interaction with other USDA conservation programs (e.g., EQIP) and farm bill conservation priorities.Additional impacts: Budgetary and fiscal implications, including shifts in how IRA-derived funds are used for conservation, potential long-term program participation growth, and heightened emphasis on on-farm stewardship within federal conservation policy.Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP): A federal program that provides financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to implement and maintain conservation practices across working lands.Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC): A government corporation that provides financing and authority used to support various agricultural programs; in this context, it would administer CSP funding and activities.Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA): A broad law providing funding for energy, climate, and other programs; the bill would reallocates unobligated IRA balances to CSP.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Oct 31, 2025