US Healthy Soils Legislation

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This content provided by Steve Kellity - skeleti@comcast.net - to the Healthy Soils Legislation Google group https://groups.google.com/g/healthy-soils-legislation/

Alabama: none

Alaska: none

Arizona: none (HB2444 [LS] shows soil health in existing law, but does not modify soil health policy)

Arkansas: none

California:

AB406 [LS] Healthy Soils Program: organic production; includes incentives to transition to organic production

AB408 [LS] Climate-resilient Farms, Sustainable Healthy Food Access, and Farmworker Protection Bond Act of 2024; includes grants for “purchase tools, equipment, and infrastructure to support conservation practices, including, but not limited to, soil health practices, water conservation, and wildfire resilience”

AB522 [LS] Regional Farmer Equipment and Cooperative Resources Assistance Program; includes grants for “purchase of tools, equipment, and infrastructure to support conservation practices including, but not limited to, soil health practices, water conservation, and wildfire resilience.”

AB720 [LS] California Rangeland, Grazing Land, and Grassland Protection Program: grants for local programs; includes “stewardship of healthy soils”

SB688 [LS] Agrivoltaic systems: grant funding; includes “Consider impacts on crop productivity, soil health, cultivation practices, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and microclimatic conditions across diverse farming systems and agrivoltaic system designs”

AB1628 [LS] Microfiber filtration; includes “When biosolids are applied to agricultural fields, microfibers can accumulate in the soil where they are nearly impossible to eliminate. Microfibers can be taken up by plants, resulting in decreased growth rates and nutrient uptake, diminished food production yields, and irreversible damage to terrestrial ecosystems and soil health. The presence of microfibers can increase the uptake of toxic chemicals by plants, posing further concerns about food safety and human health impacts.”

SB867 [LS] Drought, Flood, and Water Resilience, Wildfire and Forest Resilience, Coastal Resilience, Extreme Heat Mitigation, Biodiversity and Nature-Based Climate Solutions, Climate Smart Agriculture, Park Creation and Outdoor Access, and Clean Energy Bond Act of 2024; includes $50,000,000 for healthy soils grant program.

AR32 [LS] Relative to Black Conservation Week; includes whereas “Among notable Black conservationists, George Washington Carver was a proponent of soil health and nutrition and advancing the practice of crop rotation to reduce depletion of soil nutrient”

Colorado:

SB092 [LS] Agricultural producers use of agrivoltaics; includes “minimize negative environmental impacts of photovoltaic energy production facilities on soil health…”

SB191 [LS] Colorado Department Of Public Health And Environment Organics Diversion Study; includes “diversion practices…in the case of compost, build healthy soils…”

Connecticut:

HJ013/HJ037 [LS/LS] Resolution Proposing An Amendment To The State Constitution To Provide For An Environmental Rights Amendment; includes “individual right to clean and healthy air, water, soil and environment; a stable climate; and self-sustaining ecosystems; for the benefit of public health, safety and the general welfare”

Delaware: none

Florida: none

Georgia:

HB262 [LS] Georgia Racial Equity in Agriculture Act; includes training “with a primary focus on regenerating the soil, ecosystem, and local community”

Hawaii:

HB255 [LS] Agribusiness Development Corporation restructuring; includes “Industrial agricultural practices that rely heavily on conventional fertilizers and pesticides deplete soil health and productivity over time, thus diminishing the productivity of those lands for potential future tenants” in findings.

HB443/SB660 [LS/LS] establishes Healthy Soils Program within the Department of Agriculture

SB514 [LS] relating to artisan-scale composting; mentions “healthy soil” multiple times in findings

SB1500 [LS] affordable taro lands; includes “high cost of leases makes critical long-term fallow and regenerative agricultural practices that improve soil health unaffordable” in findings.

Idaho: none

Illinois:

HB2468 [LS] Farmland Conservancy Program; includes soil health in criteria for land improvement grant evaluations

HB3556 [LS] Black Farmer Restoration Program; includes training “with a primary focus on regenerating the soil, ecosystem, and local community”

HB3627 [LS] Soil Health Week; first full week of March each year is designated as Soil Health Week

SB1701 [LS] Soil & Water Conservation Dist; includes creation of Healthy Soils Initiative

Indiana: none

Iowa:

HF282 [LS] relating to the management of soil and water resources

HF376 [LS] relating to water quality by increasing the sales and use tax rates and conditioning the use of moneys from the natural resources and outdoor recreation trust fund

Kansas:

HB2273 [LS] Appropriations for FY2024-2026; includes $200,000 for soil health initiative.

SB42 [LS] Appropriations for FY2024-2026; includes $400,000 for soil health initiative. – approved by Governor 4/20/2023

Kentucky:

HB94 [LS] Relating to soil conservation; creates Healthy Soils Program

Louisiana: none

Maine: none

Maryland:

HB1139 [LS] Solid Waste Disposal and Diversion and On-Farm Composting and Compost Use; includes among priority projects those that improve soil health

Massachusetts: none

Michigan:

SB0275 [LS] environmental protection: air pollution and low-carbon fuel standard; includes that in developing rules, that complement and further “existing efforts by the agricultural sector to increase the adoption of practices that improve soil health and water quality.”

Minnesota:

HF722/SF1982 [LS/LS] Conservation reserve program state incentives; includes soil health in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) incentives

HF1316/SF1245 [LS/LS] Soil health financial assistance program establishment

HF1828/SF1983 [LS/LS] Water and soil conservation provisions modified; includes Soil Health Practices Program

-> HF2310/SF2438 [LS/LS] Omnibus environment, natural resources, climate, and energy finance and policy bill; includes Soil Health Practices Program

HF2602/SF2584 [LS/LS] Clean Transportation Standard Act establishment and appropriation; includes “allow an additional credit premium of five percent for cropland-derived biofuels produced on acreage utilizing soil-healthy farming practices and fertilizer best management practices”

HF2278/SF1955 [LS/LS] Omnibus agriculture finance and policy bill; includes Soil Health Financial Assistance Program

HF3018/SF2958 [LS/LS] Property assessed clean energy program modifications; includes soil health in commercial PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) loan program

-> SF2542 [LS] Omnibus Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate policy bill; includes soil health in commercial PACE loan program

HF3292 [LS] Soil-healthy farming mentorship grant program established, funding provided for grants promoting soil health practices, and money appropriated

HF3293 [LS] Soil-healthy farming goals set for the state of Minnesota

Mississippi: none

Missouri:

HB1124 [LS] Modifies provisions relating to soil and water practices

Montana:

SJ9 [LS] Joint resolution establishing soil health week and day (first week and first day in April) – passed and enrolled 4/25/2023

Nebraska: none

Nevada:

AB109 [LS] Establishes provisions relating to soil health

New Hampshire: none

New Jersey:

A3017 [LS] Establishes New Jersey Healthy Soils Program; as currently drafted, is essentially a soil testing program.

A3444 [LS] Establishes Organic Farming Board in Department of Agriculture; includes that board “develop, administer, and oversee programs” for organic and regenerative farming. Defines “Regenerative farming” as “farming and grazing practices that (a) prioritize soil health and ecosystem health, (b) reduce reliance on synthetic inputs, (c) reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter, sequestering carbon, and restoring degraded soil biodiversity, and (d) engage in conservation practices to ensure the long-term health of the farm’s ecosystem, among many benefits.” – signed and enacted 1/10/2023

New Mexico:

SB9 [LS] Conservation Legacy Permanent Fund; allocates 22.5% “to carry out programs and projects pursuant to the Noxious Weed Management Act, the Healthy Soil Act and the Soil and Water Conservation District Act” – signed and enacted on 3/23/2023

New York:

A02652 [LS] Establishes a Green New Deal for New York task force; includes “investing in sustainable farming and land  use  practices  that

increase soil health”

A04911 [LS] Establishes an agrivoltaics research program; includes “research that facilitates productive agrivoltaics across several different varieties of crops including research that enables understanding of agrivoltaics effects on soil health, soil carbon sequestration, erosion, water management, and specialty crop canopy management for enhanced climate resiliency”

A05919/S04270 [LS/LS] Tax credit for “carbon farming”; mentions soil health

North Carolina: none

North Dakota:

SB2009 [LS] Appropriation for agriculture; funding for soil health grants (note: not renewed 2023-2025)

Ohio: none

Oklahoma: none

Oregon:

HB2998 [LS] Creates Oregon Soil Health Initiative

HB3490/SB530 [LS/LS] Establishes state policy regarding natural climate solutions; includes “competitive grant program for equipment to support soil health practices”

SB526 [LS] Relating to support for agricultural producers who employ agricultural practices that lead to resilient farms; whereas clauses include information on organic farmers leading on soil health practices and importance of organic sales in Oregon, bill includes support for farmers who implement soil health practices, by reimbursing for soil testing and certification.

Pennsylvania:

HB295 [LS] Amending registration and inspection fees; allows funds to also be used for “the promotion of soil health improvement practices generally”

SB283 [LS] Amending crop insurance financial assistance; in definition of “cover crops”, has “primarily used for erosion control, soil health improvement and water quality improvement”

South Carolina:

H3540 [LS] Black Farmer Restoration Program; includes training “with a primary focus on regenerating the soil, ecosystem, and local community”

South Dakota: none

Tennessee: none

Texas:

HJR 119 [LS] Proposing a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to a clean and healthy environment; includes right to healthy soil.

Utah: none

Vermont:

H.435 [LS] An act relating to a regenerative economy; includes regional economy plans that shall “(3) Create incentives for the development of regenerative agriculture that engages and empowers farmers in building healthy soils and integrating solutions for reducing carbon emissions, creating zero waste, and cleaning up waterways.”

Virginia: none

Washington: none

West Virginia: none

Wisconsin: none

Wyoming: none