Jim Costa (D-CA)
CRP Improvement and Flexibility Act of 2025
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The ``CRP Improvement and Flexibility Act of 2025'' aims to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to update the conservation reserve program. It introduces continuous enrollment for land used for state acres for wildlife enhancement. The bill also allows for emergency haying during specific conditions like drought, flooding, or wildfire. Additionally, it expands cost-sharing payments to include various forms of grazing infrastructure. It also updates rules regarding land reenrollment and management payments. Finally, it increases the payment limitation for rental payments.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +6
Would farmers be better off under this?
The bill provides greater flexibility for emergency haying during droughts and expands support for grazing infrastructure.
- Scored +5
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill increases rental payment limits and expands cost-sharing for infrastructure, benefiting agricultural business owners.
- Scored +5
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill expands the continuous enrollment of land for wildlife enhancement practices.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Continuous Enrollment for Wildlife Land: Section 2(a) allows for land to be enrolled under the state acres for wildlife enhancement practice, which establishes continuous enrollment.
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Emergency Relief for Landowners: Section 2(b) permits emergency haying in response to localized or regional droughts, flooding, wildfires, or other emergencies, provided certain conditions regarding forage loss or drought severity are met.
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Support for Grazing Infrastructure: Section 2(c) expands cost-sharing payments to include grazing infrastructure such as interior cross fencing, perimeter fencing, and water infrastructure like wells and tanks, if it addresses a resource concern in the conservation plan.
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Reenrollment Opportunities: Section 2(c)(2) ensures that land with grazing infrastructure established through cost-sharing assistance is eligible for reenrollment in the conservation reserve upon contract expiration.
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Increased Rental Payment Limits: Section 2(e) increases the payment limitation for rental payments from $50,000 to $125,000.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on Emergency Haying: Section 2(b)(1) and 2(b)(2) place limits on emergency haying, such as restricting it to the final 2 weeks of the primary nesting season and limiting it to no more than 50 percent of contract acres.
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Protection Against Long-Term Damage: Section 2(b)(2) prohibits haying or grazing if it would cause long-term damage to the vegetative cover for wildlife populations.
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Management Payment Restrictions: Section 2(d)(1) specifies that cost-sharing management payments exclude management activities relating to haying or grazing.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill provides greater flexibility for emergency haying during droughts and expands support for grazing infrastructure. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill increases rental payment limits and expands cost-sharing for infrastructure, benefiting agricultural business owners. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill supports agricultural infrastructure and land management in rural areas.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill expands the continuous enrollment of land for wildlife enhancement practices. Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill provides new cost-sharing opportunities for essential rural grazing infrastructure like fencing and water wells.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill provides expanded cost-sharing for grazing infrastructure and increases rental payment limits for land users.
- 10/22/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 2/23/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/22/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/13/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
- 9/3/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Nikki BudzinskiDemocrat · Illinois
Sean CastenDemocrat · Illinois
Sharice DavidsDemocrat · Kansas
Randy FeenstraRepublican · Iowa
Dusty JohnsonRepublican · South Dakota