A Democratic bill with 9 Democratic cosponsors · See all 11 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
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
This bill, known as the "Small Farm Conservation Act," seeks to amend the Food Security Act of 1985. It requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a new small farm EQIP subprogram under the existing environmental quality incentives program. This subprogram aims to provide financial and technical assistance specifically to small-scale agricultural producers. The legislation also implements changes to payment amounts and establishes specific funding requirements for fiscal years 2027 through 2031. Additionally, it mandates various outreach and staffing efforts to better serve smaller operations.
Yes· 3 of 9
- Scored +7
Would farmers be better off under this?
The bill provides direct financial and technical assistance specifically tailored to small-scale agricultural operations.
- Scored +7
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The bill establishes a dedicated financial and technical assistance subprogram specifically for small-scale agricultural producers.
- Scored +6
Would business owners be better off under this?
Small-scale agricultural producers receive increased payments and streamlined application processes.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Payments for Soil Health: Producers managing operations of not more than 50 acres can receive a 50 percent increase in payments for practices that comprise a soil health management system (Section 2, amending subsection (d)(8)(A)).
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Minimum Payment Protections: The bill establishes that a payment provided to a producer under the program shall be no less than $2,500 (Section 2, amending subsection (d)(1)(B)).
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Tailored Technical Assistance: The subprogram allocates 35 percent of its funds to provide specialized technical assistance through new or trained Natural Resources Conservation Service staff who understand the unique challenges of small-scale producers (Section 2, amending subsection (f)(2)(B)(i)).
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Direct Financial Support: The subprogram allocates 65 percent of its funds to provide financial assistance directly to small-scale agricultural producers (Section 2, amending subsection (f)(2)(B)(ii)).
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Streamlined Processes: The Secretary is required to use a rapid and streamlined application and contract approval process on a continuous enrollment basis (Section 2, amending subsection (d)(8)(B) and (k)(3)(C)).
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Expanded Outreach: The Secretary must conduct outreach to increase participation and must publish outreach materials in English and other appropriate languages (Section 2, amending subsection (k)(1)(B) and (k)(5)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Eligibility Restrictions based on Size: To be eligible for certain payments, a producer's farm size may not exceed the median farm size of their specific State (Section 2, amending subsection (k)(2)(C)(i)).
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Livestock and Pasture Limitations: Eligibility for livestock or pasture management payments is limited to producers whose herd size does not exceed the median herd size of their State (Section 2, amending subsection (k)(2)(C)(ii)).
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Income and Classification Requirements: To receive payments, a farm must be categorized as a small family or nonfamily farm as defined by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (Section 2, amending subsection (k)(2)(C)(iii)).
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 direct financial and technical assistance specifically tailored to small-scale agricultural operations. Would business owners be better off under this? — Small-scale agricultural producers receive increased payments and streamlined application processes. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill explicitly includes veterans as a demographic group for eligibility in the small farm subprogram. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The bill requires outreach materials to be published in languages other than English to increase participation. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill includes outreach and eligibility considerations for producers in high-poverty areas.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill establishes a dedicated financial and technical assistance subprogram specifically for small-scale agricultural producers. Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill mandates the hiring of new Natural Resources Conservation Service staff to deliver technical assistance.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill increases payments for practices that comprise a soil health management system.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill targets producers in high-poverty areas for eligibility in the subprogram.
- 6/23/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 11 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
John FettermanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
Martin HeinrichDemocrat · New Mexico
Angus KingIndependent · Maine
Ben LujánDemocrat · New Mexico
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
John ReedDemocrat · Rhode Island
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont