Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 1011
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Agriculture and Food
- Status
- Passed House
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-15: Received in the Senate.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-16T10:56:33Z
AI-Generated Summary
Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025 (H.R. 1011)
Purpose
This legislation amends the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to make it easier for agricultural producers and forest landowners to access federal funds quickly for emergency conservation measures, such as repairing farmland damage from natural disasters like wildfires. It removes financial barriers by allowing advance payments.
Key Provisions
- Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) Updates (Section 401):
- Expands the fencing payment subsection to include "other emergency conservation measures" for rehabilitating farmland or repairing/replacing structures.
- Allows agricultural producers to receive advance payments:
- Up to 75% of estimated costs (based on fair market value) before replacing or rehabilitating fencing or other measures.
- Up to 50% of estimated costs (based on fair market value) before repairs.
- Defines covered wildfires to include those not caused naturally (e.g., started by the federal government), as long as damage results from natural spread.
- Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) Updates (Section 407):
- Provides advance payments to owners of nonindustrial private forest land: up to 75% of costs (based on Natural Resources Conservation Service's state Field Office Technical Guide estimates) before carrying out emergency measures.
- Requires return of unspent funds within a reasonable time if not used within 180 days.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces advance payment options where none existed before, enabling faster access to funds without waiting for work completion.
- Broadens wildfire coverage in ECP to include human- or government-caused fires if damage spreads naturally.
- Expands ECP fencing provisions to cover broader emergency rehabilitation and structural repairs.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Secretary, must process advance payments more quickly, potentially increasing administrative workload but streamlining disaster response via programs like those run by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) or Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
- Citizens: Agricultural producers and private forest landowners gain quicker financial relief for disaster recovery (e.g., wildfires, storms), reducing out-of-pocket costs and enabling faster farm/forest restoration.
- No notable international relations impacts.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Agricultural producers (farmers/ranchers eligible for ECP).
- Owners of nonindustrial private forest land (eligible for EFRP).
- USDA Secretary and agencies (FSA, NRCS) responsible for program administration and fund disbursement.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Clarifies eligibility for non-natural wildfires, potentially increasing federal liability exposure for government-caused fires; requires repayment safeguards to prevent fund misuse.
- Constitutional: No apparent issues; operates within Congress's spending power for agriculture and conservation.
- Political: Supports rural economies by aiding disaster recovery, aligning with farm bill priorities without new authorizations or major spending increases.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (4)
Rep. Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [D-WA-3], Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2], Rep. Smith, Adrian [R-NE-3], Rep. Flood, Mike [R-NE-1]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-15: Received in the Senate.
- 2026-04-14: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- 2026-04-14: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 395 - 10 (Roll no. 109). (text: CR H2844) (Roll call 109)
- 2026-04-14: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 395 - 10 (Roll no. 109). (text: CR H2844) (Roll call 109)
- 2026-04-14: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2874)
- 2026-04-14: At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- 2026-04-14: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1011.
- 2026-04-14: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2844-2846)
- 2026-04-14: Mr. Thompson (PA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- 2025-03-07: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
- 2025-02-05: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- 2025-02-05: Introduced in House
- 2025-02-05: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025 — issued 2026-04-14 — PDF (6 pages)
- Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025 — issued 2025-02-05 — PDF (4 pages)