LEAPS Act

Bill Number

H.R. 3979

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Energy

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-06-12: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Last Updated

2025-12-19T09:07:30Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The Leveraging Efficiency Awareness for Pumping Systems Act (LEAPS Act) aims to educate farmers, ranchers, and aquaculture operators about the benefits of upgrading to energy-efficient pumping systems. These systems move water and fluids on farms and can lead to lower costs, reduced energy use, better water conservation, and fewer carbon emissions. The law requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create resources and tools to promote these improvements and encourage participation in existing USDA support programs.

Key Provisions

• Information Resources (Section 3): Within 180 days of enactment, the USDA Secretary must develop and post online, easy-to-access information about the savings from energy-efficient pumping systems. This includes details on pumps, pipes, motors, drives, and controls that save energy and water while cutting emissions. It also highlights USDA programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Rural Energy for America Program, and Conservation Stewardship Program, which offer funding for these upgrades.

• Energy Efficiency Assessment Tool (Section 4): Within 180 days, the USDA must create a free, user-friendly online tool. Farmers can input basic data about their current systems (e.g., pump type, flow rate, pressure, and speed) to get estimates of potential energy savings, cost reductions, and emission cuts. The tool considers the full system (pumps, pipes, etc.) and local electricity costs.

• Education for Energy Auditors (Section 5): Within 180 days, the USDA must set up training for people who conduct energy audits for USDA programs. This focuses on how pumping systems use energy and how to improve efficiency, using existing training resources where possible.

• Definitions (Section 7): Defines key terms, such as "Secretary" (USDA head) and "pumping system" (equipment like pumps, pipes, motors, drives, and controls used to move water or fluids on farms, ranches, or aquaculture operations).

The bill includes findings (Section 2) highlighting the scale of U.S. agricultural pumping (over 600,000 systems), potential annual savings (e.g., $1.8 billion in energy costs, 22 billion kilowatt-hours of energy, 8.3 million metric tons of carbon emissions), and benefits like drought relief through better piping.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Amends the Conservation Stewardship Program (under the Food Security Act of 1985) to explicitly include "energy-efficient pumping systems" as an eligible activity for conservation payments. This broadens the program's focus beyond traditional soil and water practices to energy efficiency.

No other major overhauls to existing laws; the bill builds on current USDA programs by adding education and tools.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: USDA will need to allocate resources (staff time, website development) within 180 days to create and maintain the information, tool, and training process. This could increase program participation, potentially leading to more efficient use of federal funds for conservation and energy grants.

• On Citizens: Farmers, ranchers, and aquaculture producers could save millions in energy costs, conserve water (agriculture uses 37% of U.S. water, with 30% lost to evaporation/seepage), and reduce emissions. It promotes drought resilience and better livestock watering without major upfront costs to users, as tools are free and online.

• On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though reduced U.S. agricultural emissions could indirectly support global climate goals. No foreign policy elements are addressed.

Overall, the law could lower operational costs for rural communities and enhance environmental sustainability in agriculture.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Farmers and Ranchers: Primary beneficiaries, gaining education and tools to assess and upgrade systems for cost and resource savings.
• Aquaculture Operators: Included due to the role of pumping in fish farming, a $2.3 billion industry.
• USDA and Its Programs: Responsible for implementation; increased awareness may boost enrollment in incentive programs.
• Energy Auditors and Experts: Trained to better support USDA audits, potentially expanding their role in agricultural efficiency.
• Environmental Groups: Indirectly benefit from emission and water conservation gains.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Straightforward mandate with clear timelines (180 days for actions) and no new enforcement mechanisms or penalties. Relies on existing USDA authority, avoiding conflicts with broader environmental laws like the Clean Water Act.

• Constitutional: No apparent issues; falls under Congress's spending power for agriculture and commerce, promoting voluntary efficiency without infringing on property rights.

• Political: Supports bipartisan goals of energy independence, rural economic aid, and climate action without mandates or taxes. Could face minimal opposition as it focuses on education rather than regulation, potentially appealing to farm-state lawmakers. The bill's introduction by representatives from New York highlights urban-rural collaboration on sustainability.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]

Cosponsors (4)

Rep. Riley, Josh [D-NY-19], Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6], Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]

Recent Actions

• 2025-06-12: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
• 2025-06-12: Introduced in House
• 2025-06-12: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Leveraging Efficiency Awareness for Pumping Systems Act — issued 2025-06-12 — PDF (7 pages)