,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bihi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #e1 #bjah
 ,mr4 ,bennet introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,agriculture1      
,nutrition1 and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill    
,to amend the ,food ,security ,act of   
#aihe to encourage soil health1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,conservation 
for ,very ,erodible ,row ,cropland ,act 
of #bjah or the ,,cover ,act4  #b4 ,soil
 health initiative ,section #abdj;,b of 
the ,food ,security ,act of #aihe 7#af  
,u4,s4,c4 #chci;aa-#b7 is amended by    
adding at the end the following3  7j7   
,soil health initiative  7#a7           
,definition of cover crop ,in this      
subsection1 the term cover crop means a 
grass1 legume1 or forb that is planted  
for seasonal vegetative cover4  7#b7    
,soil health initiative  7,a7 ,in       
general ,the ,secretary shall provide   
payments under the program for practices

 that--  7i7 improve soil health2  7ii7 
enhance the ability of a farmer to      
absorb and recover from shocks and      
stresses to production2  7iii7 increase 
the storage of carbon on agricultural   
land2 and  7iv7 achieve other           
conservation outcomes1 as determined by 
the ,secretary4  7,b7 ,diversity ,the   
,secretary shall ensure that producers  
receiving payments for practices        
described in clauses 7i7 through 7iv7 of
 subparagraph 7,a7 are located in areas 
that reflect diverse conditions with    
respect to region1 water quantity1 and  
agricultural practice4  7#c7 ,soil      
health practices  7,a7 ,in general      
,practices that improve soil health     
under paragraph 7#b77;,a77i7 shall-- 7i7
 reflect regional soil and climate      
conditions2 and  7ii7 include-- 7,i7 any
 practice that improves soil health1 as 
determined by the ,secretary2 and       
7,,ii7 not fewer than two of the        
practices described in subparagraph     
7,b74  7,b7 ,practices described ,the   

practices referred to in subparagraph   
7,a77ii77,,ii7 are the following3  7i7  
,the planting of a regionally           
appropriate cover crop4  7ii7 ,no-till  
or reduced-till agriculture4  7iii7     
,resource-conserving crop rotation4     
7iv7 ,the use of organic soil           
amendments1 including compost1 biochar1 
and digestate4  7v7 ,the integration of 
livestock grazing4  4  #c4 ,cover crop  
pilot program ,section #abdj;,h of the  
,food ,security ,act of #aihe 7#af      
,u4,s4,c4 #chci;aa-#h7 is amended--     
7#a7 by redesignating subsection 7c7 as 
subsection 7d72 and  7#b7 by inserting  
after subsection 7b7 the following3  7c7
 ,cover crop pilot program  7#a7 ,in    
general ,the ,secretary shall establish 
a pilot program to provide payments     
under this subsection to producers to   
encourage--  7,a7 the measurement of    
outcomes relating to the planting of a  
regionally appropriate cover crop2 and  
7,b7 opportunities to increase farm     
income4  7#b7 ,third-party partners ,in 

carrying out the pilot program under    
paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary shall    
give priority to producers that partner 
with--  7,a7 academic entities to study 
the impact of soil carbon sequestration 
on soil health and farm productivity2   
7,b7 carbon offset protocol developers  
to develop quantification methodologies 
for carbon offset protocols2  7,c7      
livestock producers to integrate grazing
 where regionally appropriate2 or  7,d7 
food manufacturers--  7i7 to enter into 
supply agreements for food produced     
under the pilot program2 and  7ii7 to   
develop marketing products relating to  
the soil health benefits of that food4  
7#c7 ,diversity ,the ,secretary shall   
ensure that producers receiving payments
 under paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 are located
 in areas that reflect diverse          
conditions with respect to region1 water
 quantity1 and agricultural practice2   
and  7,b7 plant regionally appropriate  
cover crops that enhance nutrient       
cycling and the capacity of soil to hold

 water4  7#d7 ,funding ,of the funds    
made available to carry out this        
chapter1 the ,secretary shall use to    
carry out this subsection #bj1jjj1jjj   
for each of fiscal years #bjai through  
#bjbc4  4