,i  #aah? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #eejj  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(           
,,repres5tatives  ,septemb] #ad1        
#bjbc,mr4 ,mol9>o 7= himself & ,ms4     
,sal9as7 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 
ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ,agriculture  
,a ,,bill  ,to am5d ! ,food ,security   
,act ( #aihe to require ! ,secret>y (   
,agriculture to e/abli% an initiative to
 support pe] le>n+ relat+ to a wide     
range ( agriculture cons]vation         
activities1 & = o!r purposes4  #a4 ,%ort
 title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,pe]   
,le>n+ = ,agriculture ,cons]vation      
,education ,act ( #bjbc or ! ,,place    
,act ( #bjbc4  #b4 ,pe] le>n+ =         
agriculture cons]vation education       
,section #abga;,c ( ! ,food ,security   
,act ( #aihe 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #chga;c7 is 
am5d$ by add+ at ! end ! foll[+3  7e7   
,pe] le>n+ initiative  7#a7 ,def9ition (
 pe] le>n+ ,9 ?is subsection1 ! t]m pe] 
le>n+ means an educational exp]i5ce t   
includes-- 7,a7 f>m]1 ran*]1 or =e/] l$ 
in=mation %>+1 education1 or tra9+      

activities t support agricultural       
produc]s or =e/]s2 or  7,b7 ! provision 
( f>m]1 ran*]1 or =e/] l$ te*nical      
assi/ance to agricultural produc]s or   
=e/]s4  7#b7 ,e/abli%m5t ( initiative ,n
 lat] ?an #a ye> aft] enactm5t1 !       
,secret>y %all e/abli% an initiative to 
support projects t provide to           
agricultural produc]s pe] le>n+         
opportunities relat+ to a wide range (  
agriculture cons]vation activities1 su* 
z-- 7,a7 activities or managem5t sy/ems1
 z det]m9$ by ! ,secret>y1 t directly   
contribute to improv+ soil heal?2 &     
7,b7 any o!r regional priority natural  
res\rce conc]ns1 z det]m9$ by !         
,secret>y4  7#c7 ,grants  7,a7 ,9 g5]al 
,9 c>ry+ out ! initiative e/abli%$ "u   
p>agraph 7#b71 ! ,secret>y %all ent]    
into n few] ?an #e grant agreem5ts ea*  
fiscal ye> to support pe] le>n+ projects
 9 accordance ) t p>agraph4  7,b7       
,agreem5ts  7i7 ,9 g5]al ,! ,secret>y   
may ent] into a grant agreem5t "u       
subp>agraph 7,a7 ) #a or m eligible     

p>tn]s t are engag$ 9 provid+ pe] le>n+ 
to agricultural produc]s4  7ii7         
,projects ,a grant agreem5t "u          
subp>agraph 7,a7 may support any ( !    
foll[+3 7,i7 ,projects )9 or sponsor$ by
 a ,/ate4  7,,ii7 ,multi/ate projects4  
7,,iii7 ,projects 9 a critical          
cons]vation area designat$ "u section   
#abga;,f4  7,c7 ,applications  7i7 ,9   
g5]al ,an organization describ$ 9       
subp>agraph 7,b77i7 desir+ to ent] into 
a grant agreem5t "u subp>agraph 7,a7    
%all submit to ! ,secret>y an           
application at su* "t1 9 su* mann]1 &   
conta9+ su* in=mation z ! ,secret>y may 
require4  7ii7 ,multiple applicants ,an 
application "u clause 7i7 may be        
submitt$ jo9tly by multiple             
organizations describ$ 9 subp>agraph    
7,b77i74  7#d7 ,duties ( ! eligible     
p>tn]  7,a7 ,entities t ent] into an    
agreem5t ) ! ,secret>y "u p>agraph      
7#c77;,b7 %all use fund+ = purposes     
relat$ to coord9at+ pe] le>n+           
initiatives1 su* z-- 7i7 conv5+ (       

/akehold]s to a*ieve ! goals ( !        
contractual p>tn]%ip ) ,,nrcs ?r\gh !   
,program2  7ii7 f>m] outrea* &          
education2  7iii7 =e/] outrea* &        
education2  7iv7 conv5+ ( ! sci5tific   
community = ! purposes ( coord9at+      
sci5tific rese>* me?odologies & data    
sets relat$ to priority res\rce conc]ns 
id5tifi$ 9 ! agreem5t2  7v7 coord9ation 
( municipal & ,/ate policies ) on-f>m   
practices2  7vi7 facilitat+ tra9+s2 &   
7vii7 o!r activities z det]m9$ by !     
,secret>y t facilitate pe] le>n+ ori5t$ 
ar\nd priority res\rce conc]ns id5tifi$ 
9 ! agreem5t4  7,b7 ,submit to !        
,secret>y1 9 addition to any in=mation t
 ! ,secret>y requires to prep>e ! report
 "u section #chga;e7b7 ( ?is title1 an  
annual report t describes ! /atus ( !   
project1 includ+ a description (-- 7i7 !
 use ( ! funds aw>d$ "u p>agraph 7#c72  
7ii7 any subcontracts aw>d$2  7iii7 !   
produc]s receiv+ fund+ ?r\gh ! fund+    
agreem5t "u p>agraph 7#c72  7iv7 7,i7 ! 
progress made by ! project 9 address+   

ea* natural res\rce conc]n def9$ 9 !    
fund+ agreem5t "u p>agraph 7#c71 includ+
 9 a quantifi$ =m to ! ext5t            
practicable2 &  7,,ii7 z appropriate1   
o!r outcomes ( ! project2 &  7v7 any o!r
 report+ data ! ,secret>y det]m9es are  
necess>y to ensure compliance ) !       
program rules4  7#e7 ,waiv] ,) respect  
to a project fund$ "u ! initiative      
e/abli%$ "u p>agraph 7#b71 ! ,secret>y  
may waive any requirem5t "u ! program t 
limits ! p]c5tage ( program fund+ t may 
be us$ = te*nical assi/ance1 or requires
 a m9imum p]c5tage ( program fund+ to be
 us$ = f9ancial assi/ance1 su* t up to  
#ajj p]c5t ( ! fund+ provid$ = ! project
 may be us$ = te*nical assi/ance1 if !  
grant agreem5t ent]$ into "u p>agraph   
7#c77;,b7 ) respect to t project        
includes a plan to promote !            
availability ( cov]$ programs to        
agricultural produc]s4  4