,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #bbh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,january #bc1 #bjbe,mr4 ,lujn 7for himself and ,mr4 ,cornyn7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,federal ,agriculture ,improvement and ,reform ,act of #aiif to ensure that producers who rely on acequia systems have access to drought protections1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,acequia ,communities ,empowered by ,qualifying ,upgrades for ,infrastructure ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,water delivery systems known as acequias1 or community ditches1 are a centuries-old system used for water distribution4 7#b7 ,a combination of ,spanish and ,indigenous irrigation methods1 acequias were expanded in ,new ,mexico during the #afth century to allow for farming to sustain the needs of the community4 7#c7 ,acequias are a vital component of the economy of the ,state of ,new ,mexico 7referred to in this section as the ,state74 7#d7 ,acequias are a centuries-old form of water governance and are recognized as political subdivisions of the ,state4 7#e7 ,acequias consist of water rights holders1 often called parciantes1 who are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the acequias and who internally elect a board to monitor and administer surface water rights4 7#f7 ,in the ,state1 acequias have created a cultural landscape and way of life centered around local agriculture1 water governance1 and a custom of sharing scarce water4 7#g7 ,acequias-- 7,a7 play an integral role in maintaining forest and watershed health2 7,b7 serve as examples of responsible land and water stewardship by providing benefits such as groundwater recharge1 flood attenuation1 and groundwater contaminants filtration2 and 7,c7 support native vegetation and provide habitat for wildlife species4 7#h7 ,despite their contribution to local food production and watershed stewardship1 acequias are managing already limited water resources under conditions of aridification1 changing irrigation and growing seasons1 and encroachment of invasive species4 7#i7 ,to address crop loss1 planting challenges1 and yield reductions1 parciantes rely on direct financial assistance from ,department of ,agriculture programs1 including the noninsured crop disaster assistance program established by section #aif of the ,federal ,agriculture ,improvement and ,reform ,act of #aiif 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #gccc74 #c4 ,ensuring farmers and ranchers have access to drought and disaster protections ,section #aif7;c77#b7 of the ,federal ,agriculture ,improvement and ,reform ,act of #aiif 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #gccc7;c77#b77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7,c7 ,acequia systems ,on making a determination described in subsection 7a77#c7 for producers who rely on acequia systems1 the ,secretary shall provide assistance under this section to those producers from all losses suffered as a result of the cause described in subsection 7a77#c74 4 #d4 ,special use permits not required for routine maintenance and minor improvements of acequias 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,acequia ,the term acequia has the meaning of the term community ditch as that term is construed under ,new ,mexico ,stat4 #gc-b-bg4 7#b7 ,community user ,the term community user means an employee1 contractor1 delegate1 representative1 volunteer1 or other authorized personnel of the governing body of an acequia4 7#c7 ,secretary concerned ,the term ,secretary concerned means-- 7,a7 the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the ,secretary of ,agriculture2 and 7,b7 the ,secretary of the ,interior1 with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the ,secretary of the ,interior4 7b7 ,prohibition ,a special use permit shall not be required for-- 7#a7 the presence or use of an acequia on ,federal land or the use of the water therein2 or 7#b7 routine maintenance and minor improvements described in subsection 7c7 conducted by a community user or governing body of an acequia on an acequia on ,federal land4 7c7 ,routine maintenance and minor improvements described ,routine maintenance and minor improvements referred to in subsection 7b77#b7 are-- 7#a7 cleaning1 maintenance1 repair1 or replacement-in-kind of infrastructure2 7#b7 annual ditch cleaning1 including removal of silt2 and 7#c7 any other traditional activity that preserves the state of the acequia1 as agreed to in writing by the ,secretary concerned and the governing body of the acequia4 #e4 ,department of ,agriculture reporting ,not later than #b years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,agriculture shall submit to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,agriculture of the ,house of ,representatives a report that includes the following information3 7#a7 ,the number of agricultural producers in the most recent calendar year who rely on acequia systems or other traditional infrastructure that is vulnerable to drought conditions4 7#b7 ,the amount of assistance provided under the noninsured crop disaster assistance program established by section #aif of the ,federal ,agriculture ,improvement and ,reform ,act of #aiif 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #gccc7 to producers described in subsection 7c77#b77;,c7 of that section1 in each county1 during the most recent calendar year4 7#c7 ,an analysis of the ability of agricultural producers who rely on acequia systems or other traditional infrastructure that is vulnerable to drought conditions to access all programs administered by the ,farm ,service ,agency and the ,natural ,resources ,conservation ,service4 7#d7 ,a summary of any ,department of ,agriculture programs or initiatives in the most recent calendar year that provide technical or financial assistance targeted to agricultural producers who rely on acequia systems or other traditional infrastructure that is vulnerable to drought conditions4