The legislation is titled the “Winter Oilseed Study Act of 2024.”
Its purposes include:
Ensuring growth of clean, sustainable feedstocks like winter canola through access to crop insurance products.
Recognizing the importance of rotationally and double-crop grown canola for economic and environmental benefits.
Investing in lower carbon-intensity renewable fuels from canola to provide sustainable fuels, create jobs, enhance rural communities, and bolster national security.
Congress finds that:
Canola improves farm economics and yields in subsequent crops.
Canola oil serves as a renewable energy source for biodiesel, renewable diesel, and jet biofuel.
Canola oil-based renewable fuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 50% compared to conventional fuels.
Expanding winter canola production will meet renewable fuel demand without needing new land, improving carbon intensity.
The legislation amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to include research and development for the inclusion of rapeseed and canola crops under double and rotational cropping policies.
This research will evaluate the impact on crop insurance availability and cost, and the potential risk management benefits, including soil health, biodiversity, and profitability.
Emphasis may be placed on qualified persons with experience in covered oilseed crops and access to necessary research facilities.
A report on the research findings and recommendations is to be submitted to relevant Congressional committees within 13 months of enactment.
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture is amended to:
Examine benefits and opportunities for supplemental and alternative crops, including winter-planted rapeseed and canola.
Allocate $10,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2024 through 2029 for these purposes.
A report summarizing the research and development results and any recommendations is to be submitted to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate within 13 months of enactment.