Coordination for Soil Carbon Research and Monitoring Act

This bill would set up a federal committee to coordinate research on storing carbon in soil. It would be led by the White House science office and include agencies like Agriculture, Energy, Interior, EPA, USGS, NOAA, NSF, NASA, and NIST. The committee would create a shared plan, set common ways to measure and track soil carbon, and help agencies work together and share data. It would also consult experts from universities, industry, and nonprofits to make sure the work uses the best science and meets community needs.

The committee could form working groups on things like tracking and verifying results, setting data standards, basic research on how soil stores carbon, and community engagement, especially with underserved groups. It must give Congress a baseline report within one year of the law taking effect, then progress updates at one, three, and five years after that. The bill allows $10 million to carry out this work.

• Who is involved: Federal science and environmental agencies; agricultural communities and producers; soil science experts from academia, industry, and nonprofits, with attention to historically underserved groups.
• What changes: A new interagency committee coordinates a national plan, sets common measurements, shares data, and organizes working groups to fill research gaps and support on-the-ground results.
• When: Baseline report due within one year after enactment; additional reports due at one, three, and five years after the baseline. Funding of $10 million is authorized to support these efforts .