Sponsors (7)
The bill improves federal coordination, standardization, and equity-focused input for soil‑carbon research to strengthen monitoring and comparability, but it requires federal spending and risks imposing burdens or one‑size‑fits‑all standards that could disadvantage some producers.
Farmers, researchers, and federal/state agencies will have coordinated, cross-agency soil carbon research and a strategic plan that improves measurement and monitoring and enables better comparability and long-term tracking of soil carbon and greenhouse gas fluxes.
Historically underserved producers and diverse stakeholders will be solicited for input, making research priorities and eventual deployment more equitable and more relevant to smaller and low-income producers.
A designated authorization of $10 million will provide seed resources to establish the coordinating committee and working groups needed to begin inventorying and coordinating federal soil carbon research.
The $10 million authorization increases federal spending and could displace other budget priorities, creating a small cost to taxpayers.
Farmers and small agricultural businesses participating in research or monitoring programs may face new reporting and monitoring requirements that add administrative burden and costs.
Centralized, standardized measurement protocols could disadvantage some producers if one-size-fits-all methods fail to account for local soil variability, harming certain farms or communities.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates an OSTP‑led interagency committee to coordinate federal soil carbon research/monitoring, require plans and reports, run working groups, engage stakeholders, and authorizes $10M.
Introduced January 23, 2025 by Jennifer McClellan · Last progress January 23, 2025
Creates an OSTP-led interagency committee to coordinate federal soil carbon sequestration research and monitoring across multiple agencies, require a cross‑agency strategic plan, and produce a baseline report and periodic progress reports to Congress. The committee must promote standardized measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV), run working groups on data standards, research, and community engagement, consult with experts and stakeholders (with attention to historically underserved producers), and may coordinate agency budget requests; $10 million is authorized to carry out these activities. One additional provision establishes an official short title but does not create duties or funding.