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Allows certain emergency watershed protection costs paid by a project sponsor before a formal federal agreement to be approved and counted toward that sponsor’s required project contribution. The Agriculture Secretary must identify which preagreement measures are eligible and set up a State-level process (within 180 days) to request additional eligible measures, but sponsors who pay before an agreement must assume the financial risk and the Secretary is not required to enter into a later agreement.
Adds a new subsection (c) titled "Preagreement costs" to Section 403 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2203).
Defines the term "sponsor" to mean (A) a State or local government; and (B) an Indian Tribe as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary must identify a list of emergency watershed protection measures whose costs may be incurred by a sponsor prior to entering into an agreement under this section.
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary must develop a procedure, including appropriate deadlines, to be implemented at the State level, through which a sponsor may request, for a specified natural disaster, additional emergency watershed protection measures whose costs may be incurred by a sponsor prior to entering into an agreement under this section.
If the Secretary and a sponsor enter into an agreement under this section, the Secretary shall consider any applicable preagreement costs incurred by the sponsor for undertaking emergency watershed protection measures identified under paragraph (2) as meeting part of the sponsor's contribution toward the cost of the project.
Primary effects fall on non‑federal project sponsors (local governments, conservation districts, landowners, or other entities that undertake emergency watershed protection projects) and on the Department administering the program. Sponsors gain the ability to start some emergency measures sooner and have those eligible costs counted toward required cost‑sharing if an agreement is later reached. That can shorten project start times and let communities receive earlier protection. However, sponsors must assume the financial risk of paying before a formal agreement—if the agency decides not to enter an agreement, sponsors may not be reimbursed. The Department must identify eligible preagreement measures and set up a State‑level process within 180 days, which adds administrative tasks but does not require new appropriations. Contractors and local service providers may see earlier work opportunities, while communities served by watershed projects may benefit from faster emergency actions but face potential uncertainty if sponsors are unwilling or unable to front costs.
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MATCH Act of 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced March 25, 2025 by John R. Curtis · Last progress March 25, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced in Senate