Bill > S2479

This bill, the Converting Our Waste Sustainably (COWS) Act of 2023, directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an alternative manure management program. The program will provide payments to eligible dairy and livestock producers who implement various covered management measures, such as adopting pasture-based management, installing composting or solid separation systems, or using scrape technologies, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve carbon sequestration. The bill also amends existing conservation programs to support composting practices on farms. The program will be funded with $1.5 billion from the Commodity Credit Corporation for fiscal years 2024 through 2028, with a focus on supporting small and mid-sized operations, beginning farmers, limited resource farmers, and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.