Bill > HR7076

This bill, the Innovative Practices for Soil Health Act of 2024, aims to promote innovative practices for soil health through USDA conservation programs. The key provisions include: 1. Expanding the definition of "resource concern" in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to include greenhouse gas emissions reduction planning, and allowing for the inclusion of perennial production systems like agroforestry and perennial forages and grain crops. 2. Modifying the CSP program to focus on maintaining, actively managing, and improving existing conservation activities, and allowing for easier contract renewals that consider the full conservation benefits across the agricultural operation. 3. Providing supplemental payments in the CSP program for the use of perennial production systems, such as agroforestry and perennial forages and grain crops. 4. Encouraging the use of USDA conservation programs to improve soil health and sequester carbon, including through outreach and payments for soil testing. 5. Establishing a National Agroforestry Research, Development, and Demonstration Center and at least three additional regional agroforestry centers to support research, development, and adoption of agroforestry practices.