Bill > HB2486

This bill modifies Missouri's existing soil and water conservation laws by expanding definitions and broadening the scope of soil and water district responsibilities. The bill introduces the concept of "healthy soils practices," which are agricultural practices designed to improve soil health through methods like keeping soil covered, minimizing soil disturbance, maximizing biodiversity, and integrating animals into land management. It updates the state Soil and Water Districts Commission by requiring that at least three farmer members demonstrate competency in healthy soils practices and expands the commission's duties to include improving soil health, water quality, groundwater supply, storm water mitigation, flood control, drought resilience, and crop security. The bill also provides more detailed definitions for terms like "soil health" and "watershed health," emphasizing the importance of maintaining functional, resilient ecosystems. Additionally, the legislation allows soil and water districts more flexibility in cooperating with various agencies and land representatives to implement conservation and soil health improvement strategies, while maintaining protections for private property owners and ensuring that no program can be executed without the consent of the land representative.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2486&year=2026&code=R