Bill > HB5512

This bill establishes the "Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program" within the Illinois Department of Agriculture to encourage farmers to plant cover crops, which are crops planted to protect and improve the soil between main growing seasons. The program will offer crop insurance premium discounts of up to $5 per acre for farmers who plant cover crops and then insure their land for crop production in the following year, recognizing the benefits of cover crops for soil health, nutrient reduction, and carbon sequestration. The bill also directs the Department to award grants to Soil and Water Conservation Districts, with $1 granted for every $5 spent on the program, and creates a dedicated "Cover Crop Insurance Premium Discount Fund" to hold and disburse money for the program, including state appropriations, federal funds, and private donations, with the Department authorized to use a portion of these funds for program administration.

https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus?DocNum=5512&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104