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H.R. 6068: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Fairness Act of 2012

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H.R. 6068: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Fairness Act of 2012

112th Congress · introduced 2012-06-29 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2012-06-29 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD-8] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Fairness Act of 2012

Plain summary

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Fairness Act of 2012 - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to provide technical assistance to a Chesapeake Bay state (Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia) to assist in developing water quality goals that reduce losses of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment from agricultural or nonindustrial private forest land in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Authorizes the Secretary to provide financial and technical assistance to such a state to assist agricultural producers or owners to promote state water quality goals. Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance to producers and owners in such watershed, either directly or through a technical service provider, an agricultural or silvicultural producer association, a state or local government, an Indian tribe, a farmer cooperative, an institution of higher education, or an organization with an established history of working with producers on agricultural land, to address: (1) local conservation priorities related to agricultural production, wildlife habitat development, and nonindustrial private forest land management; or (2) critical watershed-scale soil erosion, water quality, sediment reduction, or other natural resource concerns. Authorizes such technical assistance to be provided for: (1) conservation services to reduce losses of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment from agricultural and nonindustrial private forest land in such watershed; or (2) identifying best management practices and assessing practices required to achieve compliance with state and federal water quality laws. Authorizes funding for each of FY2013-FY2018 for such activities in such watershed.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Fairness Act of 2012

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD-8] · 16 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Robert J. Wittman (R-VA), Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Andy Harris (R-MD), Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD-8] reported raising $2.5 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong112-hr6068 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112