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S. 923: Balancing Food, Farm, and the Environment Act of 2013

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S. 923: Balancing Food, Farm, and the Environment Act of 2013

113th Congress · introduced 2013-05-09 · Agriculture and Food · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2013-05-09 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 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

Balancing Food, Farm, and the Environment Act of 2013

Plain summary

Balancing Food, Farm, and the Environment Act of 2013 - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to make a producer violating certain conservation requirements under the highly erodible land or wetland programs ineligible for federal crop insurance premiums. Requires producers under the highly erodible land program and the wetland conservation program to comply with specified conservation requirements. Extends and revises: (1) the conservation reserve program, (2) the conservation stewardship program, and (3) the environmental quality incentives program. Establishes: (1) a conservation reserve easement program, and (2) a conservation innovation grant program. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to use Commodity Credit Corporation funds and facilities to carry out the following programs through FY2018: (1) the conservation reserve program, (2) the conservation security program, (3) the conservation stewardship program, (4) the environmental quality incentives program, (5) the conservation innovation grant program, (6) the agricultural conservation easement program, and (7) the conservation loan and loan guarantee program. Authorizes a conservation loan and loan guarantee program. Establishes an agricultural conservation easement program which shall combine the purposes and functions of the wetlands reserve program, the grassland reserve program, and the farmland protection program. Provides: (1) funding for the purchase by eligible entities of agricultural land easements and other interests in eligible land, and (2) assistance to owners of eligible land to restore and protect wetland through easements and related wetland easement plans. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into one or more agreements with a state, nongovernmental organization, or Indian tribe to carry out a special wetlands reserve enhancement program which shall include a reservation of haying and grazing component. Establishes a regional conservation partnership program which shall combine the purposes and functions of the agricultural water enhancement program, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed program, the cooperative conservation partnership initiative, and the Great Lakes basin program for soil erosion and sediment control. Repeals: (1) the emergency forestry conservation reserve program, (2) the wetlands reserve program, (3) the farmland protection program and farm viability program, (4) the grassland reserve program, (5) the environmental easement program, (6) the program of conservation innovation grants and payments, (7) the agricultural water enhancement program, (8) the wildlife habitat incentive program, (9) the Great Lakes Basin program, (10) the cooperative conservation partnership initiative, and (11) the desert terminal lakes program.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), 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

Balancing Food, Farm, and the Environment Act of 2013

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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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: Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

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)
Ballot initiative
A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
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-cong113-s923 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113