H.R. 5875 — COWS Act of 2025

This section states the sense of Congress that (1) the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) in California successfully supports the livestock industry through responsible manure management practices and serves as a national model; (2) AMMP's 195 existing projects reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1,600,000 metric tons; and (3) these practices promote sustainability, environmental stewardship, improved local air quality, and manure recycling as natural fertilizer or compost.

This section amends definitions applicable to agricultural conservation programs under the Food Security Act of 1985 (1) by adding a definition of "composting practice" to 16 U.S.C. 3801(a)(3) as an activity to produce and use compost from on-farm or nearby community organic waste to improve soil health and water retention, in compliance with applicable laws; (2) by adding a definition of "alternative manure management practices" to 16 U.S.C. 3839aa-1(1) as measures to reduce methane, nitrous oxide, and nitrate leaching or improve carbon sequestration (e.g., rotational grazing, compost-bedded pack barns, solid separation with composting or drying); (3) by including composting practices and alternative manure management practices in the definition of eligible "practice" under the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and related programs at 16 U.S.C. 3839aa-1(7)(A); and (4) by including composting practices as eligible under CSP enhancement activities at 16 U.S.C. 3839aa-21(2)(B)(i). (As background, CSP provides financial assistance to producers who maintain and adopt conservation practices on working lands.)

This section amends the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)—which provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers for conservation practices that address natural resource concerns including soil, water, air, wildlife habitat, and climate-related issues—as follows: (1) expands eligibility for increased payments for state-determined high-priority practices to include those that increase carbon sequestration or reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including methane and nitrous oxide; (2) includes alternative manure management in livestock conservation practices; and (3) authorizes payments for alternative manure management practices up to 100% of costs (including planning, design, materials, equipment, installation, labor, management, maintenance, and training), with at least 50% provided in advance for materials, equipment, or technical assistance provided by the Department of Agriculture, under contracts not exceeding three years.

This section revises the prioritization criteria for applications under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)—which provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers for conservation practices—by restructuring the existing criteria as subparagraphs under a new paragraph (1) and adding a new paragraph (2) to prioritize alternative manure management applications. Under new paragraph (2), the Secretary must develop criteria to evaluate and rank such applications based on maximizing (i) carbon sequestration, (ii) greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and (iii) overall environmental and public health benefits (including improved water quality and quantity); ensure geographical diversity, scale diversity (including small- and medium-sized dairy and livestock operations), and participation by operations with a track record of conservation and emissions reductions; allow cluster applications by groups of producers for shared composting facilities (with allocated payments to each); and, to the maximum extent practicable, award the majority of contracts each fiscal year to small- and mid-sized operations (including beginning, limited-resource, and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers).

This section designates the Secretary's existing general duties to assist producers under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)—which provides financial and technical assistance for conservation practices on agricultural and forested lands—as subsection (a) and adds subsection (b) directing specified duties for alternative manure management contracts. Under the new subsection, the Secretary must (1) determine and publish factors for estimating carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions reductions for each alternative manure management practice; (2) identify eligible producers based on current manure management practices at application—including anaerobic decomposition of volatile solids in lagoons or other liquid anaerobic environments—and their ability to replace or complement such practices with alternatives; and (3) assist eligible producers by providing payments for designing and implementing alternatives, information, technical assistance, and training, reviewing and revising conservation practice standards as needed, and entering cooperative agreements with third-party technical providers.

This section authorizes the Secretary to waive payment limitations under section 1001D(b) (general conservation program payment limits) or section 1240G (Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) payment limits) for payments under an alternative manure management contract if necessary to fulfill project objectives, and to impose a separate payment limitation for such contract. (EQIP provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers for conservation practices that address natural resource concerns, including nutrient management for livestock.)

This section adds alternative manure management practices to the list of specified resource concerns eligible for conservation innovation grants under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). (EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers for conservation practices that address natural resource concerns and promote environmental quality.)

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture, not later than one year after enactment, to (1) review the composting facilities practice standard and the soil carbon amendment practice standard to determine their adequacy in advancing alternative manure management and on-farm composting generation and utilization and (2) develop and implement a new conservation practice standard for the on-farm production of compost. (As background, conservation practice standards established by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) specify requirements for practices eligible for technical and financial assistance through programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Thus, the new standard would enable producer reimbursement for on-farm composting.)