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A bill to amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 with respect to preagreement costs of emergency watershed protection measures, and for other purposes.
3/26/2025, 10:56 AM
Summary of Bill S 1107
The bill specifically focuses on preagreement costs, which are the expenses incurred before an agreement is officially reached for implementing these protection measures. The purpose of this legislation is to improve the cost-sharing arrangements for these preagreement costs, making it easier for farmers and landowners to access funding for emergency watershed protection projects.
In addition to addressing preagreement costs, the bill also includes provisions for other purposes related to emergency watershed protection measures. These measures are crucial for preventing and mitigating the impacts of natural disasters such as floods, wildfires, and hurricanes on agricultural lands and rural communities. Overall, Bill 119 s 1107 seeks to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of emergency watershed protection efforts by streamlining the cost-sharing process and providing greater support for farmers and landowners in need of assistance.
Congressional Summary of S 1107
Making Access To Cleanup Happen Act of 2025 or the MATCH Act of 2025
This bill modifies the Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program to allow sponsors (i.e., states, local governments, and Indian tribes) to undertake certain emergency watershed protection measures prior to entering into a project agreement with USDA and count the costs as part of the sponsor's share of the project cost once an agreement with USDA is in place.
As background, USDA's EWP Program offers assistance to sponsors to carry out projects that help safeguard people and property from floods, drought, fires, windstorms, and other natural disasters that impair a watershed.
This bill requires USDA to identify a list of emergency watershed protection measures that a sponsor may incur costs for prior to entering into a project agreement with USDA under the EWP Program. USDA must develop a procedure, to be implemented at the state level, through which these entities may request additional emergency watershed protection measures. The cost of undertaking these additional measures may be incurred by a sponsor prior to entering into an agreement with USDA.
Further, USDA must consider pre-agreement costs incurred by a sponsor for undertaking the emergency watershed protection measures as meeting part of a sponsor's contribution towards the project costs.
