July 9, 2025
Ms. Ernst (for herself and Mr. Bennet) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
To amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide for floodplain easement restoration and management, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Restoring America’s Floodplains Act
.
Sec. 2. Emergency watershed program floodplain easement restoration and management
Section 403 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2203) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
by striking the subsection designation and heading and all that follows through The Secretary
and inserting the following:
(a) Authorizations
(1) In general
The Secretary; and
(B)
by adding at the end the following:
(2) Easement restoration
The Secretary may provide financial and technical assistance for restoring adapted vegetative cover and the hydrologic functions and values of wetlands on floodplain easements acquired under paragraph (1).
(3) Easement management
The Secretary shall have sole discretion for entering into compatible-use agreements with landowners and agreements with government agencies or nongovernmental organizations to address maintenance and management of the vegetative cover and wetlands restoration measures on floodplain easements acquired under paragraph (1).; and
(2)
in subsection (b), by striking the subsection designation and heading and all that follows through the The Secretary
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
(b) Modification and termination of floodplain easements
(1) In general
The Secretary