HB 681

HEALTHY SOIL PROGRAM This bill enacts the "Healthy Soil Act, "" which creates a program within the department to be known as the ""healthy soil program."" The department, with support and advice from the Tennessee soil and water conservation commission ("" commission ""), must administer the program, the purpose of which is to promote and support farming and ranching systems and other forms of land management that increase soil organic matter, carbon content, aggregate stability, microbiology, and water retention to improve the health, yield, and profitability of the soils of this state. The progr am must include ( i ) a healthy soil assessment and education program; ( ii ) a healthy soil grant program; and ( iii ) o ther programs established by the department of agriculture (""department"") to effectuate this bill . This bill requires the department to enc ourage producer, land manager, landowner, and interagency collaboration in the management of healthy soils and to (i) w ork with technical assistance providers to advance soil health stewardship across private, state, and federal land jurisdictions by foste ring collaboration among producers, land managers, and landowners; and ( ii ) c onduct outreach to producers and land managers to promote the program and other federal, state, or local grant opportunities that support and promote healthy soils. In administer ing the program, the department must support local economic growth in this state by doing all of the following:  Identify ing ways to increase the generation and use of compost to build healthy soils .  To the extent permitted by law, prioritiz ing in-state sourcing of the resources needed for the program, including testing resources, compost, seeds, fencing supplies, and equipment .  Support ing the emerging market for food grown in this state under management for healthy soils. ADMINISTRATION OF TH E HEALTHY SOIL ASSESSMENT AND EDUCATION PROGRAM In administering the healthy soil assessment and education program, this bill requires the department to do all of the following:  Work through soil and water conservation district s created pursuant to the Soil and Water Conservation Districts Law ("" districts ""), technical assistance providers, or local governmental entit ies with proven land management capacity to support healthy soil ("" eligible entities "") to (i) e ncourage farmers, ranchers, and land managers to undertake voluntary soil health measurements; (ii) raise awareness about desirable soil health characteristics ; (iii) facilitate on-site, producer-led workshops and training sessions to promote and engender soil health stewardship; and (iv) complete a baseline soil health assessment by testing the carbon content, water infiltration rate, microbiology, and aggregate stability of soils, in addition to monitoring soil cover or bare ground percentage .  Establish a statewide network of champions to promote soil health stewardship, offer guidance to producers and land managers, and encourage teamwork between persons involved in increasing soil health . As used in this bill, a "" c hampion"" means a land manager that is declared a soil health champion due to the land manager's excellence in applying and promoting soil health principles, as modeled by the Soil Health Champion Program of the National Association of Conservation Districts .  Create a program to provide ongoing training in soil health stewardship and workshop facilitation for champions, districts, and eligible entities .  In collaboration with technical assistance providers, sponsor soil health workshops and training sessions at research centers and learning sites throughout this state .  Educate students and the general public about the importance of soil health stewardship. CREATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE HEALTHY SOIL GRANT PROGRAM This bill creates the healthy soil grant fund in the state treasury, which is separate and distinct from the general fund and all other reserve funds, to be administered by the department. The fund consists of moneys appropriated by the general assembly. Funds appropriated to the fund must only be used to provide grants as described in this bill . In administering the grant program, this bill requires the department to do all of the following:  Award grants to districts and eligible entities to provide technical assistance to producers and land managers in advancing soil health principles and implementing supported methods that are based upon soil health principles and scientifically supported to promote healthy soil .  Develop a user-friendly grant program application and application and reporting processes .  Develop criteria for the award ing of grants . G rants must be awarded equitably, but priority may be given to districts or eligible entities serving young producers, veterans, small farms, or ranches, or for projects that benefit economically or socially disadvantaged communities .  Ensure that grant funds are only used to advance soil health and soil health stewardship.  Develop eligibility criteria by rule. HEALTHY SOIL ADVISORY GROUP This bill creates a healthy soil advisory group that is administratively attached to the department and is composed of eight members, including the following:  One individual from each grand division of this state, to be appointed by the governor .  Two individuals who are qualified and knowledgeable regarding soil health, including soil health specialists, producers, champions, or representatives of nongovernmental organizations, to be appointed by the commissioner of agriculture .  One individual from an emergent agriculture market, to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives .  One individual from a socially disadvantaged group traditionally excluded from agricultural policy-making, to be appointed by the speaker of the senate .  The commissioner of agriculture, or the commissioner's designee, as a nonvoting ex officio member. In making appointments to the advisory group, this bill requires the appointing authorities to coordinate the appointments to ensure that the advisory group membership is inclusive and reflects the diversity of this state. A vacancy on the advisory group must be filled for the unexpired term by the appointing authority and in such a manner to ensure that the requirements of this bill are met. This bill requires the advisory group to provide recommendations to the departme nt for (i) p reventative measures and training to prevent future environmental degradation from development within this state, including ways that existing environmental degradation may be reversed; and ( ii ) a daptation and mitigation of healthy soils to add ress the emergent climate crisis and effects that poor soil management and degradation have on carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. USE OF FUNDING This bill requires f unds appropriated to the department to effectuate this bill, or obtained by the department through state or federal grants, to be used for t he healthy soil grant program, t he healthy soil assessment and education program, p romotion and outreach for the program and its grant and assessment and education programs, d epartment staffing su pport, and c apacity building for the districts and other eligible entities. RULEMAKING This bill requires t he department to promulgate rules to effectuate this bill."