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S 4811

Tribal Conservation Priorities Inclusion Act

119th Congress Introduced by Deb Fischer and 1 co-sponsor

The bill ensures Indian Tribes are explicitly eligible participants and considered on par with states and locals in key conservation programs under the Food Security Act of 1985.

Introduced in Senate
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Bill Summary · S 4811

Overview

  • Bill: S. 4811 (119th Congress)
  • Title: Tribal Conservation Priorities Inclusion Act
  • Purpose: Amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to explicitly include Indian Tribes in certain programs and provisions that govern priority resource concerns, ensuring tribal lands and interests are treated on par with States and localities in specified conservation and environmental quality programs.
  • Sponsor(s): Sen. Gary Peters (and Sen. Deb Fischer as co-sponsor)

Main Purpose and Intent

  • The bill seeks to ensure that Indian Tribes are eligible participants and considerations in programs that address priority resource concerns under the Food Security Act of 1985.
  • It broadens the scope of several existing programs to explicitly reference and include tribal lands and tribal entities, aligning tribal conservation priorities with those of states, locals, and regions.

Key Provisions and Changes

The bill amendments touch multiple sections of the Food Security Act of 1985, and add tribal inclusion in areas related to priority resource concerns:

  1. Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) – Section 1240A(7)

    • Adds “tribal” before “local” in subparagraphs.
    • Expands definitions to include areas on tribal land (as defined in the Energy Policy Act of 1992) after references to states.
    • Expands program applicability to tribal lands beyond state and local approvals.

  2. Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) – Section 1240I(5)

    • Similar linguistic updates to include “tribal” before “local.”
    • Adds references to areas on tribal land (defined by the Energy Policy Act of 1992) after “State.”
    • Expands the program’s geographic applicability to tribal lands.

  3. Stewardship Contracts – Section 1240K(b)(3)

    • Replaces a rigid phrase with “as the Secretary determines to be,” signaling discretionary determination by the Secretary.
    • Adds “tribal” before “and local” to ensure tribal participation or consideration in these contracts.

  4. Critical Conservation Areas – Section 1271F(a)(2)(C)

    • Inserts “tribal” before “local” to ensure tribal priority areas are recognized.

  5. Technical Corrections – Section 1201(a)(14)

    • Several cross-reference corrections to ensure terminology aligns with current titles and section numbers (e.g., replacing “section 4(e)” with “section 4,” and updating “450b(e)” to “5304”).

Who Would Be Affected

  • Indian Tribes and tribal lands would gain explicit eligibility and recognition under the referenced programs and provisions.
  • Agricultural producers on tribal lands could participate in EQIP, CSP, and stewardship contracts with tribal considerations treated equivalently to state/local contexts.
  • Federal program administration (e.g., USDA, NRCS) would implement these amendments, adjusting program guidance and outreach to include tribal entities.

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

  • Status: Introduced in the Senate on June 17, 2026; referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  • Action History indicates standard committee review process before potential floor consideration.
  • No specific funding amounts or new appropriations are detailed in the text provided; the bill primarily modifies eligibility and references within existing programs.

Additional Notes

  • The bill uses defined terms from the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to describe tribal land, ensuring consistency in how tribal areas are identified.
  • The changes are largely interpretive and procedural, aiming to remove ambiguity and explicitly include Tribes in conservation priority frameworks.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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