Congress·In Committee·H.R. 6969

Rural Investment for Producers and the Environment (RIPE) Act of 2026

Congress Proposes USDA Payments for Farm Conservation in Up to 30 Watersheds

Jan 7·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Part of: House GOP Unveils 2026 Farm Bill Focused on Security and Rural Investment

StalledNext up: A house committeeNo action in 6 months

This bill is currently in the House Committee on Agriculture where it has been since January 6, 2026. No action has been taken on the proposal for six months, and it is considered stalled. The House committee must decide whether to move the bill forward for a vote.

Legislative Progress

House

No action since January 2026

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

Congress would create a USDA pilot program that pays farmers and ranchers to use conservation practices in up to 30 selected watersheds.
USDA would sign 3- to 5-year contracts and pay producers based on acres and livestock units, covering costs, lost income, and environmental benefits.
Payments could be higher for limited-resource or socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (15% above the regular rate), with 10% of funds set aside for them.
Producers could still earn money from private environmental services markets while in the program, and USDA would offer technical help to carry out conservation plans.
The bill sets aside funding for USDA to run the program and requires yearly reports to Congress on participation and environmental results.

AgricultureEnvironmentClimate Change

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Positive Impacts(3)

Small Business Owner

Helps

Farmer Rancher

Helps

Tribal Member

Helps

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jan 7, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Jan 7, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

News

news_articleCenter

House Agriculture panel releases Farm Bill text and sets markup

No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Rural Investment for Producers and the Environment (RIPE) Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 6969

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)

R: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.