This bill is in the early stages of the legislative process and is sitting with the House Committee on Agriculture. The committee must review the bill before it can move forward, but no action has taken place since July 1, 2026. Most bills do not receive a committee vote, so this proposal is currently stalled.
Legislative Progress
House
Senate
President
Law
Unlikely to pass
This bill was introduced by a single member late in the session and has not yet gained the bipartisan support needed to pass.
Key Points
This bill updates the rules for the Conservation Reserve Program. This is a federal program that pays farmers to stop farming on land that needs environmental protection.
It allows land to be eligible for the program even if local or state laws already require the owner to use conservation practices.
Right now, some farmers might be blocked from the program if their local government already has environmental rules for their land. This bill would change that.
The bill makes an exception for land that is under a court order. Those owners still cannot get federal payments for fixes they were forced to make by a judge.
The goal is to make sure farmers get federal support for protecting their land even if they live in areas with strong local environmental laws.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
2 milestones2 actions
Jul 2, 2026House
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Jul 2, 2026
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
BUFFER Act
Bill NumberHR 9572
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
