BUFFER Act

Key Points

• The BUFFER Act changes the rules for a federal program that pays farmers to protect their land. This program helps the environment by keeping certain areas of farmland wild or unplanted.
• Right now, farmers might be blocked from the program if their local or state laws already require them to protect that land. This bill would let those farmers join and get paid even if local laws are already in place.
• The bill makes sure that farmers are not punished for following local environmental rules. It aims to get more land into conservation by removing these technical barriers.
• There is one exception. If a court or a government agency orders a farmer to protect land because of a legal problem, that land still cannot be part of the program.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.