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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 58th Legislature (2022)
HOUSE BILL 4412 By: Lowe (Dick) and Moore of
the House
and
Pederson of the Senate
AS INTRODUCED
[ natural resources - creating the Healthy Soil
Program Act - requiring Oklahoma Conservation
Commission administer program - effective date ]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3-6-101 of Title 27A, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as fo llows:
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Healthy Soil
Program Act".
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3-6-102 of Title 27A, unless
there is created a duplication in num bering, reads as follows:
As used in the Healthy Soil Program Act:
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1. "Champion" means a land manager who 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
Champions Network of the National Association of Conservation
Districts;
2. "Commission" means the Oklahoma Conservation Commission;
3. "Eligible entity" means a local governmental entity with
proven land management capacity to support healthy soil and
including conservation distric ts;
4. "Healthy soil" means soil that enhances its continuing
capacity to function as a biological system, increases its organic
matter, and improves its structure and water- and nutrient-holding
capacity;
5. "Program" means the healthy soil program created in the
Healthy Soil Program Act;
6. "Soil health principle" means a principle that promotes soil
health in a given environment and includes:
a. keeping soil covered,
b. minimizing soil disturbance on cropland and minimizing
external inputs,
c. maximizing biodiversity,
d. maintaining a living root, or
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e. integrating animals into land management, including
grazing animals, birds, beneficial insects, or
keystone species, such as earthworms;
7. "Supported method" means a method that is bas ed upon soil
health principles and is scientifically supported to promote healthy
soil;
8. "Technical assistance" means assistance provided to a farmer
or rancher to achieve the purpose of the Healthy Soil Program Act
and includes outreach, education, financial assistance or assistance
with project planning, project design, grant applications, project
implementation or project reporting; and
9. "Technical assistance provider " means a local, state,
federal, tribal, or educational entity with demonstrated technical
expertise in designing and implementing agricultural management
practices that contribute to healthy soils and includes a
conservation district, the United States Natural Resources
Conservation Service, the United States Forest Service, the United
States Bureau of Land Management, or the state Forestry Division.
SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of la w to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3-6-103 of Title 27A, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. There is hereby created a healthy soil program to be
administered by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission .
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B. The purpose of the program is to promote and support farming
and ranching systems and other forms of land management that
increase soil organic matter, aggregate stability, microbiology and
water retention to improve the health, yield, and profitability of
the soils of the state.
SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3-6-104 of Title 27A, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. The Healthy Soil Program shall be composed of:
1. A healthy soil assessment and e ducation program;
2. A healthy soil grants grant program; and
3. Other programs established by the Oklahoma Conservation
Commission to accomplish the purposes of the Healthy Soil Program
Act.
B. In administering the healthy soil assessment and education
program, the Commission shall:
1. Work through technical assistance providers or eligible
entities to:
a. encourage farmers, ranchers, and land managers to
undertake voluntary soil health measurements,
b. raise awareness about desirable soil health
characteristics,
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c. facilitate on-site, producer-led workshops and
training sessions to promote and engender soil health
stewardship, and
d. complete a baseline soil health assessment by testing
the organic matter, water infiltration rate,
microbiology, and aggregate stability of soils, in
addition to analyzing phospholipids and monitoring
soil cover;
2. Establish a statewide network of champions to promote soil
health stewardship, offer guidance to producers and land managers ,
and encourage teamwork;
3. Create a program to provide ongoing training in soil health
stewardship and workshop facilitation for champions and eligible
entities;
4. In collaboration with technical assistance providers,
sponsor soil health workshops and training sessions through
conservation districts on farms throughout the state; and
5. Educate students and the g eneral public about the importance
of soil health stewardship.
C. In administering the healthy soil grant program, the
Commission shall:
1. Award grants to eligible entities to provide technical
assistance to producer s and land managers in advancing soil health
principles and implementing supported methods;
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2. Develop a user-friendly grant program application and
application and reporting processes;
3. Develop criteria for t he award of grants; provided that
grants shall be awarded equitably and priority may be given to
eligible entities serving young producers, veterans, small farms or
ranches or for projects that benefit economically or socially
disadvantaged communities; and
4. Ensure that grant funds are only used to advance soil health
and soil health stewardship.
D. The Commission shall encourage producer, land manager,
landowner, and interagency collabor ation in the management of
healthy soils and shall:
1. Work with technical assistance providers to advance soil
health stewardship across private , state, federal, and tribal land
jurisdictions by fostering collaboration among prod ucers, land
managers, and landowners; and
2. Conduct outreach to producers and land managers to promote
the program and other federal, state, or local grant opportunities
that support and promote healthy soils.
E. In administering the program, the Commission shall support
local economic growth in Oklahoma and shall:
1. Identify ways to increa se the generation and use of compost
to build healthy soils;
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2. To the extent permitted by statute, prioritize in-state
sourcing of the resources needed for the program, including testing
resources, compost, seeds, fencing supplies, and equipment; and
3. Support the emerging market for food grown in Oklahoma under
management for healthy soils.
F. The Commission may adopt rules to carry out the provisions
of the Heathy Soil Program Act.
SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Secti on 3-6-105 of Title 27A, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follow s:
Funds appropriated to the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to
administer the program may be used for:
1. The healthy soil grant program;
2. The healthy soil assessment and education program;
3. Promotion and outreach;
4. Department staffing support;
5. Capacity building for eligible entities;
6. Soil health research;
7. Travel reimbursement and per diem in accordan ce with the
State Travel Reimbursement Act, Section 500.1 et seq. of Title 74 of
the Oklahoma Statutes; and
8. Other expenditures as deter mined by the Commission to be
necessary to support the overall effective administration of the
program.
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SECTION 6. This act shall become effect ive November 1, 2022.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND BUDGET, dated
03/03/2022 - DO PASS, As Amended and Coauthored.