No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes a Small farm EQIP subprogram within the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. It sets a $2,500 minimum payment for all EQIP contracts, increases payments by 50 percent for soil health management systems on operations of 50 acres or fewer, and requires continuous enrollment with streamlined approval for those contracts. For each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031, it reserves at least 30 percent of EQIP funds for the subprogram, of which 35 percent supports tailored technical assistance through new and trained Natural Resources Conservation Service staff and 65 percent provides direct financial assistance to small-scale producers. The subprogram delivers financial and technical assistance, outreach, and field staff training to eligible small-scale producers, with eligibility determined state-by-state using criteria on farm size, gross sales, and priority categories including socially disadvantaged, limited-resource, beginning, and veteran producers.