COWS Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]
Introduced
Summary
Expand federal support for composting and alternative manure management to cut methane, improve soil health, and protect water. The bill rewrites program rules to explicitly include on-farm and community composting and a range of alternative manure practices, and it increases payments, prioritization, and technical help to make those practices easier for farmers to adopt.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Up to full-cost help for manure projects
If enacted, farms could get payments covering up to 100% of eligible manure project costs. At least 50% of the payment would be paid up front for materials, equipment, or technical help. Contracts could last no more than 3 years. The Secretary could waive normal payment limits if needed, but would set a cap for that contract.
More compost and manure practices qualify
If enacted, the bill would add composting and alternative manure management to program practice lists. It would define what counts, with examples like pasture-based systems, compost-bedded pack barns, separation and drying, composting, and vermiculture. Compost could come from the farm or nearby community and must follow federal, state, and local laws. This change would make eligibility clearer but would not add new funding by itself.
More technical help and new compost standards
If enacted, the Secretary would publish factors to estimate carbon and emissions cuts for each practice. The Secretary would identify eligible producers, including those with anaerobic lagoons, and offer payments, technical help, and training. Within one year of enactment, the Secretary would review composting and soil carbon standards and create a new on‑farm compost production standard. The Secretary could also work with third-party technical providers.
Small and mid-size farms get priority
If enacted, the Secretary would rank offers to favor big carbon and water-quality gains. Most contracts each year should go to small and mid-size dairy and livestock farms, including beginning, limited-resource, and socially disadvantaged producers. Group (cluster) applications would be allowed, and payments would be split to each eligible producer. States could label carbon-sequestering and greenhouse-gas-cutting practices as high-priority to direct support.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Valadao
CA • R
Sponsored 10/31/2025
Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]
ME • D
Sponsored 10/31/2025
Gray
CA • D
Sponsored 10/31/2025
Mannion
NY • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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