# 115-hr-4688: Land Grants-Mercedes Conservation Program Eligibility Act of 2017

115-hr-4688, Land Grants-Mercedes Conservation Program Eligibility Act of 2017, is a 115th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Lujan Grisham, Michelle [D-NM-1] (D-NM); status Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-4688
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 115-hr-4688
- Congress: 115
- Title: Land Grants-Mercedes Conservation Program Eligibility Act of 2017
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.
- Introduced: 2017-12-19
- Sponsor: Rep. Lujan Grisham, Michelle [D-NM-1] (D-NM)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Agriculture and Food
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Land Grants-Mercedes Conservation Program Eligibility Act of 2017 This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to authorize the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enter into an alternative funding arrangement under any USDA conservation program with a land grant-merced. A land grant-merced is a community, town, colony, or pueblo that: (1) includes certain land granted by Mexico or Spain; or (2) asserted title pursuant to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, through the Office of the Surveyor General for New Mexico or the U.S. Court of Private Land Claims. (An alternative funding arrangement allows a land grant-merced to receive assistance directly from the conservation programs.) USDA may also provide technical and administrative assistance under the alternative funding arrangement. USDA may enter into an arrangement if: (1) the goals and objectives of the applicable conservation program will be met by the arrangement, and (2) statutory limitations regarding contracts with individual producers will not be exceeded by any member of the land grant-merced.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-NM), 2018-02-15T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 115-hr-7088: Crop Insurance Fairness Act of 2018
- 115-hr-6869: Violence Against Women Veterans Act
- 115-hr-6759: Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act
- 115-hr-6545: Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2018
- 115-hr-6510: Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act
- 115-hr-6487: Land Grant and Acequia Traditional Use Recognition and Consultation Act

## Sources
- [115-hr-4688 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/4688)

## Related
- [115-hr-7088: Crop Insurance Fairness Act of 2018](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-7088)
- [115-hr-6869: Violence Against Women Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-6869)
- [115-hr-6759: Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-6759)
- [115-hr-6545: Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2018](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-6545)
- [115-hr-6510: Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-6510)
- [115-hr-6487: Land Grant and Acequia Traditional Use Recognition and Consultation Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-6487)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-4688 (as of 2025-11-18).