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119-hr-5875119th CongressWALLET

COWS Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]

In Committee

Summary

This bill expands USDA conservation support for composting and alternative manure-management practices to cut greenhouse gases and grow on‑farm and community composting. It creates new payment rules, prioritization for carbon sequestration and public‑health benefits, and boosted technical assistance and standards to carry these practices through FY 2029.

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  • Farmers: Small and mid‑sized dairy and livestock operations and beginning, limited‑resource, and socially disadvantaged farmers get priority access. Payments may cover up to 100 percent of eligible costs with at least 50 percent paid up front in many cases and contracts limited to three years.
  • Environment: The program rewards practices that enhance carbon sequestration and reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions. USDA must publish factors to estimate carbon and greenhouse‑gas reductions and develop a composting practice standard within one year.
  • Program design: The bill authorizes cluster or joint applications for shared composting facilities, allows waivers of payment limits when needed, and aims to award the majority of alternative‑manure‑management contracts to eligible small and mid‑sized operations. It also expands technical assistance, third‑party agreements, and updates conservation practice standards to support these approaches.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

New manure and composting help for farmers

If enacted, farmers and small livestock operations would be able to get payments to cover up to 100% of eligible costs for composting and alternative manure projects. The program would have to pay at least 50% up front for materials, equipment, or technical help, and contracts could not exceed three years. The bill would add and define composting and many alternative manure practices as eligible, and require the Secretary to publish carbon and greenhouse gas estimation factors and identify eligible producers. The Secretary would also provide design payments, technical assistance, training, develop a new on-farm composting standard within one year, and allow group (cluster) applications for shared facilities. Offers would be ranked to favor carbon sequestration, emissions reductions, public health benefits, and small and mid-sized and disadvantaged farmers; the Secretary could waive certain statutory payment limits for a contract when needed.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22]

    CA • R

    Sponsored 10/31/2025

  • Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]

    ME • D

    Sponsored 10/31/2025

  • Rep. Gray, Adam [D-CA-13]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 10/31/2025

  • Rep. Mannion, John W. [D-NY-22]

    NY • D

    Sponsored 3/4/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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