# 119-s-1495: NRCS Wetland Compliance and Appeals Reform Act

119-s-1495, NRCS Wetland Compliance and Appeals Reform Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] (R-SD); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-04).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1495
- As of: 2026-11-04
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1495
- Congress: 119
- Title: NRCS Wetland Compliance and Appeals Reform Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-04-10
- Sponsor: Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] (R-SD)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Agriculture and Food
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-11-04

## Summary

**Strengthens landowner due process and limits retroactive penalties in NRCS wetland enforcement.** It would also overhaul appeals, add state oversight, and require customer surveys to increase transparency and accountability. - Farmers and landowners: Would bar retroactive penalties when land had not been delineated, determined, and certified as a wetland under section 1222. It would clarify that removing woody vegetation, including stumps, is not a wetland conversion and raise the evidentiary standard by requiring clear and convincing proof of a violation. - Appeals participants: Would add a right to demand an on-site visit for nonaccepted wetland certification reviews and bar using new rationales that were not relied on in the appealed determination. It would require delivery of the full record at the time of allegation, allow NRCS technical staff to testify, retrain National Appeals Division judges, accept reliable evidence unless shown unreliable, and allow fees and expenses for prevailing appellants. - NRCS operations and oversight: Would create State Oversight Committees where wetland determinations are appealed with two private active farmers or ranchers appointed by the Secretary and one appointed by the State department of agriculture. It would establish an independent customer satisfaction survey program with monthly reporting, direct certain wetland rulemakings to follow the Administrative Procedure Act, and prohibit the NRCS Chief from acquiring permanent easements.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] (R-ND), 2025-04-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND] (R-ND), 2025-04-10T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Fairer wetland appeals for landowners: benefit, medium. If enacted, this would give landowners stronger appeal rights and protections in NRCS wetland cases. The Secretary would have to prove violations by clear and convincing evidence. You could demand an on-site visit, get the full record when an allegation is made, and call NRCS technical staff as wit…
- NRCS barred from buying permanent easements: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Secretary of Agriculture acting through the NRCS Chief would be prohibited from acquiring any permanent easement. That would stop NRCS from permanently buying or putting long-term restrictions on private land under this authority.
- Tree and stump removal excluded: benefit, low. If enacted, removing woody plants, trees, or stumps would not by itself count as making land ready for farming under the wetland test. That would lower the chance routine clearing triggers wetland production or conversion rules.
- Optional NRCS wetland customer surveys: benefit, low. If enacted, the Secretary would offer people who interact with NRCS with an opt-in customer survey. An independent company would send surveys by mail or email after decisions or appeals. Responses would be compiled monthly and sent to State and federal agriculture officials.
- Public comment required for NRCS rules: mixed, medium. If enacted, regulations for certain NRCS wetland rules and related definitions would have to follow formal notice-and-comment rulemaking. That would give the public a chance to comment. It could also slow or delay agency rule changes.

## Related bills

- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026
- 119-s-3752: SAVE America Act
- 119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026
- 119-s-3940: Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development Act
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-1495 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1495)

## Related
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4949)
- [119-s-3752: SAVE America Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3752)
- [119-s-5025: Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5025)
- [119-s-3940: Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3940)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1495 (as of 2026-11-04).