CRP Improvement and Flexibility Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Thune, John [R-SD]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would give producers more grazing flexibility and raise rental payment caps in the Conservation Reserve Program. It would expand continuous enrollment for certain wildlife-focused acres, permit limited emergency haying or grazing under strict drought or forage-loss conditions, allow cost sharing for grazing infrastructure, and increase the rental payment limit to $125,000.
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- Farmers and ranchers would be able to conduct emergency haying during the final two weeks of the primary nesting season on up to 50 percent of contract acres when a county is at D2 drought or faces at least a 40 percent forage loss. The bill also recognizes emergency grazing and other emergency uses under the same response framework.
- Wildlife and habitat programs would see State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement land added to CRP continuous enrollment and a new prohibition that stops late-season haying or grazing if it would cause long-term damage to vegetative cover supporting wildlife. This aims to balance emergency use with habitat protection.
- Landowners would gain cost-share eligibility for grazing infrastructure like interior cross fences, perimeter fencing, and water systems and could treat land with such infrastructure as planted for reenrollment. The bill raises the CRP rental payment cap from $50,000 to $125,000, enabling larger annual payments per participant.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Higher CRP per-person rental cap
If enacted, the per-person CRP rental payment cap would rise to $125,000. The bill would increase the cap from $50,000 to $125,000. This change would take effect upon enactment.
Cost-share for grazing infrastructure
If enacted, CRP cost-share could pay for grazing fences and water systems. This applies when grazing is included in the conservation plan and addresses a resource concern. When a CRP contract with cost-shared grazing infrastructure ends, that land would be treated as planted for reenrollment. This change would take effect upon enactment.
New emergency haying and grazing rules
If enacted, emergency haying would be allowed on up to 50% of a contract's acres during the final two weeks of the primary nesting season and at other times when a trigger is met. Triggers are: county D2 or worse drought on the U.S. Drought Monitor; at least 40% county forage loss; or the Secretary and State technical committee decide assistance is possible without permanent damage. Haying or grazing would still be barred if it would cause long-term damage to wildlife vegetative cover. The bill would also say cost-share cannot pay for management activities that relate to haying or grazing.
Wildlife acres in continuous signup
If enacted, land enrolled under the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement practice could use CRP continuous signup. This would let landowners enroll wildlife-focused acres through the continuous enrollment process. This change would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Thune, John [R-SD]
SD • R
Cosponsors
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]
KS • R
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]
MN • D
Sponsored 7/31/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov