Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Deb Fischer
Introduced
Summary
Speeds and expands emergency conservation aid for farmers and private forest owners.
Show full summary
This bill would broaden what counts as eligible emergency measures, allow larger upfront cost-share payments, extend a 60-day timing reference to 180 days, and make more wildfire scenarios eligible for assistance.
- Farmers and agricultural producers would be able to claim more kinds of emergency measures beyond fencing and receive bigger advance payments for work. For replacements they could receive up to 75 percent of costs and for repairs or restoration up to 50 percent.
- Owners of nonindustrial private forest land would gain an option for advance payments of up to 75 percent of emergency restoration costs and must return unused funds if not spent within 180 days.
- Wildfire-related eligibility would expand to include wildfires not naturally caused when damage spreads by natural means and wildfires caused by the Federal Government, making those events eligible for payments.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Advance payments for forest owners
If enacted, owners of nonindustrial private forest land could get an advance of up to 75 percent of emergency restoration costs before work starts. If those funds are not spent within 180 days of receipt, the owner would have to return them within a reasonable time set by the Secretary. The bill would also broaden what counts as a covered wildfire for EFRP.
Faster emergency aid for farmers
If enacted, agricultural producers could get advance ECP payments before doing repairs or replacements. For replacements, advances could be up to 75 percent of the replacement cost. For repairs or restorations, advances could be up to 50 percent of the cost. The bill would also extend a 60-day deadline to 180 days and broaden wildfire-related eligibility for payments.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Deb Fischer
NE • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 2/19/2025
Adam Schiff
CA • D
Sponsored 2/19/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.govRelated Bills
S1748 — Kids Online Safety Act
Protecting minors online is the core aim of the Kids Online Safety Act, which would make platforms that serve young users adopt a legal duty of care, add parental controls and safeguards, and force more transparency about recommendation algorithms. The bill targets design features that boost minor engagement and limits certain research on children to reduce mental-health and harassment risks. - Families and minors: The bill would define a "child" as under 13 and a "minor" as under 17, require verifiable parental consent for known children, and give parents tools to control privacy, purchases, and autoplay for streaming. - Platforms and products: Covered services would face limits on personalized design features, a ban on market research involving children under 13, and public reporting and independent audits of safeguards, including detailed de-identified data on minor usage for platforms with over 10 million monthly U.S. users. - Regulators, schools, and tech oversight: The Federal Trade Commission would enforce the rules with state attorneys general able to act as well, a Kids Online Safety Council of 11 members would advise and report within 1 and 3 years, and a separate title would force notice and opt-outs for "opaque" algorithms and let users switch to input-transparent systems.
S1241 — Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025
Harsh, automatic sanctions and trade penalties would be triggered if Russia refuses to negotiate with Ukraine, violates a peace deal, invades again, or seeks to subvert Ukraine's government. The bill would require visa and property-blocking sanctions, target major Russian banks, ban U.S. energy exports to Russia, restrict U.S. investments and listings tied to Russia, and force duties of at least 500% on Russian imports.
S1816 — Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
This bill would force Medicare Advantage plans to adopt a standardized, electronic prior authorization system and publish detailed approval and denial data to speed patient access and enable oversight. It sets deadlines for transparency and electronic processing and creates reporting and real-time decision rules to shrink delays and reveal how plans use automation.
S1261 — CONNECT for Health Act of 2025
Expands Medicare telehealth access by removing location limits and updating how telehealth is paid and overseen. It would also strengthen program integrity, require provider and beneficiary supports, modernize quality measures, and publish telehealth data. - Families, seniors, and underserved patients would gain broader access because the bill removes Medicare geographic and originating-site restrictions and lifts the six-month prior in-person rule for telemental health. It explicitly expands access for Indian Health Service and tribal facilities effective January 1, 2026. - Providers and clinics would see payment and staffing changes because telehealth furnishing at Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics would be folded into existing payment systems and the Secretary could waive practitioner-type limits starting October 1, 2025 with public notice and periodic review. - Oversight, quality, and transparency would increase through a new fraud and advertising framework, outlier-billing thresholds with education and public reporting, dedicated HHS Office of Inspector General telehealth oversight funding through 2030, a quality-measure review within 180 days, and CMS quarterly public reporting of telehealth use and outcomes.
S1032 — Major Richard Star Act
Allows full concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation for combat-related disabilities. This bill would prevent the usual 38 U.S.C. 5304 and 5305 offsets when calculating Combat-Related Special Compensation and add a monthly rule for Chapter 61 disability retirees. - Combat-disabled retirees: Would allow Combat-Related Special Compensation recipients to have their retired pay treated so it is not reduced by 38 U.S.C. 5304 or 5305 when figuring concurrent payments. - Chapter 61 disability retirees: Would let members retired under Chapter 61 who also receive veterans' disability compensation for a combat-related disability be paid both benefits for the same month without those 38 U.S.C. offsets. - Administrative and timing changes: Would remove phase-in language, update headings and cross references, and take effect the first day of the month after enactment for payments beginning that month.
S752 — Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act
Creates a streamlined five-year enrollment pathway for eligible out-of-state providers to treat children under Medicaid and CHIP. This bill would let qualifying out-of-state providers enroll in a State's Medicaid or CHIP plan or waiver using only the minimum information needed for payment, so they can furnish services, order, prescribe, refer, or certify eligibility for individuals under 21.
Take It Personal
Get Your Personalized Policy View
Create a free account to save research, track policy impacts, and unlock your personalized versions of these pages.
Already have an account? Sign in