Title 7 › CHAPTER 96 — GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE › § 6712
Create a voluntary program to list and register companies or groups that give technical help to farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners, or that verify projects, so those landowners can take part in voluntary markets that buy and sell agriculture or forestry greenhouse gas credits. The Secretary of Agriculture must decide within 270 days after December 29, 2022 whether the program would help with: getting more producers into these markets, making technical help easier to get, making sure producers get a fair share of money from credits, and giving producers better access to market information. If the Secretary decides yes, the program is set up and the Secretary must publish a report within 90 days explaining why. The Secretary will publish commonly accepted protocols and the kinds of qualifications providers should have after public notice and at least 60 days of comment. Registered activities can include things like soil and forest carbon, reduced fuel use, livestock and manure practices, reforestation, forest and grassland management, wetland restoration, on‑farm energy, fertilizer changes, and similar projects. An advisory council will be formed within 90 days and must mostly be farmers, ranchers, or private forest owners. The council will advise on protocols, reduce barriers to entry, and recommend best practices. The program must run a public registration list (online) within 1 year, provide website guidance within 180 days, and keep standards so registrants act honestly and know best practices. The Secretary can remove bad actors, who may appeal. False claims about being on the list can bring up to $1,000 per violation and a 5‑year ban. The Secretary must do assessments (one by 240 days after December 29, 2022 and then every 4 years), protect private and business information, has funding authorized of $1,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2023–2027 plus $4,100,000 provided from available funds, and may not create a federal market for buying or selling credits.
Full Legal Text
Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 6712
Title 7, Agriculture
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110