# Understanding the NO EMITS Act: What This Bill Does for Farmers and the Environment

This bill creates a new government program to help farmers transition to farming practices that improve soil health and reduce carbon emissions. The core idea is straightforward: the government will pay farmers to switch from traditional tilling methods to practices like cover cropping and no-till farming, which keep soil healthier and trap more carbon in the ground. The bill recognizes that making this switch is risky for farmers—yields might drop initially, costs go up, and there's uncertainty about whether the new system will work on their land. So it offers financial support to cushion those risks while farmers learn and adapt.

The main program, called the Soil Health Transition Incentive Program, would offer contracts lasting five to seven years to farmers who adopt these practices. The government would pay them based on several factors: how much the practice costs to implement, how much income they might lose during the transition, and how much economic risk they're taking on. Farmers would also get personalized advice from agronomists—either from the government, private companies, nonprofits, or local conservation districts—to help them succeed with their new farming methods. This technical support is crucial because switching farming systems isn't just about planting differently; it requires learning new skills and troubleshooting problems specific to each farm.

Beyond individual farmer payments, the bill also directs $100 million per year from 2024 through 2028 to states and Native American tribes that create their own soil health programs. These grants can fund research, education, training, and monitoring to help farmers in their regions adopt healthier practices. The bill also doubles funding for on-farm conservation experiments from $25 million to $50 million, allowing researchers to test new approaches to soil health and climate adaptation. Additionally, it requires the Department of Agriculture to dedicate at least one percent of its technical assistance budget each year to help farmers deal with climate change, with priority given to underserved farmers like beginning farmers, minority farmers, and those with limited resources.

Naturally Offsetting Emissions by Managing and Implementing Tillage Strategies Act of 2023

Gallagher, Mike

Naturally Offsetting Emissions by Managing and Implementing Tillage Strategies Act of 2023 or the NO EMITS Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to carry out activities to improve soil health, including to address climate change. Specifically, USDA must <ul> <li>establish a program that provides agricultural producers incentives (i.e., payments) for and technical assistance with adopting or maintaining practices or cropping systems to improve soil health,</li> <li>award grants to states and Indian tribes for implementing soil health programs, and</li> <li>use a portion of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide agricultural producers with technical assistance for mitigating and adapting to climate change.</li> </ul> The bill also (1) makes practices related to livestock production eligible for certain competitive grants under the On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials program, and (2) increases funding for the program.