This bill creates a new government program to better understand and measure how much carbon is stored in agricultural soil. Right now, farmers and researchers don't have a standard way to measure soil carbon, which makes it hard to know if farming practices are actually helping the environment. This bill fixes that problem.

The Department of Agriculture will develop one standardized method for measuring soil carbon that works anywhere in the country. They'll work with farmers, scientists, nonprofits, and other experts to make sure the method is practical and fair to different types of farms. The department will also create easy-to-use guidance in multiple languages to help farmers voluntarily measure and report their own soil carbon data. Farmers who participate in certain agriculture programs can use this guidance to track their progress.

The bill also establishes a long-term monitoring program where the government will measure soil carbon at selected farm sites every five years to track changes over time and understand how different farming practices affect soil health. All this data will be kept private and secure—individual farmer information won't be shared publicly. Finally, the bill requires the Department of Agriculture to create computer models that predict how different farming practices will affect soil carbon and greenhouse gases, helping farmers and policymakers make better decisions about land management. The bill provides funding of about $2 million annually for the measurement methodology work and $17.5 million annually for the monitoring program.