The BUFFER Act would make it easier for certain land under state or local environmental regulations to be eligible for the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). CRP pays farmers to take environmentally sensitive land out of production and install conservation practices. The bill aims to expand participation in CRP, even when state or local laws require specific environmental protections on the land.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
The BUFFER Act would make it easier for certain land under state or local environmental regulations to be eligible for the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). CRP pays farmers to take environmentally sensitive land out of production and install conservation practices. The bill aims to expand participation in CRP, even when state or local laws require specific environmental protections on the land.
Last updated: 12/29/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Building Up Farmland Frontiers for Ecological Resilience Act or the BUFFER Act</strong></p><p>This bill provides that certain land (that is under state regulations) is eligible to participate under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Under CRP, the Department of Agriculture provides annual payments to agricultural producers to take highly erodible and environmentally sensitive land out of production and install resource-conserving practices. </p><p>Specifically, land otherwise eligible under the program remains eligible for enrollment even if a tribal, state, or other local law, ordinance, or other regulation requires any resource-conserving or environmental protection measure or practice. The bill includes an exception that makes the land ineligible under the program if the implementation requirement has been imposed by an administrative order or a court order.</p><p>Current regulations exclude from enrollment eligibility (with exceptions) land that is subject to tribal, state, or other local laws, ordinances, or other regulations that require any resource-conserving or environmental protection measures or practices.</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Allows land subject to state or local environmental regulations to enroll in the Conservation Reserve Program, with some exceptions
Conservation Reserve Program pays farmers to take sensitive land out of production and implement conservation practices
Expands eligibility for the program, which could increase participation and land under environmental protections
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
This bill would primarily impact farmers and landowners in areas with state or local environmental regulations. If passed, more of their land could become eligible for the Conservation Reserve Program, providing them with annual payments to implement conservation practices. This could increase the total acreage of environmentally sensitive land under federal protection.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Related Subjects
Farmland
Lakes and rivers
Land use and conservation
State and local government operations
Water quality
Wetlands
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
2798, 119th Congress (2025). "BUFFER Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-2798
