A bill to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to add the emergency watershed program as a covered program for purposes of carrying out the regional conservation partnership program, and for other purposes.
Key claim: S5115 would amend the Food Security Act of 1985 so the Emergency Watershed Program counts as a covered program for carrying out the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.
Abstract
(S5115 · 119th Congress) Latest action (2026-07-23): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Why this matters
Adding the Emergency Watershed Program as an RCPP-covered program would let USDA channel disaster-recovery watershed funding through the partnership model, potentially accelerating post-flood and post-fire restoration on farmland by leveraging state, tribal, and private co-investment. For farmers in disaster-affected regions this could mean faster access to conservation cost-share for repairing streambanks, gullies, and impaired watersheds; effects on consumers and food prices are indirect and small. Status: introduced in the Senate as S5115, mirroring House-side activity.