EMIT LESS Act of 2024

The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, shall—

(1) establish and operate laboratory and testing facilities to conduct studies to enhance the understanding of baseline enteric methane emissions and the safety and efficacy of enteric methane-mitigating products and practices;

(2) develop the ongoing capacity of personnel of the Agricultural Research Service with expertise in conducting the studies described in paragraph (1); and

(3) regularly assess—

(A) baseline enteric methane emissions;

(B) the impacts of enteric methane production on animal productivity and animal health and welfare; and

(C) the impacts of enteric methane-mitigating products and practices on greenhouse gas emissions, animal productivity, and animal health and welfare.

The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, may use amounts made available to carry out this section, in accordance with subsection (a)—

(1) to construct federally owned testing facilities;

(2) to purchase assessment technologies;

(3) to retrofit or renovate existing facilities; and

(4) to contract with independent or academic facilities to conduct research.

Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 is amended by inserting before section 404 (7 U.S.C. 7624) the following:

The Secretary shall establish or expand at eligible institutions training programs relating to, with respect to enteric methane emissions from livestock—

(1) livestock management and nutrition;

(2) greenhouse gas monitoring, verification, and reporting technologies;

(3) testing skills and capacity;

(4) innovation; and

(5) livestock health and welfare.

An institution eligible for a training program under this section is an 1862 Institution, an 1890 Institution, or a 1994 Institution.

The Secretary shall establish or expand a training program under this section at not less than one 1862 Institution, not less than one 1890 Institution, and not less than one 1994 Institution.

Section 1240H(c) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–8(c)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1)(B)(i)—

(A) in subclause (VI), by striking and at the end;

(B) by redesignating subclause (VII) as subclause (VIII); and

(C) by inserting after subclause (VI) the following:

(VII) livestock-related practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including enteric methane emissions; and

(C) ; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall carry out one or more studies on changes in methane emissions and, if feasible, economic outcomes, generated as a result of livestock-related practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including enteric methane emissions.

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this paragraph and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives a report on the progress and results of the studies under subparagraph (A).

Section 1242(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3842(h)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall—

(A) complete a review of conservation practice standards in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this paragraph to consider any revisions to conservation practice standards, including for feed management, or new conservation practice standards that would be appropriate to assist in reducing enteric methane emissions;

(B) revise appropriate conservation practice standards in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this paragraph as necessary to assist in reducing enteric methane emissions; and

(C) establish any appropriate new conservation practice standards to assist in reducing enteric methane emissions.

Section 1240A of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–1) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (3)—

(A) by inserting management after means a; and

(B) by inserting land or livestock management after set of; and

(2) in paragraph (6)(A)(ii), by inserting or livestock after land.

Section 1240B(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–2(d)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (3)(E), by inserting, including greenhouse gas emission reductions before the semicolon; and

(2) in paragraph (7)(A)—

(A) in clause (iii), by striking or at the end;

(B) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (v); and

(C) by inserting after clause (iii) the following:

(iv) provides reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, including enteric methane emissions from livestock; or

Section 1240I(2)(B)(i) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–21(2)(B)(i)) is amended by inserting livestock or after measures, and.

Section 1240L(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa–24(d)) is amended—

(1) in the subsection heading, by striking and advanced grazing management and inserting, advanced grazing management, and livestock feed management;

(2) in paragraph (1)—

(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively; and

(B) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:

The term livestock feed management means providing livestock with forage and feed that—

(i) manipulates and controls the quantity and quality of available nutrients, feedstuffs, ingredients, or additives fed to livestock;

(ii) minimizes excess nutrients in surface water and ground water by reducing the quantity of nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, salts, or other nutrients excreted in manure; or

(iii) reduces emissions of ammonia, odors, greenhouse gases, volatile organic components, or dust from animal feeding operations.

(3) in paragraph (2)—

(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking or at the end;

(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting; or; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

(C) livestock feed management.

(C) ; and

(4) in paragraph (3), by inserting, livestock feed management, after crop rotations.