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United States

S. 629

Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee · Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE)

Official summary (Congressional Research Service, Public Law): Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025

This act revises the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) to expand eligibility for payments to agricultural producers and owners of forest land impacted by natural disasters. The act also provides additional options to receive an advance on cost-sharing payments before carrying out emergency measures.

The act expands advance ECP payments to include the replacement, repair, or restoration of farmland or conservation structures requiring an immediate response. Producers may receive an advance on cost-sharing payments for 75% of the cost of the replacement and 50% of the cost of the repair or restoration. Current law limits advance payments to 25% of the cost of the repair or replacement of fencing.

Under EFRP, the act allows owners of nonindustrial private forest land impacted by a natural disaster to receive an advance on cost-sharing payments for up to 75% of the cost of the emergency measures. Currently, advance payments are not available under the program.

ECP and EFRP recipients must use the funds within 180 days after the funds are disbursed. This provides additional time to ECP recipients who currently must use the funds within 60 days.

The act also expands eligibility for payments under the programs to include emergency measures to address damages caused by (1) a wildfire that is not caused naturally, if the damage is caused by the spread of the wildfire due to natural causes; and (2) a wildfire that is caused by the federal government.

Became Public Law 12 July 2026

Record as of 12 July 2026 — the most recent action in the official record. Status can lag; each step below carries its own date.

  1. 12 July 2026 Became Public Law

    What's next: Takes effect (on enactment unless the text sets other dates)

  2. 1 more action
    1. 12 July 2026 Sent to Archivist of the United States unsigned.
  3. 30 June 2026 Presented to President
  4. 23 June 2026 Passed House (368-19)
  5. 6 more actions
    1. 23 June 2026 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
    2. 23 June 2026 Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H4192)
    3. 23 June 2026 At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
    4. 23 June 2026 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 629.
    5. 23 June 2026 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4137-4138)
    6. 23 June 2026 Mr. Lucas moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  6. 24 March 2026 Passed Senate (unanimous consent)
  7. 3 more actions
    1. 24 March 2026 Held at the desk.
    2. 24 March 2026 Received in the House.
    3. 24 March 2026 Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  8. 24 March 2026 Discharged from committee (Senate)
  9. 19 February 2025 Referred to committee
  10. 19 February 2025 Introduced in Senate
This path starts where the bill does — its first action in the official record. Routine procedural steps sit in the “more actions” rows above rather than on the main line.

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