HR 1592 119th Congress House Government Operations and Politics Agricultural conservation and pollution Alternative and renewable resources Farmland Land use and conservation Soil pollution

SOLAR Act

Introduced: February 26, 2025 Introduced by: Bost, Mike Republican · Illinois See on congress.gov

Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Mar 28, 2025

Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.

Feb 26, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Feb 26, 2025

Introduced in House

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Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Securing Our Lands and Resources Act or the SOLAR Act

This bill prohibits the Department of Agriculture from providing financial assistance for certain projects that would result in the conversion of covered farmland for solar energy production.

Under the bill, covered farmland generally refers to prime farmland, unique farmland, and farmland that is of statewide or local importance. Conversion means any activity that results in the covered farmland no longer meeting certain requirements for agricultural production, activity, or use.

The bill includes an exception for certain smaller projects that result in the conversion of (1) less than 5 acres of covered farmland, or (2) less than 50 acres of covered farmland if the majority of the energy produced by the project is for on-farm use.

The bill also includes an exception for projects that have the approval or support from the local county and municipality. For these projects, the applicant must (1) develop a farmland conservation plan for the project (e.g., implementing best practices to protect future soil health and productivity), and (2) ensure that sufficient funds are provided for the decommissioning of the solar energy production system and the remediation and restoration of the farmland.

What's happening now March 28, 2025

Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.

Related & companion bills 1

Bill text 1 version

Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

Committees of jurisdiction 2

Agriculture Committee
House of Representatives
Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee
House of Representatives · subcommittee of Agriculture Committee

Lobbying activity 3

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

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