{"format":1,"id":"117-s-1251","congress":117,"number":"S. 1251","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed Senate","official_title":"A bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a program to reduce barriers to entry for farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners in certain voluntary markets, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"A bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a program to reduce barriers to entry for farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners in certain voluntary markets, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate","title":"Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed Senate","title":"Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021"}],"outcome":"passed_senate","law_number":null,"introduced":"2021-04-20","chambers":{"house":{"status":"na","date":null,"vote":null},"senate":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2021-06-24","vote":{"id":"117-2021-s251","question":"On Passage of the Bill","title":"S. 1251","result":"Bill Passed","yea":92,"nay":8,"present":0,"not_voting":0,"source":"https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1171/vote_117_1_00251.xml"}}},"president":{"status":"na","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Held at the desk.","date":"2021-06-24"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[{"number":"S.Amdt. 2119","sponsor":"Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]","purpose":"In the nature of a substitute.","result":"Amendment Rejected","date":"2021-06-24","yea":11,"nay":89,"present":0,"not_voting":0,"source":"https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1171/vote_117_1_00250.xml"}],"other_votes":[{"chamber":"senate","date":"2021-06-24","question":"On the Amendment","title":"Lee Amdt. No. 2119","result":"Amendment Rejected","yea":11,"nay":89,"present":0,"not_voting":0,"kind":"amendment","source":"https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1171/vote_117_1_00250.xml"}],"crs_summary":{"date":"2021-06-24","stage":"Passed Senate","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a voluntary Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Certification Program to help reduce entry barriers into voluntary environmental credit markets for farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners. A voluntary environmental credit market is a market through which agriculture and forestry credits may be bought or sold."},{"k":"p","t":"Entities eligible to participate in the program are (1) providers of technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, or private forest landowners in carrying out sustainable land use management practices that prevent, reduce, or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, or sequester carbon; or (2) third-party verifiers that conduct the verification of the processes described in the protocols for voluntary environmental credit markets."},{"k":"p","t":"Among other requirements, USDA must publish (1) a list of protocols and qualifications for eligible entities; (2) information describing how entities may self-certify under the program; (3) information describing how entities may obtain the expertise to meet the protocols and qualifications; and (4) instructions and suggestions to assist farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners in facilitating the development of agriculture or forestry credits and accessing voluntary environmental credit markets."},{"k":"p","t":"USDA must also establish an advisory council to make recommendations regarding the list of protocols and qualifications, best practices, and voluntary environmental credit markets."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill also rescinds certain funds provided in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and makes the funds available for the certification program."}],"words":240},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish, under stated conditions, a voluntary program that certifies technical assistance providers and third-party verifiers serving farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners in voluntary environmental credit markets.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1251/text/es#id46171D1781CE49408C2DFF5CA8FAB211:~:text=2.%20Greenhouse%20gas%20technical%20assistance%20provider%20and"}]},"core_areas":["Certification of greenhouse gas technical assistance providers and third-party verifiers","Protocols and qualifications for voluntary environmental credit markets","Advisory council for the certification program","Civil penalties for false certification claims and fraudulent submissions","Assessments and reports on voluntary environmental credit markets","Program funding and rescission of American Rescue Plan Act funds"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the voluntary certification program 270 days after enactment, only if the Secretary determines it will further the stated purposes, and to publish a report giving reasons if the program is not established.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1251/text/es#id46171D1781CE49408C2DFF5CA8FAB211:~:text=2.%20Greenhouse%20gas%20technical%20assistance%20provider%20and"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary to publish a list of recognized protocols and descriptions of qualifications for covered entities, and allows covered entities to self-certify through a Department website.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1251/text/es#id46171D1781CE49408C2DFF5CA8FAB211:~:text=2.%20Greenhouse%20gas%20technical%20assistance%20provider%20and"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary to establish an Advisory Council of appointed members, at least 51 percent of them farmers, ranchers, or private forest landowners, who serve without compensation and recommend changes to the protocols and qualifications.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1251/text/es#id46171D1781CE49408C2DFF5CA8FAB211:~:text=2.%20Greenhouse%20gas%20technical%20assistance%20provider%20and"}},{"text":"Prohibits uncertified persons from knowingly claiming to be USDA-certified and prohibits submitting fraudulent information, with a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000 per violation and 5 years of ineligibility to certify.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1251/text/es#id46171D1781CE49408C2DFF5CA8FAB211:~:text=2.%20Greenhouse%20gas%20technical%20assistance%20provider%20and"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary to complete and publish an assessment of voluntary environmental credit markets within 240 days of enactment, repeat it every 4 years, and publish program reports every 2 years.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1251/text/es#id46171D1781CE49408C2DFF5CA8FAB211:~:text=2.%20Greenhouse%20gas%20technical%20assistance%20provider%20and"}},{"text":"Authorizes $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, rescinds $4,100,000 of unobligated funds under section 1003 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and appropriates $4,100,000 to the Secretary if the full rescission can be executed.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1251/text/es#id46171D1781CE49408C2DFF5CA8FAB211:~:text=2.%20Greenhouse%20gas%20technical%20assistance%20provider%20and"}}],"unexpected":[],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in Senate","date":"2021-06-24","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1251/text/es"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1251","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1251/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/117-s-1251.png","v":"1565fab24f37","alt":"Votes on Record. S. 1251, 117th Congress: Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021. Senate: 92 Yea, 8 Nay. Outcome: Passed Senate, 24 Jun 2021."}}