PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jun 29, 2012
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Fairness Act of 2012 - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to provide technical assistance to a Chesapeake Bay state (Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia) to assist in developing water quality goals that reduce losses of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment from agricultural or nonindustrial private forest land in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Authorizes the Secretary to provide financial and technical assistance to such a state to assist agricultural producers or owners to promote state water quality goals.
Authorizes the Secretary to provide technical assistance to producers and owners in such watershed, either directly or through a technical service provider, an agricultural or silvicultural producer association, a state or local government, an Indian tribe, a farmer cooperative, an institution of higher education, or an organization with an established history of working with producers on agricultural land, to address: (1) local conservation priorities related to agricultural production, wildlife habitat development, and nonindustrial private forest land management; or (2) critical watershed-scale soil erosion, water quality, sediment reduction, or other natural resource concerns. Authorizes such technical assistance to be provided for: (1) conservation services to reduce losses of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment from agricultural and nonindustrial private forest land in such watershed; or (2) identifying best management practices and assessing practices required to achieve compliance with state and federal water quality laws.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Authorizes funding for each of FY2013-FY2018 for such activities in such watershed.
People & committees
Rep. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD-8] · D–MD
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry.
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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