S3820Referred to Committee
Soil CARE Act of 2026
Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber4
Passed Both5
Signed into Law119th
Congress
2026-02-10
Introduced
2
Cosponsors
S
ⓘType
Sponsor
Jeff Merkley
Democrat · OR · Senator
Votes with party: 85.2% (852 recorded votes)
Full profile: /officials/M001176
Source: Congress.gov · FEC
Cosponsors (2)
Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.
Latest Action
The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
2026-02-10
Source: Congress.gov
Committee Activity
Currently in
- Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and ForestryReferred To · 2026-02-10
Plain-English Summary
Soil Conservation And Regeneration Education Act of 2026 or the Soil CARE Act of 2026 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a training program for soil health management in Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs. Under the bill, soil health management means land management methods used to increase and balance soil health, such as microbial biomass and macrofauna, for the purpose of improving biological functions, including forming and stabilizing soil structure, cycling nutrients, controlling pests and disease, and degrading or detoxifying contaminants. The training program must (1) provide education, resources, and technical support to NRCS personnel and third-party providers on the rapidly evolving methodologies, science, and practices for improving soil health; and (2) assist NRCS personnel and third-party providers in supporting agricultural producers in understanding and implementing soil health management systems that regenerate farmland. The training program must be available twice every two years in each NRCS region and include both an online curriculum and in-person training workshops. The training program must be developed and delivered through cooperative agreements with entities with soil health management systems expertise and experience working with and training producers. The bill includes minimum curriculum requirements for the training program, including specific units on soil health and diversified production systems. USDA must review and update the training program curriculum and materials every two years.
Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.
Affected Industries
Industries and interest groups with a stake in how this bill is resolved. Compare with each member's outside-money backers on their finance page.
Agriculture
Why this matters: Look up any member who voted on this bill and check their finance page — do the industries listed above match the groups funding their campaigns? That's the kind of connection this tool is built to help you find.
Subjects
Agriculture and Food
Full bill text is not yet cached locally.
Related legislation
Bills by the same sponsor or covering overlapping subjects.
- SRES806A resolution designating July 2026 as "Plastic Pollution Action Month".Referred to Committee · 2026-07-16
- S5021A bill to provide consumer protections for students.Referred to Committee · 2026-07-16
- S5005A bill to amend the Epstein Files Transparency Act with respect to enforcement by an attorney general of a State.Referred to Committee · 2026-07-15
- S4990A bill to require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to review and update Federal Aviation Administration regulations, policies, and guidance related to low-altitude airspace safety, and for other purposes.Referred to Committee · 2026-07-15