To express the sense of the Senate concerning use of certain funds to provide technical assistance for mandatory conservation programs under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.

1. Adds SEC. 7__. SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING CERTAIN FUNDS FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR MANDATORY CONSERVATION PROGRAMS on page 80, between lines 3 and 4

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   Inserted: SEC. 7__. SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING CERTAIN FUNDS FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR MANDATORY CONSERVATION PROGRAMS.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--The Senate finds that--

   Inserted: (1) conservation technical assistance provided through the Department of Agriculture is essential to help the farmers, ranchers, and landowners of the United States to implement and maintain critical conservation practices;

   Inserted: (2) Congress provided a historic increase in mandatory funding for voluntary conservation efforts in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-171);

   Inserted: (3) in that Act, Congress provided mandatory funding sufficient to cover all conservation technical assistance needed to carry out conservation programs;

   Inserted: (4) under that Act, conservation technical assistance is provided to carry out conservation programs;

   Inserted: (5) the General Accounting Office has determined that, under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, funding for conservation technical assistance--

   Inserted: (A) is provided directly for conservation programs; and

   Inserted: (B) is not subject to the limitation specified in section 11 of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714i); and

   Inserted: (6) the General Accounting Office has determined that funds in the Conservation Operations account cannot be used to fund conservation technical assistance for conservation programs under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.

   Inserted: (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that--

   Inserted: (1) the President should provide full funding for conservation technical assistance in order to implement conservation programs under title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.); and

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   Inserted: (2) the President should not use funds from the Conservation Operations account to provide conservation technical assistance for carrying out conservation programs directly funded by that title.

   Original wording

   On page 80, between lines 3 and 4, insert the following:

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As printed