H.R. 5781: Making Access To Cleanup Happen Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Making Access To Cleanup Happen Act of 2025, aims to amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to address the costs incurred by sponsors before entering agreements related to emergency watershed protection measures. Here's a breakdown of its key components:

Definition of Sponsors

The bill defines a "sponsor" as:

• A state or local government
• An Indian Tribe, as specified in existing legislation

Preagreement Project Costs

The bill mandates that within 180 days of its enactment, the Secretary must:

• Compile a list of emergency watershed protection measures for which sponsors can incur costs before formalizing an agreement with the Secretary.
• Set up a procedure that allows sponsors to request additional emergency watershed protection measures for specific natural disasters, which they can incur costs for prior to agreement.

Agreement Contribution

Once an agreement is reached between the Secretary and a sponsor:

• Any preagreement costs that the sponsor has incurred for the listed emergency watershed measures will count towards their required contribution for the project costs.

Assumption of Risk

Sponsors who undertake emergency watershed protection measures prior to entering an agreement do so at their own risk. This means:

• If costs are incurred for these measures, the sponsor will be responsible for them and may not receive reimbursement.

Effect on Agreements

This section of the bill clarifies that the Secretary is not obligated to enter into an agreement with any sponsors, even if they have incurred preagreement costs.

Relevant Companies

None found