Bill · S. 4548· Senate(119-S-4548)
GROUSE Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 5/14/2026
- Last activity
- 5/14/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Sponsored by
- James Justice
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "GROUSE Act of 2026," aims to amend the Food Security Act of 1985. It proposes the creation of an Upland Species Habitat Restoration Program. Under this program, the Secretary would provide payments to landowners who enter into contracts to restore eligible forest land. This restoration involves establishing native vegetation that benefits upland wildlife. The program targets specific types of nonindustrial private forest land.
Yes· 3 of 5
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?+6
The bill promotes the restoration of native vegetation and habitats for upland species.
Would business owners be better off under this?+4
The bill provides financial assistance to landowners to cover 75 percent of habitat restoration costs.
Would farmers be better off under this?+4
The bill provides financial incentives and technical assistance for landowners managing forest land.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-2
The bill establishes a new federal payment program which increases government spending.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Financial assistance for restoration costs: Landowners can receive payments covering 75 percent of the costs for habitat restoration activities, such as labor, planting, fertilizer, and seedlings (Section 2, subsection c, paragraph 1).
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Support for wildlife habitats: The program encourages the establishment of native vegetation, including soft-mast tree and shrub species, to benefit upland wildlife (Section 2, subsection c, paragraph 1).
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Technical assistance availability: The Secretary may provide technical assistance to landowners for planting trees and shrubs according to their contracts (Section 2, subsection e).
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Disaster recovery support: The program includes forest land that was affected by major natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, or insect infestations (Section 2, subsection b, paragraph 1, sub-paragraph D).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limits on payment amounts: Landowners are restricted from receiving payments for more than 250 acres, or 5 percent of their owned eligible forest land, whichever is less (Section 2, subsection b, paragraph 2).
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Time limits on contracts: Contracts established under this program are limited to a term that does not exceed 5 years (Section 2, subsection d, paragraph 2).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections+6Improves Rural Development+3
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+4Good For Farmers+4
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+3Reduces Government Spending-2
- 5/14/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Introduced in Senate