The "Increased TSP Access Act of 2025" amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve the delivery of technical assistance by increasing the use of certified third-party providers and streamlining the certification process. It also requires the Secretary to establish fair payment amounts for these providers and increase transparency regarding their utilization and impact.
Roger Marshall
Senator
KS
The "Increased TSP Access Act of 2025" amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve the delivery of technical assistance to agricultural producers. It mandates the Secretary to certify third-party providers through various entities, including non-Federal entities and State agencies, to ensure timely and expert conservation assistance. The Act streamlines the certification process for providers with specialty certifications and requires fair payment for their services. Additionally, it directs the Secretary to increase transparency by providing public information on the utilization and impact of third-party providers.
Farming Help Gets a Boost: New Bill Streamlines Outside Expert Access for Conservation
The Increased TSP Access Act of 2025 aims to make it easier for farmers and landowners to get help with conservation efforts. Instead of relying solely on government personnel, this bill expands the use of third-party providers—think private sector experts like agricultural retailers or certified crop advisors—to provide technical assistance for things like conservation planning, practice design, and implementation.
Cutting Through the Red Tape
This bill is all about streamlining the process. Currently, getting certified as a provider can be a hurdle. The new law directs the Secretary of Agriculture to set up a faster, clearer system for approving these outside experts. It also allows non-Federal entities, like agricultural co-ops or professional organizations, to handle some of the certification workload. The goal is to broaden the pool of qualified people who can help with conservation projects, and get them working with farmers faster. For example, a local agricultural retailer could become certified to advise farmers on implementing cover crops, a practice that helps improve soil health and water quality (Section 1242(h)(3)(B)).
Show Me the Money (and the Results)
Of course, expertise costs money. The bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish "fair and reasonable" payment rates for these third-party services (Section 1242(i)(1)(A)). This could mean a higher price tag for technical assistance, but the bill also says that payments from other Federal programs can cover up to 100% of these costs for eligible participants (Section 1242(i)(2)).
To keep things transparent, the Secretary has to publish information about how much money is going to third-party providers and what kind of impact they're having on conservation. This is a good step toward accountability, but it's crucial to ensure the data is actually useful and accessible to the public, not just buried in a government report.
Potential Potholes
While the aim is to improve conservation efforts, there are some potential hitches. Making sure these third-party providers are truly qualified and unbiased is key. The bill outlines criteria for certification, but the devil is in the details of how that's implemented. There's also the risk of costs spiraling if payment rates aren't carefully managed. Ultimately, the success of this bill hinges on effective oversight and a commitment to making sure conservation dollars are well-spent and actually achieve the desired results. The bill also sets a one year deadline for review of requirements and a public report on the program's impact, so there are check-ins along the way (Section 1242(h)(5) & (j)).