To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to repeal certain provisions relating to the acceptance and use of contributions for public-private partnerships, and for other purposes.

HR773 was introduced on January 28, 2025, by Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY) and referred to the House Agriculture Committee, then to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology on February 28, 2025. The bill repeals Sections 1241(f)(3)-(10) of the Food Security Act of 1985, which were added by the SUSTAINS Act (part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023). These sections authorized the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to accept and use non-federal contributions — cash, materials, services — for public-private conservation partnerships. The bill explicitly allows NRCS to continue accepting non-federal contributions into existing program sub-accounts (EQIP, CSP, etc.) but strips the dedicated public-private partnership authority that was specifically designed to enable corporate co-investment in sustainability initiatives. This is a structural change: the SUSTAINS Act created a clear pathway for agribusinesses, food companies, and technology firms to co-fund conservation practices and receive recognition/attribution. HR773 eliminates that dedicated mechanism, returning NRCS to a more limited, program-specific contribution acceptance framework. The money trail is indirect but significant. Under the SUSTAINS Act framework, companies like Corteva and Deere could partner with NRCS to pilot and deploy conservation products (e.g., nitrogen inhibitors, precision sprayers) on working farms, with the government cost-share reducing farmer out-of-pocket expenses. This subsidy effectively increased adoption rates. Removing this channel means farmers face higher effective costs for these products, reducing demand. There is no direct funding authorization in HR773 — it removes a revenue mechanism, not appropriates funds. The bill remains in early stages (referred to subcommittee), has no companion Senate bill, and is sponsored by a junior member without committee leadership. Passage probability is moderate-low in its current form. However, if this becomes part of broader Farm Bill negotiations in 2025-2026, the impact could be more substantial. The lack of a Senate counterpart and the bill's narrow scope suggest it is a positioning statement rather than an imminent threat to the current framework. Winners: None from this bill. Losers: Corteva ($CTVA) sees reduced incentive for its digital agriculture and Encirca platform adoption; Deere ($DE) faces slower uptake of precision equipment upgrades that were being integrated into NRCS conservation plans. Absent from direct impact: fertilizer producers ($CF, $NTR) because nitrogen inhibitors affect application, not total fertilizer volume; crop protection ($SYT via BASF) because conservation practices are additive, not a replacement for core inputs.