text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Farm-to-Fuel Investment Act of 
  2007''.
  
  SEC. 2. BIOENERGY TRANSITION ASSISTANCE.
  
      (a) Definitions.--Section 9003(b) of the Farm Security and Rural 
  Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8103(b)) is amended--
              (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as 
          paragraphs (5) through (7), respectively; and
              (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
              ``(2) Bioenergy crop.--
                      ``(A) In general.--The term `bioenergy crop' 
                  means--
                              ``(i) a perennial plant that can be used as 
                          feedstock for bioenergy production; or
                              ``(ii) an annual plant that--
                                      ``(I) can be used as feedstock for 
                                  bioenergy production; and
                                      ``(II) is grown in a resource-
                                  conserving crop rotation.
                      ``(B) Exclusions.--The term `bioenergy crop' does 
                  not include--
                              ``(i) any crop that is eligible for any 
                          payments under title I; or
                              ``(ii) any plant that--
                                      ``(I) the Secretary determines to 
                                  be invasive or noxious; or
                                      ``(II) has the potential to become 
                                  invasive or noxious, as determined by 
                                  the Secretary, in consultation with the 
                                  United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
                                  or a State conservation agency.
              ``(3) Bioenergy cropshed.--The term `bioenergy cropshed' 
          means a bioenergy cropshed designated by the Secretary under 
          subsection (g)(1).
              ``(4) Bioenergy producer.--The term `bioenergy producer' 
          means a producer that produces a bioenergy crop that, as 
          determined by the Secretary--
                      ``(A) is physically located in a bioenergy 
                  cropshed; and
                      ``(B) can be used by the local biorefinery.''.
      (b) Bioenergy Transition Assistance.--Section 9003 of the Farm 
  Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8103) is amended--
              (1) by redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as subsections 
          (h) and (i), respectively; and
              (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
      ``(g) Bioenergy Transition Assistance.--
              ``(1) Designation of bioenergy cropsheds.--
                      ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall designate as 
                  bioenergy cropsheds, areas that are physically located 
                  within, as determined by the Secretary--
                              ``(i) a 50-mile radius of an existing or 
                          planned biorefinery; or
                              ``(ii) some other economically-practicable 
                          distance from an existing or planned 
                          biorefinery.
                      ``(B) Specific conservation objectives.--Each 
                  bioenergy cropshed designated under subparagraph (A) 
                  shall include specific conservation objectives for 
                  local resources of concern, including water quality, 
                  wildlife habitat, soil quality, and air quality, as 
                  determined by the Secretary, acting through the Natural 
                  Resources Conservation Service and in consultation with 
                  State technical committees.
                      ``(C) Priority.--In designating bioenergy cropsheds 
                  under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall give 
                  priority to--
                              ``(i) locations in which the establishment 
                          of bioenergy cropsheds is most likely, as 
                          determined by the Secretary, to result in--
                                      ``(I) geographic diversity;
                                      ``(II) diversity of feedstocks;
                                      ``(III) net environmental benefit; 
                                  and
                                      ``(IV) minimal environmental harm; 
                                  and
                              ``(ii) areas in which the existing or 
                          planned biorefinery is owned primarily by 
                          residents of a rural area.
              ``(2) Bioenergy crop transition assistance.--
                      ``(A) In general.--The Secretary, acting through 
                  the Natural Resources Conservation Service, shall offer 
                  to enter into contracts with producers on a farm in a 
                  bioenergy cropshed to provide bioenergy crop transition 
                  assistance to encourage the producers to produce 
                  bioenergy crops for a biorefinery located in the 
                  bioenergy cropshed.
                      ``(B) Term of contract.--Contracts described in 
                  subparagraph (A) shall be for a term of 3 years.
              ``(3) Eligibility.--
                      ``(A) In general.--As a condition of entering into 
                  a bioenergy crop transition assistance contract, the 
                  producers on a farm shall, as determined by the 
                  Secretary--
                              ``(i) demonstrate that the producers are 
                          producing a bioenergy crop that is contracted 
                          for use by the biorefinery in the bioenergy 
                          cropshed;
                              ``(ii) agree to meet the quality criteria 
                          for water quality, wildlife habitat, and soil 
                          quality by the end of the contract period; and
                              ``(iii) agree to make available to the 
                          Secretary (or to an institution of higher 
                          education designated by the Secretary) such 
                          information as the Secretary considers to be 
                          appropriate--
                                      ``(I) to promote the production of 
                                  bioenergy crops and the development of 
                                  biorefinery technology; and
                                      ``(II) to evaluate the bioenergy 
                                  transition assistance.
                      ``(B) Best practices database.--Subject to section 
                  1770 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 2276), 
                  the Secretary shall make available to the public in a 
                  database format the best practices information 
                  developed by the Secretary in providing bioenergy 
                  transition assistance.
              ``(4) Amount of payments.--In determining the amount of 
          annual bioenergy crop transition assistance to be paid to 
          producers on a farm under this subsection, the Secretary shall 
          consider--
                      ``(A) the cost of establishing the bioenergy crop;
                      ``(B) the amount necessary to encourage producers 
                  on a farm to produce bioenergy crops in the quantity 
                  needed by the biorefinery in the bioenergy cropshed;
                      ``(C) the amount that the producers on a farm would 
                  have earned if the producers had produced a crop other 
                  than a bioenergy crop; and
                      ``(D) such other factors as the Secretary considers 
                  to be appropriate.
              ``(5) Funding.--Of the funds of the Commodity Credit 
          Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this 
          subsection $350,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2008 
          through 2012, to remain available until expended.''.
      (c) Conforming Amendments.--Section 1770(d) of the Food Security 
  Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 2276(d)) is amended--
              (1) in paragraph (11), by striking ``or'' at the end;
              (2) in paragraph (12), by striking the period at the end 
          and inserting ``; or''; and
              (3) by adding at the end the following:
              ``(13) section 9003(g) of the Farm Security and Rural 
          Investment of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8103(g))''.
  
  SEC. 3. CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM.
  
      (a) Definition of Bioenergy Crops.--Section 1238 of the Food 
  Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838) is amended--
              (1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (15) as 
          paragraphs (5) through (17), respectively; and
              (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
              ``(3) Bioenergy crop.--The term `bioenergy crop' has the 
          meaning given the term in section 9003(b) of the Farm Security 
          and Rural Investment of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8103(b)).
              ``(4) Bioenergy producer.--The term `bioenergy producer' 
          has the meaning given the term in section 9003(b) of the Farm 
          Security and Rural Investment of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8103(b)).''.
      (b) Conservation Security Contracts.--Section 1238C(b)(1)(C)(iii) 
  of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3838c(b)(1)(C)(iii)) is 
  amended--
              (1) in subclause (IV), by striking ``or'' at the end;
              (2) in subclause (V), by striking the period at the end and 
          inserting a semicolon; and
              (3) by adding at the end the following:
                                      ``(VI) is a bioenergy producer and 
                                  maintains and actively manages a 
                                  conservation system that incorporates 2 
                                  or more native perennial bioenergy crop 
                                  species; or
                                      ``(VII) is a bioenergy producer and 
                                  participates in a bioenergy crop system 
                                  research and demonstration project.''.
target: Farm-to-Fuel Investment Act of 2007 - Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to designate as bioenergy cropsheds areas that are physically located within a 50-mile radius, or some other economically-practicable distance, from an existing or planned biorefinery.
  
  States that each designated bioenergy cropshed shall include local conservation objectives, including water quality, wildlife habitat, soil quality, and air quality.
  
  Directs the Secretary, through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, to offer to enter into contracts with producers on a farm in a bioenergy cropshed to provide bioenergy crop transition assistance to encourage the producers to produce bioenergy crops.
feat_title: A bill to amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to provide incentives for the production of bioenergy crops.