- Local governmentsEnables faster local emergency protective actions by allowing work before federal approval.
- Local governmentsAllows preagreement expenditures to count toward sponsor cost-share, reducing future local cash burdens.
- StatesCreates clearer lists and procedures, improving state-level planning and coordination for disasters.
MATCH Act of 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
This bill amends the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) authority in the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to allow State or local governments and Indian Tribes ("sponsors") to incur certain preagreement costs for emergency watershed protection measures.
Within 180 days the Secretary must list allowable preagreement measures and establish a State-level procedure to request additional measures for a specified natural disaster.
If a sponsor later enters into an agreement with the Secretary, those preagreement costs may count toward the sponsor’s contribution; sponsors who act beforehand assume the financial risk.
Technocratic, limited-change bill with low fiscal impact and bipartisan appeal increases feasibility, though procedural barriers remain.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a focused administrative amendment that clearly defines its primary purpose, assigns responsibility to the Secretary, and imposes an initial deadline, but it provides only moderate operational detail and omits fiscal and many procedural specifics.
Liberals emphasize equity and environmental safeguards.
Who stands to gain, and who may push back.
- Targeted stakeholdersSponsors face financial risk if preagreement costs are not later accepted or reimbursed.
- Federal agenciesPreagreement work could proceed with less federal oversight, raising environmental or procedural risks.
- Targeted stakeholdersUSDA must develop lists and procedures within 180 days, adding administrative workload.
Why the argument around this bill splits.
Liberals emphasize equity and environmental safeguards.
Generally supportive of measures that speed disaster response and include Tribes, but cautious about shifting costs onto underresourced state, local, or tribal governments.
Would look for safeguards ensuring equitable access and environmental protections.
Likely to view this as a pragmatic, low-cost improvement clarifying procedures for disaster mitigation.
Supportive if administrative details and fiscal exposures are carefully managed and timelines are realistic.
Favorable to increased State and local authority and voluntary local risk-taking.
Appreciates limiting new mandatory federal spending while enabling faster local mitigation actions.
The path through Congress.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Technocratic, limited-change bill with low fiscal impact and bipartisan appeal increases feasibility, though procedural barriers remain.
- No official cost estimate or CBO score provided
- Exact list of allowable preagreement measures unknown
Recent votes on the bill.
No vote history yet
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Go deeper than the headline read.
Liberals emphasize equity and environmental safeguards.
Technocratic, limited-change bill with low fiscal impact and bipartisan appeal increases feasibility, though procedural barriers remain.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a focused administrative amendment that clearly defines its primary purpose, assigns responsibility to the Secretary, and imposes an initial deadline, but it provi…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.