[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8305 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8305

   To establish a payment program for unexpected loss of markets and 
  revenues to timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses due to 
                major disasters, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 8, 2024

    Mr. Golden of Maine (for himself, Mr. Stauber, and Ms. Pingree) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                              Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a payment program for unexpected loss of markets and 
  revenues to timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses due to 
                major disasters, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Loggers Economic Assistance and 
Relief Act''.

SEC. 2. PAYMENT PROGRAM FOR TIMBER HARVESTING AND TIMBER HAULING 
              BUSINESSES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means 
        any timber harvesting business or timber hauling business that 
        harvested or hauled unrefined timber products in the previous 
        calendar year.
            (2) Major disaster.--The term ``major disaster''--
                    (A) has the meaning given the term in section 
                102(2) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
                Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122(2)); and
                    (B) includes an insect infestation declared a major 
                disaster pursuant to such Act.
            (3) Gross revenue.--The term ``gross revenue'' means the 
        gross revenue generated by an eligible entity from timber 
        harvesting or timber hauling services within the normal range 
        of operation of the eligible entity, as determined by the 
        Secretary.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture, acting through the Administrator of the Farm 
        Service Agency.
    (b) Payments.--The Secretary shall make payments in accordance with 
this section to eligible entities that as a result of a major disaster 
experienced a loss of not less than 10 percent in gross revenue in a 
30-day period or quarter of a calendar year, as compared to the gross 
revenue of the eligible entity during the same 30-day period or quarter 
of the previous calendar year.
    (c) Amount of Payment.--The amount of a payment made to an eligible 
entity under subsection (b) shall be equal to 10 percent of the gross 
revenue of the eligible entity during the applicable period under 
subsection (b).
    (d) Allowable Use.--The Secretary shall only make a payment under 
subsection (b) to an eligible entity that certifies to the Secretary 
that the payment will be used only for operating expenses.
    (e) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a 
report describing the payments made under this section, including--
            (1) the identity of each recipient of a payment; and
            (2) the amount of each payment provided to each recipient 
        described in paragraph (1).
    (f) Regulations.--
            (1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
        section, not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as are 
        necessary to carry out this section.
            (2) Procedure.--The promulgation of regulations under, and 
        administration of, this section shall be made without regard 
        to--
                    (A) the notice and comment provisions of section 
                553 of title 5, United States Code; and
                    (B) chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code 
                (commonly known as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act'').
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2024 and 2025.
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