Drought Assistance Improvement Act
This bill modifies access to two Farm Service Agency (FSA) administered programs: the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP).
The bill modifies the LFP to allow for one monthly payment when a county has four consecutive weeks of a D2 rating (severe drought) and two payments for eight consecutive weeks of D2. Currently, one payment is available for eight consecutive weeks of D2. (LFP makes payments to eligible livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses on drought-affected pastureland, including cropland planted specifically for grazing.)
The bill also expands coverage under ELAP for losses caused by adverse weather or drought. The bill includes under ELAP the loss of a crawfish harvest due to adverse weather or drought. (ELAP provides payments to producers of livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish as compensation for losses due to disease, adverse weather, feed or water shortages, or other conditions that are not covered under other programs.)
The FSA must establish ELAP documentation standards for (1) collecting data, (2) the production of crawfish, and (3) defining loss conditions due to drought.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5691 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5691
To improve drought related disaster assistance programs of the
Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 26, 2023
Ms. Letlow introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve drought related disaster assistance programs of the
Department of Agriculture, 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 ``Drought Assistance Improvement
Act''
SEC. 2. LIVESTOCK FORAGE DISASTER PROGRAM.
Section 1501(c)(3)(D)(ii)(I) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7
U.S.C. 9081(c)(3)(D)(ii)(I)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``at least 8 consecutive'' and inserting
the following: ``not less than--
``(aa) 4 consecutive weeks
during the normal grazing
period for the county, as
determined by the Secretary,
shall be eligible to receive
assistance under this paragraph
in an amount equal to 1 monthly
payment using the monthly
payment rate determined under
subparagraph (B); or
``(bb) 8 consecutive''; and
(2) in item (bb) (as so designated), by striking ``1
monthly payment'' and inserting ``2 monthly payments''.
SEC. 3. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR LIVESTOCK, HONEY BEES, AND FARM-RAISED
FISH PROGRAM.
(a) Documentation Standards.--Section 1501(d) of the Agricultural
Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(d)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``drought,'' after
``adverse weather,'';
(2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``adverse weather or
drought,'' after ``disease,''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) Documentation standards.--For purposes of this
subsection, the Secretary, in consultation with eligible
producers of farm-raised fish, shall establish a documentation
standard for each of the following:
``(A) Collecting data.
``(B) Production of crawfish, as related to
reductions in harvest.
``(C) Defining loss conditions due to drought.''.
(b) Reduced Crawfish Harvest Eligibility.--Subsection 1501(d)(2) of
the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(d)(2)) is further amended
by inserting ``and loss of crawfish harvest due to adverse weather or
drought'' after ``cattle tick fever''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
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