II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4233 

To establish a payment program for unexpected loss of markets and revenues 

to timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses due to the COVID– 

19 pandemic, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 21, 2020 

Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Ms. SMITH) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 

and Forestry 

A BILL 

To establish a payment program for unexpected loss of markets and revenues to timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses due to the COVID–19 pandemic, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Loggers Relief Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. PAYMENT PROGRAM FOR TIMBER HARVESTING 

6 AND TIMBER HAULING BUSINESSES. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti2 ty’’ means any timber harvesting business or timber 

3 hauling business that harvested or hauled unrefined 

4 timber products in calendar year 2019. 

5 (2) GROSS REVENUE.—The term ‘‘gross rev6 enue’’ means the gross revenue generated by an eli7 gible entity from timber harvesting or timber haul8 ing services within the normal range of operation of 

9 the eligible entity, as determined by the Secretary. 

10 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

11 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

12 (b) PAYMENTS.—The Secretary shall make payments 

13 in accordance with this section to eligible entities that, as 

14 a result of the COVID–19 pandemic, experienced a loss 

15 of not less than 10 percent in gross revenue during the 

16 period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on July 

17 31, 2020, as compared to the gross revenue of the eligible 

18 entity during the same period in 2019. 

19 (c) AMOUNT OF PAYMENT.—The amount of a pay20 ment made to an eligible entity under subsection (b) shall 

21 be equal to 10 percent of the gross revenue of the eligible 

22 entity during the period beginning on January 1, 2019, 

23 and ending on July 31, 2019. 

24 (d) ALLOWABLE USE.—The Secretary shall only 

25 make a payment under subsection (b) to an eligible entity 


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1 that certifies to the Secretary that the payment will be 

2 used only for operating expenses. 

3 (e) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

4 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 

5 the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representa6 tives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 

7 Forestry of the Senate a report describing the payments 

8 made under this section, including— 

9 (1) the identity of each recipient of a payment; 

10 and 

11 (2) the amount of each payment provided to 

12 each recipient described in paragraph (1). 

13 (f) REGULATIONS.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise pro15 vided in this section, not later than 30 days after 

16 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

17 shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to 

18 carry out this section. 

19 (2) PROCEDURE.—The promulgation of regula20 tions under, and administration of, this section shall 

21 be made without regard to— 

22 (A) the notice and comment provisions of 

23 section 553 of title 5, United States Code; and 


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1 (B) chapter 35 of title 44, United States 

2 Code (commonly known as the ‘‘Paperwork Re3 duction Act’’). 

4 (g) FUNDING.—There are appropriated, out of any 

5 amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such 

6 sums as are necessary to make payments to eligible enti7 ties under this section. 

Æ 


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