I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 243 

To amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 and the Consolidated Farm and 

Rural Development Act to require producers to establish disaster preparedness plans to be eligible for certain disaster assistance programs, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 10, 2023 

Mr. COHEN (for himself, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. CARSON, Mr. DOGGETT, Ms. 

NORTON, and Ms. TITUS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 and the Consolidated 

Farm and Rural Development Act to require producers 

to establish disaster preparedness plans to be eligible 

for certain disaster assistance programs, 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 ‘‘Emergency and Dis5 aster Preparedness for Farm Animals Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) American farms continue to experience dev2 astating impacts from extreme weather events that 

3 have resulted in the death of millions of livestock 

4 and poultry in recent years. 

5 (2) During 2020 and 2021, the United States 

6 experienced a record-breaking hurricane season, 

7 record-breaking heat waves and the hottest month 

8 on record, a record-breaking wildfire season, and 

9 record-breaking droughts across the county. 

10 (3) Extreme weather events continue to become 

11 more frequent and severe, putting the country’s ag12 riculture operations and livestock herds at increased 

13 risk. 

14 (4) To help producers recover from weather-re15 lated losses, numerous Federal disaster assistance 

16 programs have been established that provide signifi17 cant funding to compensate producers each year, but 

18 do not require emergency planning. 

19 (5) Leading agricultural and animal health en20 tities, including the Department of Agriculture, the 

21 American Veterinary Medical Association, and the 

22 World Organisation for Animal Health, as well as 

23 the Federal Emergency Management Agency, all 

24 recognize the importance of emergency planning and 

25 recommend the development of disaster preparedVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:35 Jan 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H243.IH H243

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1 ness plans on farms to help mitigate the impacts of 

2 extreme weather. 

3 (6) As we continue to adapt to a rapidly chang4 ing climate, emergency planning requirements are 

5 necessary to help ensure farmers are prepared, fi6 nancial losses are reduced, and farm animals are 

7 protected. 

8 SEC. 3. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLANS REQUIRED 

9 UNDER CERTAIN DISASTER ASSISTANCE PRO10 GRAMS. 

11 (a) LIVESTOCK INDEMNITY PAYMENTS.—Section 

12 1501(b) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 

13 9081(b)) is amended— 

14 (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ‘‘(other 

15 than a disaster preparedness plan under paragraph 

16 (5))’’ after ‘‘management practice’’; and 

17 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(5) SPECIAL RULE FOR PAYMENTS DUE TO

19 ADVERSE WEATHER.— 

20 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible producer 

21 may only receive a payment under this sub22 section for a loss described in paragraph (1)(B) 

23 if— 

24 ‘‘(i) on a date before the 180-day pe25 riod preceding such loss, the eligible proVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:35 Jan 20, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H243.IH H243

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1 ducer submitted to the Secretary, acting 

2 through the Administrator of the Farm 

3 Service Agency, an initial disaster pre4 paredness plan; 

5 ‘‘(ii) in the case of a disaster pre6 paredness plan that was submitted to the 

7 Secretary on a date before the 2-year pe8 riod preceding such loss, the producer sub9 mitted a renewal of such plan during such 

10 2-year period; and 

11 ‘‘(iii) not later than 30 days after 

12 such loss is incurred, the eligible producer 

13 provides to the Secretary a description of 

14 how the most recently submitted disaster 

15 preparedness plan was implemented on the 

16 farm to attempt to prevent such loss. 

17 ‘‘(B) ELEMENTS.—For purposes of sub18 paragraph (A), a disaster preparedness plan 

19 shall include— 

20 ‘‘(i) an adverse weather plan for each 

21 potential adverse weather event (based on 

22 the region the applicable farm is located 

23 and size of the farm) for each species of 

24 livestock on the farm; and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) such other information as the 

2 Secretary may require. 

3 ‘‘(C) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary shall 

4 make the plans received by the Secretary under 

5 subparagraph (A)(i) available to State or local 

6 agencies upon request.’’. 

7 (b) CONSOLIDATED FARM AND RURAL DEVELOP8 MENT ACT.—Section 333 of the Consolidated Farm and 

9 Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1983) is amended— 

10 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 

11 (6); 

12 (2) by striking the period at the end of para13 graph (7) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

14 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(8) in the case of an emergency loan to replace 

16 livestock lost due to a natural disaster or major dis17 aster or emergency designated by the President 

18 under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 

19 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), 

20 require the applicant to develop a disaster prepared21 ness plan that includes an adverse weather plan for 

22 each potential adverse weather event (based on the 

23 region the applicable farm is located and size of the 

24 farm) for each species of livestock on the farm.’’. 


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1 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section, and the amend2 ments made by this section, shall take effect on the date 

3 that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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