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 pre-
paredness 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 re-
ferred 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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Emergency and Dis-
aster Preparedness for Farm Animals Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) American farms continue to experience dev-
astating impacts from extreme weather events that 
have resulted in the death of millions of livestock 
and poultry in recent years. 
(2) During 2020 and 2021, the United States 
experienced a record-breaking hurricane season, 
record-breaking heat waves and the hottest month 
on record, a record-breaking wildfire season, and 
record-breaking droughts across the county. 
(3) Extreme weather events continue to become 
more frequent and severe, putting the country’s ag-
riculture operations and livestock herds at increased 
risk. 
(4) To help producers recover from weather-re-
lated losses, numerous Federal disaster assistance 
programs have been established that provide signifi-
cant funding to compensate producers each year, but 
do not require emergency planning. 
(5) Leading agricultural and animal health en-
tities, including the Department of Agriculture, the 
American Veterinary Medical Association, and the 
World Organisation for Animal Health, as well as 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, all 
recognize the importance of emergency planning and 
recommend the development of disaster prepared-
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ness plans on farms to help mitigate the impacts of 
extreme weather. 
(6) As we continue to adapt to a rapidly chang-
ing climate, emergency planning requirements are 
necessary to help ensure farmers are prepared, fi-
nancial losses are reduced, and farm animals are 
protected. 
SEC. 
3. 
DISASTER 
PREPAREDNESS 
PLANS 
REQUIRED 
UNDER CERTAIN DISASTER ASSISTANCE PRO-
GRAMS. 
(a) LIVESTOCK
INDEMNITY
PAYMENTS.—Section 
1501(b) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 
9081(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ‘‘(other 
than a disaster preparedness plan under paragraph 
(5))’’ after ‘‘management practice’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) SPECIAL RULE FOR PAYMENTS DUE TO 
ADVERSE WEATHER.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible producer 
may only receive a payment under this sub-
section for a loss described in paragraph (1)(B) 
if— 
‘‘(i) on a date before the 180-day pe-
riod preceding such loss, the eligible pro-
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ducer submitted to the Secretary, acting 
through the Administrator of the Farm 
Service Agency, an initial disaster pre-
paredness plan; 
‘‘(ii) in the case of a disaster pre-
paredness plan that was submitted to the 
Secretary on a date before the 2-year pe-
riod preceding such loss, the producer sub-
mitted a renewal of such plan during such 
2-year period; and 
‘‘(iii) not later than 30 days after 
such loss is incurred, the eligible producer 
provides to the Secretary a description of 
how the most recently submitted disaster 
preparedness plan was implemented on the 
farm to attempt to prevent such loss. 
‘‘(B) ELEMENTS.—For purposes of sub-
paragraph (A), a disaster preparedness plan 
shall include— 
‘‘(i) an adverse weather plan for each 
potential adverse weather event (based on 
the region the applicable farm is located 
and size of the farm) for each species of 
livestock on the farm; and 
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‘‘(ii) such other information as the 
Secretary may require. 
‘‘(C) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary shall 
make the plans received by the Secretary under 
subparagraph (A)(i) available to State or local 
agencies upon request.’’. 
(b) CONSOLIDATED FARM AND RURAL DEVELOP-
MENT ACT.—Section 333 of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1983) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(6); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (7) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) in the case of an emergency loan to replace 
livestock lost due to a natural disaster or major dis-
aster or emergency designated by the President 
under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), 
require the applicant to develop a disaster prepared-
ness plan that includes an adverse weather plan for 
each potential adverse weather event (based on the 
region the applicable farm is located and size of the 
farm) for each species of livestock on the farm.’’. 
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(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section, and the amend-
ments made by this section, shall take effect on the date 
that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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