I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 341
To provide economic disaster assistance to producers of the 2002 crop of 
rice in the State of Louisiana. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 27, 2003
Mr. JOHN (for himself and Mr. ALEXANDER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To provide economic disaster assistance to producers of the 
2002 crop of rice in the State of Louisiana.
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 ‘‘Louisiana Rice Eco-
nomic Relief Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The rice industry in the State of Louisiana 
contributes significantly to the economy of that 
State and the United States, with an estimated an-
nual value of approximately $250,000,000 and an 
estimated average annual economic benefit of ap-
proximately $1,000,000,000. 
(2) For the 2002 crop of rice, rice producers in 
the State of Louisiana suffered from the lowest rice 
prices in more than 50 years. 
(3) Since most of the 2002 crop of rice in the 
State of Louisiana was sold during the harvest sea-
son, the market-derived income of producers from 
the sale of rice fell to record low levels. 
(4) The historically-low income of producers 
from the sale of rice in the State of Louisiana, even 
when combined with Federal income support, still is 
devastating to—
(A) rice producers in the State; 
(B) the rice industry infrastructure of the 
State; 
(C) businesses that serve and depend on 
the rice industry; and 
(D) communities in which rice producers 
and their families reside and in which the rice 
industry operates. 
(5) Because of the significant reduction in total 
income and the current costs of production, many 
rice producers of the State of Louisiana will not
cover the total expenses they incurred to produce 
and harvest the 2002 crop. 
(6) The historically-low prices of the 2002 crop 
of rice in the State of Louisiana have contributed to 
a combined market price and Federal support in-
come level that is approximately $2.42 per hundred-
weight less than the average combined market price 
and Federal support income levels during the 1998 
through 2001 period, which is approximately 22 per-
cent below the average income level for the State for 
the same time period. 
(7) Due to the historically-low rice prices and 
reduced income, rice producers in the State of Lou-
isiana and their families are faced with dire eco-
nomic circumstances that are crippling them and the 
communities in which they live and work. 
SEC. 3. ECONOMIC DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR LOUISIANA 
RICE PRODUCERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall 
use such sums as are necessary of funds of the Commodity 
Credit Corporation to make payments, as soon as prac-
ticable after the date of enactment of this Act, to pro-
ducers of the 2002 crop of rice on farms located in the 
State of Louisiana, to assist producers as a result of the
disastrous economic conditions occurring with the 2002 
crop of rice. 
(b) AMOUNT.—The amount of a payment made to 
producers on a farm under this section shall be equal to 
the product obtained by multiplying—
(1) the actual quantity of rice produced by the 
producers on the farm during the 2002 crop year; 
and 
(2) a payment rate of $2.42 per hundredweight. 
(c) PAYMENT LIMITATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The total amount of pay-
ments that a person shall be entitled to receive 
under this section may not exceed $40,000. 
(2) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall pro-
mulgate regulations defining the term ‘‘person’’ for 
the purposes of paragraph (1), which shall conform, 
to the maximum extent practicable, to the regula-
tions defining the term ‘‘person’’ promulgated under 
section 1001 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 
U.S.C. 1308). The Secretary also shall promulgate 
such additional regulations as the Secretary deter-
mines necessary to ensure a fair and reasonable ap-
plication of the limitation established under such 
paragraph.
(d) INFORMATION.—In carrying out this section, the 
Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable—
(1) use information that the Secretary has ob-
tained from administering other provisions of law; 
and 
(2) minimize any additional information or re-
quirements that are imposed on eligible producers. 
(e) ADMINISTRATIVE OFFSET.—Payments under this 
section shall not be subject to administrative offset, in-
cluding administrative offset under chapter 37 of title 31, 
United States Code, or the Commodity Credit Corporation 
Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714 et seq.). 
SEC. 4. COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION. 
The Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and au-
thorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry 
out this Act. 
SEC. 5. REGULATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may promulgate 
such regulations as are necessary to implement this Act. 
(b) PROCEDURE.—The promulgation of the regula-
tions and administration of this Act shall be made without 
regard to—
(1) the notice and comment provisions of sec-
tion 553 of title 5, United States Code;
(2) the Statement of Policy of the Secretary of 
Agriculture effective July 24, 1971 (36 Fed. Reg. 
13804), relating to notices of proposed rulemaking 
and public participation in rulemaking; and 
(3) chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code 
(commonly known as the ‘‘Paperwork Reduction 
Act’’). 
(c) CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW
OF AGENCY RULE-
MAKING.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall 
use the authority provided under section 808 of title 5, 
United States Code. 
SEC. 6. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The entire amount made available 
under this Act shall be available only to the extent that 
the President submits to Congress an official budget re-
quest for a specific dollar amount that includes designa-
tion of the entire amount of the request as an emergency 
requirement for the purposes of the Balanced Budget and 
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900 et 
seq.). 
(b) DESIGNATION.—The entire amount made avail-
able under this section is designated by Congress as an 
emergency requirement under sections 251(b)(2)(A) and 
252(e) of that Act (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A), 902(e)).
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