Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act
Bill: S.2492 | Sponsor: Sen. Risch, James E. (R-ID)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act
This bill revises the Good Neighbor Authority program to modify the treatment of revenue from timber sale contracts under good neighbor agreements with the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior. (The Good Neighbor Authority permits USDA and Interior to enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with states, counties, and Indian tribes to perform forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration services on federal land managed by the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management.)
Specifically, the bill (1) requires Indian tribes and counties to retain revenue generated from timber sales under a good neighbor agreement; and (2) allows states, counties, and Indian tribes to use such revenue for authorized restoration projects on nonfederal lands under a good neighbor agreement. (Under current law, only a state is permitted to retain the revenues, and the revenues must be used for restoration projects on federal land.)

To amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to modify the treatment of 
    revenue from timber sale contracts and certain payments made by 
   counties to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 
    Interior under good neighbor agreements, 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 ``Treating Tribes and Counties as Good 
Neighbors Act''.

SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN REVENUE AND PAYMENTS 
              UNDER GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREEMENTS.

    (a) Good Neighbor Authority.--Section 8206 of the Agricultural Act 
of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(6), by striking ``or Indian tribe''; 
        and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ``, Indian 
                tribe,'' after ``Governor'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking clause (i) and 
                inserting the following:
                            ``(i) In general.--Funds received from the 
                        sale of timber by a Governor, an Indian tribe, 
                        or a county under a good neighbor agreement 
                        shall be retained and used by the Governor, 
                        Indian tribe, or county, as applicable--
                                    ``(I) to carry out authorized 
                                restoration services under the good 
                                neighbor agreement; and
                                    ``(II) if there are funds remaining 
                                after carrying out subclause (I), to 
                                carry out authorized restoration 
                                services under other good neighbor 
                                agreements.'';
                    (C) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``, Indian 
                tribe,'' after ``Governor''; and
                    (D) by striking paragraph (4).
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 8206(a) of the Agricultural Act 
of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ``, Indian tribe,'' 
        after ``Governor''; and
            (2) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``, Indian tribe,'' 
        after ``Governor''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act apply to any 
project initiated pursuant to a good neighbor agreement (as defined in 
section 8206(a) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(a)))--
            (1) before the date of enactment of this Act, if the 
        project was initiated after the date of enactment of the 
        Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-334; 132 
        Stat. 4490); or
            (2) on or after the date of enactment of this Act.
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