Title: Loggers Relief Act
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Loggers Relief Act
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make payments to a timber harvesting business or timber hauling business that, as a result of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, experienced a loss of not less than 10% in gross revenue during the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on July 31, 2020, as compared to its gross revenue during the same period in 2019.
The amount of a payment made to an eligible entity shall be equal to 10% of the gross revenue of the business during the period beginning on January 1, 2019, and ending on July 31, 2019.
USDA shall make such a payment only to a business that certifies that the payment will be used only for operating expenses.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4233 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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.

    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 ``Loggers Relief Act''.

SEC. 2. PAYMENT PROGRAM FOR TIMBER HARVESTING AND TIMBER HAULING 
              BUSINESSES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means 
        any timber harvesting business or timber hauling business that 
        harvested or hauled unrefined timber products in calendar year 
        2019.
            (2) Gross revenue.--The term ``gross revenue'' means the 
        gross revenue generated by an eligible entity from timber 
        harvesting or timber hauling services within the normal range 
        of operation of the eligible entity, as determined by the 
        Secretary.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
    (b) Payments.--The Secretary shall make payments in accordance with 
this section to eligible entities that, as a result of the COVID-19 
pandemic, experienced a loss of not less than 10 percent in gross 
revenue during the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on 
July 31, 2020, as compared to the gross revenue of the eligible entity 
during the same period in 2019.
    (c) Amount of Payment.--The amount of a payment made to an eligible 
entity under subsection (b) shall be equal to 10 percent of the gross 
revenue of the eligible entity during the period beginning on January 
1, 2019, and ending on July 31, 2019.
    (d) Allowable Use.--The Secretary shall only make a payment under 
subsection (b) to an eligible entity that certifies to the Secretary 
that the payment will be used only for operating expenses.
    (e) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report describing the payments 
made under this section, including--
            (1) the identity of each recipient of a payment; and
            (2) the amount of each payment provided to each recipient 
        described in paragraph (1).
    (f) Regulations.--
            (1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
        section, not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as are 
        necessary to carry out this section.
            (2) Procedure.--The promulgation of regulations under, and 
        administration of, this section shall be made without regard 
        to--
                    (A) the notice and comment provisions of section 
                553 of title 5, United States Code; and
                    (B) chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code 
                (commonly known as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act'').
    (g) Funding.--There are appropriated, out of any amounts in the 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as are necessary to make 
payments to eligible entities under this section.
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