Livestock and Honey Bee Disaster Assistance Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-2190
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Heitkamp, Heidi [D-ND]
Introduced: 2017-12-04
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit

Disaster relief and insurance

Insects

Livestock
Latest action: action_date: 2017-12-04
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-12-04
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Livestock and Honey Bee Disaster Assistance Act of 2017 </b></p> <p>This bill amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to remove the $20 million annual limit on mandatory funding for emergency assistance under the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP). The bill also removes a provision that permits funds provided under ELAP to remain available until expended. </p> <p>(ELAP provides financial assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease, certain adverse weather events, or loss conditions, including blizzards and wildfires.) </p> <p>The bill amends the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to specify that the maximum cost-share percentage permitted under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) is 90% for an area that has been identified by the U.S. Drought Monitor as experiencing extreme or exceptional drought. </p> <p>(The ECP provides emergency funding and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters and implement emergency conservation measures in periods of severe drought.) </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2190 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 4, 2017 Ms. Heitkamp introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to remove a limitation on funding for emergency assistance for livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Livestock and Honey Bee Disaster Assistance Act of 2017 . 2. Emergency assistance for livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish Section 1501(d) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 ( 7 U.S.C. 9081(d) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking not more than $20,000,000 and inserting such sums as are necessary ; and (2) by striking paragraph (3). 3. Cost-share payments under emergency conservation program during extreme drought The Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 is amended by inserting after section 403 ( 16 U.S.C. 2203 ) the following: 403A. Cost-share payments under emergency conservation program during extreme drought The maximum cost-share percentage under section 701.126(a) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations), shall be 90 percent in the case of an area that has been identified by the United States Drought Monitor as experiencing extreme or exceptional drought. .