Donations in Rough Years (DRY) Act

Bill: 115-hr-3610
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Noem, Kristi L. [R-SD-At Large]
Introduced: 2017-07-28
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Agricultural conservation and pollution

Disaster relief and insurance

Fires
Latest action: action_date: 2017-09-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-07-28
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Donations in Rough Years (DRY) Act </b></p> <p>This bill amends the Food Security Act of 1985, with respect to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), to permit hay that is harvested in the course of an activity that is authorized under CRP and complies with the program's requirements to be donated to the owners or operators of certain farms or ranches that are in disaster areas or are experiencing a drought. </p> <p>(CRP provides payments to farmers who agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality.) </p> <p>The hay may be donated to the owner or operator of a farm or ranch that is located in: (1) the state in which the hay is harvested, and (2) a county that is either experiencing a drought with a specified intensity or with respect to which the President has issued a declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act that a major disaster exists due to a fire. </p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3610 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 28, 2017 Mrs. Noem introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to permit the donation of hay harvested under the conservation reserve program to certain disaster areas, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Donations in Rough Years (DRY) Act . 2. Donation of hay to certain areas Section 1233 of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( 16 U.S.C. 3833 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (e) Donation of hay to certain areas The Secretary shall permit the donation of hay harvested in the course of an activity authorized under, and conducted in accordance with the requirements of, this section, to the owner or operator of a farm or ranch that is located in— (1) the State in which the hay was harvested; and (2) a county— (A) that, as determined by the United States Drought Monitor, is experiencing a drought— (i) of an intensity classified as D2 that has existed for a period of 8 weeks or more; or (ii) of an intensity classified as D3 or higher; or (B) with respect to which the President has issued a declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act that a major disaster exists due to a fire. .