Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that expands eligibility for payments to agricultural producers and owners of forest land impacted by natural disasters.

Highlights:

• Amends the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) to expand eligibility for payments to agricultural producers and owners of forest land impacted by natural disasters (Sec. 2-3).

• Expands options to receive an advance on cost-sharing payments before carrying out emergency measures (Sec. 2-3).

• Expands advance ECP payments to include payments for the rehabilitation of farmland or to repair or replace a farmland or conservation structure (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes producers to receive an advance on cost-sharing payments for 75% of the cost of the replacement or rehabilitation and 50% of the cost of the repair (Sec. 3).

• Expands eligibility for payments under ECP to include emergency measures to address damages caused by a wildfire that is not caused naturally (including a wildfire that is caused by the federal government), if the damage is caused by the spread of the wildfire due to natural causes (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes owners of nonindustrial private forest land impacted by a natural disaster to receive an advance on cost-sharing payments for up to 75% of the cost of the emergency measures, and specifies that recipients must use the funds within 180 days after the funds are disbursed (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text