[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3449 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3449

  To provide emergency livestock feed assistance in 1996 to livestock 
producers whose operations are located in areas that were approved for 
 such assistance in 1994 and 1995 as a result of drought and in which 
                  drought conditions continue in 1996.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 1996

Mr. Skeen (for himself and Mr. Johnson of South Dakota) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide emergency livestock feed assistance in 1996 to livestock 
producers whose operations are located in areas that were approved for 
 such assistance in 1994 and 1995 as a result of drought and in which 
                  drought conditions continue in 1996.

    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 ``Temporary Emergency Livestock 
Drought Relief Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. TEMPORARY REINSTATEMENT OF LIVESTOCK FEED ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

    Section 171(b) of the Agricultural Market Transition Act (title I 
of Public Law 104-127; 7 U.S.C. 7301(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(L), by striking ``Title'' and 
        inserting ``Except as provided in paragraph (4), title''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Emergency livestock feed assistance for 1996.--Title 
        VI of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1471-1471j) shall 
        apply with respect to livestock emergencies in 1996 in a State, 
        county, or other area that was approved for emergency livestock 
        feed assistance under the title in 1994 and 1995 as a result of 
        drought and in which the Secretary of Agriculture determines 
        drought conditions continue in 1996.''.

SEC. 3. ELIGIBLE LIVESTOCK.

    Section 602 of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1471) is 
amended by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Livestock.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `livestock' means 
                cattle, sheep, and goats that have been owned or leased 
                by a livestock producer for at least 180 days.
                    ``(B) Exception to minimum ownership or leasing 
                requirement.--The minimum period of ownership or 
                leasing required under subparagraph (A) shall not apply 
                to livestock if the Secretary determines that--
                            ``(i) the livestock are--
                                    ``(I) offspring of eligible 
                                livestock;
                                    ``(II) inherited, purchased, or 
                                leased as part of a complete livestock 
                                operation;
                                    ``(III) purchased or leased as 
                                replacement breeding stock; or
                                    ``(IV) purchased or leased as part 
                                of a change in the type of livestock 
                                operation; or
                            ``(ii) the feeding of livestock owned or 
                        leased for less than the minimum period is a 
                        normal practice of the livestock producer and 
                        the livestock are not purchased or leased to 
                        obtain additional assistance under this 
                        title.''.

SEC. 4. CARRYING CAPACITY.

    Section 605(a) of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1471c(a)) 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``Each'' and inserting 
        ``Subject to paragraph (4), each''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Carrying capacity.--The amount of assistance provided 
        to a producer for grazing under this title may not exceed a 
        quantity sufficient to maintain livestock based on the normal 
        carrying capacity of the land of the producer, as determined by 
        the Secretary.''.

SEC. 5. FUNDING.

    Section 608 of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1471f) is 
amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 608. FUNDING.

    ``To provide assistance under this title for livestock feed 
emergencies in 1996, the Secretary shall use not more than $18,000,000 
from funds that otherwise would have been made available to carry out 
the cottonseed oil and sunflowerseed oil export assistance programs 
established under section 301(b) of the Disaster Assistance Act of 1988 
(Public Law 100-387; 7 U.S.C. 1464 note).''.

SEC. 6. REPORT ON USE OF DISASTER RESERVE FOR LIVESTOCK ASSISTANCE.

    Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall submit a report to the Committee on 
Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate on the feasibility 
and desirability of using commodities in the reserve established under 
section 813 of the Agricultural Act of 1970 (7 U.S.C. 1427a) to provide 
livestock assistance to producers who are eligible for assistance under 
title VI of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1471 et seq.).
                                 <all>