[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3753 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3753

  To provide emergency assistance to agricultural producers that have 
        incurred losses during calendar year 2006 due to fires.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                July 27 (legislative day, July 26), 2006

  Mr. Baucus introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide emergency assistance to agricultural producers that have 
        incurred losses during calendar year 2006 due to fires.

    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 ``Agriculture Fire Assistance Act of 
2006''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Eligible producer.--The term ``eligible producer'' 
        means a producer on a farm or ranch that has incurred losses 
        during calendar year 2006 due to fire.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.

SEC. 3. LIVESTOCK ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Livestock Indemnity Payments.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall use such sums as are 
        necessary of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to make 
        livestock indemnity payments to eligible producers.
            (2) Payment rates.--The payment rate for indemnity payments 
        made to eligible producers under paragraph (1) shall be equal 
        to--
                    (A)(i) in the case of a cow, steer, or bull that 
                weighs 500 pounds or more on the date of death of the 
                cow, steer, or bull, $400 per head; and
                    (ii) in the case of a cow, steer, or bull that 
                weighs less than 500 pounds on the date of death of the 
                cow, steer, or bull, $250 per head; and
                    (B) in the case of other types of livestock, a rate 
                determined by the Secretary based on documentation 
                provided by the eligible producers, including a death 
                certificate or other certification provided by a 
                licensed veterinarian.
    (b) Feed Assistance.--The Secretary shall use such sums as are 
necessary of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to make payments 
to eligible producers for the purchase of livestock feed.
    (c) Requirement.--The Secretary shall provide assistance to 
eligible producers under this section not later than 90 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. CONSERVATION PROGRAMS.

    (a) Emergency Conservation Program.--The Secretary shall use an 
additional $50,000,000 of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation 
to provide assistance under the emergency conservation program 
established under title IV of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 
U.S.C. 2201 et seq.) in accordance with subsection (d).
    (b) Emergency Watershed Protection Program.--The Secretary shall 
use an additional $150,000,000 of the funds of the Commodity Credit 
Corporation to provide assistance under the emergency watershed 
protection program established under section 403 of the Agricultural 
Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2203) in accordance with subsection (d).
    (c) Environmental Quality Incentives Program.--The Secretary shall 
use an additional $100,000,000 of the funds of the Commodity Credit 
Corporation to provide assistance to eligible producers under the 
environmental quality incentives program established under chapter 4 of 
subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3839aa et seq.) in accordance with subsection (d).
    (d) Requirements.--
            (1) Priority.--In providing assistance under subsections 
        (a) and (b), the Secretary shall give priority to eligible 
        producers.
            (2) Timing.--The Secretary shall provide assistance under 
        this section not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
        of this Act.

SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may promulgate such regulations as 
are necessary to implement this Act and the amendments made by this 
Act.
    (b) Procedure.--The promulgation of the regulations and 
administration of this Act and the amendments made by this Act shall be 
made without regard to--
            (1) the notice and comment provisions of section 553 of 
        title 5, United States Code;
            (2) the Statement of Policy of the Secretary of Agriculture 
        effective July 24, 1971 (36 Fed. Reg. 13804), relating to 
        notices of proposed rulemaking and public participation in 
        rulemaking; and
            (3) chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly 
        known as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act'').
    (c) Congressional Review of Agency Rulemaking.--In carrying out 
this section, the Secretary shall use the authority provided under 
section 808 of title 5, United States Code.

SEC. 6. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION.

    The amounts made available under this Act are designated as an 
emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of S. Con. Res. 83 (109th 
Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 
2007, as made applicable in the Senate by section 7035 of Public Law 
109-234.
                                 <all>