[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7690 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7690

   To establish a payment program for unexpected loss of markets and 
revenues to timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses due to the 
               COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 20, 2020

Mr. Rouzer (for himself and Mr. Golden) introduced the following bill; 
           which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a payment program for unexpected loss of markets and 
revenues to timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses due to the 
               COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PAYMENT PROGRAM FOR TIMBER HARVESTING AND TIMBER HAULING 
              BUSINESSES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means 
        any timber harvesting business or timber hauling business that 
        harvested or hauled unrefined timber products in calendar year 
        2019.
            (2) Gross revenue.--The term ``gross revenue'' means the 
        gross revenue generated by an eligible entity from timber 
        harvesting or timber hauling services within the normal range 
        of operation of the eligible entity, as determined by the 
        Secretary.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
    (b) Payments.--The Secretary shall make payments in accordance with 
this section to eligible entities that, as a result of the COVID-19 
pandemic, experienced a loss of not less than 10 percent in gross 
revenue during the period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on 
July 31, 2020, as compared to the gross revenue of the eligible entity 
during the same period in 2019.
    (c) Amount of Payment.--The amount of a payment made to an eligible 
entity under subsection (b) shall be equal to 10 percent of the gross 
revenue of the eligible entity during the period beginning on January 
1, 2019, and ending on July 31, 2019.
    (d) Allowable Use.--The Secretary shall only make a payment under 
subsection (b) to an eligible entity that certifies to the Secretary 
that the payment will be used only for operating expenses.
    (e) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report describing the payments 
made under this section, including--
            (1) the identity of each recipient of a payment; and
            (2) the amount of each payment provided to each recipient 
        described in paragraph (1).
    (f) Regulations.--
            (1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
        section, not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as are 
        necessary to carry out this section.
            (2) Procedure.--The promulgation of regulations under, and 
        administration of, this section shall be made without regard 
        to--
                    (A) the notice and comment provisions of section 
                553 of title 5, United States Code; and
                    (B) chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code 
                (commonly known as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act'').
    (g) Funding.--There are appropriated, out of any amounts in the 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as are necessary to make 
payments to eligible entities under this section.
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