[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5691 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5691

    To improve drought related disaster assistance programs of the 
           Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 26, 2023

  Ms. Letlow introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To improve drought related disaster assistance programs of the 
           Department of Agriculture, 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. SHORT TITLE.

     This Act may be cited as the ``Drought Assistance Improvement 
Act''

SEC. 2. LIVESTOCK FORAGE DISASTER PROGRAM.

    Section 1501(c)(3)(D)(ii)(I) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 
U.S.C. 9081(c)(3)(D)(ii)(I)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``at least 8 consecutive'' and inserting 
        the following: ``not less than--
                                            ``(aa) 4 consecutive weeks 
                                        during the normal grazing 
                                        period for the county, as 
                                        determined by the Secretary, 
                                        shall be eligible to receive 
                                        assistance under this paragraph 
                                        in an amount equal to 1 monthly 
                                        payment using the monthly 
                                        payment rate determined under 
                                        subparagraph (B); or
                                            ``(bb) 8 consecutive''; and
            (2) in item (bb) (as so designated), by striking ``1 
        monthly payment'' and inserting ``2 monthly payments''.

SEC. 3. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR LIVESTOCK, HONEY BEES, AND FARM-RAISED 
              FISH PROGRAM.

    (a) Documentation Standards.--Section 1501(d) of the Agricultural 
Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(d)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``drought,'' after 
        ``adverse weather,'';
            (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``adverse weather or 
        drought,'' after ``disease,''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) Documentation standards.--For purposes of this 
        subsection, the Secretary, in consultation with eligible 
        producers of farm-raised fish, shall establish a documentation 
        standard for each of the following:
                    ``(A) Collecting data.
                    ``(B) Production of crawfish, as related to 
                reductions in harvest.
                    ``(C) Defining loss conditions due to drought.''.
    (b) Reduced Crawfish Harvest Eligibility.--Subsection 1501(d)(2) of 
the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(d)(2)) is further amended 
by inserting ``and loss of crawfish harvest due to adverse weather or 
drought'' after ``cattle tick fever''.
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