[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8138 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8138

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a disaster response 
  training program to train certain Farm Service Agency employees to 
   provide outreach and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers 
        affected by a natural disaster, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 26, 2024

Mr. Soto (for himself and Mr. Scott Franklin of Florida) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a disaster response 
  training program to train certain Farm Service Agency employees to 
   provide outreach and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers 
        affected by a natural disaster, 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. DISASTER RESPONSE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN FARM SERVICE 
              AGENCY EMPLOYEES.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle E of title I of the Agricultural Act of 
2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 1502. DISASTER RESPONSE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN FARM 
              SERVICE AGENCY EMPLOYEES.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 
Administrator of the Farm Service Agency, shall--
            ``(1) not later than 180 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this section, establish a disaster response 
        training program--
                    ``(A) to train covered employees--
                            ``(i) to provide outreach and technical 
                        assistance to farmers and ranchers affected by 
                        a natural disaster, including by providing 
                        information on available disaster relief 
                        assistance; and
                            ``(ii) with respect to the appropriate 
                        protocols for assisting such farmers and 
                        ranchers; and
                    ``(B) that, with respect to a natural disaster, 
                provides on-demand trainings on--
                            ``(i) the conditions and effects of each 
                        such natural disaster;
                            ``(ii) the needs of farmers and ranchers in 
                        responding to each such natural disaster; and
                            ``(iii) the disaster relief assistance that 
                        may be available with respect to addressing 
                        each such natural disaster; and
            ``(2) not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act and at least annually thereafter--
                    ``(A) provide the training required by subparagraph 
                (A) of paragraph (1) to each covered employee; and
                    ``(B) make the on-demand trainings required by 
                subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) available to covered 
                employees.
    ``(b) Format of Training.--Training sessions required by subsection 
(a)(1)(A) may be conducted in-person or through teleconference or other 
virtual means.
    ``(c) Survey Required.--The Secretary shall establish and offer a 
completion survey to each covered employee who completes a training 
session or on-demand training provided under the training program 
established under subsection (a)(1) to solicit feedback with respect to 
such session or on-demand training.
    ``(d) Exit Survey for Farmers and Ranchers.--The Secretary shall 
offer an exit survey to each farmer and rancher provided outreach and 
technical assistance pursuant to subsection (a)(1)(A)(i) that allows 
the farmer or rancher to--
            ``(1) evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of 
        such outreach and technical assistance; and
            ``(2) summarize the outcome of such farmer or rancher with 
        respect to receiving disaster relief assistance.
    ``(e) Report Required.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of 
Agriculture shall submit to Congress a report describing--
            ``(1) the training program established under subsection 
        (a)(1);
            ``(2) with respect to the year preceding the report--
                    ``(A) the number of trainings carried out pursuant 
                to each of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection 
                (a)(2);
                    ``(B) the number of covered employees who received 
                each such training; and
                    ``(C) the level of the General Schedule and the 
                position of each such employee;
            ``(3) the results of the completion surveys offered under 
        subsection (c); and
            ``(4) the results of the exit surveys offered under 
        subsection (d).
    ``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Covered employee.--The term `covered employee' means 
        any employee of the Farm Service Agency who could be deployed 
        to carry out disaster relief assistance with respect to farmers 
        and ranchers.
            ``(2) Disaster relief assistance.--The term `disaster 
        relief assistance' means assistance under any program--
                    ``(A) to address natural disasters; and
                    ``(B) that is administered by the Administrator of 
                the Farm Service Agency.
            ``(3) Natural disaster.--The term `natural disaster' 
        includes--
                    ``(A) any hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, 
                wind driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, 
                volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or 
                drought; and
                    ``(B) such other natural disaster as may be 
                determined appropriate by the Administrator.''.
    (b) Technical Amendment.--The table of contents for the 
Agricultural Act of 2014 is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 1501 the following:

``1502. Disaster response training program for certain Farm Service 
                            Agency employees.''.
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