[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3069]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 5914. Mr. MERKLEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. TIMBER PRODUCTION EXPANSION GUARANTEED LOAN 
                   PROGRAM.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an 
     individual or entity that owns or operates a sawmill or other 
     wood-processing facility located in a rural area (as defined 
     in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
     Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a))) of the United States.
       (2) Eligible federal land.--The term ``eligible Federal 
     land'' means any unit of Federal land, including Indian 
     forest land or rangeland, that has been identified by the 
     Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of the 
     Interior, as high or very high priority for ecological 
     restoration involving vegetation removal under subsection 
     (b).
       (3) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Timber 
     Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program of the 
     Department of Agriculture.
       (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture.
       (b) Identification of Eligible Federal Land.--Not later 
     than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and not 
     less frequently than once every 5 years thereafter, the 
     Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of the 
     Interior, shall--
       (1) review Federal land under the jurisdiction of the 
     Secretary or the Secretary of the Interior; and
       (2) identify units of Federal land that, as determined by 
     the Secretaries, are high or very high priority for 
     ecological restoration involving vegetation removal.
       (c) Loan Guarantees.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary, in coordination with the 
     Secretary of the Interior, shall provide loan guarantees 
     under the Program to eligible entities seeking to establish, 
     reopen, retrofit, expand, or improve a sawmill or other wood-
     processing facility located within a 250-mile radius of, a 
     unit of eligible Federal land, if the presence of a sawmill 
     or other wood-processing facility would, or does, 
     substantially decrease the cost of conducting ecological 
     restoration projects involving vegetation removal on the 
     eligible Federal land, as determined by the Secretary, in 
     coordination with the Secretary of the Interior.
       (2) Conditions.--A loan guarantee under the Program shall 
     be provided in accordance with such conditions as the 
     Secretary determines to be necessary.
       (3) Maximum amount.--The Secretary may provide a total of 
     not more than $220,000,000 in loan guarantees under the 
     Program.
                                 ______