A bill to provide emergency assistance to farmers and ranchers adversely affected by this year's drought and excessively hot weather.

Summary

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to make available at no cost to farmers and ranchers in drought disaster areas (as defined by this Act) surplus Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) commodities (including transportation costs) for emergency livestock or poultry feed. Directs the Secretary to use specified regulations issued under the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 to determine feed needs and commodity amounts. Makes such assistance available until the earlier of the period beginning three days after enactment of this Act and ending March 31, 1987, or the date, as determined by the Secretary, on which the emergency no longer exists. Directs the Secretary to make emergency livestock and poultry feed assistance available under section 1105 of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 to farmers and ranchers in drought disaster areas. Provides for in-kind reimbursement from CCC stocks. Directs the Secretary to permit any 1986 drought-affected producer of wheat, feed grains, upland cotton, or rice who is participating in specified acreage reduction programs under the Agricultural Act of 1949 to devote such acreage to hay or grazing without regard to certain limitations imposed by such Act. Directs the President, in carrying out on emergency assistance program under the Disaster Relief Act of 1974, to require the Secretary to implement an emergency hay program, including paying 80 percent of transportation costs. Stipulates that such program shall be undertaken only if the Secretary determines, after consultation with the Governor and other State officials, that: (1) available stocks of hay are insufficient; and (2) emergency feed assistance and additional haying and grazing acreage will be insufficient to prevent substantial livestock loss or herd liquidations. Makes such emergency feed assistance and additional haying and grazing provisions effective 15 days after enactment of this Act. States that such assistance shall be available until the earlier of March 30, 1987, or the date, as determined by the Secretary, on which the emergency no longer exists. Directs the Secretary to make disaster payments in-kind to requesting producers of 1986 wheat, feed grain, upland cotton, rice, soybean, and peanut crops in drought areas. Limits aggregate payments to any one producer to $100,000. Prohibits reductions in the price received by milk producers in drought areas for the period beginning August 16, 1986, and ending November 15, 1986. Increases such reductions during the period beginning November 16, 1986, and ending September 30, 1987, in order to make up for such prohibited price reductions. Directs the Secretary to make cost-sharing payments (at least 50 percent) available in drought areas for: (1) conservation measures designed to prevent soil erosion due to loss of vegetative cover; and (2) reestablishment of stands of pine trees. Provides for in-kind cost-sharing payments. Makes such assistance available during the period beginning 15 days after enactment of this Act and ending March 30, 1987. Authorizes the Secretary, in making in-kind payments, to use commodities owned by the CCC, or pledged to the CCC, as loan security. Permits such payments to be made by: (1) warehouse delivery; (2) transfer of negotiable warehouse receipts; (3) issuance of negotiable commodity certificates; or (4) other appropriate methods. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of Agriculture should: (1) establish a coordinating mechanism within the Department of Agriculture to coordinate Federal assistance; (2) ensure that Government and voluntary agencies, and the farmers and ranchers, in each natural disaster area are provided a single contact person or unit for Federal assistance, and that a similar contact is provided for assistance from outside such areas; and (3) consult with the Governor and other appropriate State officials concerning the disaster needs of affected farmers and ranchers.

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Documents

3 official files

• Passed House amended

  summary · EN · 6 August 1986

  Open at official source

• Reported to House with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 2 August 1986

  Open at official source

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 30 July 1986

  Open at official source

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