What This Bill Does
This bill amends existing agricultural law to change how money from timber sales is handled under "good neighbor agreements" (contracts where states, tribes and counties work with the federal government on forest management). It allows governors, Indian tribes and counties to keep and use money from timber sales for restoration work instead of sending it to the federal government.
Who It Affects
State governors, Indian tribes, counties and the Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of the Interior.
Key Provisions
• Governors, Indian tribes and counties can now receive and keep money from timber sales under good neighbor agreements (Sec. 2(a)(2)(C)(i)(I)).
• Money kept from timber sales must be used to carry out restoration services under the good neighbor agreement, and any leftover funds can go toward restoration work under other good neighbor agreements (Sec. 2(a)(2)(C)(i)(II)).
• Indian tribes are now included alongside governors and counties in the authority to enter into good neighbor agreements (Sec. 2(a)(1)(A) and Sec. 2(a)(1)(B)).
What Changes
Previously, governors and counties could participate in these timber sale agreements but Indian tribes were excluded. Now all three can participate and keep the money from timber sales for their own restoration work instead of returning it to the federal government.
Effective Date
The changes apply to projects started after the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 was passed (Sec. 2(c)).
IIB
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1450
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
SEPTEMBER 18, 2023
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry
AN ACT
To amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to modify the treat-
ment of revenue from timber sale contracts and certain
payments made by counties to the Secretary of Agri-
culture and the Secretary of the Interior under good
neighbor agreements, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Treating Tribes and
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Counties as Good Neighbors Act’’.
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SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN
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REVENUE
AND
PAYMENTS
UNDER
GOOD
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NEIGHBOR AGREEMENTS.
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(a) GOOD NEIGHBOR AUTHORITY.—Section 8206 of
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the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a) is amend-
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ed—
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(1) in subsection (a)(6), by striking ‘‘or Indian
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tribe’’; and
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(2) in subsection (b)—
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(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ‘‘,
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Indian tribe,’’ after ‘‘Governor’’;
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(B) in paragraph (2)(C)—
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(i) by striking clause (i) and inserting
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the following:
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‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Funds received
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from the sale of timber by a Governor, an
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Indian tribe, or a county under a good
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neighbor agreement shall be retained and
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used by the Governor, Indian tribe, or
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county, as applicable—
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‘‘(I) to carry out authorized res-
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toration services under the good
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neighbor agreement; and
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HR 1450 RFS
‘‘(II) if there are funds remain-
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ing after carrying out subclause (I),
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to carry out authorized restoration
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services under other good neighbor
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agreements.’’; and
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(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘2023’’
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and inserting ‘‘2028’’;
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(C) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, In-
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dian tribe,’’ after ‘‘Governor’’; and
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(D) by striking paragraph (4).
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(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 8206(a)
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of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(a)) is
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amended—
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(1) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ‘‘, Indian
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tribe,’’ after ‘‘Governor’’; and
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(2) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘, Indian
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tribe,’’ after ‘‘Governor’’.
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(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
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this Act apply to any project initiated pursuant to a good
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neighbor agreement (as defined in section 8206(a) of the
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Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(a)))—
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(1) before the date of enactment of this Act, if
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the project was initiated after the date of enactment
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of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public
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Law 115–334; 132 Stat. 4490); or
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(2) on or after the date of enactment of this
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Act.
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Passed the House of Representatives September 14,
2023.
Attest:
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,
Clerk.
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