Loggers Relief Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 4233 To establish a payment program for unexpected loss of markets and revenues to timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses due to the COVID– 19 pandemic, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JULY 21, 2020 Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Ms. SMITH) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To establish a payment program for unexpected loss of mar- kets and revenues to timber harvesting and timber haul- ing businesses due to the COVID–19 pandemic, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Loggers Relief Act’’. 4 SEC. 2. PAYMENT PROGRAM FOR TIMBER HARVESTING 5 AND TIMBER HAULING BUSINESSES. 6 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:47 Aug 01, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4233.IS S4233 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 4233 IS (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti- 1 ty’’ means any timber harvesting business or timber 2 hauling business that harvested or hauled unrefined 3 timber products in calendar year 2019. 4 (2) GROSS REVENUE.—The term ‘‘gross rev- 5 enue’’ means the gross revenue generated by an eli- 6 gible entity from timber harvesting or timber haul- 7 ing services within the normal range of operation of 8 the eligible entity, as determined by the Secretary. 9 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 10 the Secretary of Agriculture. 11 (b) PAYMENTS.—The Secretary shall make payments 12 in accordance with this section to eligible entities that, as 13 a result of the COVID–19 pandemic, experienced a loss 14 of not less than 10 percent in gross revenue during the 15 period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on July 16 31, 2020, as compared to the gross revenue of the eligible 17 entity during the same period in 2019. 18 (c) AMOUNT OF PAYMENT.—The amount of a pay- 19 ment made to an eligible entity under subsection (b) shall 20 be equal to 10 percent of the gross revenue of the eligible 21 entity during the period beginning on January 1, 2019, 22 and ending on July 31, 2019. 23 (d) ALLOWABLE USE.—The Secretary shall only 24 make a payment under subsection (b) to an eligible entity 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:47 Aug 01, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4233.IS S4233 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 4233 IS that certifies to the Secretary that the payment will be 1 used only for operating expenses. 2 (e) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 3 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 4 the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representa- 5 tives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 6 Forestry of the Senate a report describing the payments 7 made under this section, including— 8 (1) the identity of each recipient of a payment; 9 and 10 (2) the amount of each payment provided to 11 each recipient described in paragraph (1). 12 (f) REGULATIONS.— 13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise pro- 14 vided in this section, not later than 30 days after 15 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 16 shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to 17 carry out this section. 18 (2) PROCEDURE.—The promulgation of regula- 19 tions under, and administration of, this section shall 20 be made without regard to— 21 (A) the notice and comment provisions of 22 section 553 of title 5, United States Code; and 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:47 Aug 01, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4233.IS S4233 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 4233 IS (B) chapter 35 of title 44, United States 1 Code (commonly known as the ‘‘Paperwork Re- 2 duction Act’’). 3 (g) FUNDING.—There are appropriated, out of any 4 amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such 5 sums as are necessary to make payments to eligible enti- 6 ties under this section. 7 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:47 Aug 01, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S4233.IS S4233 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS