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.

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 7690 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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JULY 20, 2020 Mr. ROUZER (for himself and Mr. GOLDEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 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. PAYMENT PROGRAM FOR TIMBER HARVESTING 3 AND TIMBER HAULING BUSINESSES. 4 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 5 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti- 6 ty’’ means any timber harvesting business or timber 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:05 Aug 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7690.IH H7690 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 7690 IH hauling business that harvested or hauled unrefined 1 timber products in calendar year 2019. 2 (2) GROSS REVENUE.—The term ‘‘gross rev- 3 enue’’ means the gross revenue generated by an eli- 4 gible entity from timber harvesting or timber haul- 5 ing services within the normal range of operation of 6 the eligible entity, as determined by the Secretary. 7 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 8 the Secretary of Agriculture. 9 (b) PAYMENTS.—The Secretary shall make payments 10 in accordance with this section to eligible entities that, as 11 a result of the COVID–19 pandemic, experienced a loss 12 of not less than 10 percent in gross revenue during the 13 period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on July 14 31, 2020, as compared to the gross revenue of the eligible 15 entity during the same period in 2019. 16 (c) AMOUNT OF PAYMENT.—The amount of a pay- 17 ment made to an eligible entity under subsection (b) shall 18 be equal to 10 percent of the gross revenue of the eligible 19 entity during the period beginning on January 1, 2019, 20 and ending on July 31, 2019. 21 (d) ALLOWABLE USE.—The Secretary shall only 22 make a payment under subsection (b) to an eligible entity 23 that certifies to the Secretary that the payment will be 24 used only for operating expenses. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:05 Aug 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7690.IH H7690 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 7690 IH (e) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 1 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 2 the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representa- 3 tives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 4 Forestry of the Senate a report describing the payments 5 made under this section, including— 6 (1) the identity of each recipient of a payment; 7 and 8 (2) the amount of each payment provided to 9 each recipient described in paragraph (1). 10 (f) REGULATIONS.— 11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise pro- 12 vided in this section, not later than 30 days after 13 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 14 shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to 15 carry out this section. 16 (2) PROCEDURE.—The promulgation of regula- 17 tions under, and administration of, this section shall 18 be made without regard to— 19 (A) the notice and comment provisions of 20 section 553 of title 5, United States Code; and 21 (B) chapter 35 of title 44, United States 22 Code (commonly known as the ‘‘Paperwork Re- 23 duction Act’’). 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:05 Aug 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7690.IH H7690 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 7690 IH (g) FUNDING.—There are appropriated, out of any 1 amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such 2 sums as are necessary to make payments to eligible enti- 3 ties under this section. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:05 Aug 06, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H7690.IH H7690 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS