What This Bill Does
This bill changes how disaster relief money gets given to farmers and agricultural producers. It allows the Secretary of Agriculture to distribute disaster relief funds as block grants to states and territories instead of only using other methods.
Who It Affects
- Agricultural producers (farmers)
- States and territories
- The Secretary of Agriculture
- The Department of Agriculture
Key Provisions
- The Secretary of Agriculture may provide disaster relief assistance in the form of block grants to eligible states and territories (Sec. 2)
- This bill is designated as an emergency requirement under federal budget rules (Sec. 3)
What Changes
The law that governed disaster relief funding for agricultural programs now allows block grants as a way to distribute assistance. A block grant is money given to a state or territory with fewer restrictions on how they use it.
Important Definitions
None defined in bill text.
IIB
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 662
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JUNE 13, 2023
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Appropriations
AN ACT
To amend the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations
Act, 2023 to improve disaster relief funding for agricul-
tural producers, 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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HR 662 RFS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Block Grant Assistance
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Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. DISASTER RELIEF SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIA-
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TIONS ACT, 2023 AMENDMENT.
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Title I of the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appro-
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priations Act, 2023 (division N of Public Law 117–328),
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is amended, in the matter under the heading ‘‘OFFICE OF
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THE SECRETARY’’ under the heading ‘‘PROCESSING, RE-
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SEARCH AND MARKETING’’ under the heading ‘‘AGRI-
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CULTURAL PROGRAMS’’ under the heading ‘‘DE-
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PARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE’’, by inserting ‘‘: Pro-
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vided further, That the Secretary of Agriculture may pro-
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vide assistance for losses described under this heading in
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this Act in the form of block grants to eligible States and
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territories’’ before the period at the end.
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SEC. 3. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—This Act and the amendments
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made by this Act are designated as an emergency require-
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ment pursuant to section 4(g) of the Statutory Pay-As-
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You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)).
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(b) DESIGNATION IN SENATE.—In the Senate, this
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Act and the amendment made by this section are des-
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ignated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section
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HR 662 RFS
4001(a)(1) of S. Con. Res. 14 (117th Congress), the con-
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current resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2022.
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Passed the House of Representatives June 12, 2023.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.
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