Family Farm Emergency Energy Assistance Act of 2001 (Introduced in the House)

HR 478 IH

107th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 478

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to make emergency loans under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act and to provide emergency assistance to agricultural producers whose energy costs have escalated sharply.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 6, 2001

Mr. SHOWS (for himself, Mr. TURNER, Mr. HOLDEN, and Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to make emergency loans under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act and to provide emergency assistance to agricultural producers whose energy costs have escalated sharply.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the `Family Farm Emergency Energy Assistance Act of 2001'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
      (1) sudden and dramatic increases in energy prices have caused an economic disaster for many agricultural producers; and
      (2) such an economic disaster is as devastating to a community as a natural disaster and should be regarded as such.

SEC. 3. EMERGENCY LOANS FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS WHOSE ENERGY COSTS HAVE ESCALATED SHARPLY.

    A qualified energy price increase found by the Secretary of Agriculture to have been experienced by an agricultural producer shall be considered a natural disaster for purposes of subtitle C of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, but only with respect to such a producer.

SEC. 4. IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS WHOSE ENERGY COSTS HAVE ESCALATED SHARPLY.

    (a) AVAILABILITY OF ASSISTANCE- As soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall provide financial assistance directly to agricultural producers on a farm that the Secretary finds had a qualified energy price increase to assist the producers in covering all or a portion of the higher operating costs incurred as a result of the increase in energy prices.
    (b) EMERGENCY DESIGNATION- The eligibility of an agricultural producer for assistance under this section does not require either the existence of a natural disaster in the county in which the farm is located or an emergency designation by the President or the Secretary.
    (c) FUNDING- The Secretary shall use funds made available under the heading `GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS TITLE' in title VIII of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (as enacted by Public Law 106-387; 114 Stat.1549A-49), to provide assistance to agricultural producers under this section.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
      (1) AGRICULTURAL PRODUCER- The term `agricultural producer' includes crop producers, livestock and poultry producers, and greenhouse operators.
      (2) QUALIFIED ENERGY PRICE INCREASE- The term `qualified energy price increase' means, with respect to agricultural producers on a farm, that the average price paid for energy supplies for the farm during the period that began on January 1, 2000, and ended on the date of the enactment of this Act is at least 25 percent greater than the average price paid for energy supplies for the farm during the period that began on January 1, 1997, and ended on December 31, 1999.