S4251-118

2. Payment program for timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses In this section: The term eligible entity means any timber harvesting business or timber hauling business that harvested or hauled unrefined timber products in the previous calendar year. The term major disaster— has the meaning given the term in section 102(2) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122(2)); and includes an insect infestation declared a major disaster pursuant to such Act. The term gross revenue means the gross revenue generated by an eligible entity from timber harvesting or timber hauling services within the normal range of operation of the eligible entity, as determined by the Secretary. The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency. The Secretary shall make payments in accordance with this section to eligible entities that as a result of a major disaster experienced a loss of not less than 10 percent in gross revenue in a 30-day period or quarter of a calendar year, as compared to the gross revenue of the eligible entity during the same 30-day period or quarter of the previous calendar year. The amount of a payment made to an eligible entity under subsection (b) shall be equal to 10 percent of the gross revenue of the eligible entity during the applicable period under subsection (b). The Secretary shall only make a payment under subsection (b) to an eligible entity that certifies to the Secretary that the payment will be used only for operating expenses. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives a report describing the payments made under this section, including— the identity of each recipient of a payment; and the amount of each payment provided to each recipient described in paragraph (1). Except as otherwise provided in this section, not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry out this section. The promulgation of regulations under, and administration of, this section shall be made without regard to— the notice and comment provisions of section 553 of title 5, United States Code; and chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the Paperwork Reduction Act). There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.