S629-119

What This Bill Does

The Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act changes two USDA disaster-assistance programs. For the Emergency Conservation Program, it expands eligible work beyond fencing to other urgent measures needed to replace or restore damaged farmland or conservation structures, increases advance-payment options to 75 percent for replacement and 50 percent for repair or restoration, and gives producers 180 days instead of 60 days to spend advance funds. For the Emergency Forest Restoration Program, it lets nonindustrial private forest landowners receive advance payments of up to 75 percent for emergency measures and requires unspent advances to be returned after 180 days.

Who Benefits and How

Agricultural producers benefit because they can receive more money before doing emergency repair, replacement, or restoration work, rather than carrying the full up-front cost after a disaster. Nonindustrial private forest landowners benefit from a new advance-payment option for emergency forest restoration. Producers and landowners affected by wildfires benefit because the bill counts damage from wildfires spread by natural causes and wildfires caused by the federal government as eligible damage.

Who Bears the Burden and How

USDA's Farm Service Agency must administer broader eligibility, larger advances, longer expenditure windows, and return-of-funds rules. Federal disaster-assistance outlays could increase or arrive earlier because the bill moves more program money to producers and landowners before work is completed. Recipients who do not spend Emergency Forest Restoration Program advances within 180 days must return the funds.

Key Provisions

• Expands the Emergency Conservation Program to cover urgent farmland or conservation-structure repairs beyond fencing.
• Lets agricultural producers receive 75 percent of replacement costs or 50 percent of repair/restoration costs before doing the work.
• Extends the advance spending period from 60 days to 180 days.
• Treats certain non-natural wildfires and federally caused wildfires as eligible damage events.
• Adds up-front Emergency Forest Restoration Program payments of up to 75 percent for nonindustrial private forest landowners.
• Requires unspent forest-restoration advances to be returned after 180 days.