Accelerated Disaster Relief Payments for Farmers Passed by House

A measure to give farmers and timber producers a higher upfront share of federal disaster relief funds passed the House in a 395-10 vote Tuesday.

The Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act (H.R. 1011), sponsored by Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.), expands eligibility for payments to agricultural producers to repair land affected by natural disasters. It was passed under suspension of the rules.

The bill would revise the Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Conservation and the Emergency Forest Restoration programs by allowing for advanced payments of up to 75% for the replacement or repair of eligible structures on farmland and for ...