[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 341 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 341
To provide economic disaster assistance to producers of the 2002 crop
of rice in the State of Louisiana.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 27, 2003
Mr. John (for himself and Mr. Alexander) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide economic disaster assistance to producers of the 2002 crop
of rice in the State of Louisiana.
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 ``Louisiana Rice Economic Relief Act
of 2003''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The rice industry in the State of Louisiana contributes
significantly to the economy of that State and the United
States, with an estimated annual value of approximately
$250,000,000 and an estimated average annual economic benefit
of approximately $1,000,000,000.
(2) For the 2002 crop of rice, rice producers in the State
of Louisiana suffered from the lowest rice prices in more than
50 years.
(3) Since most of the 2002 crop of rice in the State of
Louisiana was sold during the harvest season, the market-
derived income of producers from the sale of rice fell to
record low levels.
(4) The historically-low income of producers from the sale
of rice in the State of Louisiana, even when combined with
Federal income support, still is devastating to--
(A) rice producers in the State;
(B) the rice industry infrastructure of the State;
(C) businesses that serve and depend on the rice
industry; and
(D) communities in which rice producers and their
families reside and in which the rice industry
operates.
(5) Because of the significant reduction in total income
and the current costs of production, many rice producers of the
State of Louisiana will not cover the total expenses they
incurred to produce and harvest the 2002 crop.
(6) The historically-low prices of the 2002 crop of rice in
the State of Louisiana have contributed to a combined market
price and Federal support income level that is approximately
$2.42 per hundredweight less than the average combined market
price and Federal support income levels during the 1998 through
2001 period, which is approximately 22 percent below the
average income level for the State for the same time period.
(7) Due to the historically-low rice prices and reduced
income, rice producers in the State of Louisiana and their
families are faced with dire economic circumstances that are
crippling them and the communities in which they live and work.
SEC. 3. ECONOMIC DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR LOUISIANA RICE PRODUCERS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall use such sums
as are necessary of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to make
payments, as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this
Act, to producers of the 2002 crop of rice on farms located in the
State of Louisiana, to assist producers as a result of the disastrous
economic conditions occurring with the 2002 crop of rice.
(b) Amount.--The amount of a payment made to producers on a farm
under this section shall be equal to the product obtained by
multiplying--
(1) the actual quantity of rice produced by the producers
on the farm during the 2002 crop year; and
(2) a payment rate of $2.42 per hundredweight.
(c) Payment Limitation.--
(1) In general.--The total amount of payments that a person
shall be entitled to receive under this section may not exceed
$40,000.
(2) Regulations.--The Secretary shall promulgate
regulations defining the term ``person'' for the purposes of
paragraph (1), which shall conform, to the maximum extent
practicable, to the regulations defining the term ``person''
promulgated under section 1001 of the Food Security Act of 1985
(7 U.S.C. 1308). The Secretary also shall promulgate such
additional regulations as the Secretary determines necessary to
ensure a fair and reasonable application of the limitation
established under such paragraph.
(d) Information.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary
shall, to the maximum extent practicable--
(1) use information that the Secretary has obtained from
administering other provisions of law; and
(2) minimize any additional information or requirements
that are imposed on eligible producers.
(e) Administrative Offset.--Payments under this section shall not
be subject to administrative offset, including administrative offset
under chapter 37 of title 31, United States Code, or the Commodity
Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714 et seq.).
SEC. 4. COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION.
The Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and authorities of
the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out this Act.
SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary may promulgate such regulations as
are necessary to implement this Act.
(b) Procedure.--The promulgation of the regulations and
administration of this Act shall be made without regard to--
(1) the notice and comment provisions of section 553 of
title 5, United States Code;
(2) the Statement of Policy of the Secretary of Agriculture
effective July 24, 1971 (36 Fed. Reg. 13804), relating to
notices of proposed rulemaking and public participation in
rulemaking; and
(3) chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly
known as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act'').
(c) Congressional Review of Agency Rulemaking.--In carrying out
this section, the Secretary shall use the authority provided under
section 808 of title 5, United States Code.
SEC. 6. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION.
(a) In General.--The entire amount made available under this Act
shall be available only to the extent that the President submits to
Congress an official budget request for a specific dollar amount that
includes designation of the entire amount of the request as an
emergency requirement for the purposes of the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900 et seq.).
(b) Designation.--The entire amount made available under this
section is designated by Congress as an emergency requirement under
sections 251(b)(2)(A) and 252(e) of that Act (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A),
902(e)).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
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