Loggers Economic Assistance and Relief Act

Disaster payments for timber businesses

If enacted, this bill would create a USDA payment program to help timber harvesting and hauling businesses after a declared major disaster, including insect infestations. Your business would be eligible if it harvested or hauled unrefined timber products in the previous calendar year and lost at least 10% of gross revenue in a 30‑day period or a calendar quarter versus the same period the year before. Each eligible business would get a one-time payment equal to 10% of its gross revenue during the loss period. You would have to certify the payment will be used only for operating expenses. The Secretary would write rules within 30 days (skipping normal public notice-and-comment and some paperwork rules) and report recipients and amounts to Congress. The bill would authorize $50 million to be appropriated each year from 2025 through 2029 to run the program.