PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2338 PRINTER'S NO. 2561
No. 1893 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY BUNT, LEH, CAPPABIANCA, COY, SEMMEL, ALLEN,
ARGALL, ARMSTRONG, BAKER, BARD, BARRAR, BELFANTI, BROWNE,
CALTAGIRONE, CAWLEY, CHADWICK, CLARK, L. I. COHEN, CORRIGAN,
DAILEY, DALEY, DALLY, DeLUCA, DEMPSEY, DeWEESE, DRUCE, EGOLF,
FAIRCHILD, FEESE, FICHTER, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GLADECK,
GODSHALL, GORDNER, GRUCELA, HANNA, HARHAI, HARHART, HASAY,
HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, JOSEPHS, KREBS, LAUGHLIN,
LEDERER, STABACK, STEELMAN, STERN, E. Z. TAYLOR, TRUE,
WILLIAMS, WILT, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, ZUG, LESCOVITZ,
TRELLO, MAITLAND, MANDERINO, MANN, McGILL, MICOZZIE,
R. MILLER, NICKOL, PETRARCA, RAMOS, REINARD, ROSS, SAYLOR,
STAIRS, STEIL, STRITTMATTER, STURLA, SURRA, TANGRETTI,
THOMAS, TRAVAGLIO, VAN HORNE, WALKO, WRIGHT, YUDICHAK, VANCE,
BASTIAN, ZIMMERMAN, ADOLPH, MAJOR, MASLAND, McILHINNEY,
NAILOR, PHILLIPS, ROBERTS, SCHRODER, SHANER, SNYDER, CLYMER,
LUCYK, MARKOSEK, McCALL, MELIO, PESCI, PLATTS, ROHRER,
SEYFERT, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, GRUITZA, J. TAYLOR AND SATHER,
SEPTEMBER 29, 1999
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
OCTOBER 26, 1999
AN ACT
1 Providing for emergency drought relief as a result of weather
2 conditions in 1999; and making an appropriation.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Emergency
7 Drought Relief Act.
8 Section 2. Legislative findings and purpose.
9 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
1 (1) Production agriculture is a mainstay of this
2 Commonwealth's economy, with nearly 50,000 family farms
3 generating $44,000,000,000 in economic activity each year.
4 (2) The prolonged drought of 1999 is an unprecedented
5 natural disaster which caused an estimated $500,000,000 in
6 crop losses AND IN THE REDUCTION OF THE GRADE QUALITY OF OUR <--
7 CROPS IN 1999 and threatens to destroy not only the
8 profitability of our farmers, but also the existence of
9 farmland in this Commonwealth.
10 (3) THE DROUGHT WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT SOME PRODUCERS <--
11 FOR MANY YEARS DUE TO THE PARTIAL AND FULL LOSS OF TREES,
12 NURSERY STOCK AND OTHER MULTI-YEAR PLANTING, AS WELL AS THE
13 DIMINISHED PRODUCTION OF FRUIT IN THE YEAR FOLLOWING A
14 DROUGHT.
15 (3) (4) It is in the public interest, from the <--
16 standpoint of the economic well-being of this Commonwealth,
17 to offer financial support to maintain the viability of this
18 critical industry.
19 Section 3. Definitions.
20 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
21 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
22 context clearly indicates otherwise:
23 "Crop." Includes:
24 (1) Field crops, including corn, wheat, oats, rye,
25 barley, hay, potatoes, tobacco and dry beans.
26 (2) Fruits, including apples, peaches, grapes, cherries
27 and berries.
28 (3) Vegetables, including tomatoes, snap beans, cabbage,
29 carrots, beets, onions, peppers and mushrooms.
30 (4) Horticultural specialties, including nursery stock,
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1 ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees, Christmas trees and
2 flowers.
3 (5) Pasture.
4 (6) Timber, wood and other wood products derived from
5 trees.
6 (7) ANY OTHER CROP INSURED UNDER COVERAGE OFFERED BY THE <--
7 FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE CORPORATION OF THE UNITED STATES
8 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
9 "Department." The Department of Agriculture of the
10 Commonwealth.
11 "Fund." The Emergency Drought Relief Fund established in
12 section 4.
13 "PASS." The Pennsylvania Agricultural Statistics Service.
14 "Producer." A person engaged in the business of producing
15 crops within this Commonwealth.
16 "USDA-FSA." The United States Department of Agriculture-Farm
17 Service Agency.
18 Section 4. Fund.
19 (a) Establishment.--The Emergency Drought Relief Fund is
20 established.
21 (b) Source.--The source of the fund shall be appropriations.
22 (c) Purpose.--The purpose of the fund is to provide grants
23 under section 6.
24 (d) Administration.--The fund shall be administered by the
25 department under section 5(2).
26 Section 5. Department.
27 The department has the following powers and duties:
28 (1) Promulgate, within 30 days of the effective date of
29 this act, regulations to administer this act. Initial
30 regulations under this paragraph shall not be subject to the
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1 act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), known as the
2 Regulatory Review Act.
3 (2) Administer the fund. Up to .08% of the money in the
4 fund may be used by the department for administrative
5 expenses.
6 (3) Enter into agreements with Federal and State
7 agencies as necessary to implement this act.
8 Section 6. Grants.
9 (a) Amounts.--Proceeds from the fund shall be used to
10 provide grants to producers to refund a portion of the premium
11 for multiple-crop MULTI-PERIL CROP insurance purchased and paid <--
12 for by the producer to be determined as follows:
13 (1) The entire premium for insurance for the 1999 crop
14 year shall be refunded upon proof that the producer has the
15 same or greater coverage for the 2000 crop year.
16 (2) Fifty percent of the premium for insurance for the
17 2000 crop year shall be paid.
18 (b) Eligibility.--Eligibility for or receipt of other
19 drought relief assistance, whether Federal or State, shall not
20 invalidate a producer's eligibility for assistance under this
21 act.
22 Section 7. Appropriation.
23 The sum of $12,000,000 is appropriated to the Emergency
24 Drought Relief Fund. The money in the fund is continuously
25 appropriated to the fund to carry out the purposes of this act.
26 This appropriation shall not lapse at the end of any fiscal
27 year.
28 Section 8. Effective date.
29 This act shall take effect immediately.
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