Livestock and Specialty Crop Producer Disaster Relief Bills Surface in Congress

To date, three agriculture disaster relief bills have been introduced in the U.S. Congress (one in the Senate and two in the House) that would provide relief for livestock and specialty crop producers who suffer losses due to the ongoing drought gripping much of the nation's mid-section (several such disaster assistance programs that were in the 2008 Farm Bill expired last year). Those bills (with links to the legislation) include:

• Senate, July 12 “Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance Extension Act of 2012” (S 3384) sponsored by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)
• House, July 23 “Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012” (HR 6167) sponsored by Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA-2), and
• House, July 25 bill "To extend certain of the supplemental agricultural disaster assistance programs through fiscal year 2012 and to continue to fund such assistance through the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund" (HR 6192), sponsored by Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO-8).

If and how these bills could proceed through Congress, and whether a Farm Bill is linked to a disaster relief measure are uncertain, at best.  To read more of their fate and how negotiations on disaster relief and the Farm Bill are playing out on Capitol Hill, see here.