Detailed Summary

Agricultural Disaster Assistance and Western States Emergency Unfinished Business Appropriations Act, 2007 - <b>Title I: Agricultural Assistance - </b>(Sec. 1001) Appropriates FY2007 amounts for emergency financial assistance to producers on a farm that incurred qualifying quantity or quality losses for the 2005 or 2006 crop, or that part of the 2007 crop year before February 28, 2007, due to damaging weather or any related condition (including crop diseases, insects, and delayed planting). Requires that an eligible crop must have been planted before February 28, 2007, or in the case of prevented planting or other total loss, would have been planted before such date. Requires a producer who suffered qualifying losses to elect assistance for only one of such years.

Limits assistance, including crop insurance and the value of any crop not lost, to 95% of the crop's value had there been no loss.

Sets forth insurable and noninsurable commodity eligibility requirements.

(Sec. 1002) Appropriates amounts for payments through the livestock compensation program for livestock assistance for disaster-caused losses between January 1, 2005, and February 28, 2007, including losses from blizzards that began in 2006 and continued into January 2007. Sets the payment rate at 70% of the rate otherwise applicable under such program.

States that a producer: (1) shall elect to receive payments in only one of such years, and that such losses must have been incurred in a disaster-designated county; (2) may elect to receive compensation for wildfire-caused losses in the 2007 grazing season; and (3) shall not be penalized for reducing the average number of livestock the producer owned for grazing during the production year for which assistance is being provided.

Appropriates amounts for livestock indemnity payments to producers on farms in disaster-designated counties that have incurred livestock losses between January 1, 2005, and February 28, 2007, including losses from blizzards that started in 2006 and continued into January 2007. Requires a producer who suffered qualifying losses to elect assistance for only one of such years. Sets payment rates at not less than 30% of the livestock's market value on the day before death.

(Sec. 1003) Appropriates amounts for agricultural and farm production land cleanup and restoration under the emergency conservation program.

(Sec. 1004) Reduces producer payments under sections 1001 and 1002 by amounts received for the same or similar loss under: (1) the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006; (2) an agricultural disaster assistance provision contained in the announcement of the Secretary on January 26, 2006, or August 29, 2006; or (3) the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006.

Applies adjusted gross income limitations to assistance provided under sections 1001 through 1003.

(Sec. 1005) Sets forth administrative provisions.

(Sec. 1006) Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to revise national dairy market loss payment amount provisions.

(Sec. 1007) Appropriates amounts for dairy production losses in disaster counties.

(Sec. 1008) Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, in states with a shortage of claims adjusters, to permit the use of one certified claims adjuster with respect to animal forage crops (under the noninsured crop disaster assistance program).

(Sec. 1009) Appropriates amounts for emergency grants for low-income migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

(Sec. 1011) Appropriates amounts for Farm Service Agency salaries and expenses.

(Sec. 1012) States that in carrying out crop disaster and livestock assistance in this title the Secretary shall require forage producers to have participated in a crop insurance pilot program or the noninsured crop disaster assistance program during the crop year for which compensation is received.

(Sec. 1013) Designates amounts in this title as emergency requirements.

<b>Title II: Emergency Appropriations for Western States </b>- <b>Chapter 1: Fisheries Disaster Assistance - </b>Appropriates additional funds to the Department of Commerce, to remain available through FY2008, for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for operations, research, and facilities. Directs the National Marine Fisheries Service to distribute such amounts among eligible recipients of assistance for the commercial fishery failure declared by the Secretary of Commerce on August 10, 2006.

<b>Chapter 2: Wildland Firefighting and Rural Schools</b> - Appropriates additional funds to the Department of the Interior (Bureau of Land Management) and to the Department of Agriculture (Forest Service) for wildland fire management/suppression, to be made available only if previously provided funds are insufficient.

(Sec. 2201) Appropriates additional funds to the Department of Agriculture for FY2007 for payments to be made, to the maximum extent practicable, in the same amounts and in the same manner as were paid to states and counties in 2006 under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.

Appropriates funds, to remain available until December 31, 2007, to cover any payment shortfalls under this section from funds not otherwise appropriated.

Amends the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 to extend authorities under title II (Special Projects on Federal Lands) and title III (County Projects).

<b>Chapter 3: General Provision, This Title</b> - (Sec. 2301) Designates amounts in this title as emergency requirements.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 5/10/2007: Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 302 - 120 (Roll no. 336).

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Points Against

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