Loggers Economic Assistance and Relief Act

This bill, known as the Loggers Economic Assistance and Relief Act, establishes a new payment program under the Secretary of Agriculture to support timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses. The program aims to provide financial assistance to these businesses when they suffer unexpected losses of markets and revenues due to major disasters, which explicitly includes insect infestations. To be eligible, businesses must have harvested or hauled unrefined timber in the previous calendar year and experienced a loss of at least 10 percent in gross revenue over a 30-day period or quarter compared to the same period in the prior year. The payment amount will be equal to 10 percent of the gross revenue during the applicable loss period, and recipients must certify that the funds will be used solely for operating expenses . The bill authorizes an appropriation of $50,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2029 to fund this program.