Timber industry gets disaster relief—but regulators skip public input
S. 2399 — Loggers Economic Assistance and Relief Act · Filed by Susan Collins (R-ME) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 23, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill creates a federal payment program for timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses that suffer at least a 10% loss in gross revenue during any 30-day period or quarter following a major disaster (including insect infestations). The Secretary of Agriculture, through the Farm Service Agency, will pay eligible businesses 10% of their lost revenue, capped at $50 million annually through 2029, provided the money is used for operating expenses. The bill requires annual reporting to Congress on all recipients and payment amounts.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is a direct payment program to compensate timber businesses for disaster-related revenue losses. While framed as economic relief, it is narrowly targeted to one industry and includes a regulatory bypass that reduces administrative transparency.
- Section on regulations exempts the Secretary from notice-and-comment rulemaking and Paperwork Reduction Act compliance, reducing public input into program administration.
What the text implies
- The regulatory bypass allows the Secretary to define 'eligible entity,' 'gross revenue,' and 'normal range of operation' without public notice or comment, potentially narrowing or broadening eligibility in ways not visible to Congress or the public.
- The 10% revenue-loss threshold and 10% payment formula may systematically exclude smaller timber operations or those with volatile revenue streams, concentrating benefits among larger, more stable firms.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
timber harvesting businesses; timber hauling businesses; timber industry contractors