Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act of 2025

Bill Number

S. 2872

Origin Chamber

Senate

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Agriculture and Food

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-09-18: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Last Updated

2025-11-25T16:13:39Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act of 2025 aims to provide federal financial assistance to address pine beetle outbreaks on nonindustrial private forest land. It expands existing programs to support forest restoration, emergency response measures, and recovery efforts, helping to mitigate damage from these pests that can harm trees and forest ecosystems.

Key Provisions

• Assistance for Landowners and Businesses (Amendments to Section 407 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978):
• Defines key terms, including:
• Outbreak response measures: Actions like timber harvesting, prescribed burning, debris removal, insecticide treatment, buffer area establishment, or other Secretary-determined methods to combat pine beetle damage.
• Eligible itemized costs: Expenses for labor (e.g., drivers or operators), equipment use (e.g., bulldozers), and materials (e.g., gravel, insecticides) incurred by timber service businesses.
• Timber service business: Companies earning revenue from cutting/transporting timber or tree care in forests or urban areas.
• Nonindustrial private forest land: Privately owned forest land not used for industrial timber production.
• Provides cost-share payments to landowners for up to 85% of costs to restore forest health after a pine beetle outbreak.
• Offers payments to timber service businesses for up to 50% of their eligible costs when helping with restoration on affected land.
• Eligibility requires: Proof of prior tree cover, location in a federally designated disaster area (e.g., due to drought, wildfire, or other events in the past year), and confirmation of pine beetle presence via Forest Service or state surveys.
• Local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices, in consultation with county committees, process applications and issue payments.
• Authorizes supplemental grants to state, Tribal, and local governments for outbreak response and damage repair.

• Emergency Loans (Amendments to Section 321 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act):
• Expands emergency loan eligibility to owners of nonindustrial private forest land for outbreak response measures, covering at least 75% of estimated costs.
• Allows loan recipients who later receive cost-share payments to apply those funds toward reducing the loan principal.
• Includes definitions for relevant terms and updates to loan eligibility criteria (e.g., what it means to be "able to obtain sufficient credit elsewhere").
• Makes conforming changes to related laws (e.g., Federal Crop Insurance Act, Trade Act of 1974) to align subsection references.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Inserts a new subsection (e) into the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978, specifically targeting pine beetle outbreaks, while redesignating the prior subsection (e) as (f); this builds on general forestry assistance without replacing it.
• Modifies the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act by restructuring sections (e.g., striking and redesignating subsections), adding explicit loan provisions for forest landowners, and broadening emergency loan access beyond traditional farming/aquaculture to include beetle-specific forest recovery.
• These changes integrate pine beetle responses into established disaster assistance frameworks, previously more focused on crops or general natural disasters, without altering core eligibility for other emergencies.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: Increases workload for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), particularly the FSA and Forest Service, in processing applications, conducting surveys, and disbursing funds; may require additional coordination with state agencies.
• On Citizens: Benefits private forest landowners and timber businesses in beetle-affected areas (e.g., Western and Southern U.S. states) by reducing financial burdens for recovery, potentially preserving jobs and local economies tied to forestry.
• On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though enhanced U.S. forest health could indirectly support global efforts on climate-related pest issues (e.g., via shared environmental data).
• Overall, promotes faster forest restoration, reducing risks like wildfires from dead trees, and supports rural communities without broad economic disruption.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Owners of Nonindustrial Private Forest Land: Primary beneficiaries receiving cost-share payments and loans to fund recovery.
• Timber Service Businesses: Gain reimbursements for operational costs, aiding small or local firms in outbreak zones.
• State, Tribal, and Local Governments: Receive grants for broader response efforts, enhancing their capacity for emergency management.
• USDA Agencies (e.g., Secretary of Agriculture, FSA, Forest Service): Responsible for implementation, eligibility determinations, and funding allocation.
• Rural and Forestry Communities: Indirectly affected through improved forest resilience and economic stability in disaster-prone areas.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Strengthens federal authority under existing agricultural and disaster laws to address specific environmental threats like invasive pests; ensures accountability through FSA oversight and defined eligibility criteria, potentially setting precedents for future insect outbreak responses.
• Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's spending power (Article I, Section 8) for public welfare and disaster aid; no apparent conflicts with property rights, as assistance is voluntary and cost-shared.
• Political: Introduced with bipartisan support from senators across regions (e.g., Southern and Western states), reflecting consensus on agricultural/environmental priorities; could influence future farm bills by highlighting needs for targeted pest management funding.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS]

Cosponsors (5)

Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA], Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL], Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA], Sen. Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL], Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY]

Recent Actions

• 2025-09-18: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
• 2025-09-18: Introduced in Senate

Bill Versions

• Emergency Pine Beetle Response Act of 2025 — issued 2025-09-18 — PDF (11 pages)