,,ii #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #bafc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #bf1 #bjad ,mr4 ,udall of ,colorado 7for himself and ,mr4 ,bennet7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry ,a ,,bill ,to establish an emergency watershed protection disaster assistance fund to be available to the ,secretary of ,agriculture to provide assistance for any natural disaster4 #a4 ,emergency watershed protection disaster assistance fund 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,emergency watershed protection program ,the term emergency watershed protection program means the emergency watershed protection program established under section #djc of the ,agricultural ,credit ,act of #aigh 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #bbjc74 7#b7 ,fund ,the term ,fund means the ,emergency ,watershed ,protection ,disaster ,assistance ,fund established by subsection 7b74 7#c7 ,natural disaster ,the term natural disaster means-- 7,a7 a natural disaster declared by the ,secretary under section #cba7;a7 of the ,consolidated ,farm and ,rural ,development ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #aifa7;a772 or 7,b7 a major disaster or emergency designated by the ,president under the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et seq474 7#d7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,agriculture4 7b7 ,establishment ,there is established in the ,treasury of the ,united ,states a fund to be known as the ,emergency ,watershed ,protection ,disaster ,assistance ,fund1 to be administered by the ,secretary to carry out activities under the emergency watershed protection program4 7c7 ,purpose and availability of fund 7#a7 ,in general ,subject to subsection 7d71 amounts in the ,fund shall be available to the ,secretary1 until expended1 to provide additional amounts for authorized activities described in subsection 7b7 in areas affected by a natural disaster4 7#b7 ,maintenance of funding ,amounts in the ,fund shall supplement 7and not supplant7 other ,federal funding for natural disasters4 7d7 ,directly appropriated amounts ,amounts appropriated directly to the ,fund by this ,act or any subsequent ,act for a specific purpose shall be available only for that purpose until such time as the transfer authority provided by subsection 7f7 takes effect with regard to the amounts4 7e7 ,transfer of prior appropriations to fund 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary may transfer to the ,fund1 and merge with other amounts generally appropriated to the ,fund1 the available unobligated balance of any amounts described in paragraph 7#b7 if1 in advance of the transfer1 the ,secretary-- 7,a7 determines that the unobligated amounts are no longer needed to respond to the natural disaster for which the amounts were originally appropriated2 and 7,b7 provides a certification of that determination to the ,committees on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,senate4 7#b7 ,amounts 7,a7 ,in general ,amounts described in this paragraph are amounts for the emergency watershed protection program that-- 7i7 except in the case of funds described in subparagraph 7,b71 remain unobligated as of the date of enactment of this ,act2 or 7ii7 7,i7 are made available under the ,disaster ,relief ,appropriations ,act1 #bjac 7division ,a of ,public ,law #aac-b2 #abg ,stat4 #d72 and 7,,ii7 are not necessary to fulfill any eligible request for the funds made in accordance with that ,act4 7,b7 ,emergency designations 7i7 ,emergency ,designation for ,statutory ,,paygo ,this subsection is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #d7;g7 of the ,statutory ,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of #bjaj 7,public ,law #aaa-aci2 #b ,u4,s4,c4 #icc7;g774 7ii7 ,emergency ,designation for ,congressional ,enforcement ,in the ,senate1 this subsection is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to sections #djc7;a7 and #dbc7;b7 of ,s4 ,con4 ,res4 #ac 7#aaath ,congress71 the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year #bjaj4 7#c7 ,certain funds 7,a7 ,preliminary deposit ,not later than #cj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall transfer to the ,fund all amounts described in paragraph 7#b77;,a77ii7 that are in excess of amounts requested in applications received by the ,secretary on or before ,april #ah1 #bjad1 in accordance with the ,disaster ,relief ,appropriations ,act1 #bjac 7division ,a of ,public ,law #aac-b2 #abg ,stat4 #d74 7,b7 ,final deposit ,as soon as practicable after the ,secretary has made final determinations on all applications described in subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary shall transfer to the ,fund all remaining unobligated amounts described in paragraph 7#b77;,a77ii74 7f7 ,transfer of other appropriations to fund 7#a7 ,in general ,unless otherwise specifically provided in an appropriations ,act1 the ,secretary may transfer to or within the ,fund1 and merge with other amounts generally appropriated to the ,fund1 the available unobligated balance of any amounts that are appropriated for fiscal year #bjad or any subsequent fiscal year for the emergency watershed protection program to respond to a natural disaster or are designated by the ,congress as an emergency requirement if1 in advance of the transfer1 the ,secretary-- 7,a7 determines that the unobligated amounts are no longer needed to respond to the natural disaster for which the amounts were originally appropriated2 and 7,b7 provides a certification of that determination to the ,committees on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,senate4 7#b7 ,timing ,a transfer of unobligated amounts with respect to a natural disaster may not be made under this subsection until after the end of the #b-year period beginning on the date on which the amounts were originally appropriated for that natural disaster4 7g7 ,availability of funds ,amounts transferred into the ,fund under this section shall be available to the ,secretary for obligation without further appropriation4 7h7 ,administrative expenses ,in addition to any other funds available to the ,secretary to cover administrative costs1 the ,secretary may use up to #c percent of the amounts allocated from the ,fund for a specific natural disaster to cover administrative costs of the ,state and local offices of the ,department of ,agriculture in the areas affected by the natural disaster to carry out disaster-related activities4 7i7 ,limitation on per disaster obligations 7#a7 ,in general ,amounts in the ,fund1 except for amounts described in subsection 7d7 that are appropriated to the ,fund and obligated in accordance with that subsection1 may not be obligated in excess of #a1jjj1jjj for a natural disaster until at least #ae days after the date on which the ,secretary notifies the ,committees on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,senate of the determination of the ,secretary to obligate additional amounts and the reasons for the determination4 7#b7 ,specific and extreme need ,the ,secretary may not obligate more than #ej percent of the amounts in the ,fund for any #a natural disaster unless the ,secretary declares that there is a specific and extreme need for additional funds to be provided in response to that natural disaster at time of the obligation4 7j7 ,quarterly reports ,the ,secretary shall submit1 on a quarterly basis1 to the ,committees on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,senate a report describing the status of the ,fund and any transactions that have affected the ,fund since the previous report4