#aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4   
#fbi  ,,an ,,act  ,to amend the         
,agricultural ,credit ,act of #aigh to  
remove barriers to agricultural         
producers in accessing funds to carry   
out emergency measures under the        
emergency conservation program1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,emergency     
,conservation ,program ,improvement ,act
 of #bjbe4  #b4 ,improving the          
,emergency ,conservation ,program       
,section #dja of the ,agricultural      
,credit ,act of #aigh 7#af ,u4,s4,c4    
#bbja7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection  
7b7-- 7,a7 in the subsection heading1 by
 inserting and other emergency          
conservation measures after fencing2    
7,b7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 by         
inserting or for other emergency        
measures to replace or restore farmland 
or conservation structures requiring an 
immediate response 7as determined by the
 ,secretary71 after replacement of      
fencing12 and  7ii7 by striking option  

of receiving and all that follows       
through the period at the end and       
inserting the following3 option of      
receiving1 before the agricultural      
producer carries out the repair1        
replacement1 or restoration-- 7,a7 with 
respect to a payment to the agricultural
 producer for a replacement1 #ge percent
 of the cost of the replacement1 as     
determined by the ,secretary2 and  7,b7 
with respect to a payment to the        
agricultural producer for a repair or   
restoration1 #ej percent of the cost of 
the repair or restoration1 as determined
 by the ,secretary4  2 and  7,c7 in     
paragraph 7#b71 by striking #fj-;day and
 inserting #ahj-;day2 and  7#b7 by      
adding at the end the following3  7c7   
,wildfire determination ,a wildfire that
 causes damage eligible for a payment   
under subsection 7a7 includes-- 7#a7 a  
wildfire that is not caused naturally1  
if the damage is caused by the spread of
 the wildfire due to natural causes2 and
  7#b7 a wildfire that is caused by the 

,federal ,government4  4  #c4 ,improving
 the ,emergency ,forest ,restoration    
,program ,section #djg of the           
,agricultural ,credit ,act of #aigh 7#af
 ,u4,s4,c4 #bbjf7 is amended-- 7#a7 in  
subsection 7a77#b71 by striking         
wildfires1 and inserting wildfires      
7including a wildfire that is not caused
 naturally1 if the damage is caused by  
the spread of the wildfire due to       
natural causes1 and a wildfire that is  
caused by the ,federal ,government712   
7#b7 by redesignating subsection 7e7 as 
subsection 7f72 and  7#c7 by inserting  
after subsection 7d7 the following3  7e7
 ,advance payments  7#a7 ,in general    
,the ,secretary shall give an owner of  
nonindustrial private forest land the   
option of receiving1 before the owner   
carries out emergency measures under    
this section1 not more than #ge percent 
of the cost of the emergency measures1  
as determined by the ,secretary4  7#b7  
,return of funds ,if the funds provided 
under paragraph 7#a7 are not expended by

 the end of the #ahj-;day period        
beginning on the date on which the owner
 of nonindustrial private forest land   
receives those funds1 the funds shall be
 returned within a reasonable timeframe1
 as determined by the ,secretary4  4    
,passed the ,senate ,march #bd1         
#bjbf4,secretary