emergency feed program

emergency feed program Sec. 1105. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture may implement an emergency feed program for assistance in the preservation and maintenance of livestock in any area of the United States, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands of the United States, where, because of flood, drought, fire, hurricane, earthquake, storm, or other natural disaster, the Secretary determines that an emergency exists. (b) The Secretary shall not provide assistance under this section to any person unless all of the following conditions created by the emergency are present: (1) The person has suffered a substantial loss in the livestock feed normally produced on the farm for such person’s livestock; (2) The person does not have sufficient feed for such person’s livestock for the estimated period of the emergency; and (3) The person is required to make feed purchases during the period of the emergency in quantities larger than such person would normally make. (c) Persons eligible for assistance under the. program formulated under this section may be reimbursed for not to exceed 50 per centum of the cost of the feed purchased by such eligible persons during the period of emergency, as announced by the Secretary of Agriculture, or at such lower rate as may be established by the Secretary. (d) Any person who disposes of any feed for which such person is reimbursed under this section, in any manner other than as authorized by the Secretary, shall be subject to a penalty equal to the market value of the feed involved, to be recovered by the Secretary in a civil suit brought for that purpose. Tn addition, such person shall be subject to a fine of not more than $10,000, or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. (e) The Secretary is authorized to issue such regulations as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. (f) The Secretary shall carry out the program authorized by this section through the Commodity Credit Corporation. (g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law. the Secretary shall not delegate the authority to administer the emergency feed program to any other department, agency, or entity, public or private.