Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today sponsored legislation to deliver rapid assistance to farmers and ranchers afflicted by natural disasters. H.R. 3157, “The USDA Disaster Liaison Bill” establishes a special federal Agriculture disaster liaison responsible for coordinating state and local officials responding to a declared disaster.

“When wildfires, drought, or similar natural disasters hit our state, local officials will have an advocate at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help them respond,” Rehberg said of the bill. “This year, after an extraordinarily devastating fire season that complicated five years of continuous drought in Montana, our state and local governments badly needed help from federal officials to adequately protect our embattled farmers, ranchers and small businesses.”

H.R. 3157 will give farmers, ranchers and small businesses a federal disaster liaison acting as a single voice to assist local officials in helping producers recover when natural disasters threaten their livelihoods. The bill:

Establishes a USDA presence at temporary field offices set up on location during disasters;

Provides a liaison to serve as a rapid conduit of information from local USDA offices to state and federal offices;

Allows for expedited funding requests for emergency assistance available through various departments and programs within the USDA;

Provides consistent communication and information to the media to help inform rural citizens of procedures for requesting assistance.

“H.R. 3157 will simplify the painful post-disaster process that farmers and ranchers suffer through when help is urgently needed,” Rehberg said. “Having a single federal liaison to pull agencies and programs together can help alleviate the anxiety that comes from such an event.”