Public land ent rymen. 83 STAT. 126 83 STAT. 127 Repeal. 80 Stat. 1010. SBA disaster loans. 72 Stat. 387. Emergency farm loans. 75 Stat. 311. SEC. 4. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to give any public land entryman such additional time in which to comply with any requirement of law in connection with any public land entry for lands in any State affected by a major disaster as the Secretary finds appropriate because of interference with the entryman's ability to comply with such requirement as a result of such major disaster. SEC. 5. The last paragraph under the center heading "Administrative Provisions" in title II of the Public Works Appropriation Act, 1967 (Public Law 89-689), is hereby repealed. SEC. 6. In the administration of the disaster loan program under section 7(b) (1) of the Small Business Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. €36(b)), in the case of property loss or damage in any affected State resulting from a major disaster the Small Business Administration (1) to the extent such loss or damage is not compensated for by insurance or otherwise, (A) shall at the borrower's option on that part of any loan in excess of $500 cancel (i) the interest due on the loan, or (ii) the principal of the loan, or (iii) any combination of such interest or principal except that the total amount so canceled shall not exceed $1,800, and (B) may defer interest payments or principal payments, or both, in whole or in part, on such loan during the first three years of the term of the loan without regard to the ability of the borrower to make such payments. (2) may grant any loan for the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of property damaged or destroyed, without regard to whether the required financial assistance is otherwise available from private sources, except that (A) any loan made under authority of this paragraph shall bear interest at a rate equal to the average annual interest rate on all interest-bearing obligations of the United States having maturities of 20 years or more and forming a part of the public debt as computed at the end of the fiscal year next preceding the date of the loan, adjusted to the nearest one-eighth of one per centum, and (B) no part of any loan made under authority of this paragraph shall be eligible for cancellation or deferral as authorized in paragraph (1) of this section. (3) may in the case of the total destruction or substantial property damage of a home or business concern refinance any mortgage or other liens outstanding against the destroyed or damaged property if such financing is for the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of property damaged or destroyed as a result of such disaster and any such refinancing shall be subject to the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section. SEC. 7. In the administration of the emergency loan program under subtitle C of the Consolidated Farmers Home Administration Act of 1961, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1961-1967), in the case of property loss or damage in any affected State resulting from a major disaster the Secretary of Agriculture (1) to the extent such loss or damage is not compensated for by insurance or otherwise, (A) shall at the borrower's option on that part of any loan in excess of $500 cancel (i) the interest due on the loan, or (ii) the principal of the loan, or (iii) any combination of such interest or principal except that the total amount so cancelled shall not exceed $1,800, and (B) may defer interest payments or principal payments, or both, in whole or in part, on such loan during the first three years of the term of the loan without regard to the ability of the borrower to make such payments. (2) may grant any loan for the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of property damaged or destroyed, without regard to whether the required financial assistance is otherwise available from private sources, except that (A) any loan made under authority of this paragraph shall bear interest at a rate equal to the average annual interest rate on all interest-bearing obligations of the United States having maturities of 20 years or more and forming a part of the public debt as computed at the end of the fiscal year next preceding the date of the loan, adjusted to the nearest one-eighth of one per centum, and (B) no part of any loan made under authority of this paragraph shall be eligible for cancellation or deferral as authorized in paragraph (1) of this section. (3) may in the case of the total destruction or substantial property damage of a home or business concern refinance any mortgage or other liens outstanding against the destroyed or damaged property if such financing is for the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of property damaged or destroyed as a result of such disaster and any such refinancing shall be subject to the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section. 83 STAT. 128 State disaster relief programs, devel SEC. 8. (a) The President is authorized to provide assistance to the States in developing comprehensive plans and practicable programs for assisting individuals suffering losses as the result of a major disaster. For the purposes of this section, the term "State" includes the Dis-opment. trict of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the territory of Guam, American Samoa, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. (b) The President is authorized to make grants not to exceed $250,000 to any State, upon application therefor, in an amount not to exceed 50 per centum of the cost of developing the plans and programs referred to in subsection (a). (c) Any State desiring assistance under this section shall designate or create an agency which is specially qualified to plan and administer such a disaster relief program, and shall, through such agency, submit a State plan to the President not later than December 31, 1970, which shall (1) set forth a comprehensive and detailed State program for assistance to individuals suffering losses as a result of a major disaster and (2) include provision for the appointment of a State coordinating officer to act in cooperation with the Federal coordinating officer required by section 9 of this Act. (d) The President shall prescribe such rules and regulations as he deems necessary for the effective coordination and administration of this section. "State." State agency, designation. Report to Federal coordinating officer. (e) Upon the submission of such plans the President is authorized to report and recommend to the Congress, from time to time, programs for the Federal role in the implementation and funding of comprehensive disaster relief plans, and such other recommendations relating to the Federal role in disaster relief activities as he deems warranted. SEC. 9. The President shall, immediately upon his designation of an area as a major disaster area, appoint a Federal coordinating officer to operate under the Office of Emergency Preparedness in such area. Such officer shall be responsible for the coordination of all Federal dis- Appointment. aster relief and assistance, shall establish such field offices as may be necessary for the rapid and efficient administration of Federal disaster relief programs, and shall otherwise assist local citizens and public officials in promptly obtaining assistance to which they are entitled. SEC. 10. (a) The President is authorized to provide on a temporary Temporary basis, as prescribed in this section, dwelling accommodations for indi- dwellings. viduals and families displaced by a major disaster. 83 STAT. 129 Food coupon allotments. 78 Stat. 703. 7 USC 2011 note 64 Stat. 1110; 67 Stat. 180. 42 USC 1855b. Unemployment assistance. ire supression. (b) The President is authorized to provide such accommodations by (1) using any unoccupied housing owned by the United States under any program of the Federal Government, (2) arranging with a local public housing agency for using unoccupied public housing units, (3) acquiring existing dwellings through leasing, or (4) acquiring mobile homes or other readily fabricated dwellings, through leasing, to be placed on sites furnished by the State or local government or by the owner-occupant displaced by the major disaster, with no site charge being made. Rentals shall be established for such accommodations, under such rules and regulations as the President may prescribe and shall take into consideration the financial ability of the occupant. In cases of financial hardship, rentals may be compromised, adjusted, or waived for a period not to exceed twelve months, but in no case shall any such individual or family be required to incur a monthly housing expense (including any fixed expense relating to the amortization of debt owing on a house destroyed or damaged in a major disaster) which is in excess of 25 per centum of the individual's or family's monthly income. (c) Dwelling accommodations may be made available under this section only to an individual who, or family which, as certified by such authority as may be designated by the President, had occupied a dwelling, as owner or tenant, that had been destroyed, or damaged to such an extent as to make it uninhabitable, as a result of such major disaster. SEC. 11. (a) Whenever, as the result of a major disaster, the President determines that low-income households are unable to purchase adequate amounts of nutritious food, he is authorized, under such terms and conditions as he may prescribe, to distribute through the Secretary of Agriculture coupon allotments to such households pursuant to provisions of the Food Stamp Act of 1964 and to make surplus commodities available pursuant to the provisions of section 3 of Public Law 875 of the Eighty-first Congress. (b) The President is authorized to continue through the Secretary of Agriculture to make such coupon allotments and surplus commodities available to such households for so long as he determines necessary, taking into consideration such factors as he deems appropriate, including the consequences of the major disaster on the earning power of the households to which assistance is made available under this section. (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed as amending or otherwise changing the provisions of the Food Stamp Act of 1964 except as it relates to a Presidential determination regarding availability of food stamps in a major disaster. SEC. 12. The President is authorized to provide to any individual unemployed as a result of a major disaster, such assistance as he deems appropriate while such individual is unemployed. Such assistance as the President shall provide shall not exceed the maximum amount and the maximum duration of payments under the unemployment compensation program of the State in which the disaster occurred and the amount of assistance under this section to any such individual shall be reduced by any amount of unemployment compensation or of private income protection insurance available to such individual for such period of unemployment. SEC. 13. The President is authorized to make grants and loans to any State to assist such State in the suppression of any fire on publicly or privately owned forest or grass lands which threatens such destruction as to constitute a major disaster. 83 STAT 130 SEC. 14. The President, whenever he determines it to be in the public Debris reinterest, and acting through the Director of the Office of Emergency moval. Preparedness, is authorized to make grants to any State or political subdivision thereof for the purpose of removing debris deposited on privately owned lands and on or in privately owned waters as a result of a major disaster, and such State or political subdivision is authorized, upon application, to make payments to any person for reimbursement of expenses actually incurred by such person in the removal of such debris, but not to exceed the amount that such expenses exceed the salvage value of such debris. SEC. 15. (a) As used in this Act the term "major disaster" means a "Major dismajor disaster as determined by the President pursuant to the Act aster." entitled "An Act to authorize Federal assistance to States and local governments in major disasters, and for other purposes", approved September 30, 1950, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1855-1855g), which dis- 64 Stat. 1109. aster occurred after June 30, 1967, and on or before December 31, 1970. (b)_This Act, other than sections 5, 8, 9, and 13, shall not be in effect Termination after December 31, 1970, except as it applies to major disasters occur ring before such date. date. SEC. 16. This Act may be cited as the "Disaster Relief Act of 1969". Short title. Approved October 1, 1969. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: HOUSE REPORTS No. 91-322 (Comm. on Public Works) and No. 91-495 (Comm. of Conference). SENATE REPORT No. 91-280 accompanying S. 1685 (Comm. on Public Works). CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 115 (1969): July 8, 9: Considered and passed House. 8: S. 1685 considered and passed Senate. 10: Considered and passed Senate, amended. July July Sept. 18: House and Senate agreed to conference report. 91st Congress, S. 1836 An Act To amend the Federal Seed Act (53 Stat. 1275), as amended. 83 STAT. 134 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 101 (a) Federal Seed (25) of the Federal Seed Act is amended to read as follows: Act, amendment. 7 USC 1561. "(25) The term 'seed certifying agency' means (A) an agency authorized under the laws of a State, Territory, or possession, to officially certify seed and which has standards and procedures approved by the Secretary (after due notice, hearings, and full consideration of agency." the views of farmer users of certified seed and other interested parties) to assure the genetic purity and identity of the seed certified, or (B) an agency of a foreign country determined by the Secretary of Agriculture to adhere to procedures and standards for seed certification comparable to those adhered to generally by seed certifying agencies under (A)." SEC. 2. Section 102 of such Act is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 102. Any labeling, advertisement, or other representation subject to this Act which represents that any seed is certified seed or any class thereof shall be deemed to be false in this respect unless (a) it has been determined by a seed certifying agency that such seed conformed to standards of genetic purity and identity as to kind or variety, and is in compliance with the rules and regulations of such agency pertaining to such seed; and (b) the seed bears an official label issued for such seed by a seed certifying agency certifying that the seed is of a specified class and a specified kind or variety." Approved October 17, 1969. Certified seed. Class specifi- LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: HOUSE REPORT No. 91-543 (Comm. on Agriculture). SENATE REPORT No. 91-346 (Comm. on Agriculture & Forestry). Aug. 8: Considered and passed Senate. Oct. 6: Considered and passed House. |