The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act last week. The bill, introduced by Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska, would improve producer access to federal disaster relief through the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP).

According to the Kansas Livestock Association, these programs provide producers with financial and technical assistance to recover from wildfires, floods and natural disasters,.

The National Cattleman’s Beef Association says relief payments can be significantly delayed due to government red tape. The Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act would give affected producers the option to receive an advance payment based on current USDA data, thus allowing the recovery process to begin sooner.

NCBA now is urging the House to swiftly pass the bill.