H.R. 1011 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Apr 14, 2026. Received Apr 15, 2026; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryExpands emergency aid for disaster-hit farms and forests
This bill makes it easier for farmers and forest owners to get financial help after natural disasters damage their land. It increases the amount of advance money they can receive before doing restoration work, and it expands which types of damage qualify for assistance, including wildfires that spread due to natural causes.
How it affects you
If you own farmland or non-industrial private forest land and experience damage from a natural disaster like a wildfire, flood, or storm, you could receive more upfront money to help pay for repairs and rehabilitation work. This could help you start recovery efforts faster without waiting for full reimbursement.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Feb 5, 2025)
Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025
This bill revises the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) to expand eligibility for payments to agricultural producers and owners of forest land impacted by natural disasters. The bill also provides additional options to receive an advance on cost-sharing payments before carrying out emergency measures.
The bill expands advance ECP payments to include payments for the rehabilitation of farmland or to repair or replace a farmland or conservation structure. Producers may receive an advance on cost-sharing payments for 75% of the cost of the replacement or rehabilitation and 50% of the cost of the repair. Current law limits advanced cost-sharing payments to 25% of the cost of the repair or replacement of fencing.
The bill also expands eligibility for payments under ECP to include emergency measures to address damages caused by a wildfire that is not caused naturally (including a wildfire that is caused by the federal government), if the damage is caused by the spread of the wildfire due to natural causes.
Under EFRP, the bill allows owners of nonindustrial private forest land impacted by a natural disaster to receive an advance on cost-sharing payments for up to 75% of the cost of the emergency measures. Recipients must use the funds within 180 days after the funds are disbursed. Currently, advance payments are not available under the program.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 1011
AN ACT
Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA-5) · Introduced Feb 5, 2025 · Agriculture and Food · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Apr 15, 2026: “Received in the Senate.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass · Apr 14, 2026
Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass Passed 395–10
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 201 | 0 | 12 |
| Independents | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Republicans | 193 | 10 | 14 |
10 members voted against most of their party: 10 Republicans voted No.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 2 official versions.