text: SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS OF ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR 
                FISCAL YEAR 2000 FOR DISASTER RELIEF FOR THE VICTIMS OF 
                HURRICANE FLOYD.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
              (1) between August 29 and September 9, 1999, Hurricane 
          Dennis hovered off the coast of North Carolina and eventually 
          made landfall off Cape Hatteras;
              (2) Hurricane Dennis brought 20 inches of rain to portions 
          of North Carolina, wiped out significant portions of the 
          highway network on the North Carolina Outer Banks, and flooded 
          homes and businesses;
              (3) Hurricane Dennis caused millions of dollars in damage 
          to houses, businesses, farms, fishermen, roads, beaches and 
          protective dunes;
              (4) between September 14 and 16, 1999, Hurricane Floyd 
          menaced most of the southeastern seaboard of the United States, 
          provoking the largest peace time evacuation of eastern Florida, 
          the Georgia coast, the South Carolina coast, and the North 
          Carolina Coast;
              (5) on September 16, 1999, in the early morning hours, 
          Hurricane Floyd made landfall at the Cape Fear River, dumping 
          up to 18 inches of rain on sections of North Carolina only days 
          after the heavy rainfall from Hurricane Dennis;
              (6) the result of the landfall of Hurricane Floyd was the 
          worst recorded flooding in the history of North Carolina;
              (7) after making landfall, Hurricane Floyd continued to 
          move up the eastern seaboard, causing flooding and tornadoes in 
          Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and 
          Connecticut;
              (8) Hurricane Floyd is responsible for the known deaths of 
          54 people, 35 of whom were confirmed dead in North Carolina, 3 
          in New Jersey, 2 in New York, 6 in Pennsylvania, 4 in Virginia, 
          2 in Delaware, 1 in Vermont, and 1 in Connecticut, with many 
          people still missing;
              (9) as the flood waters recede, the death toll from 
          Hurricane Floyd is expected to grow;
              (10) farmers and fishermen have been among the most 
          drastically affected by Hurricane Floyd;
              (11) in North Carolina alone, the agricultural loss 
          estimates are already $1,300,000,000, and are likely to rise 
          far higher;
              (12) North Carolina is the third most agriculturally 
          diverse State in the country, producing, among other products, 
          tobacco, cotton, peanuts, soybeans, corn, sweet potatoes, 
          livestock, dairy, and produce;
              (13) last year in North Carolina, the total commodities 
          sold from the State topped $7 billion, and in Virginia they 
          generated $2.4 billion in cash receipts;
              (14) in North Carolina, more than 100,000 hogs have 
          drowned, and more than 3,000,000 poultry have been killed by 
          the flooding;
              (15) an estimated 120,000,000 gallons of hog waste have 
          spilled into the environment, polluting rivers and ground 
          water, and dozens of waste lagoons have been destroyed or 
          flooded;
              (16) millions of other animals in North Carolina are in 
          danger of starving to death, trapped in areas where it is 
          impossible to deliver feed;
              (17) 80 percent of the North Carolina cotton crop, 25 
          percent of the Virginia cotton crop, 75 to 80 percent of the 
          soybean crop, and 75 to 80 percent of the peanut crop 
          (including 25 percent of the Virginia peanut crop) are expected 
          to be lost;
              (18) the North Carolina sweet potato crop may be a complete 
          loss;
              (19) seed crops in the area have been almost completely 
          destroyed;
              (20) farming equipment throughout the area has been 
          destroyed;
              (21) debris cleanup in affected areas will be overwhelming, 
          and the possibility of soil contamination will have to be 
          assessed on farms across the State; and
              (22) hundreds of fishermen have lost their boats as a 
          result of the force of Hurricane Floyd and Hurricane Dennis.
      (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--
              (1) Agriculture.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
          for the Department of Agriculture for fiscal year 2000, 
          $3,000,000,000, to remain available until expended, for 
          expenses of the Department relating to the provision of 
          disaster relief for agricultural producers affected by 
          Hurricane Floyd and for other Hurricane Floyd-related relief 
          under--
                      (A) the flooded land reserve program, in accordance 
                  with section 1124 of the Agriculture, Rural 
                  Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related 
                  Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998 (Public Law 105-277; 
                  7 U.S.C. 1421 note);
                      (B) the Wetlands Reserve Program, authorized by 
                  subchapter C of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of 
                  the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837);
                      (C) the Environmental Quality Incentives Program 
                  under chapter 4 of subtitle D of the Food Security Act 
                  of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3839aa et seq.);
                      (D) the Emergency Conservation Program under title 
                  IV of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 
                  2201 et seq.);
                      (E) the rural housing insurance fund under section 
                  502 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1487);
                      (F) the program to provide low income housing 
                  repair grants under section 504 of the Housing Act of 
                  1949 (42 U.S.C. 1474); and
                      (G) any other program that provides appropriate 
                  disaster relief, as determined by the Secretary of 
                  Agriculture.
              (2) Commerce.--There is authorized to be appropriated for 
          the Department of Commerce for fiscal year 2000, $50,000,000 
          for expenses of the Department of Commerce to provide emergency 
          disaster assistance to persons or entities that have incurred 
          losses from a commercial fishery failure described in 308(b)(1) 
          of the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 
          4107(b)) and due to Hurricane Floyd, to remain available until 
          expended.
              (3) FEMA.--There is authorized to be appropriated for the 
          Federal Emergency Management Agency for fiscal year 2000, 
          $250,000,000 for emergency expenses resulting from Hurricane 
          Floyd, to remain available until expended.
      (c) Construction.--The amounts authorized to be appropriated by 
  subsection (b) are in addition to any other amounts authorized to be 
  appropriated for the Department of Agriculture, the Department of 
  Commerce or the Federal Emergency Management Agency for fiscal year 
  2000 for the expenses described in that subsection.
      (d) Designation As Emergency Spending.--The appropriation of any 
  amount under an authorization of appropriations in subsection (b) shall 
  be--
              (1) designated as emergency spending in accordance with 
          section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency 
          Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A)); and
              (2) made available on an emergency basis.
target: Authorizes appropriations for: (1) the Department of Commerce for FY 2000 for expenses of providing emergency disaster assistance to persons or entities that have incurred losses from a commercial fishery failure due to Hurricane Floyd; and (2) the Federal Emergency Management Agency for FY 2000 for emergency expenses resulting from Hurricane Floyd.
  Provides that the appropriation of any amount authorized under this Act shall be: (1) designated as emergency spending in accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act); and (2) made available on an emergency basis.
feat_title: A bill to authorize additional emergency disaster relief for victims of Hurricane Dennis and Hurricane Floyd.