SAWMILL Act
Rural Sawmills: New Loan Program
The SAWMILL Act is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It has been sent to the House Committees on Agriculture and Natural Resources for review. No further actions are scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
This bill has support from both Republicans and Democrats, which helps its chances. However, it still needs to pass through several committees before it can be voted on by the full House.
Key Points
- This bill creates a new program to help rural sawmills get loans for building or fixing their facilities. The government would guarantee up to $220 million in loans to help these businesses grow, reopen, or modernize.
- To qualify, a sawmill must be located within 250 miles of federal land that needs ecological restoration. This involves removing extra trees and plants to help keep forests healthy and reduce the risk of wildfires.
- The goal is to make it cheaper for the government to manage forests. By having sawmills nearby, the wood removed during restoration projects can be processed locally instead of being hauled long distances or left to rot.
- The Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior will work together to identify which federal lands are the highest priority for this work. They will update this list of priority areas every five years.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
SAWMILL Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(11)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.