Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture may under the provisions of this Act establish, maintain, and dispose of a separate reserve of inventories of not to exceed 75 million bushels of wheat, feed grains, and soybeans for the purpose of alleviating distress caused by a natural disaster. Such reserve inventories may include such quantities of grain that the Secretary deems needed to provide for the alleviation of distress as the result of a natural disaster.

The Secretary may acquire such commodities through the price support program. However, if the Secretary determines that no wheat, feed grains, or soybeans are available through the price support program at locations where they may be economically utilized to alleviate distress caused by a natural disaster, the Secretary is authorized to purchase through the facilities of the Commodity Credit Corporation such wheat, feed grains, soybeans, hay, or other livestock forages as the Secretary deems necessary for disposition in accordance with the authority provided in subsection (d) of this section. The Secretary may acquire wheat, feed grains, soybeans, hay, or other livestock forages at such locations, at such times, and in such quantities as the Secretary finds necessary and appropriate and may pay such transportation and other costs as may be required to permit disposition of such wheat, feed grains, soybeans, hay, and other livestock forages under subsection (d) of this section.

Except when a state of emergency has been proclaimed by the President or by concurrent resolution of Congress declaring that such reserves should be disposed of, the Secretary shall not offer any commodity in the reserve for sale or disposition.

The Secretary is also authorized to dispose of such commodities only for (1) use in relieving distress (A) in any State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Virgin Islands of the United States, (B) in connection with any major disaster or emergency determined by the President to warrant assistance by the Federal Government under the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (88 Stat. 143, as amended; 42 U.S.C. 5121), and (C) in connection with any emergency determined by the Secretary to warrant assistance under section 1427 of this title, the Act of September 21, 1959 (73 Stat. 574, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 1427 note), or section 2267 [1] of this title; or (2) use in connection with a state of civil defense emergency as proclaimed by the President or by concurrent resolution of the Congress in accordance with title VI of The [2] Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act [42 U.S.C. 5195 et seq.].

The Secretary may sell at an equivalent price, allowing for the customary location and grade price differentials, substantially equivalent quantities in different locations or warehouses to the extent needed to properly handle, rotate, distribute, and locate such reserve.

The Secretary may use the Commodity Credit Corporation to the extent feasible to fulfill the purposes of this section; and to the maximum extent practicable consistent with the fulfillment of the purposes of this section and the effective and efficient administration of this section shall utilize the usual and customary channels, facilities, and arrangements of trade and commerce.

The Secretary may issue such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

There is hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

(Pub. L. 91–524, title VIII, § 813, as added Pub. L. 93–86, § 1(27)(B), Aug. 10, 1973, 87 Stat. 239; amended Pub. L. 95–113, title XI, § 1103, Sept. 29, 1977, 91 Stat. 953; Pub. L. 97–98, title X, § 1003, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1260; Pub. L. 100–707, title I, § 109(b), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4708; Pub. L. 103–337, div. C, title XXXIV, § 3412(b)(3), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 3111.)