About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (August 4, 2017)

handle is hein.crs/govcfzp0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF. ' riE S-' $. h , , August 4, 2017 Farm Bill Primer: Disaster Assistance Programs A number of federal programs help agricultural producers recover from the effects of natural disasters, including federal crop insurance; the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP); livestock and fruit tree disaster programs; and emergency disaster loans. All programs are permanently authorized and most receive such sums as necessary through mandatory spending authority. As such, these programs do not require reauthorization in the next farm bill. However, Congress may choose to create additional programs, or amend or replace existing programs to address emerging issues. Federal policies that respond to agricultural loss from disasters have changed over time. Direct payments for production loss were authorized by Congress in an ad hoc fashion through emergency funding measures until 2007. With additional support through federal crop insurance policies and the creation of more permanent disaster support programs in the 2008 farm bill (P.L. 110-246), and continued in the 2014 farm bill (P.L. 113-79), Congress shifted policies away from ad hoc assistance toward more permanent forms of assistance. Now, nearly all parts of the U.S. farm sector are covered by a standing program. 20,,4 Fan-, fffl Male rorm Title I of the 2014 farm bill permanently reauthorized three disaster programs for livestock and one for fruit trees (7 U.S.C. 9081). Producers do not pay a fee to participate. All programs except the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) receive uncapped mandatory funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC); that is the programs receive such sums as necessary to reimburse eligible producers for their losses. Funding for ELAP provided much the same way, but is capped at $20 million per year. For individual producers, combined payments under all programs (except the Tree Assistance Program, TAP) may not exceed $125,000 per year. For TAP, a separate limit of $125,000 per year applies. Also, to be eligible for a payment, a producer's total adjusted gross income cannot exceed $900,000. The Livestock Forage Disaster Program makes payments to eligible livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses on drought-affected pastureland (including cropland planted specifically for grazing), or on rangeland managed by a federal agency due to a qualifying fire. LFP payments for drought are equal to 60% of the monthly feed cost for up to five months, depending upon the severity of the drought. LFP payments for fire on federally managed rangeland are equal to 50% of the monthly feed cost for the number of days the producer is prohibited from grazing the managed rangeland, not to exceed 180 calendar days. The Livestock Indemnity Program provides payments to eligible livestock owners and contract growers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, or attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law. The LIP payment rate is equal to 75% of the average fair market value of the animal. &~recy As,,s ta~mc tor Lin, )s~k. Hok&-y s , a Nah Pro A r P) The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program provides payments to producers of livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish as compensation for losses due to disease, adverse weather, feed or water shortages, or other conditions (such as wildfires) that are not covered under LIP or LFP. T°e A -i-,,is ,%k n 4e P k--' , -,,, ,, ','A} The Tree Assistance Program makes payments to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate trees, bushes, and vines damaged by natural disasters. Losses in crop production are generally covered by federal crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), see below. Eligible trees, bushes, and vines are those from which an annual crop is produced for commercial purposes. Nursery trees include ornamental, fruit, nut, and Christmas trees produced for commercial sale. Trees used for pulp or timber are ineligible. The total quantity of acres planted to trees, bushes, or vines for which a producer can receive TAP payments cannot exceed 500 acres annually. The federal crop insurance program is permanently authorized by the Federal Crop Insurance Act, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) and is administered by USDA's Risk Management Agency. The program is designed to protect crop producers from unavoidable risks associated with adverse weather and weather-related plant diseases and insect infestations. Eligible producers can also purchase revenue insurance, which makes payments when farm revenue falls below a target level, regardless of whether the cause was a natural disaster. Amendments to the federal crop insurance program generally occur under a separate title within farm bills, most recently under Title XI of the 2014 farm bill. Crop insurance is available for most major crops and many specialty crops (including fruit, tree nut, vegetable, and nursery crops), as well as forage and pastureland for livestock producers. A producer who chooses to purchase .O 'T mppm qq\ p\w gn'a', ggmm a 'S I 11LIANJILiN,

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most