Section 10401: Help for Farmers When Bad Things Happen

🐄 Section 10401 – Help for Farmers When Bad Things Happen

This part is about giving money to farmers when their animals or crops are hurt by things like bad weather, predators, or diseases.

1. Helping Farmers When Their Animals Die

• If a farmer loses animals like cows or sheep because they got attacked by another animal (like wolves), the farmer will get all the money those animals were worth.

• If the animals died from sickness or bad weather (like a snowstorm or drought), the farmer gets most of the money (75%).

• If the animal was pregnant (had a baby animal inside), and both the mom and baby died, the farmer will also get some money for the unborn animal.

2. Helping When There’s No Food for Animals

• Sometimes, the grass that animals eat doesn’t grow because there’s no rain.

• If this happens for at least 4 weeks, the farmer gets money to help feed the animals.

• If it lasts even longer, they get more money.

3. Help for Fish Farmers

• If a farmer raises fish (like in a pond), and birds eat the fish or cause disease, the farmer can get help.

• The government will give at least $600 per acre of fish ponds to help cover the lost fish and costs to scare away birds.

4. Help for Beekeepers 🐝

• Beekeepers can get money if they lose a lot of bees.

• The government will assume 15% of bees dying is normal, but if more than that die, they may help.

5. Help for Tree Farmers 🌳

• If a farmer grows trees (like for fruit or nuts) and loses them in a storm or drought, they can get help.

• This update says:

• More trees qualify for help than before.

• It removes old confusing math about “normal damage” and makes it clearer.

• Farmers will now get help if normal tree loss is passed, and the payment will be bigger (65% instead of 50%).

Here's the original document:

SEC. 10401. SUPPLEMENTAL AGRICULTURAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Livestock Indemnity Payments.--Section 1501(b) of the 

Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(b)) is amended--

        (1) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:

        ``(2) Payment rates.--

            ``(A) Losses due to predation.--Indemnity payments to an 

        eligible producer on a farm under paragraph (1)(A) shall be 

        made at a rate of 100 percent of the market value of the 

        affected livestock on the applicable date, as determined by the 

        Secretary.

            ``(B) Losses due to adverse weather or disease.--Indemnity 

        payments to an eligible producer on a farm under subparagraph 

        (B) or (C) of paragraph (1) shall be made at a rate of 75 

        percent of the market value of the affected livestock on the 

        applicable date, as determined by the Secretary.

            ``(C) Determination of market value.--In determining the 

        market value described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), the 

        Secretary may consider the ability of eligible producers to 

        document regional price premiums for affected livestock that 

        exceed the national average market price for those livestock.

            ``(D) Applicable date defined.--In this paragraph, the term 

        `applicable date' means, with respect to livestock, as 

        applicable--

                ``(i) the day before the date of death of the 

            livestock; or

                ``(ii) the day before the date of the event that caused 

            the harm to the livestock that resulted in a reduced sale 

            price.''; and

        (2) by adding at the end the following:

        ``(5) Additional payment for unborn livestock.--

            ``(A) In general.--In the case of unborn livestock death 

        losses incurred on or after January 1, 2024, the Secretary 

        shall make an additional payment to eligible producers on farms 

        that have incurred such losses in excess of the normal 

        mortality due to a condition specified in paragraph (1).

            ``(B) Payment rate.--Additional payments under subparagraph 

        (A) shall be made at a rate--

                ``(i) determined by the Secretary; and

                ``(ii) less than or equal to 85 percent of the payment 

            rate established with respect to the lowest weight class of 

            the livestock, as determined by the Secretary, acting 

            through the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency.

            ``(C) Payment amount.--The amount of a payment to an 

        eligible producer that has incurred unborn livestock death 

        losses shall be equal to the payment rate determined under 

        subparagraph (B) multiplied, in the case of livestock described 

        in--

                ``(i) subparagraph (A), (B), or (F) of subsection 

            (a)(4), by 1;

                ``(ii) subparagraph (D) of such subsection, by 2;

                ``(iii) subparagraph (E) of such subsection, by 12; and

                ``(iv) subparagraph (G) of such subsection, by the 

            average number of birthed animals (for one gestation cycle) 

            for the species of each such livestock, as determined by 

            the Secretary.

            ``(D) Unborn livestock death losses defined.--In this 

        paragraph, the term `unborn livestock death losses' means 

        losses of any livestock described in subparagraph (A), (B), 

        (D), (E), (F), or (G) of subsection (a)(4) that was gestating 

        on the date of the death of the livestock.''.

    (b) Livestock Forage Disaster Program.--Section 

1501(c)(3)(D)(ii)(I) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 

9081(c)(3)(D)(ii)(I)) is amended--

        (1) by striking ``1 monthly payment'' and inserting ``2 monthly 

    payments''; and

        (2) by striking ``county for at least 8 consecutive'' and 

    inserting the following: "county for not less than-- ``

                        ``(aa) 4 consecutive weeks during the normal 

                    grazing period for the county, as determined by the 

                    Secretary, shall be eligible to receive assistance 

                    under this paragraph in an amount equal to 1 

                    monthly payment using the monthly payment rate 

                    determined under subparagraph (B); or

                        ``(bb) 7 of the previous 8 consecutive''.

    (c) Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised 

Fish.--

        (1) In general.--Section 1501(d) of the Agricultural Act of 

    2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(d)) is amended by adding at the end the 

    following:

        ``(5) Assistance for losses due to bird depredation.--

            ``(A) Definition of farm-raised fish.--In this paragraph, 

        the term `farm-raised fish' means fish propagated and reared in 

        a controlled fresh water environment.

            ``(B) Payments.--Eligible producers of farm-raised fish, 

        including fish grown as food for human consumption, shall be 

        eligible to receive payments under this subsection to aid in 

        the reduction of losses due to piscivorous birds.

            ``(C) Payment rate.--

                ``(i) In general.--The payment rate for payments under 

            subparagraph (B) shall be determined by the Secretary, 

            taking into account--


                    ``(I) costs associated with the deterrence of 

                piscivorous birds;

                    ``(II) the value of lost fish and revenue due to 

                bird depredation; and

                    ``(III) costs associated with disease loss from 

                bird depredation.


                ``(ii) Minimum rate.--The payment rate for payments 

            under subparagraph (B) shall be not less than $600 per acre 

            of farm-raised fish.

            ``(D) Payment amount.--The amount of a payment under 

        subparagraph (B) shall be the product obtained by multiplying--

                ``(i) the applicable payment rate under subparagraph 

            (C); and

                ``(ii) 85 percent of the total number of acres of farm-

            raised fish farms that the eligible producer has in 

            production for the calendar year.''.

        (2) Emergency assistance for honeybees.--In determining 

    honeybee colony losses eligible for assistance under section 

    1501(d) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(d)), the 

    Secretary shall utilize a normal mortality rate of 15 percent.

    (d) Tree Assistance Program.--Section 1501(e) of the Agricultural 

Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(e)) is amended--

        (1) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``15 percent (adjusted for 

    normal mortality)'' and inserting ``normal mortality''; and

        (2) in paragraph (3)--

            (A) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking ``15 percent 

        mortality (adjusted for normal mortality)'' and inserting 

        ``normal mortality''; and

            (B) in subparagraph (B)--

                (i) by striking ``50'' and inserting ``65''; and

                (ii) by striking ``15 percent damage or mortality 

            (adjusted for normal tree damage and mortality)'' and 

            inserting ``normal tree damage or mortality''.

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