Captain Paul W. 'Bud' Bucha VA Medical Center Act of 2025
Held at the desk.
Introduced:Aug 2, 2025
Primary Sponsor
Raphael Warnock
D - GA
Cosponsors
2
Quick Stats
Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Summary
This bill expands a federal program that provides financial assistance to orchardists and nursery tree growers who experience damage to their crops from natural disasters. It makes more growers eligible for aid by broadening the definition of eligible losses and exempting certain farmers from income limits.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill expands a federal program that provides financial assistance to orchardists and nursery tree growers who experience damage to their crops from natural disasters. It makes more growers eligible for aid by broadening the definition of eligible losses and exempting certain farmers from income limits.
Last updated: 12/30/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Protecting America’s Orchardists and Nursery Tree Growers Act</strong></p><p>This bill expands eligibility and flexibility under the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) of the Farm Service Agency (FSA). (TAP provides financial assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes, and vines damaged by natural disasters.)</p><p>The bill expands eligibility to include growers who produce biennial crops. The current program is limited to producers of annual crops. </p><p>The bill also expands eligibility to include growers who experience tree mortality that exceeds normal mortality. Currently, mortality must exceed 15%.</p><p>Further, the bill exempts growers who derive at least 75% of their average adjusted gross income from farming, ranching, or silviculture activities from a limit on adjusted gross income. (Under current law, the limit prohibits a grower with an average adjusted gross income that exceeds $900,000 from being eligible for TAP.)</p><p>A grower may carry out any replacement and rehabilitation activities within 12 months of approval of the application for assistance or at such time as is necessary to ensure tree survival. Further, a grower may replant using an alternative (1) variety, (2) stand density, and (3) location than was used prior to the loss. </p><p>Finally, the FSA must approve or deny an application (and notify the applicant) within 120 days of receiving the application. 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Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Expands eligibility for the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) to include growers of biennial crops, not just annual crops
Allows growers to replant using different varieties, stand densities, or locations than before the loss
Exempts growers who derive at least 75% of their income from farming from a $900,000 adjusted gross income limit for TAP eligibility
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
This bill would benefit orchardists and nursery tree growers who experience significant crop losses due to natural disasters, particularly those with biennial crops or lower incomes. It could help these farmers recover losses and replant their orchards and nurseries more flexibly.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
2682, 119th Congress (2025). "Captain Paul W. 'Bud' Bucha VA Medical Center Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-2682