Safeguarding Department of Veterans Affairs Dependent Education Benefits Act of 2025
In Committee
Introduced:Sep 3, 2025
Primary Sponsor
Cynthia M. Lummis
Senator
Republican
WY
Cosponsors
2
Quick Stats
Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Summary
This bill would establish a new emergency relief program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide payments to farmers who experience losses due to natural disasters like droughts, wildfires, and floods. Farmers would need to purchase crop insurance to be eligible for the payments.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S3764-3765)
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill would establish a new emergency relief program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide payments to farmers who experience losses due to natural disasters like droughts, wildfires, and floods. Farmers would need to purchase crop insurance to be eligible for the payments.
Last updated: 12/30/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Agricultural Emergency Relief Act of 2023</strong></p><p>This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish an Emergency Relief Program to provide payments each crop year to producers that experience a qualified loss as a result of a disaster that occurred during the crop year. (Under current law, USDA provides payments under a temporary Emergency Relief Program for losses that occurred following disasters in 2020, 2021, or 2022.)</p><p>The bill defines a qualified loss as a loss incurred by a producer in a crop, trees, bushes, or vines as a consequence of a disaster (i.e., a drought, wildfire, hurricane, flood, derecho, excessive heat, excessive moisture, a winter storm, and a freeze event, including a polar vortex). Further, a qualified loss includes a loss incurred as a result of being prevented from planting a crop due to a disaster and a loss in the quality of a crop, trees, bushes, or vines due to a disaster or smoke exposure from a wildfire.</p><p>As a condition of receiving a payment under this program, a producer must purchase (for the next two years) Federal Crop Insurance or, if Federal Crop Insurance is not available, coverage under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.</p><p>An eligible producer under the program is an individual or entity that is eligible to receive assistance under a Farm Service Agency administered disaster assistance program. The bill specifies that a producer does not include a joint venture or a general partnership.</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Creates a new USDA Emergency Relief Program to provide payments to farmers who suffer losses from disasters like droughts, wildfires, and floods
Defines 'qualified losses' that would make a farmer eligible for payments, including crop damage and being prevented from planting
Requires farmers to purchase crop insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program coverage for two years to receive payments
Excludes joint ventures and general partnerships from eligibility
Builds on a temporary emergency relief program that provided payments for 2020-2022 disasters
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
This bill would directly benefit farmers across the country who suffer losses from natural disasters. It could provide crucial financial assistance to help them recover and continue operations. The requirement to purchase crop insurance could increase costs for some farmers, but also help protect them from future disasters.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Related Subjects
Agricultural insurance
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Disaster relief and insurance
Fires
Forests, forestry, trees
Natural disasters
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
2698, 119th Congress (2025). "Safeguarding Department of Veterans Affairs Dependent Education Benefits Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-2698
