Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act of 2025
In Committee
Introduced:Feb 13, 2025
Primary Sponsor
Margaret Wood Hassan
Senator
Democratic
NH
Cosponsors
16
Quick Stats
Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Summary
This bill expands federal compensation for poultry farmers affected by avian influenza outbreaks. It requires USDA to compensate all poultry operations within control areas, including those in buffer zones with uninfected birds. Payments would be based on average income from the five most recent flocks.
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 federal compensation for poultry farmers affected by avian influenza outbreaks. It requires USDA to compensate all poultry operations within control areas, including those in buffer zones with uninfected birds. Payments would be based on average income from the five most recent flocks.
Last updated: 1/6/2026
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act of 2025</strong></p><p>This bill expands the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) producer indemnity and compensation program to include compensation for all poultry growers and layers located in an APHIS-determined control area, which may include non-infected poultry.</p><p>Currently, APHIS provides indemnity and compensation to producers to remove animals classified as affected, suspect, or exposed to diseases of concern, including highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). An APHIS-determined <em>control area</em> consists of both an infected zone and a buffer zone. Under the bill, APHIS must compensate all owners of poultry growing or laying facilities within a control area, which may include facilities that are located in the buffer zones and have non-infected poultry.</p><p>Further, the bill establishes a new compensation payment formula that requires payments to be based on the owner’s average income from the five most recent flocks.</p>
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Expands APHIS indemnity program for poultry producers
Compensates farmers in buffer zones even without infected birds
Covers all facilities within APHIS-designated control areas
Bases payments on average income from five most recent flocks
Poultry farmers near disease outbreaks would receive compensation even if their birds are not infected, recognizing that control area restrictions affect their operations. The new payment formula based on recent flock income would provide more predictable compensation.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
574, 119th Congress (2025). "Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-574
