H.R. 2156 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Agriculture, Mar 14, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryRemoves income caps for farm disaster aid
Right now, farmers and ranchers can't get certain disaster assistance from the USDA if they make over $900,000 a year. This bill changes that rule for people or businesses that make most of their money from farming, ranching, or growing trees. If at least 75% of their income comes from those activities—including things like agritourism or selling farm equipment directly—they'd be eligible for disaster help regardless of their total income. The bill applies to five specific disaster programs that help when livestock, crops, or trees are damaged.
How it affects you
If you're a farmer, rancher, or timber grower whose income is mainly from agriculture, this could open up disaster assistance to you that you weren't eligible for before, even if your total income is high. People in these farming businesses would have better access to emergency help when natural disasters strike their livestock, crops, or trees.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Mar 14, 2025)
Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act
This bill waives the adjusted gross income limitations for payments or benefits under specific Department of Agriculture (USDA) disaster assistance programs for a person or legal entity that derives a portion of their income from agriculture. Currently, a person or entity is not eligible to receive certain benefits during a crop, fiscal, or program year if their average gross income exceeds $900,000.
Specifically, in the case of an excepted payment or benefit, the adjusted gross income limitation is waived if 75% or more of the average adjusted gross income for the person or entity is derived from farming, ranching, or silviculture activities. These activities include agritourism, direct-to-consumer marketing of agricultural products, and the sale of agricultural equipment owned by such person or entity.
The bill applies to the USDA
• Livestock Indemnity Program;
• Livestock Forage Disaster Program;
• Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program;
• Tree Assistance Program; and
• Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 2156
A BILL
Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act
Sponsor: Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) · Introduced Mar 14, 2025 · Agriculture and Food · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Apr 4, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.”