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A bill to amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to authorize the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to carry out research and development on a single index insurance policy, and for other purposes.
1/24/2025, 11:56 AM
Summary of Bill S 231
The bill does not specify the details of the single index insurance policy, but it is intended to offer farmers a simpler and more efficient way to protect their crops from natural disasters and other risks. The research and development authorized by this bill will help determine the feasibility and effectiveness of such a policy.
In addition to authorizing research and development on the single index insurance policy, the bill also includes provisions for other purposes related to crop insurance. These additional purposes are not specified in the bill text, but they may include updates or improvements to existing crop insurance programs. Overall, Bill 119 s 231 is focused on expanding options for crop insurance coverage for farmers and improving the efficiency of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. The research and development authorized by this bill will help inform future decisions about crop insurance policies and programs.
Congressional Summary of S 231
Withstanding Extreme Agricultural Threats by Harvesting Economic Resilience Act of 2025 or the WEATHER Act of 2025
This bill requires the federal crop insurance program (FCIP) to provide for the research and development of a single index insurance policy to insure against agricultural income losses due to covered weather conditions.
Specifically, the FCIP must develop a single index policy that is available in every state, each U.S. territory, and the District of Columbia to insure against agricultural income losses due to one or more covered weather conditions. Covered weather conditions are those found to be closely correlated with agricultural income losses, including high winds, excessive moisture and flooding, extreme heat, abnormal freeze conditions, wildfire, hail, drought, and any other severe weather or growing conditions applicable to small-scale farmers.
Under an index policy, claim payments are generally triggered based on a predetermined index that is entirely independent of the individual farm operation (e.g., rainfall level). Under such a policy, the payments are automatically triggered when the index reaches a certain level rather than when an insured farmer files a claim.
In carrying out the research and development, the FCIP must hold stakeholder meetings to solicit producer and agent feedback.
In addition, the FCIP must make publicly available a report on the results of the research and development, and any recommendations to Congress with respect to those results.
