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Protecting Farmers from Drought Act of 2023
12/7/2023, 5:06 PM
Summary of Bill S 2643
The key provisions of the bill include the establishment of a grant program to assist farmers in implementing drought mitigation measures, such as water conservation practices and the development of drought-resistant crops. The bill also includes funding for research and development of new technologies to help farmers better cope with drought conditions.
Additionally, the bill calls for the creation of a task force to study the impact of drought on agriculture and make recommendations for future policy initiatives. The task force will be composed of experts in agriculture, water management, and climate science to ensure a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges faced by farmers. Overall, the Protecting Farmers from Drought Act of 2023 aims to provide much-needed support to farmers who are struggling to cope with the effects of drought. By investing in research, technology, and mitigation measures, the bill seeks to help farmers adapt to changing climate conditions and ensure the long-term sustainability of agriculture in the United States.
Congressional Summary of S 2643
Protecting Farmers from Drought Act of 2023
This bill modifies insurance coverage for prevented planting under the Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) to create a special rule for counties experiencing extreme drought. (The FCIP provides coverage for prevented planting due to insured causes of loss, such as adverse weather conditions, drought, floods, and other natural events. Prevented planting is the inability to plant an insured crop by the final planting date or during the late planting period.)
Under this bill, the FCIP must modify eligibility requirements for prevented planting coverage for a county that experienced extreme drought (per the U.S. Drought Monitor) at any time during the normal planting period over the course of three consecutive years. For counties experiencing an extreme drought, the bill requires the planting of a crop once in the five most recent crop years (i.e., the 1 in 5 rule). Currently, in order to be eligible for prevented planting payments, the insured acres must have been planted, insured, and harvested at least once in the previous four crop years (i.e., the 1 in 4 rule).
