Sponsors (9)
The bill ensures uninterrupted delivery of agricultural disaster assistance and emergency credit during government funding lapses, but does so at the cost of added taxpayer exposure and reduced administrative flexibility with potentially unclear boundaries on which positions are excepted.
Farmers, agricultural workers, and rural communities continue to receive agricultural disaster assistance and related program support without interruption during federal funding lapses because USDA staff necessary for those programs must keep working.
Farmers and agricultural borrowers face fewer delays accessing credit, loans, and other emergency aid tied to Title IV and 7 U.S.C. 9081 during shutdowns because USDA program continuity is maintained.
Federal employees designated to continue working during a lapse gain temporary job protection and related staffing constraints, which can limit USDA and other agencies' flexibility to manage workforce needs once appropriations resume.
Taxpayers may incur additional costs (including potential backpay) because employees are required to work during a shutdown without an immediate appropriation to cover those wages.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires certain USDA disaster-assistance staff to keep working during appropriations lapses and protects them from RIF while so designated, ensuring program continuity.
Introduced October 8, 2025 by April McClain Delaney · Last progress October 8, 2025
Designates certain U.S. Department of Agriculture employees who carry out agricultural disaster assistance programs as "excepted" during a lapse in appropriations, meaning they must continue working through a shutdown even if no new funding is available. It also bars removal of those employees by reduction in force while they are treated as excepted and clarifies which programs count as covered agricultural disaster assistance.