Sponsors (17)
The bill provides targeted, timely federal income relief for poultry producers affected by APHIS control-area production bans and reduces double federal payments, but it limits overall federal exposure—reducing or excluding payments in some cases and not covering non-income costs—creating potential financial gaps for certain operators.
Poultry facility owners (farmers and small poultry-businesses) will receive federal compensation for income lost when APHIS designates a control area and prohibits flock production, calculated using an objective formula (the average of the 5 most recent flocks).
Poultry facility owners (farmers and small poultry-businesses) can request payment and receive compensation within 60 days, providing timely cash-flow relief during shutdowns.
Taxpayers and state governments benefit because the measure prevents duplicate federal payments when owners already received compensation under the existing subsection (d), protecting program integrity and reducing overpayment risk.
Poultry facility owners (farmers and small poultry-businesses) may be undercompensated because federal payments are reduced by any State or other payments, which can leave gaps if those other payments are incomplete or delayed.
Some poultry facility operators (farmers and small poultry-businesses) who fall under exclusions in subsection (d)(3) may receive no federal payment at all, creating significant financial risk during control-area restrictions.
Poultry facility owners (farmers and small poultry-businesses) remain responsible for non-income losses—such as depopulation, biosecurity upgrades, disposal, and cleanup—because the program only compensates lost income, exposing them to potentially large additional costs.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal program paying poultry facility owners lost income for flocks prevented from growing/laying in APHIS control areas, reduced by other compensation, with claims paid within 60 days.
Creates a federal program that pays poultry facility owners for income lost when they are forced to stop growing or laying birds because their facility falls inside an APHIS “control area.” Payments equal the owner’s average income from the five most recent flocks times the number of flocks covered, minus any state or other compensation already received. Owners cannot get duplicate payments for the same facility, control area, and time period. Claims must be paid within 60 days after a request is filed.
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Roger F. Wicker · Last progress February 13, 2025