Sponsors (18)
The bill provides timely, formula-based income compensation to poultry producers affected by APHIS control-area restrictions and reduces double federal payments, but it may leave many operators undercompensated or exposed to large outbreak-related costs that the program does not cover.
Poultry producers (farmers and small poultry business owners) receive prompt, formula-based compensation for income lost when APHIS designates a control area and halts flock production — payment based on the average of the five most recent flocks and payable within about 60 days after request.
Taxpayers and state governments are protected from duplicate federal payments because the measure prevents double recovery when owners already received compensation under the existing subsection (d), preserving program integrity and reducing improper federal outlays.
Poultry producers may still face large unreimbursed expenses (depopulation, biosecurity measures, cleanup/disinfection) because the program only covers lost income, leaving operators to absorb significant outbreak-related costs.
Producers' federal compensation is reduced by any State or other payments, which can leave owners undercompensated if those payments are partial, delayed, or insufficient to cover losses.
Some facility operators excluded by exceptions in subsection (d)(3) could receive no federal payment at all when control-area restrictions apply, creating acute financial risk for those owners.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal program paying poultry facility owners lost income for flocks prevented from being grown or laid in APHIS control areas, reduced by other compensation.
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Roger F. Wicker · Last progress February 13, 2025
Creates a new federal compensation program that pays owners of poultry-growing or egg-laying facilities for lost income when their operations are shut down as part of an APHIS-designated “control area.” Payments equal the owner’s average income from the five most recent flocks times the number of flocks lost, reduced by any state or other compensation already received, with claims to be paid within 60 days of filing. The measure also prevents duplicate payments for the same facility and time period and applies existing statutory exceptions to the new program.