Sponsors (17)
The bill creates a federal backstop that provides quicker, formula-driven compensation to poultry producers and rural communities after APHIS control-area shutdowns, but it increases federal costs and may still leave gaps or administrative delays in getting full relief to all affected owners.
Poultry facility owners (growers and small poultry businesses) receive timely federal payments to replace income lost when APHIS establishes a control area and halts growing or laying, providing direct economic relief.
Rural communities and poultry-dependent households see reduced financial burden because the federal payments cover income losses not reimbursed by states, helping local economies that rely on poultry production.
State governments and affected producers benefit from a clear, administrable formula for calculating compensation, which should speed claims processing and reduce disputes over payments.
Farmers and state governments may face delays and disputes—duplicate-claim issues and complexity in determining prior compensation could slow relief despite a 60-day payment requirement.
Poultry owners who already received state or other compensation may still experience gaps because federal payments are limited to differences and are not guaranteed to fully replace total losses.
Taxpayers could incur increased federal spending to compensate poultry owners for production losses within control areas, shifting costs to the federal budget and the public.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes federal payments to poultry facility owners in APHIS control areas equal to a five-flock average income times prohibited flocks, minus other compensation; payable within 60 days of request.
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Roger F. Wicker · Last progress February 13, 2025
Provides a federal payment program for owners of poultry growing or laying facilities located inside a USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) control area who were prohibited from growing or laying flocks because of animal health control measures. Payments equal the facility’s average income from its five most recent flocks multiplied by the number of flocks the owner was barred from producing while the control area was in effect, minus any state or other compensation already received; owners must request payment and the Secretary must pay within 60 days of the request. The bill makes those owners ineligible for this payment if they already received federal compensation for the same facility, control area, and time period under the existing federal indemnity authority, and it preserves existing exceptions that limit federal indemnity eligibility or payments.