Sponsor
Ronny Jackson
Representative · R-TX
Representative · R-TX
The bill extends indemnity coverage to unborn livestock with species-based multipliers to help producers recover reproductive losses while capping rates at 85% to limit federal costs—shifting some fiscal burden to taxpayers and risking lower per-animal compensation and added administrative work for producers.
Eligible livestock producers (farmers and small agricultural businesses) receive new indemnity payments for unborn animals lost to covered conditions starting Jan 1, 2025, helping offset reproductive losses.
Payments are scaled by species (using multipliers, e.g., higher multiplier for swine), so producers of species with larger litters receive proportionally larger compensation.
The program caps payment rates at no more than 85% of the lowest livestock weight-class payment, which limits program costs and reduces the risk of overpayment to claimants.
Taxpayers and the federal budget may face increased costs from expanding indemnity payments to cover unborn livestock.
Producers may be undercompensated because the payment rate is capped (no more than 85% of the lowest weight-class payment), so per-animal indemnities could be lower than market value for some losses.
Administrative complexity and delays could arise as the Secretary establishes species averages, multipliers, and payment rates, creating paperwork and potential wait times for producers filing claims.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds a new Livestock Indemnity Program payment for unborn animals lost when a pregnant animal dies, effective for losses on or after Jan 1, 2025.
Official title: To amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to establish additional payments for unborn livestock under the livestock indemnity payment program.
Introduced May 15, 2025 by Ronny Jackson · Last progress May 15, 2025
Creates a new indemnity payment for unborn livestock lost when a pregnant animal dies from covered causes. The Agriculture Secretary (through FSA) must pay eligible producers an additional payment for animals gestating at time of the death, effective for losses on or after January 1, 2025, with a rate capped at 85% of the lowest weight-class payment and species-specific multipliers to determine payment amounts.