Sponsors (3)
The bill promotes adoption of winter canola/rapeseed through insurance, targeted R&D, and funding to boost farmer incomes and lower-carbon biofuel feedstocks, at the trade-off of modest federal spending, potential concentration of benefits toward larger actors, and some opportunity costs and transitional market risks for other crops and researchers.
Farmers and agricultural workers gain access to new double-cropping and rotation-specific crop insurance options for winter canola/rapeseed, reducing financial risk for adopting these rotations.
Farmers, rural communities, and producers can diversify cropping systems and income through adoption and targeted research on winter canola/rapeseed and other supplemental crops, increasing resilience of farm revenue streams.
Rural communities and the broader public benefit environmentally because expanded winter canola/rapeseed provides additional feedstock for lower carbon-intensity biofuels and can improve soil health and on-farm biodiversity, supporting GHG reductions and long-term productivity.
Taxpayers face increased federal spending (about $10 million/year; $60 million total authorized) and potential additional costs to develop insurance and incentives, adding to budget pressure or requiring offsets elsewhere.
Small farmers, small researchers, and some local businesses may be disadvantaged because emphasis on a specific biofuel feedstock and on experienced applicants could concentrate subsidies, contract awards, and market support among larger or better-resourced producers and institutions.
Research funding is earmarked for particular alternative crops and activities, which could divert limited R&D resources and congressional attention from other crop research priorities.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Directs FCIC R&D on insuring winter rapeseed/canola under double/rotational policies, authorizes $10M/year (FY2024–2029) for related crop research, and requires a report to Congress.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by David Kustoff · Last progress April 10, 2025
Requires the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to research whether winter rapeseed and winter canola that require vernalization and are grown on otherwise-idle rotational land can be included under double-cropping and rotational crop insurance products. Authorizes research on supplemental and alternative crops (naming winter rapeseed/canola as examples), provides $10 million per year for FY2024–FY2029 for that research program, and directs a report to congressional agriculture committees within 13 months after enactment summarizing results and recommendations.