A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Farmers' Assistance and Immediate Disaster Relief Act," aims to amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act. It directs the Secretary of Agriculture to change how eligibility for indemnity payments is determined under the Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index endorsement. Starting in the 2027 crop year, the Secretary must use the IBTrACS data set to determine if a county is eligible for payments following a hurricane. If that data set is incomplete, the Secretary may use an alternative data set under specific conditions. This alternative data must be compiled by the Secretary and include data from certain certified weather stations.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +4
Would farmers be better off under this?
The bill ensures farmers can access hurricane-related insurance payments through an alternative data-driven fallback system.
- Scored +3
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill helps agricultural business owners secure insurance payments when local weather stations are damaged or data is incomplete.
- Scored +3
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The bill provides a mechanism for farmers to access insurance indemnity payments even when standard weather data is missing due to storm damage.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Provides a fallback for data gaps: The bill allows for the use of an alternative data set if the primary IBTrACS data set is incomplete, which could help determine eligibility when standard records are missing (Section 2(a)(1)(B)).
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Ensures data availability during disasters: By allowing the use of alternative data when weather stations or other data sources are damaged, the bill provides a way to verify eligibility even when local infrastructure is compromised (Section 2(a)(1)(B)(ii)).
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Utilizes reliable weather information: The bill permits the use of data from weather stations operated by land-grant colleges or universities that are certified to meet National Weather Service standards (Section 2(a)(3)(C)).
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Increupes transparency: The Secretary is required to compile the alternative data set and make it available to the public on the Department's website (Section 2(a)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Strict requirements for using alternative data: The Secretary can only use the alternative data set if the primary IBTrACS data set is determined to be incomplete, which places a specific burden of proof on the Secretary (Section 2(a)(1)(B)(i)).
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Conditional eligibility: Use of the alternative data set is strictly limited to specific circumstances, such as when a National Weather Service station or other data source in a county or adjacent county is damaged or provides incomplete data (Section 2(a)(1)(B)(ii)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill ensures farmers can access hurricane-related insurance payments through an alternative data-driven fallback system. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill helps agricultural business owners secure insurance payments when local weather stations are damaged or data is incomplete. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill provides better insurance protection for rural agricultural communities facing hurricane damage.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill provides a mechanism for farmers to access insurance indemnity payments even when standard weather data is missing due to storm damage.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the Secretary to make the alternative weather data set available to the public on a Department website.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The bill creates a backup data verification system for agricultural insurance claims following hurricane-related disasters.
- 3/20/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.
- 2/10/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Rick AllenRepublican · Georgia
Sanford BishopDemocrat · Georgia