Congress expands crop insurance to cover grape freeze losses
H.R. 292 — GRAPE Act · Filed by Nicholas Langworthy (R-NY) · Introduced Jan 9, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to research and develop a new crop insurance policy covering table, wine, and juice grapes against freeze damage within one year, and to make such a policy available within 18 months if it meets statutory requirements. Grape growers would benefit by gaining access to federally backed insurance protection against a specific agricultural risk.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a mandate to develop and offer a new federally backed crop insurance product for a specific agricultural commodity. It is a straightforward expansion of an existing federal program to cover a previously uninsured crop.
What the text implies
- The bill does not specify funding; the cost of R&D and policy administration will be absorbed by the FCIC's existing budget or require separate appropriation, which may affect the agency's capacity for other crop insurance work.
- Freeze-loss insurance for grapes may increase the federal government's contingent liability if widespread freeze events occur, as the FCIC would be obligated to pay claims under the new policy.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
grape growers and producers; crop insurance companies (if contracted to administer or reinsure the policy); agricultural reinsurers