Farmers keep disaster aid flowing during government shutdowns
H.R. 5716 — FARM SAFE Act · Filed by April McClain Delaney (D-MD) · 8 cosponsors · Introduced Oct 8, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill ensures that USDA employees administering agricultural disaster assistance programs continue working during a government shutdown, treating them as 'excepted employees' who must be paid and cannot be fired for reduction in force. It covers disaster programs under the 1978 Agricultural Credit Act, the 2014 Farm Bill, and any other congressionally authorized disaster assistance the Secretary determines qualifies.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole function is to ensure agricultural disaster assistance programs remain operational during government shutdowns by protecting the workforce that administers them. It is a narrow, functional measure addressing a specific gap in shutdown contingency planning.
What the text implies
- The bill does not appropriate new funds; it relies on existing disaster-assistance appropriations. If those appropriations have lapsed, the excepted-employee status alone does not fund the programs — the mechanism assumes disaster funds were appropriated in prior fiscal years and remain available.
- The Secretary's discretion to determine what qualifies as 'an Act of Congress under which the Secretary of Agriculture provides disaster assistance' is broad and could expand the scope of programs treated as excepted during shutdown, potentially beyond the two named statutes.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
agricultural producers and farmers receiving disaster assistance