Congress expands crop disaster aid to livestock farmers previously left out
S. 1494 — Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program Enhancement Act of 2025 · Filed by Mike Rounds (R-SD) · 4 cosponsors · Introduced Apr 10, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill removes two existing exclusions from the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), making disaster aid available for crops and grasses used for grazing. Currently, NAP covers most crops but explicitly excludes grazing crops and grasses; this bill strikes those exclusions, extending federal disaster insurance to livestock producers who grow feed on their own land. The USDA must issue implementing regulations within 90 days.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative function is to expand an existing federal crop-disaster insurance program to include a previously excluded agricultural commodity (grazing crops and grasses). It is a straightforward sectoral relief measure with no hidden mechanisms or riders.
What the text implies
- Expands federal disaster-assistance spending without an explicit appropriation cap or sunset; ongoing cost depends on future drought/disaster frequency and USDA claims experience.
- May increase NAP program administration costs and claims processing burden; 90-day regulatory timeline is tight for a new commodity class.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
livestock producers and ranchers; forage and hay farmers; agricultural commodity producers in drought-prone regions