Sens. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Reps. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Kat Cammack, R-Fla., Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Austin Scott, R-Ga., have announced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to allow farmers making more than $900,000 access to federal disaster programs.

The coalition explained in a joint news release, “Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits payments to growers with combined farm and nonfarm adjusted gross income (AGI) above $900,000, which excludes the vast majority of specialty crop growers, such as those growing strawberries in California or apples in North Carolina, from receiving critical disaster relief. The Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act would waive the AGI restriction on producers who get 75% of their income from farming, ranching, or related farming practices, ensuring producers can access key disaster relief programs.”

The legislation comes as the Agriculture Department prepares to deliver $21 billion in agricultural disaster assistance that Congress passed in December for producers impacted by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024.

“From wildfires and drought damaging our farmland to storms flooding our fields, growing conditions for farmers in California and across the country are facing unprecedented impacts from natural disasters,” said Padilla. “As we approach the farm bill expiration later this year, hundreds of thousands of farmers — including growers devastated by the 2023 Tropical Storm Hilary floods — are still counting on us to make things right. Our bipartisan, bicameral legislation would even the playing field for specialty crop growers hoping to access critical federal agriculture disaster programs.”

“North Carolina farmers are all too familiar with natural disasters and the barriers to access disaster relief programs,” said Tillis. “I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to expand access to critical disaster relief programs for farmers across the state and give them the tools to rebuild when disaster strikes.”

The legislation is endorsed by the Almond Alliance, American Honey Producers Association, Blue Diamond, California Aquaculture Association, California Farm Bureau, California Strawberry Commission, East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, International Fresh Produce Association, National Aquaculture Association, North Carolina Farm Bureau, Northwest Aquaculture Alliance, Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, and Western Growers.