The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 was signed into law by President Trump on June 6, 2019. Congress appropriated $3.005 billion in assistance for a wide array of losses resulting from disasters throughout 2018 and 2019, including loses related to prevented planting of insured crops in calendar year 2019.

Two distinctive payment programs are being implemented through this relief act. The programs are FSA’s WHIP+ (Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus) and Risk Management Agency’s Top Up Payment. Both programs will require purchase of future crop insurance coverage.

WHIP+ applies to both planted crops and crops prevented from being planted, with a final planting date prior to Jan. 1, 2019. In Kansas, WHIP+ is available only for crops affected by flooding, snowstorm, tornado and wildfires. Eligible crops are those in a secretary or president-declared disaster county, or those with COC-accepted documentation of the qualifying disaster event that caused the crop loss. Crops may be insured or uninsured. EXCEPTION: insurable crops the producer elected to not insure are not eligible. WHIP+ payments are subject to payment limitation based on the producer’s verified AGI (adjusted gross income). WHIP+ applications must be filed with the local FSA office, with a deadline to be announced later. Payments will be disbursed by FSA.

RMA’s Top Up Program applies to crops prevented from being planted, with a final planting date of Jan. 1, 2019 or later. Top Up will provide bonus payments only to producers who participated in federal crop insurance and received or will receive a crop prevented planting indemnity related to flooding or other causes (except drought). Payments will be an additional 10 or 15 percent, depending on the producer’s coverage level. Top Up payments are not subject to any payment limitations. Payments will be disbursed automatically by RMA beginning mid-October.