Alex Padilla: “I rise to introduce the Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act of 2023. This legislation would allow specialty…”

“I rise to introduce the Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act of 2023. This legislation would allow specialty crop producers to access critical disaster relief programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Increasingly frequent and catastrophic floods, fires, freezes, and other disasters are threatening the long-term sustainability of agriculture across the country. The impact has been particularly acute for California's agricultural communities, who face year-round threats from drought, heat, floods, and fires. To ensure producers can get back on their feet following natural disasters, the farm bill authorizes a number of safety net programs. But these programs simply don't work for specialty crop producers, who, despite facing the same challenges posed by extreme weather as other growers, are excluded from meaningful participation in USDA disaster programs based on the application of outdated adjusted gross income, AGI, limitations. As a result, producers from California to Florida are excluded from accessing critical disaster programs. The Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act would codify flexibility used in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program to waive the AGI limitation for producers that derive 75 percent of their income from farming, ranching, or related farming practices. What are referred to as specialty crops are just that--special.…”