Ensuring Disaster Recovery and Resilience for Specialty Crops Act
Introduced June 2, 2026 · Last action June 2, 2026
Plain English Summary
This bill creates a new permanent federal disaster assistance program specifically for specialty crop producers (fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc.) who suffer losses from adverse events like weather, disease, or market disruptions. Payments are calculated based on a producer's prior sales of specialty crops multiplied by a payment factor set by the Secretary of Agriculture, with higher payment caps for producers who derive at least 75% of income from farming.
Who benefits
Specialty crop producers (fruit, vegetable, nut, and other specialty crop growers), particularly larger operations and farming entities where ≥75% of income derives from agriculture; farmers with diverse business structures; producers in regions vulnerable to weather events, disease, or market volatility affecting fresh produce and specialty crops
Who pays / loses
U.S. federal budget (funding source not specified in bill); general taxpayers funding the program; commodity crop producers (corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton) who do not receive equivalent permanent disaster assistance under this new framework; agricultural producers in other sectors not designated as specialty crops
Funding & Lobbying Interests
Specialty crop industry groups (produce growers, tree nut associations, fruit processors) have lobbied for parity with commodity crop support programs for decades. Sponsors Schiff and Padilla represent California, the largest specialty crop producing state. No sponsor finance data provided, but the bill directly benefits California agricultural interests: California produces roughly 2/3 of U.S. specialty crops. The bill's provision allowing farming entities with ≥75% farm income to exceed standard payment caps appeals to large-scale specialty crop operations and integrated agricultural enterprises.
Political Impact
Affected Groups
Specialty crop producers across the U.S., with outsized impact in California (which produces approximately two-thirds of U.S. specialty crops by value), Florida, Washington, and other produce-intensive states. The exception allowing payment floors of at least $500,000 for entities deriving ≥75% income from farming benefits larger agricultural operations disproportionately. Affects hundreds of thousands of produce growers, nut farmers, and associated agricultural businesses.
Political Subtext
Proponents argue specialty crops have been historically underserved by federal disaster assistance, which has focused on commodity crops (corn, wheat, soybeans). They contend specialty crops have higher value and input costs, making permanent disaster coverage a fairness issue and economic necessity. Critics argue the bill creates an open-ended entitlement with no dollar cap (payment factor is Secretary-discretionary) and the $500,000 minimum payment floor for large farming entities exceeds protections for smaller farms. Non-partisan evidence shows specialty crop producers have faced significant losses in recent years from weather (e.g., 2022 freeze in Florida citrus), but systematic comparison of federal support across crop types is limited. The bill's treatment of pass-through entities and large farming operations may concentrate benefits among agricultural consolidators rather than small family farms.
Real-World Stakes
If enacted, specialty crop producers gain a permanent, no-sunset disaster program comparable to commodity crop support (which operates through crop insurance subsidies and ad-hoc disaster bills). The lack of a total program funding cap and Secretary discretion over payment factors creates uncertainty about ultimate federal cost. California avocado, strawberry, lettuce, citrus, and almond producers would be primary beneficiaries. Historical precedent: commodity crops have received approximately $20 billion annually in federal support (2014–2020 average per USDA), while specialty crops received roughly $2 billion, despite representing higher farm revenues. If this bill equalizes support, federal agricultural spending could increase substantially. The $500,000 minimum payment floor for large farming entities may accelerate consolidation of specialty crop production among larger operations—a trend already evident in California agriculture where acreage has shifted toward larger producers.
Sponsor
Sponsor information not available.
Vote Record
No recorded votes.
Campaign Finance — Primary Sponsor
No campaign finance data available yet.
501(c)(4) disclosure: Contributions from 501(c)(4) "dark money" organizations are not required to be publicly disclosed and are not reflected in the figures above. Data sourced from FEC public disclosure filings.
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