To amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to require the research and development of a policy to insure the production of mushrooms.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMs. Houlahan (for herself and Mr. Meuser) introduced the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to research and develop insurance policies specifically for mushroom farmers. It addresses the unique risks faced by mushroom producers, including pest infestations, fungal and viral diseases, and weather-related losses like power outages and flooding that can destroy crops.
Who Benefits and How
Mushroom farmers and producers are the primary beneficiaries. They would gain access to federal crop insurance coverage that currently does not exist for mushroom production. This protection would help them recover from losses due to pests (like phorid and sciarid flies), disease outbreaks, power failures during storms, and flood damage to growing facilities. This is particularly significant for mushroom farming, which requires controlled environments vulnerable to these specific risks.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation must allocate resources for research, development, and potential contracts with outside researchers. Taxpayers indirectly bear the cost of this research mandate and any future insurance subsidies, though no specific funding amount is appropriated in this bill. Insurance providers who participate in federal crop insurance programs may need to develop expertise in evaluating mushroom production risks.
Key Provisions
- Mandates the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to research and develop insurance policies for mushroom production, including coverage for both growing media (compost) and the mushrooms themselves
- Requires evaluation of policies covering specific risks: pests (phorid flies, sciarid flies), fungal pathogens, viral pathogens, weather-related power outages, and excessive rainfall events
- Directs the Corporation to consider streamlined reporting requirements that account for mushrooms's short growing cycles and variable crop years
- Requires a report to Congress within 2 years describing research results and recommendations
- Allows the Corporation to contract with outside experts to conduct the research
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
The bill aims to amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act by mandating research and development of an insurance policy for mushroom production, addressing risks like pests, pathogens, and weather-related losses.
Policy Domains
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The short title of the bill, emphasizing its focus on safeguarding mushroom farmers.
Refers to the entity responsible for carrying out research and development or contracting with qualified persons regarding insurance policies for mushroom production.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology