FARM SAFE Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The FARM SAFE Act keeps agricultural disaster assistance programs operating during a lapse in appropriations. During a shutdown or other appropriations lapse, any Department of Agriculture employee necessary to carry out covered agricultural disaster assistance must be treated as an excepted employee who is required to work. The bill also says those employees may not be removed through a reduction in force during the lapse.
Covered agricultural disaster assistance includes programs under title IV of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978, the livestock disaster program under section 1501 of the Agricultural Act of 2014, and other disaster assistance programs authorized by Congress when the Secretary of Agriculture determines that USDA provides disaster assistance under that authority.
Who Benefits and How
Farmers, ranchers, livestock producers, and agricultural communities affected by disasters benefit because USDA disaster assistance staff can continue processing and administering aid during a funding lapse. USDA employees assigned to agricultural disaster assistance benefit from protection against reduction-in-force removal during the lapse. Agricultural lenders and rural businesses indirectly benefit when producer disaster payments and program decisions continue instead of stopping during a shutdown.
Who Bears the Burden and How
USDA disaster assistance employees must continue working as excepted employees during appropriations lapses. USDA supervisors and human-resources offices must identify necessary staff, manage excepted-work status, and preserve covered employees from reduction-in-force actions. Federal payroll and shutdown administration bear the obligation to manage work performed during a funding lapse.
Key Provisions
- Treats USDA employees necessary to agricultural disaster assistance as excepted employees during appropriations lapses.
- Requires those USDA employees to perform work during the lapse notwithstanding federal anti-deficiency restrictions.
- Prohibits reduction-in-force removal of covered USDA employees during the lapse.
- Defines agricultural disaster assistance programs to include Agricultural Credit Act title IV programs, Agricultural Act of 2014 section 1501 programs, and other congressionally authorized USDA disaster assistance selected by the Secretary.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires USDA employees needed to carry out agricultural disaster assistance programs to keep working as excepted employees during appropriations lapses and protects them from reduction-in-force removal during those lapses.
Key Policy Areas
Agricultural Disaster Assistance, Federal Workforce, Government Shutdowns, USDA
Primary Purpose
Requires USDA employees needed to carry out agricultural disaster assistance programs to keep working as excepted employees during appropriations lapses and protects them from reduction-in-force removal during those lapses.
Policy Domains
Section 2 agricultural disaster assistance during appropriations lapses
Identified Gains
- Farmers awaiting USDA disaster assistance
- Livestock producers awaiting disaster assistance
- USDA agricultural disaster assistance employees
- Rural communities recovering from agricultural disasters
Identified Costs
- USDA agricultural disaster assistance employees
- USDA shutdown staffing managers
- Federal payroll administrators
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, …
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
Mrs. McClain Delaney (for herself, Ms. McClellan, Mr. Ruiz, Mr. …
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Farmers awaiting USDA disaster assistance, Livestock producers awaiting disaster assistance
USDA agricultural disaster assistance employees, USDA shutdown staffing managers
Rural communities recovering from agricultural disasters
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "secretary"
- → Secretary of Agriculture
- "usda_employee"
- → Department of Agriculture employee necessary to carry out an agricultural disaster assistance program
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A covered Agricultural Credit Act program, Agricultural Act of 2014 section 1501 program, or other congressionally authorized USDA disaster assistance program determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.
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