legislation Introduced in US Senate to Increase Reimbursement During HPAI Disease Outbreaks
A bipartisan measure introduced by US Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) would expand the US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service compensation program to all poultry growers and layer operations within a highly pathogenic avian influenza control area ā rather than only those whose flocks are infected. This bill would ensure that every farmer who does their part to contain an outbreak is fairly compensated for their financial harm and simplifies the process so farmers can get back on their feet quickly after losing a flock.
Delaware has the largest per capita chicken industry in the country.
Senators Coons and Wicker are the Co-Chairs of the Senate Chicken Caucus.
Additional information from Senator Coons’ release:
Under current APHIS policies, all poultry farms located within 10-kilometer radius of a HPAI case are disallowed from placing flocks until the virus is contained. Afterward, all growers who have positive tests in their flocks receive compensation from the USDA, but not those within the 10-kilometer control area whose flocks donāt contract HPAI. As a result, while these growers undergo many of the same financial struggles as those whose flocks contract the virus, they arenāt compensated for their compliance with efforts to help contain HPAI. This bill would rectify that so all growers in the control area are duly compensated.
Last year, the American poultry industry was hit with its worst-ever HPAI outbreak. The outbreak affected 47 states and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to poultry growers and layer operations, driving food inflation even higher for Americansā most cost-effective animal protein sources.
In addition to Senators Coons and Wicker, this legislation is cosponsored by Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).
Specifically, the HPAI Act would:
- Expand USDA-APHIS compensation to all poultry farmers in an HPAI control area. The program currently only compensates farmers whose flocks test positive, not those in the control area who are disallowed from placing flocks until the virus is contained, which sometimes takes months.
- Simplify the calculation of indemnity. The payments to farmers will be calculated based on the average income they earned from the last five flocks. This method is more transparent and ensures that farmers will not face a cash shortfall in the face of an HPAI outbreak in their area.
This bill has been endorsed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Chicken Council, United Egg Producers, Delmarva Chicken Association, Delaware Department of Agriculture, Delta Council, Delaware Farm Bureau, Mississippi Farm Bureau, Maryland Farm Bureau, South Carolina Farm Bureau, Iowa Farm Bureau, Louisiana Farm Bureau, Michigan Farm Bureau, Georgia Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Virginia Farm Bureau, Minnesota Farm Bureau, North Carolina Farm Bureau, Missouri Farm Bureau, Tennessee Farm Bureau, Alabama Farm Bureau, Indiana Farm Bureau.
A one-pager is availableĀ here. A complete list of endorsements is availableĀ here. Bill text is availableĀ here.
