Legislation has been introduced to help ranchers recover after losing livestock to natural disasters. Congressman Ronny Jackson (TX-13) introduced the Livestock Indemnity Program Enhancement Act. This legislation will help to provide desperately needed relief to livestock producers still reeling from the catastrophic wildfires that swept through Wyoming, Southeast Montana and in the Texas Panhandle last year.
Specifically, this bill addresses a gap in current disaster assistance by requesting that the Department of Agriculture establish additional payment rates for unborn livestock lost when gestating animals perish in natural disasters. Companion legislation has also been introduced in the U.S. Senate.
The language in the bill says that the additional payment rate will be set by the secretary of agriculture in an amount “less than or equal to 85% of the payment rate established with respect to the lowest weight class of the livestock” for lost animals.
“The devastating wildfires that tore through our region claimed over 12,000 cattle, but that figure doesn’t account for the countless unborn calves also lost,” said Rep. Ronny Jackson. “This legislation will establish vital compensation for unborn livestock losses, providing ranchers the targeted financial support they urgently need to rebuild their operations and preserve our cattle industry’s legacy following these devastating wildfires. I was proud to fight for this critical enhancement of the livestock safety net in the House Agriculture Committee Budget Reconciliation text earlier this week, and I urge my Senate colleagues to swiftly send this provision to the President’s desk.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz said, “Last year I visited areas devastated by the wildfires, and I made a commitment to those affected by that disaster to secure the disaster relief they told me they needed. The Livestock Indemnity Program ensures that losses from unborn calves are included into disaster relief calculations, which will help our cattle ranchers recover and rebuild”
“Due to recent devastating wildfires, many cattle producers have suffered livestock losses, including the loss of unborn calves,” said Allison Rivera, Director of Government Affairs at NCBA. “Current federal law fails to compensate producers for unborn calves, but this legislation would change that thanks to Sen. Cruz and Rep. Ronny Jackson’s bill to provide an additional payment rate for unborn calves as part of the Livestock Indemnity Program.”
Bill text can be found here.
Rep. Ronny Jackson
