The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this rule to implement the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) 2023 and 2024 Flood and Wildfire (FW), which provides payments to eligible livestock producers for losses as a result of increased supplemental feed costs due to a qualifying flood or qualifying wildfire (excluding wildfires on federally managed land) in calendar years 2023 and 2024. This rule specifies the administrative provisions, eligibility requirements, and payment calculations for ELRP 2023 and 2024 FW. This rule also amends the regulation for ELRP 2023 and 2024, which provides assistance for qualifying drought and qualifying wildfire on federally managed land, to specify that it has a combined payment limitation with ELRP 2023 and 2024 FW and to provide program deadlines.
Comments close Oct 31, 2025
The Commodity Credit Corporation and Farm Service Agency (FSA) are making technical corrections to the regulations for the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) and the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program. The changes for SDRP correct the Stage 2 eligibility provisions for producers of sugar beets and some producers who had Federal crop insurance coverage under a Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage policy; the provisions related to calculation of the quality loss percentage for Stage 1 and Stage 2; and paragraph references and the order of steps for some Stage 2 payment calculations. The correction for DMC addresses eligibility of dairy operations that have stopped producing and marketing milk before or during the annual coverage election period.
This rule revises the provisions of the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC), and Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) programs to conform with provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). OBBBA authorized modifications to the 2025 crop year ARC and PLC programs and the continuation of the ARC and PLC programs for the 2026 through 2031 crop years. The modified provisions are related to the reference prices, the effective reference prices, base acres, program elections, and payment provisions. OBBBA also authorized DMC for calendar years 2026 through 2031, providing participating dairy operations with the ability to establish a new production history. In addition, the Tier 1 coverage level was increased by 1 million pounds of milk to a 6-million-pound limit and eligibility for multi-year (lock-in) contracts was maintained until December 30, 2031. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is also making minor administrative changes and updates to the ARC, PLC, and DMC regulations and the regulations that apply to multiple FSA programs.
The final rule entitled Agricultural Disaster Indemnity Programs was published on November 18, 2025. The Office of Management and Budget cleared the associated information collection requirements (ICR) on November 17, 2025. This document announces approval of the ICR.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this rule to provide assistance for eligible quality losses under Stage 1 of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) and to implement Stage 2 of SDRP, the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program (OFSCLP), and the Milk Loss Program (MLP), all of which will provide assistance using funding authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025. SDRP provides payments to eligible producers for losses of crops, trees, bushes, and vines due to qualifying disaster events that occurred in calendar year 2023 or 2024. SDRP Stage 1 uses a streamlined process for eligible crop, tree, and vine losses that were previously indemnified under Federal crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), while SDRP Stage 2 covers losses of eligible crops, trees, bushes, and vines for which a producer did not have crop insurance or NAP coverage, as well as losses that were insured or covered by NAP but not severe enough to trigger an indemnity. OFSCLP provides payments to eligible producers who suffered uncompensated losses of harvested commodities stored in on-farm structures as a result of wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze, including a polar vortex, smoke exposure, qualifying drought, and related conditions that occurred in calendar year 2023 or 2024. MLP provides payments to eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market due to wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought, and related conditions that occurred in calendar year 2023 or 2024. This rule specifies the administrative provisions, eligibility requirements, and payment calculations for these programs. It also announces deadlines and adds quality loss assistance provisions for SDRP Stage 1. This rule also extends the deadlines for the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) 2023 and 2024 and ELRP 2023 and 2024 Flood and Wildfire (FW).
The final rule entitled Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) 2023 and 2024 Flood and Wildfire (FW) was published on September 15, 2025. The Office of Management and Budget cleared the associated information collection requirements (ICR) on September 12, 2025. This document announces approval of the ICR.
The final rule entitled Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) Stage 1 was published on July 10, 2025. The Office of Management and Budget cleared the associated information collection requirements (ICR) on July 1, 2025. This document announces approval of the ICR.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has independently determined that it will no longer employ the race- and sex-based "socially disadvantaged" designation to provide increased benefits based on race and sex in the programs at issue in this regulation. The USDA has faced a long history of litigation stemming from allegations of discrimination in the administration of its farm loan and benefit programs. However, over the past several decades, USDA has undertaken substantial efforts to redress past injustices, culminating in comprehensive settlements, institutional reforms, and compensatory frameworks. These actions collectively support the conclusion that past discrimination has been sufficiently addressed and that further race- and sex-based remedies are no longer necessary or legally justified under current circumstances.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this final rule announcing SDRP, which provides assistance to eligible producers for losses to crops, trees, bushes, and vines due to wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought, and related conditions occurring in calendar years 2023 and 2024. SDRP assistance will be provided in two stages, referred to as Stage 1 and Stage 2. This document provides the eligibility requirements, application process, and payment calculations for SDRP Stage 1 only, which will provide payments for eligible crop, tree, and vine losses calculated using data already on file with USDA from previously issued Federal crop insurance indemnities and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) payments. FSA anticipates announcing SDRP Stage 2 in a later rule.
FSA is in the process of reviewing all regulations within its purview to reduce regulatory burdens and costs. Pursuant to this review, FSA has identified the following obsolete, unnecessary, and outdated provisions in title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR). FSA is removing these provisions to streamline and clarify the dictates of title 7. The changes in this rule will have no impacts on past or present FSA customers.
The final rule entitled Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) 2023 and 2024 was published on May 29, 2025. The Office of Management and Budget cleared the associated information collection requirements (ICR) on May 28, 2025. This document announces approval of the ICR.
FSA is in the process of reviewing all regulations within its purview to reduce regulatory burdens and costs. Pursuant to this review, FSA has identified the following obsolete, unnecessary, and outdated provisions. FSA is removing these provisions to streamline and clarify the dictates of FSA regulations. The changes in this rule will have no impact on past or present FSA customers.
The Secretary of Agriculture is issuing this rule to implement the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) 2023 and 2024, which provides payments to eligible livestock producers for losses due to qualifying drought and qualifying wildfire occurring in calendar years 2023 and 2024. This rule specifies the administrative provisions, eligibility requirements, and payment calculation for ELRP 2023 and 2024. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will calculate payments using data already submitted to FSA by Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) participants; therefore, producers are not required to file an additional application to receive ELRP 2023 and 2024 payments.
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is updating our regulations to remove the FSA Crop Assistance Program (CAP), which is obsolete. The changes in this rule will have no impacts on past or present FSA customers.
