YourVoice.Now Summary
EnvironmentCorporate BenefitsFarmers in 16 states could get more federal aid for soil, water, and climate projects — $200,000 limit over five years
Environment
Farmers in 16 states could use this aid for soil health, water, tree crops, livestock, and compost. USDA could also okay other steps that cut farm losses from climate change.
Corporate Benefits
A farmer could get up to $200,000 in a single year, four times today's yearly cap. Over five years the total limit would be $200,000 instead of $250,000. Payments from other federal programs would not count toward it.
The program now must get at least $10 million a year from the Commodity Credit Corporation, a USDA funding account. That floor would triple to $30 million, and Congress could add $20 million more each year.
USDA gives grants to teach farmers how to manage risk. At least $5 million a year now must help farmers that crop insurance serves poorly. Crop insurance companies would join that group and share the same money.
More about this bill
If you farm in one of the 16 states a federal farm aid program covers, it could pay you more. Most are in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, plus Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. Today each person can get up to $50,000 a year. The new limit would be $200,000 over any five-year period, so more could come in a single year. Aid for these purposes from other federal programs would not count toward that limit. The money could go to more kinds of projects. These include soil health, new water sources and irrigation, tree crops, and adding livestock. Composting and other steps to cut farm losses from climate change would also count. A new category covers marketing plans, grain drying and storage, organic farming, and food safety checks. At least $30 million a year would go to the program, up from $10 million. Congress could add $20 million more each year starting in 2026. A separate USDA training program would add translation services. It would also train crop insurance companies, which would share at least $5 million now set aside for farmers the insurance program serves poorly.
Congressional Summary
Agricultural Management Assistance Act of 2026 This bill expands and revises the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) programs, which help agricultural producers manage financial risk through diversification, marketing, or natural resource conservation practices. (AMA is available in 16 designated states where participation in the Federal Crop Insurance Program is historically low.) Specifically, the bill expands the eligible uses for financial assistance funds for producers to include soil health improvements, the development of sustainable water sources and irrigation, composting, and other conservation practices determined to reduce the risk to a farm of financial loss due to the regional impacts of climate change. The bill also specifies that funds provided to mitigate financial risk through production or marketing diversification may be used for food safety certification. The bill provides additional funding for the program and changes the payment limitation for farmers to $200,000 over five years (currently $50,000 per year). The bill also expands those eligible for assistance under AMA programs to include federal crop insurance providers, in particular providers of Whole-Farm Revenue Protection plans.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2026-03-12
- Date Added
- 2026-10-03
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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