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119-hr-10411119th CongressWALLET

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to consider certain acreage not planted due to a lack of irrigation water to be eligible for prevented planting payments, and for other purposes.

Sponsored By: Representative Hurd, Jeff [R-CO-3]

Introduced

Summary

Expands prevented planting payments for acreage not planted because irrigation water was insufficient. The bill would add clear eligibility rules, phased payment cuts for repeated shortages, and require regulatory and disaster‑decision updates to reflect irrigation supply losses.

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  • Farmers and producers would be able to treat acres as prevented from planting if they reasonably expected insufficient irrigation water, had installed and functional irrigation infrastructure, and had irrigated those acres in at least one of the prior four crop years.
  • Acres experiencing repeated irrigation shortfalls would face stepped payment reductions: 50% cuts in years 5–8, 75% cuts in years 9–10, and 100% cuts in year 11 and beyond, with acreage hit by the 100% cut made permanently ineligible for payments.
  • The Secretary of Agriculture would be directed to revise 7 CFR 718.103 to cover lack of water at the source and to require the Commodity Credit Corporation to consult Farm Service Agency county committees and State technical committees when making disaster determinations.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

Payment cuts for repeated prevented planting

If enacted, prevented-planting payments for acres the Secretary treats as prevented from planting would be cut after repeated years. Payments would be reduced by 50 percent in the fifth through eighth consecutive crop years, by 75 percent in the ninth and tenth consecutive crop years, and by 100 percent in the eleventh consecutive crop year and each crop year after that. Any acreage that reaches the 100 percent reduction (eleventh year and later) would be permanently ineligible for payments under the covered program.

Expanded prevented-planting help for farmers

If enacted, the bill would let the Department of Agriculture treat irrigated acres as "prevented from planting" for prevented-planting payments when five specific tests are met. The tests are: producers did not plant because they reasonably expected insufficient irrigation water that year; irrigation infrastructure was installed and functional that year; the acres were irrigated in one or more of the prior four crop years when water was sufficient; the same crop was planted on those acres in one or more of the prior four crop years; and the land does not support dryland farming for that crop. The bill would also define key terms (covered program, irrigation water, and Secretary) for this rule. Finally, it would require agency rules to count drought at an irrigation source as a lack of water and require the Commodity Credit Corporation to consult Farm Service Agency county committees and State technical committees when deciding related natural disasters.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Hurd, Jeff [R-CO-3]

CO • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Evans, Gabe [R-CO-8]

    CO • R

    Sponsored 9/16/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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