PRIA Logo™
S2442119th CongressWALLET

O DAIRY Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Welch, Peter [D-VT]

Introduced

Summary

Creates a tailored safety net and market support for organic dairy farmers. The bill would expand emergency aid, require new organic milk data, and fund regional processing and marketing help to stabilize organic milk markets.

Show full summary
  • Organic dairy farmers would gain expanded ELAP emergency assistance for losses not covered by other USDA disaster programs and for input-cost-driven income declines over 10 percent. The bill would also direct a simpler, streamlined ELAP payment process.
  • Small organic dairy operations would be explicitly eligible for a new organic dairy safety net pathway and would receive priority access based on the Small Business Administration size standard.
  • Regional processors, markets, and researchers would get targeted support. The bill would create an Infrastructure Investment Funding Program for regional processing, on-farm storage, aggregation, and institutional purchasing. It would also fund Regional Organic Dairy Market Specialists and research teams to study prices, costs, marketing, and insurance options.

*Would authorize $20.0 million for infrastructure and $5.0 million for regional market specialist activities for 2025–2029, a total of $25.0 million in potential new federal spending, subject to appropriation.*

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Regional grants for organic dairy plants

If enacted, the Secretary would set up a grant program within 180 days to fund regional organic milkshed infrastructure. Grants could pay to build regional organic processing plants, buy on-farm processing and storage, improve transport and aggregation, and support business plans and processor start-up capital. The program would be authorized $20,000,000 to be appropriated for each fiscal year 2025 through 2029.

More disaster help for organic dairy

If enacted, ELAP would be expanded to cover organic dairy losses that other USDA disaster programs do not cover. You would be eligible if your net income falls more than 10% in one calendar year because of higher organic feed or input costs. The Secretary would also be required to streamline ELAP payments to reduce paperwork and speed payments where practicable. You must show the loss is not already covered by another USDA disaster program.

Organic milk data and market support

If enacted, USDA would start an "Organic All Milk Prices Survey" within 90 days to publish monthly national and regional organic milk price and payment data for the six largest organic regions. The Secretary would publish periodic organic milk reports within 180 days and must publish a Federal Register proposal within 1 year to create organic-specific safety-net programs, with a report to Congress due within 2 years. The bill would also create Regional Organic Dairy Market Specialist positions within 180 days to do market and cost-of-production research and advise producers and processors. USDA would be asked to fund specialists and their research teams for five years, and $5,000,000 per year would be authorized for those specialist activities for fiscal years 2025 through 2029.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Welch, Peter [D-VT]

VT • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]

    NY • D

    Sponsored 7/24/2025

  • Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]

    VT • I

    Sponsored 7/24/2025

  • Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 7/24/2025

  • Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 7/29/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation