Bridge the Gap for Rural Communities Act
Bridge the Gap for Rural Communities Act would make two targeted changes for crop year 2025 under USDA farm programs. First, it suspends the statutory payment limits that normally cap Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments for that year, effectively allowing eligible producers to receive payments without the usual per-farm or per-entity caps. Second, it creates an option for advance partial payments for 2025: producers can elect to receive 50% of their projected ARC/PLC payment for the 2025 crop year upfront (by December 31, 2025, with an opt-in by December 1, 2025), with the remaining amount to be paid later after the applicable marketing year ends. The law would also require the later payment to be calculated as the difference between the full payment amount and the upfront partial payment, with a provision to repay any overpayment and to allow assignment of these payments under existing rules. The bill is intended to provide more immediate cash flow to farmers in rural communities during 2025, while preserving a reconciliation mechanism to finalize total payments. It is introduced in the House by Rep. Crawford (joined by Rep. Letlow) and referred to the Committee on Agriculture.
Key Points
- 1Suspension of payment limitations for crop year 2025: For 2025, subsections that cap ARC/PLC payments on a per-person or per-entity basis do not apply.
- 2Availability of advance partial payments: Producers may elect to receive partial payments for 2025 payments, with a deadline to opt in by December 1, 2025, and a requirement to issue the partial payment by December 31, 2025.
- 3Amount of partial payments: Each partial payment is set at 50% of the projected payment for the covered commodity for the 2025 crop year (as determined using Secretary-approved projections, see below).
- 4How projected payments are determined: The Secretary will base projected payments on the most recent World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) projection for the 2025-2026 marketing year, or a comparable price per acre if WASDE data isn’t available.
- 5Subsequent payments and reconciliation: After the end of the applicable marketing year, the Secretary will pay the remaining amount (the full payment amount minus the upfront partial payment). If the total paid exceeds the final amount due, the producer must repay the excess (no interest).
- 6Assignment of payments: Payments made under the partial and subsequent payment provisions may be assigned under existing regulations (7 CFR part 1404).