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Lawmakers, Agency Staff Flag Gaps in S.60 Farm Security Special Fund Proposal
Summary
State agency officials and lawmakers questioned S.60’s definitions, payment structure, review process and fiscal limits, and raised concerns about excluding forestry and slow federal funding flows as the committee continues drafting a farm disaster-relief program.
The committee heard agency testimony and lawmaker questions on S.60 on the need for an agricultural disaster-relief program and several gaps the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets says must be fixed before the bill could operate as intended.
Nicole Dubuque, chief operating officer for the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, told the committee: "I think we all agree that there's a gap" in immediate disaster relief for agriculture, but she warned multiple parts of the bill as written would limit timely or equitable payments.
The agency raised four central concerns. First, the bill’s definitions appear to exclude many one-off farm-structure events — such as barn collapse or fire — that agency staff said are common and often uninsured. "Those structures are not frequently insured because it's very expensive to insure them," Dubuque said, noting the program as drafted may not cover those losses.
Second, S.60 creates a Farm Security Special Fund to award grants after review by a board; Dubuque cautioned that using a review board could trigger…
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