- Congress passed the American Relief Act 2025 on December 21, 2025, ensuring the government continues funding operations through mid-March.
- The act provides disaster relief, agricultural assistance, and a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill.
- Allocates $21 billion in agricultural disaster assistance for losses in 2023 and 2024.
- Lawmakers extended the 2018 Farm Bill through September 30, 2025, preserving safety net provisions and allowing broader policy debates.
- The act postpones decisions about long-term agricultural policies to future legislative sessions.
Congress passed and the president signed the American Relief Act 2025 into law on December 21, ensuring the government continues funding operations through mid-March. The act provides substantial support through disaster relief, agricultural assistance, and a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill.
The legislation directs $21 billion to agricultural disaster assistance for losses in 2023 and 2024, covering a range of events such as hurricanes and other disasters. The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) will likely administer these funds through its Emergency Relief Program (ERP), which has previously supported crop and livestock producers.
Specific allocations include $2 billion for livestock producers and $220 million in block grants for small agricultural states. For example, Nebraska may receive a few hundred million dollars in disaster relief, though likely less than previous programs and at a slower pace compared to economic relief efforts.
American Relief Act Economic Assistance
The act provides economic assistance to address revenue shortfalls for farm program crops, focusing on major grains, oilseeds, and pulse crops. It calculates payment rates using national and farm-specific data, estimating payments of $30 per acre for soybeans and wheat and over $42 per acre for corn and grain sorghum.
Lawmakers extended the 2018 Farm Bill through September 30, 2025, preserving existing safety net provisions and deferring broader policy debates. Updated price calculations show higher safety net levels for the 2025 crop year. Programs such as Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) are expected to trigger payments for crops like corn, grain sorghum, and soybeans based on current market conditions.
The act immediately relieves producers and ensures continuity in government funding, but it leaves critical questions about long-term agricultural policies for future legislative sessions. Agricultural stakeholders must stay informed on USDA implementation rules and upcoming debates regarding the farm bill.
