CHILE Act of 2026

Direct Assistance for Specialty Crop Producers: The bill establishes a framework to provide direct assistance to producers when their production is impacted by adverse events like economic crises or market disruptions (Section 2(b)).

Tailored Payment Considerations: When calculating payments, the Secretary is instructed to consider the higher value of specialty crops relative to other crops and the greater input costs required to grow them (Section 2(c)(d)).

Support for Diverse Business Structures: The framework acknowledges and considers the diverse types of legal entities and business structures used by specialty crop producers (Section 2(c)(d)(3)).

Increased Payment Limits for Certain Farmers: For persons or legal entities where at least 75 percent of average gross income is derived from farming, ranching, or silviculture, the standard payment limits may not apply, and the Secretary can set a maximum payment amount that is not less than $900,000 (Section 2(e)(1)(B)).

Significant Funding for Implementation: The bill appropriates $5,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 to ensure there are funds available to provide this direct assistance (Section 2(b)).

Payment Limitations for Most Entities: Except for specific cases involving high-income farmers, the total amount of payments a person or legal entity can receive is capped by the amount specified in the Food Security Act of 1985 (Section 2(e)(1)(A)).

Dependency on Secretary's Discretion: The framework relies on the Secretary to determine what constitutes an adverse event, determine the payment factor, and set maximum payment amounts for certain entities (Section 2(b), Section 2(c)(2), and Section 2(e)(1)(B)(ii)).

Funding Availability Constraints: The Secretary's ability to determine a payment factor is subject to the availability of funds (Section 2(c)(2)).