Bill · S. 4862· Senate(119-S-4862)
A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to consider certain acreage not planted due to a lack of irrigation water to be eligible for prevented planting payments, and for other purposes.
- Introduced
- 6/23/2026
- Last activity
- 6/23/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Sponsored by
- Michael Bennet
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to allow certain acreage not planted due to a lack of irrigation water to qualify for prevented planting payments. It defines irrigation water as water available through various sources like snowmelt, runoff, or groundwater. To be eligible, producers must show they didn't plant due to expected insufficient water, have functional irrigation infrastructure, and have successfully irrigated those acres or planted the same crop there in recent years. The bill also specifies that the land must not support dryland farming for that crop. It includes a system of payment reductions for consecutive years of non-planting and requires revisions to existing federal regulations regarding drought and disaster determinations.
Yes· 3 of 8
Would business owners be better off under this?+5
The bill provides financial relief to producers who cannot plant due to irrigation water shortages.
Would farmers be better off under this?+5
The bill allows farmers to qualify for prevented planting payments due to insufficient irrigation water.
Does this make the government pay for what it commits to?+5
The bill establishes a tiered reduction system that eventually eliminates payments for land with chronic water shortages.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Eligibility for Prevented Planting Payments: Under Section 1(b), producers can receive payments if they did not plant acreage due to a reasonable expectation of insufficient irrigation water, provided they have functional irrigation infrastructure and a history of successful irrigation or planting on those acres.
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Updated Drought Definitions: Section 1(d)(1) directs the Secretary to revise regulations so that a lack of water resulting from drought conditions at the source of an irrigation supply is included under existing drought condition descriptions.
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Improved Disaster Determinations: Section 1(d)(2) requires the Commodity Credit Corporation to consult with Farm Service Agency county committees and State technical committees when determining natural disasters.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Reduction in Payment Amounts: According to Section 1(c)(1), payments will be reduced for acreage considered prevented from planting for consecutive years; specifically, payments are reduced by 50 percent for the fifth through eighth years, and by 75 percent for the ninth and tenth years.
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Permanent Ineligibility: Section 1(c)(2) states that any acreage subject to a 100 percent reduction in payment amounts—which occurs at the eleventh consecutive crop year—will become permanently ineligible for payments under covered programs.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+5Good For Farmers+5Good For Rural Residents+3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Fiscal Responsibility+5Improves Small Business Support+4
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+4Improves Environmental Protections+3
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+2
- 6/23/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.