S. 1669: CRAWDAD Act

Crawfish Recovery Assistance from Weather Disasters And Droughts Act or the CRAWDAD Act

This bill modifies access to the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP). The Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers these programs.

The bill expands coverage under ELAP for losses caused by adverse weather or drought. The bill includes under ELAP the loss of a crawfish harvest due to adverse weather or drought. (This program provides payments to producers of livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish as compensation for losses due to disease, adverse weather, feed or water shortages, or other conditions that are not covered under other programs.)

The FSA must establish ELAP documentation standards for (1) collecting data, (2) the production of crawfish, and (3) defining loss conditions due to drought.

The bill also specifies that eligibility under LFP for livestock producers applies to producers with weaned or unweaned livestock. Currently, unweaned livestock are not eligible for the program. (LFP makes payments to eligible livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses on drought-affected pastureland, including cropland planted specifically for grazing.)