S.1661 - Disaster Relief for Farmworkers Act of 2025 (119th Congress)
Summary
S.1661, the Disaster Relief for Farmworkers Act of 2025, amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to provide emergency assistance to farmworkers. It defines 'covered disaster' broadly, including adverse weather events, health crises like pandemics, and other conditions causing income loss or work shortages for farmworkers. The bill authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make grants to eligible farmworker organizations to provide emergency relief.
Expected Effects
This bill will create a framework for providing aid to farmworkers impacted by disasters. It aims to ensure that farmworkers, who are often vulnerable, receive timely assistance during crises. The funds can be used for direct relief, capacity building, community resilience, infrastructure support, and emergency services.
Potential Benefits
- Provides direct financial assistance to farmworkers affected by disasters.
- Supports farmworker organizations in building capacity to respond to emergencies.
- Enhances the resilience of farmworker communities to future disasters.
- Offers infrastructure support, including shelter, during emergencies.
- Ensures funds remain available until expended, providing flexibility in disaster response.
Potential Disadvantages
- Potential for bureaucratic delays in the distribution of funds.
- Risk of funds being mismanaged or not reaching the intended beneficiaries.
- Dependence on the Secretary of Agriculture's determination of a 'covered disaster'.
- Possible challenges in defining and verifying eligibility for assistance.
- The bill does not specify the amount of funding allocated, which could lead to insufficient resources.
Constitutional Alignment
The bill appears to align with the General Welfare Clause of the Constitution, as it aims to provide for the well-being of a vulnerable population. Specifically, the preamble states the intention to "promote the general Welfare". Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 grants Congress the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States. The bill's focus on providing emergency assistance to farmworkers during disasters can be seen as an effort to promote the general welfare by ensuring their basic needs are met during times of crisis.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).