New Poultry Farmer Compensation Bill Signed, Payments to Begin Within 60 Days of Request

The "Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act of 2025" has landed, and it's all about getting money to poultry farmers when their flocks get hit by disease outbreaks. Here’s the breakdown:

Cash for Chickens (and Turkeys, and Emus...)

This bill amends the Animal Health Protection Act, so if you're a poultry farmer—raising chickens, turkeys, even ostriches or emus—and you're stuck in a government-designated "control area" because of an animal health issue, you're now eligible for compensation. A control area is a zone set up by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to contain a disease outbreak. (Sec. 2)

How They Figure Out the Money

If you can't raise your birds because you're in one of these zones, the government will look at your average income from your last five flocks. They'll use that number to figure out how much they owe you for each flock you couldn't raise while the control area was in effect. Think of it like this: if you usually raise four flocks a year, and a control area stops you for six months, you're potentially getting paid for two flocks' worth of lost income. (Sec. 2)

Real-World Example: Imagine a turkey farmer in a control area, unable to raise their usual Thanksgiving birds. This bill means they won't be completely out of luck financially, even though their farm is temporarily shut down.

The Fine Print (and Potential Hiccups)

• No Double Dipping: You can't get paid by the feds and get money from your state or another source for the same loss. The federal payment is reduced by any other compensation you receive. (Sec. 2)
• Secretary's Call is Final: The Secretary of Agriculture's decision on how much you get is final. There's no court appeal process, which might be a sticking point for some. (Sec. 2)
• 60-Day Deadline: Once you file your request, the government has 60 days to pay up. (Sec. 2)
• Verification: The bill doesn't specify how income and losses are verified, only that the Secretary of Agriculture will base payments on the average income of the five most recent flocks. This could be a challenge in practice, opening doors for potential disputes or even inflated claims. (Sec. 2)

Bottom Line

This bill offers a safety net for poultry farmers facing disease outbreaks. It's designed to keep them afloat when they're forced to stop production, which is good for the farmers and helps keep the food supply chain moving. However, the lack of judicial review and the reliance on self-reported income figures are things to keep an eye on.