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H.R. 5716119th CongressIn committeeLatest action Dec 2, 2025Decoded by AI · checked against the record
The plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
HR 5716 would require USDA disaster assistance programs for farmers and ranchers to keep operating during a government shutdown.
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HR 5716, the FARM SAFE Act, would require USDA disaster assistance programs to continue operating during a federal government shutdown caused by a lapse in funding. USDA employees who run those programs would be classified as essential workers, keeping them on the job instead of furloughed. Those employees could also not be laid off through a reduction in force while carrying out this work.
Farmers and ranchers nationwide who rely on federal disaster assistance after droughts, floods, wildfires, or other agricultural emergencies are the primary people affected. USDA employees who administer these disaster programs would also be directly affected, as they would be required to keep working during a shutdown.
Under current rules, a government shutdown can delay or cut off disaster assistance at the same time farmers and ranchers are trying to recover from a major weather event. This bill would change that outcome by treating the relevant USDA programs and staff as exempt from standard shutdown furlough rules.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.