VermontVermont conditions farm and forestry weather-loss payments on funding
Vermont farm and forestry owners can receive partial payments for uncovered weather losses if lawmakers set aside General Fund money specifically for the program.
What it does
Once lawmakers provide the required funding, owners can receive up to half of uncovered weather losses. Annual awards cannot exceed $150,000 or a lower cap based on the fund's balance.
If lawmakers provide the required funding, owners can apply year-round through a streamlined process with language help. Applications may close only when all money set aside for that fiscal year has been awarded.
Argument forIf funded, payments could help farm and forestry owners keep operating by covering some lost income, repair bills, and ongoing expenses.
Argument againstOwners with major weather damage could receive much less than half their uncovered losses because annual payments also face dollar and fund-based caps.
More detail
The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets administers the Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund to pay part of eligible weather losses. Payments cover Vermont farm and forestry operation owners with losses or expenses from eligible weather linked to income losses, including floods, drought, and extreme heat. Covered farms must primarily serve farming and fall under Vermont's Required Agricultural Practices rules. Implementation depends on lawmakers setting aside General Fund money specifically for this program in fiscal year 2027 or a later year. Payments cover up to 50 percent of losses left uncovered by insurance or other payments. Each farm or forestry operation's annual award cannot exceed $150,000 or 5 percent of the fund's uncommitted balance at the start of that fiscal year. The fund can receive legislative transfers, accepted public and private money, and federal aid for weather-related income losses. Unspent balances carry forward. The law took effect July 1, 2026. The duty to run the program depends on specific funding in fiscal year 2027 or a later year.
The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets must provide a streamlined application and ensure language access through interpretation and translation. These rules cover owners applying to the Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund. These duties depend on the required General Fund funding. Applications must describe damage, confirm the weather event, estimate losses, report year-end income and expenses, and list state business grants or loans received in the past five years. Applications are processed in the order received for each quarter, but review requires all documents the Secretary requests. A board of state officials, agricultural representatives, farmers, and forestry operators reviews complete applications. It annually reports documented weather losses averaged over the previous three calendar years and recommends improvements. The board must recommend whether to pay within 15 days of receiving a complete application. The Secretary must issue an award within 15 days of a favorable recommendation.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed 1st Chamber
- Passed 2nd Chamber
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 27Senate Message: Signed by Governor Phil Scott March 26, 2026Latest
- Mar 27Signed by Governor Phil Scott on March 26, 2026Became Law
- Mar 20Delivered to Governor on March 20, 2026To Governor
- Mar 12Senate Message: House proposal of amendment concurred inMinor
- Mar 11As passed by Senate and HouseMajor
- Mar 11Title amended
- Mar 11House proposal of amendment concurred inMinor
- Mar 11Reported favorably by Senator Collamore for Committee on AgricultureMinor
- Mar 11House proposal of amendment; textMinor
- Mar 11Favorable report by Committee on AgricultureMinor
- Mar 11House proposal of amendmentMinor
- Mar 10Favorable report by Committee on AgricultureMinor
- Mar 10House proposal of amendmentMinor
- Mar 10Entered on Notice Calendar
- Jan 22Recommitted to Committee on Agriculture on motion of Senator Ingalls
- Jan 22House proposal of amendment; textMinor
- Jan 22House proposal of amendmentMinor
- Jan 21House proposal of amendmentMinor
- Jan 20House message: House passed bill in concurrence with proposal(s) of amendment
- Jan 16Read third time and passed in concurrence with proposal of amendmentPassed 2nd Chamber
- Jan 16Action Calendar: Third ReadingMinor
- Jan 15Third Reading orderedMinor
- Jan 15Report of Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry, as amended, agreed to
- Jan 15Report of Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry amended as recommended by Committee on Appropriations
- Jan 15Rep. Stevens of Waterbury recommended for the Committee on Appropriations
- Jan 15Rep. Bos-Lun of Westminster reported for the Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry
- Jan 15Read second timeMinor
- Jan 15Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- Jan 14Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- 2025
- Apr 25Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Rule 35(a)
- Apr 25Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- Mar 25Read first time and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and ForestryMinor
- Mar 20Read 3rd time & passedPassed 1st Chamber
- Mar 20Motion disagreed to
- Mar 20Pending third reading, Senator(s) Vyhovsky moved to amend billMinor
- Mar 20New Business/Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 193rd reading ordered
- Mar 19Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Agriculture, as amended, agreed to
- Mar 19Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Agriculture amended as recommended by Committee on Appropriations
- Mar 19Reported favorably by Senator Norris for Committee on Appropriations with recommendation of amendmentMinor
- Mar 19Read 2nd time, reported favorably with recommendation of amendment by Senator Major for Committee on AgricultureMinor
- Mar 19Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on AppropriationsMinor
- Mar 19Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on AgricultureMinor
- Mar 19New Business/Second ReadingMinor
- Mar 18Favorable report by Committee on AppropriationsMinor
- Mar 18Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on AgricultureMinor
- Mar 18Second ReadingMinor
- Mar 18Entered on Notice Calendar
- Mar 11Referred to Committee on Appropriations per Senate Rule 31
- Mar 11Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on AgricultureMinor
- Mar 11Second ReadingMinor
- Mar 11Entered on Notice Calendar
- Feb 11Read 1st time & referred to Committee on AgricultureIntroduced
AgricultureEmergency Management