2023/2024 Supplemental Disaster Assistance

The American Relief Act of 2025, Pub. L. No. 118-158 (the Act), signed into law on Dec. 21, 2024, provided the U.S. Department of Agriculture with more than $30 billion to deliver disaster recovery assistance to farmers and livestock producers. Below is a projected timeline for development and delivery of each of the components that comprise the full suite of Supplemental Disaster Assistance for agricultural producers.

Projected Timeline

Timeline Summary

Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP)

The Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) provides economic loss assistance for covered commodities based on 2024 planted and prevented planted acres.

Important Dates

• March 19, 2025: Sign-up began
• August 15, 2025: Sign-up ends

Nearly $8B in payments have been paid out to date. View more payment information on the ECAP Dashboard.

Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) for Drought and Wildfire

The Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) for Drought and Wildfire will provide assistance for losses due to drought and wildfires in 2023 and 2024.

Important Dates

• May 29, 2025: USDA announced ELRP payments to begin livestock producers impacted by drought and wildfires in 2023 and 2024. ELRP Rule published on the Federal Register  
  • Farm Service Agency ELRP webpage
• May 30, 2025: The target date for FSA county offices to sign and certify

Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) for Flooding and Wildfire on Non-Federal Lands

The Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) for Flooding will provide assistance for losses due to flooding wildfire on non-federal lands . USDA has never stood up an assistance program for livestock due to flooding, this requires more time due to needed software changes.

Important Dates

• Week of September 8, 2025: The target for program announcement
   

Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP)

The Supplemental Disaster Relief Program will provide assistance to producers for necessary expenses due to losses of revenue, quality or production of crops due to weather related events in 2023 and 2024.

Important Dates

For producers with indemnified losses:

• July 10, 2025: Sign-up began

For uncovered losses (shallow losses) including producers without crop insurance, and quality losses we need more time to collect the data:

• October 2025: The target for sign-up to begin
   

General Block Grant Authority

USDA is using general block grant authority to pay on losses due to adverse weather events for 2023 and 2024. General block grants will not duplicate assistance for which USDA covers a similar loss.

• USDA has received general block grant requests from:
  • Florida - announced July 21, 2025
  • Georgia
  • North Carolina -announced September 5, 2025
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Virginia - announced July 28, 2025

Timing

We are currently engaging with the above states to negotiate their final agreement. These are agreements between the states and USDA.

New England and Pacific Block Grant

Provides compensation for necessary expenses related to crop, timber and livestock losses, including on-farm infrastructure as a consequence of any adverse weather event in 2023 and 2024. Small block grants will not duplicate assistance for which USDA covers a similar loss.

• New England and Pacific block grants were specifically earmarked by Congress to cover:
  • Alaska
  • Connecticut
  • Hawaii
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

Timing

FSA is actively engaged with all eight states eligible working to refine these agreements. These are agreements between the states and USDA.