Agricultural Management Assistance Act of 2026
Key claim: The bill would expand a USDA risk-management program in 16 states so farmers can get more money for soil health, irrigation, composting, food-safety certification, and similar practices, raise the payment cap to $200,000 over five years, and let crop-insurance companies participate.
Abstract
(S4088 · 119th Congress) Agricultural Management Assistance Act of 2026 This bill expands and revises the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) programs, which help agricultural producers manage financial risk through diversification, marketing, or natural resource conservation practices. (AMA is available in 16 designated states where participation in the Federal Crop Insurance Program is historically low.) Specifically, the bill expands the eligible uses for financial assistance funds for producers to include soil health improvements, the development of sustainable water sources and irrigation, composting, and other conservation practices determined to reduce the risk to a farm of financial loss due to the regional impacts of climate change. The bill also specifies that funds provided to mitigate financial risk through production or marketing diversification may be used for food safety certification. The bill provides additional funding for the program and changes the payment limitation for farmers to $200,000 over five years (currently $50,000 per year). The bill also expands those eligible for assistance under AMA programs to include federal crop insurance providers, in particular providers of Whole-Farm Revenue Protection plans. Latest action (2026-03-12): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Why this matters
AMA is the primary USDA risk-management and conservation cost-share program for farmers in 16 states that historically received less federal crop insurance support. Expanding eligible practices and raising payment caps would meaningfully increase the cost-share dollars available to small and mid-sized producers in those states for soil, water, and food-safety investments, while opening a new delivery channel through crop-insurance companies.