H.R. 8525

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8525 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8525

To amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to provide for 
seasonal and perishable programs, and for other purposes.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 27, 2026

Mr. Ruiz introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture

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A BILL

To amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to provide for 
seasonal and perishable programs, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SEASONAL AND PERISHABLE PROGRAMS.

The Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-
465) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``TITLE V--SEASONAL AND PERISHABLE PROGRAMS

``SEC. 501. SEASONAL AND PERISHABLE CROP LOSS PROGRAM.

``(a) Seasonal and Perishable Crop Loss.--
``(1) In general.--Beginning with marketing year 2027, and 
each year thereafter, with respect to a producer of a seasonal 
and perishable crop in a geographic region described in 
paragraph (2), the Secretary shall make annual crop loss 
payments in accordance with this section if the Secretary 
determines that--
``(A) the effective price for the seasonal and 
perishable crop for such marketing year is less than 
the reference price for such crop; and
``(B) the crop loss described in subparagraph (A) 
is caused by imports of the seasonal and perishable 
crop.
``(2) Geographic coverage.--Geographic coverage described 
in this paragraph refers to coverage of a geographic region in 
the United States--
``(A) in which a seasonable and perishable 
commodity is grown within a seasonal marketing window; 
and
``(B) for which an annual normal harvest and 
shipment of such seasonal and perishable crop occurs.
``(b) Effective Price.--The effective price for a seasonal and 
perishable crop shall be the national average market price for the 
seasonal and perishable crop during the seasonal marketing window.
``(c) Payment Amount.--If seasonal perishable crop loss program 
payments are required to be provided under this section for the last 
seasonal marketing window for a covered seasonal and perishable crop, 
the amount of the seasonal perishable crop loss program payment to be 
paid to producers on a farm for the seasonal marketing window shall be 
equal to the product obtained by multiplying--
``(1) the payment rate for the covered seasonal and 
perishable crop which shall be equal to the difference 
between--
``(A) the reference price for the covered seasonal 
and perishable crop; and
``(B) the effective price determined under 
subsection (b) for the seasonal and perishable crop; 
and
``(2) the previous three-year average production for the 
covered seasonal and perishable crop during the same seasonal 
marketing window.
``(d) Eligibility.--A producer may only be eligible for a payment 
under this section if such producer--
``(1) has an average adjusted gross income of less than 
$5,000,000 for the 3 tax years preceding the most recent tax 
year; or
``(2) derives at least 75 percent of the adjusted gross 
income of such producer from farming, ranching, or forestry for 
the tax year for which payment under this section is sought.
``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Seasonal marketing window.--The term `seasonal 
marketing window' means, with respect to a seasonal and 
perishable crop--
``(A) the season of a crop year in which such crop 
is normally marketed within a geographic region 
described in subsection (a)(2); and
``(B) the season that concludes on the date that is 
not later than 8 weeks after the last day on which such 
crops are harvested during a normal marketing window.
``(2) Reference price.--The term `reference price' means 
the national average market price received by producers for 
domestically produced seasonal and perishable crop for the 
period of the most recent three marketing seasons.
``(3) Seasonal and perishable crop.--The term `seasonal and 
perishable crop' means a crop that is--
``(A) a fresh or chilled specialty crop that, if 
imported, would be classified under HS2020 tariff codes 
0701, 0702, 0703, 0704, 0705, 0706, 0707, 0708, 0709, 
0803, 0804, 0805, 0806, 0807, 0808, 0809, or 0810 (or 
such successor codes, as determined by the Secretary);
``(B) marketed in raw form for consumption without 
further processing; and
``(C) normally marketed not later than 8 weeks 
after harvesting.
``(4) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
of Agriculture.''.
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