TEMP Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7464
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Agriculture and Food
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-20: Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-02T08:07:26Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Temperature Event Mitigation Policy Act (TEMP Act), H.R. 7464, aims to enhance crop insurance options by directing the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) to research and develop insurance products that protect farmers from losses caused by frost or cold weather events. This addresses vulnerabilities in agriculture due to rare but severe weather risks.
Key Provisions
- Research and Development Mandate: The FCIC must conduct or contract for research on an index-based policy (a type of insurance that uses weather data indexes, like temperature readings, to determine payouts rather than individual farm assessments) to insure crops against frost or cold weather losses. This policy would be available nationwide and cover crops such as tomatoes, peppers, sugarcane, strawberries, melons, citrus, peaches, blueberries, and others.
- Scope of Research: The work must evaluate how well risk management tools, like indexes, handle low-frequency and catastrophic weather events. It should lead to a policy that protects against either production loss (reduced crop yield) or revenue loss (lower income from sales).
- Reporting Requirement: Within one year of enactment, the FCIC must submit a report to the House Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. The report will detail research results and any recommendations for implementation.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill amends Section 522(c) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)) by adding a new paragraph (20). Previously, this section authorized the FCIC to research various crop insurance innovations, but it did not specifically require work on frost or cold weather insurance using index-based approaches. This addition expands the FCIC's research priorities to include these weather-specific risks, making such coverage a targeted focus.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: The FCIC, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will need to allocate resources for research, potentially through contracts with experts. This could increase administrative workload and funding needs but strengthen federal support for agricultural resilience.
- On Citizens: Farmers in frost-prone regions (e.g., parts of Florida, Georgia, and California) may gain access to more reliable insurance, reducing financial risks from unpredictable cold snaps and helping stabilize farm incomes. Broader agricultural communities could benefit from nationwide availability, potentially lowering recovery costs after weather disasters.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts are outlined, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. crop insurance.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Farmers and Agricultural Producers: Primary beneficiaries, especially those growing vulnerable crops like citrus and berries, who face economic losses from cold weather.
- Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC): Responsible for executing the research and potentially developing new insurance products.
- Congressional Committees: The House and Senate Agriculture Committees will receive reports and influence future policy based on findings.
- Insurers and Researchers: Private entities contracted for R&D may participate, expanding opportunities in agricultural risk management.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: The bill builds on existing federal authority under the Federal Crop Insurance Act without creating new regulatory burdens, ensuring compliance with crop insurance frameworks. It promotes innovation in risk tools, which could set precedents for insuring other climate-related events.
- Constitutional: No apparent challenges; it falls under Congress's enumerated powers to regulate interstate commerce and support agriculture (Article I, Section 8).
- Political: Sponsored by a bipartisan group of representatives from agricultural states like Florida and Georgia, it highlights growing concerns over climate variability in farming. Success could encourage similar expansions in weather insurance, influencing farm policy debates, but it may face scrutiny over costs if new programs require additional federal funding.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Franklin, Scott [R-FL-18]
Cosponsors (19)
Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24], Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9], Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1], Rep. Lee, Laurel M. [R-FL-15], Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17], Rep. Patronis, Jimmy [R-FL-1], Rep. Mills, Cory [R-FL-7], Rep. Fine, Randy [R-FL-6], Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24], Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5], Rep. Cammack, Kat [R-FL-3], Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10], Rep. Buchanan, Vern [R-FL-16], Rep. Edwards, Chuck [R-NC-11], Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22], Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-21], Rep. Haridopolos, Mike [R-FL-8], Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-20: Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.
- 2026-02-10: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- 2026-02-10: Introduced in House
- 2026-02-10: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Temperature Event Mitigation Policy Act — issued 2026-02-10 — PDF (3 pages)