Manager’s Bulletin MGR-25-006, implemented the OBBBA, effective for the 2026 reinsurance year, into the regulations. The OBBBA

  • Extends the number of years a producer can qualify for beginning farmer and rancher benefits from 5 crop years to 10 crop years.
  • Adjusts the additional premium subsidy rate for beginning farmers and ranchers to 15% for the first two crop years, 13% for the third crop year, 11% for the fourth crop year, and 10% for the fifth through tenth crop years.

Improving Land Access Through Prevented Planting Relief

Removes the “insured” requirement from the “1 in 4” rules for prevented planting payments. Producers will still be required to prove the land was available for planting by showing it was planted and harvested (or adjusted for an insurable cause of loss) in one of the four previous crop years.

Streamlining Production Reporting

Allows policyholders who transfer their policy to a different Approved Insurance Provider (AIP) to submit their production report to their new AIP instead of returning to the previous provider.

Expanding Direct Marketing Options

Allows insurance on direct marketing of fresh market tomatoes and fresh market peppers under the Dollar Plan through the Special Provisions.

Simplifying Dispute Resolution

In accordance with Executive Order 14192, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation, eliminates the “automatic nullification” rule during dispute resolution between policyholders and AIPs.

Deregulating Coverage Dates

Removes termination, cancellation, and end of insurance dates from federal regulations and defers to the Special Provisions.

Revenue Protection Clarifications

  • Clarifies that harvest prices will be set equal to projected prices when data is not available to follow the approved methodology.
    Creates a reimbursement process to refund policyholders for the additional premium paid for revenue protection if data is not available to follow the approved methodology.

Removal of Buy-up Coverage on Prevented Planting

Removes buy-up coverage for prevented planting in the crop insurance program.

Crop-Specific Improvements

  • Fresh Market Tomatoes Guaranteed Production Plan: Extends the end of insurance period in Tennessee to match neighboring North Carolina counties and provides coverage for hurricanes in October; extends the contract change date in South Carolina to December 31, beginning with the 2027 crop year.
  • Fresh Market Pepper: Adds a new November 30 contract change date and a summer planting practice that matches the northern growing seasons.
  • Safflower: Moves the December 31 contract change date to November 30 to match other spring crops.
  • Cotton: Incorporates quality adjustment and claims process from the Special Provisions into the Crop Provisions that has been in place since the 2018 crop year.
  • Sugar Beets: Revises early harvest adjustment cap to apply to the applicable APH database, not the unit.