Florida Freeze Disaster Assistance Act

Key Points

• The bill would provide $3.5 billion in emergency funding to help farmers and agricultural producers who lost crops, trees, and other plants due to freezing weather. The money goes to state governments as block grants, which they then distribute to affected producers.
• Only farmers in counties that received an official disaster designation for the freeze on March 4, 2026 are eligible. This means the aid is targeted to the hardest-hit areas rather than being spread across all cold weather events.
• State agriculture departments or similar agencies must request the funds before they can be distributed. This gives states a role in deciding how the money reaches local farmers and producers.
• The spending is labeled as an emergency, which allows it to bypass normal budget caps. The USDA must also report to Congress every quarter on how the money is being used.
• The bill specifically covers losses on multi-year crops like fruit trees and bushes, which can take years to regrow. This is especially important for citrus and specialty crop growers who face long recovery timelines.