Washington, DC—With the rapid spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) devastating poultry farms across the country, Representatives Mark Alford (MO-04) and Jim Costa (CA-21) introduced the Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification (HPAI) Act to ensure that poultry growers receive fair compensation when federal disease control measures impact their operations.
“The current wave of Bird Flu outbreaks is leaving our farming communities twisting in the wind,” said Congressman Alford.“When poultry operations test positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, the federal government makes growers whole for lost revenue. The Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act will level the playing field by ensuring poultry growers and layer operations—who are impacted by USDA control zones put in place even though their own birds never tested positive—also qualify for indemnity payments. I’m proud to once again co-lead this critical bipartisan legislation to support Missouri’s agriculture community.”
“The San Joaquin Valley is the heart of California agriculture, and our poultry farmers are on the front lines of the avian flu crisis. When they face challenges, we all pay the price—from farms to grocery stores. That’s why I’m leading the charge with the HPAI Act to provide real relief, protect our food supply, and ensure the farmers who feed America get the support they deserve,” said Congressman Costa.
U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) are leading the Senate version of the bill.
BACKGROUND
American consumers are seeing the impact of HPAI outbreaks, with egg prices soaring by as much as 200% during past waves of the virus. When farms are forced to shut down—whether their birds are sick or not—supply drops, and prices skyrocket.
Currently, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) provides indemnity and compensation to poultry producers whose flocks are classified as affected, suspect, or exposed to HPAI. However, under the existing system, farms within federally designated control areas, which include both infected zones and surrounding buffer zones may not qualify for compensation if their flocks remain uninfected but are still subject to stringent movement restrictions and production losses.
The HPAI Act would focus on reforming the system through:
Expanded Compensation– APHIS must compensate all poultry growers and laying facilities within a control area, including those in buffer zones with non-infected poultry.
Fair Payment Formula– Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, compensation will be based on a producer’s average income from their five most recent flocks, ensuring payments better reflect actual economic losses.
