The gist

Lets farmers qualify for hurricane crop insurance payouts using university weather data when federal stations are damaged or missing data during the storm.

Who wins, who loses

• Wins: farmers in hurricane-prone states like Georgia and Florida; land-grant universities running certified weather stations.
• Loses: no one materially; expands data options without cutting existing coverage.

What it does

• Requires USDA to use the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) data from NOAA as the primary source starting crop year 2027.
• Allows backup data from land-grant university weather stations only if IBTrACS is incomplete AND a National Weather Service station was damaged.
• Requires backup stations to be certified under National Weather Service standards (Instruction 10-1302).
• Gives USDA 180 days to write rules and update Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) guidance.

Why should I care?

Supporters say farmers shouldn't lose insurance payouts just because a hurricane knocked out the weather station tracking it. Critics argue university data may be less consistent than federal sources and could open the door to disputes. An alternative would be funding hardened backup federal stations instead. Where do you land? Vote below and use "Tell Your Rep" to make sure your voice reaches Congress.