H.R. 1613House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 2:24 AM UTC

The Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to require the development of a federal insurance program for mushroom growers. It directs the USDA’s risk‑management agency to research how to insure both mushroom growing media and the mushrooms themselves, taking into account pests, diseases, power outages, and extreme weather. The bill aims to create a tailored, streamlined insurance option and requires a report on the findings within two years.

Key Provisions

Adds a new insurance line for mushrooms to the Federal Crop Insurance Act.
Requires the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (the Corporation) to conduct research and develop a mushroom insurance policy, either directly or through contracts with qualified parties.
The research must evaluate coverage for mushroom growing media and the mushrooms themselves, looking at risks such as pest and pathogen outbreaks, electricity loss, and extreme rainfall that can damage compost or crops.
It must also consider best‑practice risk‑reduction methods, whether to offer a single policy or separate phases of production, streamlined paperwork for fast‑growing crops, and protection for revenue losses.
The Corporation must submit a report on the research findings and any policy recommendations to the House and Senate agriculture committees within two years of enactment.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.

General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit Subcommittee

March 28, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 26, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

February 26, 2025

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.

General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit Subcommittee

March 28, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued February 26, 2025

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1613

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 26, 2025

Ms. Houlahan (for herself and Mr. Meuser) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to require the research and development of a policy to insure the production of mushrooms.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act.

Research and development on mushrooms

Section 522(c) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(20)

Mushrooms

(A)

In general

The Corporation shall carry out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and development, regarding a policy to insure—

(i)

the production of mushroom growing media; and

(ii)

the production of mushrooms.

(B)

Availability of policy

Notwithstanding the second sentence of section 508(a)(1), and section 508(a)(2), the Corporation shall make a policy described in subparagraph (A) available if the requirements of section 508(h) are met.

(C)

Research and development described

Research and development described in subparagraph (A) shall evaluate the effectiveness of policies described in that subparagraph, including policies that—

(i)

are based on the risk of—

(I)

pests, including mushroom phorid flies and sciarid flies;

(II)

fungal pathogens; and

(III)

viral pathogens;

(ii)

consider other causes of loss applicable to mushroom compost and mushroom production, such as—

(I)

a loss of electricity due to weather; and

(II)

loss of growing media due to excessive 5-year, 10-year, or 20-year rainfall events;

(iii)

consider appropriate best practices to minimize the risk of loss;

(iv)

consider whether to provide coverage for mushrooms under 1 policy or to provide coverage for various phases of production;

(v)

have streamlined reporting and paperwork requirements that take into account short propagation schedules, variable crop years, and the variety of mushrooms that may be produced in a single facility; and

(vi)

provide protection for revenue losses.

(D)

Report

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes—

(i)

the results of the research and development carried out under subparagraph (A); and

(ii)

any recommendations with respect to those results.