NEWS RELEASE: Sen. Ashley Moody and Rep. Scott Franklin Introduce TEMP Act to Examine Resilience for Our American Growers When Extreme Weather Hits

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, Senator Ashley Moody and Congressman Scott Franklin are introducing the bipartisan Temperature Event Mitigation Policy (TEMP) Act, directing the Risk Management Agency (RMA) to research and develop an affordable crop insurance option to cover losses caused by cold exposure and freezes. The legislation comes as Florida growers continue assessing damage from a recent hard freeze that underscored the vulnerability of specialty crops to extreme cold.

Senator Ashley Moody said, "While agriculture is a top driver of our state's economy, many of our growers were recently left facing serious losses without access to affordable insurance options following the recent deep freeze. I'm proud to introduce the TEMP Act in the Senate, to examine possible solutions for our farmers to manage temperature-related risks while recovering when extreme cold weather hits."

Congressman Scott Franklin said, "Deep freezes can devastate Florida agriculture, which supplies much of America's citrus, sugarcane, and other specialty crops. We've seen that firsthand in Florida just weeks ago, as growers across the state worked to recover from another damaging freeze. Despite being the backbone of our food supply, growers in Florida's heartland still lack access to reasonably priced insurance that covers freeze events. Our bipartisan TEMP Act helps fill that gap by creating a temperature-based index policy that finally gives specialty-crop producers a workable, affordable option when cold weather strikes. I appreciate Rep. Carbajal's partnership and Sen. Moody's leadership on this issue."

Jeb S. Smith, President of Florida Farm Bureau Foundation said, "Recent record cold temperatures across Florida have had real impacts on framers and growers statewide. The Temperature Endorsement for Multi-Peril Policies Act would give producers a much-needed tool to manage freeze risk and protect their operations. Florida Farm Bureau Federation appreciates Senator Moody and Representative Franklin for advancing solutions that respond to the challenges farmers are facing right now."

Matt Joyner, Executive Vice President and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual said, "Florida Citrus Mutual commends Senator Ashley Moody's leadership in introducing the Temperature Event Mitigation Policy (TEMP) Act, which aims to provide citrus and other specialty crop producers with risk protection products for cold and freezing temperatures. Freeze events can devastate a crop in a matter of hours, yet Florida's citrus growers have no meaningful options available to mitigate that risk. As Florida's citrus growers contend with the impacts of recent freezes, this legislation is more important than ever in equipping producers with the tools they need to remain resilient and sustain Florida citrus production."

Mike Joyner, President of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association said, "FFVA appreciates the strong leadership of U.S. Representative Franklin, Senator Moody and members of the Florida Congressional Delegation in championing this important provision and for listening to the needs of Florida growers. A temperature based policy would give specialty crop producers a much needed risk management tool and strengthen their ability to recover from increasingly unpredictable weather."

Specialty crop producers in Florida face steep challenges accessing comprehensive whole-farm insurance policies, with premiums often running thousands of dollars per acre. While some specific perils, such as wind, are insurable at reasonable rates, no comparable option exists to cover losses caused by freeze events. The recent freeze in Florida highlighted this gap, leaving many growers exposed with limited tools to manage risk. The TEMP Act directs RMA to develop an index-based policy that reflects actual temperature impacts, giving growers a practical tool to manage risk and recover more quickly after damaging cold spells.

Read full bill text here.

###