WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced the CRAWDAD Act to support Louisiana crawfish producers through severe weather challenges by making them eligible for Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP) funding on a permanent basis, ensuring that they have access to the emergency support they need without bureaucratic delays. The bill would also classify a drought as a weather event that the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture could declare as an emergency.
“When you think Louisiana, you think crawfish. Crawfish farmers work hard to provide Louisiana and the world with the tastiest crawdads possible. Let’s support them as they do so, rain or shine,” said Dr. Cassidy.
“Come rain, shine, sleet or snow, Louisiana’s mudbug farmers always work hard to deliver quality food to crawfish lovers. My CRAWDAD Act would make sure crawfish producers have access to the emergency support they need when droughts and other severe weather strike,” said Senator Kennedy.
The CRAWDAD Act is supported by the Louisiana Farm Bureau.
Background
(ELAP) provides producers of livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish access to federal financial assistance when they face adverse weather, disease, or loss conditions. In 2021, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture temporarily expanded ELAP to include crawfish producers when the industry suffered losses.
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