Bringing Aquaculture Indemnities To Speed Act or the BAITS Act
This bill expands the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) to eligible producers of farm-raised fish. (LIP provides indemnity payments to eligible livestock producers for loss or reduced sales price due to specified events.)
Specifically, the bill adds farm-raised fish to the LIP definition of livestock, expanding LIP indemnity payments to farm-raised fish producers due to (1) an attack by an animal reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law (e.g., avian predators) or (2) disease.
Under current law, LIP also provides indemnity payments to eligible livestock producers due to adverse weather. This bill prohibits LIP from making payments to producers of farm-raised fish due to adverse weather.