G/AG/N/USA/134/Rev.1  
 
6 August  2020 
(20-5447) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
 
NOTIFICATION  
Revision  
The following submission, dated 6 August  2020, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of United States  of America . The revised notification concerns new or modified domestic support 
measures exempt from reduction ( Table DS:2 ). 
 
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 G/AG/N/USA/134/Rev.1  
 
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  Table DS:2  
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA  
Notification under Article 18:3 of the Agreement:  
New or modified domestic support measures exempt from reduction  
 
(1)  FULL TITLE OF MEASURE:  
2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP)  
(2)  DOMESTIC LEGISLATION REFERENCE:  
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115 -123) 
Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief of 2019 (P.L. 116 -29) 
Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 (P.L. 116 -94) 
(3)  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF MEASURE WITH REFERENCE TO CRITERIA:  
Provisions are consistent with criteria in Annex 2, paragra ph 8. 
 
Outlays under the programme meet the general criteria of Annex 2, paragraph 1 (support is 
provided through a publicly -funded government programme and does not involve transfers from 
consumers, and there is no price support to producers; additionally , there are no 
trade -distorting effects or effects on production).  
 
WHIP provided payments to agricultural producers for necessary expenses related to crop, tree, 
bush, and vine losses related to the consequences of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and othe r 
hurricanes and wildfires occurring in calendar year 2017. Eligible wildfire losses included losses 
from fire, mudslides, and heavy smoke. Hurricane losses included losses from related conditions 
such as excessive rain and flooding in counties with qualif ying primary Presidential Emergency 
Disaster Declaration or Secretarial Disaster designations. Eligible commodities included crops, 
trees, bushes, and vines. Compensation was based on individual losses and calculated based 
on a formula that accounted for t he expected value of the lost crop, the value of the crop 
harvested, insurance coverage, and insurance payments received. The Additional Supplemental 
Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 expanded eligibility for 2017 WHIP for additional 
weather -related losses, including those due to Tropical Storm Cindy.  
 
Uninsured producers of eligible crops could receive a WHIP payment if the production loss 
exceeded 35% of production. The expected crop value used in the calculation of the WHIP 
payment for unin sured producers is based on an Olympic average yield ( five year average 
dropping the low and high years). The type or quantity of future production is not required or 
specified, although all producers who received a WHIP payment are required to purchase cr op 
insurance or Noninsured Assistance Crop Loss Program (NAP) coverage for the next two crop 
years.  
 
WHIP payments to producers with federal crop insurance or coverage under the Noninsured 
Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) are notified in supporting t able DS:6 because the 
production loss for these producers could be lower than 30% depending on the level of insurance 
or NAP coverage.  
(4)  COST OF MEASURE:  
As of 10 July 2020, USD 152 million was paid to uninsured producers for eligible losses during 
calendar year 2017 for crops intended to be harvested during the 2017 or 2018 crop year.  G/AG/N/USA/134/Rev.1  
 
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  (5)  DATE OF ENTRY INTO EFFECT:  
18 July 2018  
(6)  PERIOD OF APPLICATION:  
The Bipartisan Budget Act made funding for this program available through 31  December  2019. 
The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 rescinded the remaining unobligated 
balances of funds made available under the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 for the 2017 WHIP. 
The Act also appropriated an amount equal to the rescinded funds for fiscal year  2020 
(1 October 2019 – 30 September 2020) for new eligible loss categories established in the 2019 
Act. The sign -up for 2017 WHIP coverage for these new eligible causes did not open until 
11 September 2019 and remains open as of the date of this revised n otification.  
(7)  PRODUCTS TO PRINCIPALLY BENEFIT (IF ANY INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT(S)):  
Crops, trees, bushes, and vines.  
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