U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today led the Senate in introducing legislation to help protect farmers from fatal tractor rollovers through a U.S. Department of Agriculture cost-share grant program for retrofitting older tractors with rollbars and other protections.
Hyde-Smith, with U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jim Justice (D-W.Va.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), on Monday introduced the Roll-Over Prevention and Safety Act (ROPS Act) to continue operation of the National ROPS Rebate Program. Mississippi farmers rely on this effective program, which could expire without congressional action.
“We need to extend this small, but important program that can save lives in rural America. Farming and ranching can be dangerous work, which is made even more perilous because receiving help after an accident in rural areas can take a considerable amount of time. Making retrofitting tractors affordable is worthwhile and I hope this lifesaving legislation finds broad support in the Senate and House,” said Senator Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.
“Farming is dangerous work, and efforts that help Colorado farmers do their jobs safely and get home at the end of the day matter,” said Senator Bennet. “I’m glad to join my colleagues in the Senate and House to introduce this bipartisan legislation, which will help our farmers purchase, transport, and install rollover protection structures on their tractors. Legislation like this saves lives and protects our farming communities across the country.”
“I know the needs of our farmers because I am one, which is why we must do everything possible to protect their health and safety. This bill is one simple way we can help decrease the risk of fatal tractor rollovers on farms. I’m proud to support the effort in the Senate and hope that this grant program will encourage more farmers to consider retrofitting their tractors with roll bars to protect themselves and their equipment operators,” said Senator Justice.
“Georgia farmers are the backbone of our state’s economy, and they take on tough, often risky work to feed our families every day,” Senator Warnock said. “This legislation will help prevent overturn accidents and give farmers peace of mind, allowing them to upgrade their equipment without having to make difficult financial decisions to do so. Supporting our nation’s farmers shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and I’m proud to have worked on this bipartisan legislation to deliver for Georgia families.”
U.S. Representatives Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), Josh Riley (D-N.Y.), Brad Finstad (R-Minn.), and Don Davis (D-N.C.) introduced companion legislation in the House.
Under the ROPS Act, grants for retrofitting tractors with rollbars and other protective improvements would cover up to 70 percent of the cost of purchasing, transporting, and installing ROPS or rollbars, with a $500 out-of-pocket cap for farmers or eligible schools. In addition to providing grants to dramatically lower financial barriers and save lives, the legislation would create a program administrator, as well as a website and hotline to facilitate the application process.
Numerous agricultural organizations endorsed the ROPS Act, including the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, American Farm Bureau Federation, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, Delta Council, National Farmers Union, John Deere, Kubota, CoBank, Farm Credit, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, National Milk Producers Federation, American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, USA Rice, National Cotton Council, National Association of Wheat Growers, and others.
“Having spent an entire career working to ensure farmers safety and wellbeing at work, it has been difficult to hear their stories about the traumatic deaths and injuries caused by tractor overturns. This is particularly true, because these events could have been easily avoided with the installation of something as simple as a rollbar. Given the leadership of Representatives Feenstra, Riley, Finstad, Davis and Senators Hyde-Smith, Bennet, Justice, Warnock it is wonderful to see legislation that has the potential to eliminate one of the most frequent causes of death on farms by providing support vs. issuing penalties. This is an amazing milestone,” said Julie Sorensen, Chair of the National ROPS Rebate Program.
