Feenstra Leads Legislation to Protect Iowa Farmers from Fatal Tractor Rollovers
HULL, IOWA — Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) introduced the Roll-Over Prevention and Safety (ROPS) Act, which would create a cost-share grant program at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to assist farmers in retrofitting tractors with rollover protection structures (ROPS).
“Iowa farmers feed and fuel our country and the world, working long hours, making unseen sacrifices, and risking their safety. In the United States, tractor rollovers are the leading cause of fatal accidents on our farms. But these tragic deaths are preventable with the right safety precautions,” said Rep. Feenstra. “That’s why I introduced legislation to help Iowa farmers retrofit their tractors to keep themselves and their loved ones safe in the event of a tractor rollover. These measures will save lives and keep our farming communities safe and strong.”
“ROPS save lives. It’s that simple. If a farmer is willing to do dangerous work to feed this country, then the least Washington can do is make sure they get home safe at the end of the day. This is about standing with Upstate farmers, backing good local jobs, and keeping family farms in business,” said Rep. Josh Riley (D-NY).
“As a fourth-generation farmer raising the fifth, I know firsthand how dangerous farm work can be and how important it is to protect the people who do it. I’m proud to help introduce this commonsense legislation that will help farmers retrofit their tractors with rollover protection – strengthening farm safety and ensuring those who devote their lives to feeding and fueling our country are able to get home safely to their families at the end of the day,” said Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN).
“Farmers perform some of the most demanding and dangerous work and unquestionably deserve protection. The Roll-Over Prevention and Safety Act allows them to upgrade their tractors, ensuring safety and saving lives,” said Rep. Don Davis (D-NC).
“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,” Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) said.
“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 Michael Bennet (D-CO). “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 Jim Justice (R-WV).
“Georgia farmers are the backbone of our state’s economy, and they take on tough, often risky work to feed our families every day,” said Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA). “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.”
This legislation was introduced alongside Reps. Josh Riley (D-NY), Brad Finstad (R-MN), and Don Davis (D-NC) as well as Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jim Justice (R-WV), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
The legislation specifically would help to continue operations of the National ROPS Rebate Program through the USDA by establishing a grant program that would provide farmers or an eligible school with a grant that covers up to 70% of the costs to purchase, transport, and install an approved ROPS, with a $500 out-of-pocket cap for the farmer. Additionally, USDA will establish a website and phone hotline to assist in the application and installation process.
“Tractor rollovers are the leading cause of on-farm deaths, but they are entirely preventable,” said Kip Eideberg, Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Relations for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). “Farmers who rely on older equipment should not have to choose between keeping their family safe and keeping their operations running. This legislation is a commonsense, bipartisan solution that will save lives, strengthen rural communities, and ensure that every farmer has access to the safety technology they deserve. Equipment manufacturers are proud to support this effort to make our farms safer and our agricultural workforce more secure.”
“Safety for farm equipment operators is a priority, but enhancing older equipment can be extremely expensive," said AFBF Director of Government Affairs John Walt Boatright. "Farm Bureau is proud to support this legislation and applauds this bipartisan group of congressional leaders for making critical safety improvements more accessible to farmers and for helping protect both farmers and their employees.”
“We extend our appreciation to Rep. Feenstra for his leadership in introducing the Roll-Over Prevention and Safety Act. By establishing this cost-share initiative through the USDA, we take a step toward reducing rollover incidents and ensuring that farmers have the essential equipment and resources to return home safely each day,” said Tom Adam, Iowa Soybean Association President and farmer from Harper, Iowa.
“Iowa farmers rely on their large equipment, like tractors, to produce their crops and care for their livestock throughout the year, but accidents do happen, and introduction of the Roll-Over Prevention and Safety (ROPS) Act would help farmers secure funding to retrofit their tractors with rollover protection structures,” said Mark Mueller, Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) President and farmer from Waverly, Iowa. “ICGA would like to thank Rep. Feenstra and Rep. Riley for introducing this Act with farmer safety in mind.”
“Farming remains one of America’s most hazardous occupations, with tractor rollovers among the leading causes of on-farm fatalities. The ROPS Act offers an effective, cost-share solution to help farmers retrofit their equipment and enhance operator safety. We thank Representatives Feenstra, Riley, Finstad, and Davis, as well as Senators Hyde-Smith, Bennet, Justice, and Warnock, for their bipartisan support of this important legislation,” said American Soybean Association President Scott Metzger, an Ohio soybean farmer.
“The National Cotton Council strongly supports the ROPS Act, which offers a commonsense approach to addressing a leading hazard in rural America. With overturns continuing to cause preventable tragedies each year, expanding access to proven rollover protection structures is a practical step that will help keep our farmers safe,” said the National Cotton Council.
“The National Association of Wheat Growers commends Reps. Feenstra and Riley for introducing the Roll-Over Prevention and Safety Act and strongly supports this bipartisan, practical solution that helps farmers retrofit equipment to improve farm safety and save lives,” said Sam Kieffer, NAWG CEO.
“CoBank is proud to support the introduction of the Roll-Over Prevention and Safety Act by this group of thoughtful legislators. This legislation will support the farming industry while also protecting the precious lives of farmers working every day to support their families and communities. This equipment has already proven to save the lives of many, and supporting a national effort will only help to protect all farmers across the country. We are proud of the work done with this bipartisan group and will continue to find ways to help support the wellbeing of the agriculture industry,” said Brian Cavey, CoBank Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Knowledge Exchange.
“Supporting farmers and farmworkers’ health and wellbeing must remain a top priority,” said the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture CEO Ted McKinney. “NASDA continues to support policies that promote farm safety and looks forward to bringing states, federal partners and industry together to ensure farmers and ranchers have the training, tools and protections they need to operate safely.”
“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.
This bill has been endorsed by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, John Deere, 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, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Corn Growers Association, New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health, Northeastern Organic Farmers Association of New York, Mississippi Farm Bureau, and Delta Council.
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