The STAX and SCO programs administered by the Risk Management Agency (RMA) have insurability limitations based on the producer’s enrollment or election status in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs, which are administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). STAX requires producers to report the enrollment status of their acreage in ARC or PLC as does the SCO endorsement.

The American Relief Act, 2025, signed into law on December 21, 2024, extended the authority for the ARC and PLC programs authorized under the 2018 Farm Bill through September 30, 2025. The provisions of law applicable to ARC/PLC covered commodities for the 2024 crop year were made applicable to the 2025 crop year, and as a result, FSA created an election/enrollment period for ARC and PLC for the 2025 crop year lasting until April 15, 2025, which misaligns with the reporting requirements outlined under section 3(b)(6) of STAX, which states the enrollment status must be complete by March 15 of the crop year.

Based on Manager’s Bulletin – MGR-25-001, the RMA Sales Closing Date(s) will not change, however, for STAX in the 2025 crop year, RMA is extending the date when insurability based on enrollment status is determined to be April 15 in order to align with the election/enrollment period announced by FSA. Producers will be held to the enrollment selection they make at FSA as of April 15 regardless of whether they later withdraw from ARC or PLC. In addition, producers should be reminded to accurately report their election status for SCO by the acreage reporting date for the insured crop.

Additional information can be found on RMA’s website in the Frequently Asked Questions, Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) Interaction with the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) and the Stacked Income Protection (STAX). To access MGR-25-001, please click the hyperlink above.