S 1401 IS

To amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to promote the development and use of affordable crop insurance policies designed to meet the specific needs of producers of specialty crops, and for other purposes.

To amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to promote the development and use of affordable crop insurance policies designed to meet the specific needs of producers of specialty crops, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Specialty Crop Insurance Act of 1999'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) FINDINGS- Congress finds that--

(1)(A) crop insurance policies under the Federal crop insurance program must be developed through a streamlined and simplified process to meet the specific needs of producers of specialty crops, while providing sufficient and affordable crop insurance coverage; and

(B) current crop insurance policies available for specialty crops, which the Risk Management Agency of the Department of Agriculture has based on the needs of producers of program crops, do not cover the unique characteristics associated with the planting, growing, and harvesting of specialty crops;

(2) the types of crop insurance policies needed for the wide variety of specialty crops are not sufficient and are not being developed quickly enough to meet producers' needs;

(3) current application of the noninsured crop disaster assistance program under section 196 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333) to specialty crops has not been sufficient to address disastrous situations;

(4) the Federal crop insurance program is one of the few programs available to specialty crop producers that directly provide incentives and risk management tools, and therefore benefit specialty crops;

(5)(A) the current contribution of specialty crops to the actuarial soundness of the Federal crop insurance program is positive;

(B) despite the high market value of specialty crops, the average loss ratio for specialty crops (as calculated by dividing claims payments by total premiums) from the time that the specialty crop insurance was offered through 1998 was reported by the General Accounting Office to be .99; and

(C) the average loss ratio for specialty crops is less than the average loss ratio for nonspecialty crops of 1.12;

(6)(A) specialty crops represent an important segment to United States agriculture and the United States economy as a whole; and

(B) the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the Department of Agriculture reported in the 1997 Census of Agriculture that the total value of fruits, nuts, berries, tobacco, nursery and greenhouse vegetables, melons, and sweet corn represented 36 percent, or $98,000,000,000, of the total value of United States crops;

(7) involvement of trade associations and cooperatives in group purchasing will expand coverage, educate growers, spread risk, and increase overall program participation; and

(8)(A) the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-127) shifted agricultural policy away from traditional price support programs to more market-oriented and risk-bearing policies; and

(B) at the same time, the exposure of specialty crop producers to market volatility, natural disasters, and the pressure to reduce inputs has increased, thus increasing the need for innovation, education, and outreach to provide specialty crop producers with the tools needed to make informed decisions regarding risk management, production, and marketing.

(b) PURPOSES- The purposes of this Act are--

(1) to develop a Federal crop insurance program to meet the needs of producers of specialty crops, while achieving the overall objectives of the Federal crop insurance program--

(A) to offer products that economically provide sufficient risk management tools for agricultural producers; and

(B) to increase producer participation in the program;

(2) to promote the development of crop insurance policies for specialty crops that are flexible enough to respond to changing conditions and are actuarially sound; and

(3) to reduce the reliance on, and eventually eliminate the need for, the noninsured crop disaster assistance program under section 196 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333), which provides basic coverage for specialty crops for which catastrophic risk protection under section 508(b) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(b)) is not available.

SEC. 3. SPECIALTY CROPS.

The Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`SEC. 522. SPECIALTY CROPS.

`(a) DEFINITIONS- In this section:

`(1) PROGRAM CROP- The term `program crop' has the meaning given the term `loan commodity' in section 102 of the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7202).

`(2) SPECIALTY CROP-

`(A) IN GENERAL- The term `specialty crop' means an agricultural commodity other than a program crop.

`(B) INCLUSIONS- The term `specialty crop' includes fruits, nuts, vegetables, greenhouse and nursery plants, timber, and turfgrass.

`(3) SPECIALTY CROP ADMINISTRATOR- The term `specialty crop administrator' means a nonprofit corporation that is--

`(A) established with the approval of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners;

`(B) organized to--

`(i) develop, assess, and rate new and existing crop insurance policies;

`(ii) accumulate, tabulate, and analyze relevant annual statistics acquired by standard reinsurance agreement holders;

`(iii) operate as a crop insurance advisory organization and a crop insurance statistical organization;

`(iv) provide statistics, loss expenses, actuarial analyses, actuarial formulas, procedures, forms, and information to standard reinsurance agreement holders and other purchasers;

`(v) consult and meet with groups or individuals throughout the United States having an interest in crop insurance, including representatives of Federal, State, and local governments, colleges and universities, producers, and trade organizations;

`(vi) develop, provide, and publicize procedures and forms for adjustment of crop losses; and

`(vii) carry out research, training, and education activities to promote improved knowledge and understanding of the applicable aspects of crop insurance.

`(b) TRANSFER OF CROP INSURANCE PROGRAM FUNCTIONS FOR SPECIALTY CROPS-

`(1) PURPOSE- The purpose of this subsection is to authorize a contract between the Corporation and the specialty crop administrator that will enable greater flexibility, increased expertise, and a more rapid response needed for the development and maintenance of specialty crop insurance products and policies tailored to the different crops, varieties, growing conditions, planting dates, harvesting dates, geographical regions, and variable changes in crop value associated with specialty crops.

`(2) CONTRACT FOR TRANSFER- Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Corporation shall offer to enter into a contract with the specialty crop administrator, under which the specialty crop administrator will assume responsibility from the Risk Management Agency for--

`(A) the administration of crop insurance products, policies, and other risk management tools for specialty crops under the Federal crop insurance program;

`(B) the development of revised or new products, policies, and risk management tools for specialty crops; and

`(C) the procedures, data collection, research, and forms-adjusting activities related to that administration and development.

`(3) EXCEPTION- Nothing in paragraph (2) authorizes or requires the transfer to the specialty crop administrator of the responsibility of the Risk Management Agency over reinsurance and compliance oversight activities carried out under the Federal crop insurance program.-

`(4) SPECIALTY CROP ADMINISTRATOR PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE-

`(A) ESTABLISHMENT- As part of the contract described in paragraph (2), the Corporation shall authorize the specialty crop administrator to establish such advisory committees on a State or regional basis as the specialty crop administrator considers necessary for each specialty crop program.

`(B) MEMBERSHIP- Each advisory committee may consist of--

`(i) the specialty crop administrator;

`(ii) representatives from each State or region in which the specialty crop program is administered;

`(iii) producers;

`(iv) commodity group representatives;

`(v) representatives from association groups or cooperatives through which an insurance product is offered (if applicable);

`(vi) members of the land grant university system relevant to the program area and region of the committee; and

`(vii) representatives of the insurance companies actively engaged in selling and servicing the program.

`(C) DUTIES- Each advisory committee shall--

`(i) meet on an annual basis or more frequently as necessary to review the specialty crop program within the State or region; and

`(ii) report to the specialty crop administrator and the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

`(5) BOARD AUTHORITY-

`(A) IN GENERAL- Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, the Board shall retain authority over all program decisions, policies, risk management tools, loss adjustment procedures, forms, rates and premiums associated with specialty crops.

`(B) TYPES OF AUTHORITY- In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Board may order, on reasonable notice--

`(i) changes or adjustments in priorities;

`(ii) changes in policies or programs;

`(iii) changes in procedures or forms;

`(iv) changes in rates; or

`(v) adoption of other risk management tools, on a pilot or permanent basis.

`(6) PRIORITIES FOR SPECIALTY CROP ADMINISTRATOR-

`(A) INITIAL ESTABLISHMENT- Not later than 90 days after the date on which the contract described in paragraph (2) is entered into, the Corporation shall establish the initial priorities of the specialty crop administrator.

`(B) CONTINUING ESTABLISHMENT- After the establishment of the initial priorities, during the fourth quarter of each fiscal year, the Corporation shall establish the priorities of the specialty crop administrator for the next fiscal year.

`(C) SOLICITATION OF PROPOSED INITIAL PRIORITIES-

`(i) IN GENERAL- The Corporation shall solicit proposed initial priorities for the specialty crop administrator from--

`(I) Members of Congress;

`(II) the Risk Management Agency and other agencies of the Department;

`(III) the specialty crop administrator;

`(IV) advisory committees established by the specialty crop administrator under paragraph (4);

`(V) approved insurance providers;

`(VI) associations of producers;

`(VII) commodity groups;

`(VIII) insurance agents; and

`(IX) the public.

`(ii) PROCEDURES FOR RECEIPT OF PROPOSED PRIORITIES- The Corporation shall--

`(I) establish procedures to ensure that proposed priorities are received by the Corporation in a timely fashion so that the priorities can be established in accordance with the schedule established under subparagraph (A); and

`(II) publish the procedures in the Federal Register not later than 5 days after the date of adoption of the procedures.

`(7) POLICY APPROVAL PROCEDURES-

`(A) IN GENERAL- The specialty crop administrator shall submit all insurance plans, products, policies, procedures, and other material that the specialty crop administrator develops for specialty crops to the Board for approval and reinsurance.

`(B) SUBMISSION TO RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY-

`(i) IN GENERAL- After development by the specialty crop administrator of a proposed program for a new policy or a proposed program to revise a previously published policy for a specialty crop and before submission of the proposed program (referred to in this paragraph as the `proposed program') for approval to the Board, the specialty crop administrator shall submit the proposed program to the Risk Management Agency for review and comment.

`(ii) COMMENTS FROM OTHER AGENCIES-

`(I) IN GENERAL- The Risk Management Agency shall promptly forward copies of the proposed program to the Office of Management and Budget and to any other agency that is required to review a new or revised crop insurance policy under this title or other law.

`(II) DEADLINE FOR ANALYSES- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each agency shall complete an analysis of, and preparation of comments with respect to, the proposed program during the 75-day period described in subparagraph (C) (referred to in this subsection as the `75-day period').

`(iii) PUBLIC COMMENT-

`(I) PUBLICATION- The Risk Management Agency shall--

`(bb) direct that all comments be provided to the Risk Management Agency not later than 45 days after the date of publication.

`(II) DISTRIBUTION OF COMMENTS- The Risk Management Agency shall make available copies of all comments received under subclause (I)(bb), upon request, to the specialty crop administrator, the Board, or any member of the Board.

`(C) PROVISION OF COMMENTS TO SPECIALTY CROP ADMINISTRATOR- Not later than 75 days after the date of receipt of the proposed program, the Risk Management Agency shall provide to--

`(i) the specialty crop administrator in writing any comments that the Risk Management Agency has regarding the proposed program and the comments of other agencies under subparagraph (B)(ii); and

`(ii) the specialty crop administrator and the Board a summary of public comments received under subparagraph (B)(iii) during the 75-day period.

`(D) RESPONSE TO RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY COMMENTS- If the Risk Management Agency provides comments under subparagraph (C) during the 75-day period, the specialty crop administrator shall--

`(i) consider the comments of the Risk Management Agency and make appropriate revisions to the proposed program; and

`(ii) after carrying out clause (i), submit the proposed program to the Board for approval.

`(E) EFFECT OF FAILURE OF RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY TO PROVIDE COMMENTS- If the Risk Management Agency does not provide comments under subparagraph (C) during the 75-day period--

`(i) the specialty crop administrator may submit the proposed program to the Board for consideration;

`(ii) the specialty crop administrator shall advise the Board of the absence of timely comments by the Risk Management Agency; and

`(iii) the absence of timely comments shall be deemed to constitute the concurrence of the Risk Management Agency with the proposed program.

`(F) COMPLETENESS OF PROPOSED PROGRAMS SUBMITTED TO BOARD- A proposed program submitted by the specialty crop administrator to the Board for approval shall be sufficiently complete so that, if approved by the Board, the program can be priced and sold to producers without any necessity for further policy development, actuarial study, initial premium rating, or similar activity.

`(G) CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED PROGRAMS BY BOARD-

`(i) PUBLIC MEETING- After receiving from the specialty crop administrator for approval a proposed program, the Board shall consider the proposed program at a public meeting held not later than 45 days after receipt of the proposed program.

`(ii) PUBLIC REVIEW- Copies of the proposed program shall be available for public review by any interested person.

`(H) APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF PROPOSED PROGRAMS BY BOARD-

`(i) IN GENERAL- Not later than 30 days after the date of the public meeting under subparagraph (G)(i), the Board shall approve or disapprove the proposed program.

`(ii) DISAPPROVAL-

`(I) STATEMENT OF REASONS- If the Board disapproves a proposed program submitted by the specialty crop administrator, the Board, not later than 30 days after the vote by the Board disapproving the proposed program, shall provide to the specialty crop administrator a written statement of the reasons for the disapproval that is sufficiently detailed to permit the specialty crop administrator to prepare and resubmit a revised proposed program that the specialty crop administrator reasonably can assume will be approved by the Board.

`(II) PROCEDURES- Submission to and review by the Risk Management Agency and the Board of a revised proposed program shall be in accordance with the procedures established by this paragraph.

`(iii) APPROVAL- After approving a proposed program, the Board shall publish in the Federal Register not later than 5 days after the vote of approval--

`(I) a description of the proposed program;

`(II) a statement that the proposed program is an approved insurance policy; and

`(III) a statement of the date on which the approved insurance policy will be available to approved insurance providers.

`(I) PROCEDURES FOR DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION TO APPROVED INSURANCE PROVIDERS- The Board shall ensure that the specialty crop administrator has established procedures for distributing actuarial data and loss adjustment procedures to approved insurance providers and their agents and adjusters in order to permit the timely processing and sale of any policy or adjustment of losses approved by the Board under this section.

`(8) CONTINUING AUTHORITY OF SPECIALTY CROP ADMINISTRATOR- The specialty crop administrator--

`(A) in connection with the administration of policies for specialty crops, including policies developed by the specialty crop administrator, may monitor the policies for their actuarial soundness and recommend to the Board adjustments in premium rates and other changes that promote an actuarially sound system of crop insurance; but

`(B) may not change the coverage under any policy without approval by the Board.

`(9) REPORTS TO UNDER SECRETARY FOR FARM AND FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICES- The specialty crop administrator shall report periodically, but not less often than quarterly, to the Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services on the progress of the specialty crop administrator in developing proposed programs for new

`(10) REPORT BY COMPTROLLER GENERAL- Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report that reviews the actuarial soundness of the specialty crop program established under this section and evaluates the adequacy of the program to meet the needs of specialty crops.

`(c) RESEARCH AND OTHER ASSISTANCE FOR NEW OR REVISED CROP INSURANCE PRODUCTS FOR SPECIALTY CROPS- To encourage the development of new or revised crop insurance policies and other materials for specialty crops and submission of those insurance policies and other materials to the Corporation under section 508(h), the specialty crop administrator may--

`(1) make grants on a competitive basis for the research and development of insurance products for underserved specialty crops;

`(2) reimburse research costs associated with product development;

`(3) enter into contracts for the research and development of insurance products for underserved specialty crops; and

`(4) enter into contracts and reimburse costs associated with the reassessment and reformatting of existing insurance products for specialty crops.

`(d) FUNDING FOR SPECIALTY CROP COVERAGE-

`(1) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT- Expenditures from the insurance fund established under section 516(c) for the benefit of specialty crops shall be maintained at a level equal to, at a minimum, the greatest of the following:

`(A) The level of expenditures for specialty crops for the reinsurance year in effect as of the date of enactment of this section.

`(B) The percentage expended for specialty crops of the total expenditures from the insurance fund for that reinsurance year.

`(C) $50,000,000 for each fiscal year.

`(2) USE OF SAVINGS- Any Federal crop insurance program savings resulting from the reforms required by this section and from the phase-out of the noninsured crop disaster assistance program should be applied only to the crop insurance program for specialty crops.

`(e) MINIMUM CATASTROPHIC RISK PROTECTION FINANCING AND COVERAGE FOR SPECIALTY CROPS- Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, the Corporation shall not change the following aspects of the catastrophic risk protection plan required to be offered to producers of specialty crops under section 508(b):

`(1) Catastrophic risk protection shall offer a producer coverage for a 50 percent loss in yield, on an individual yield or area yield basis, indemnified at 55 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage (as determined by the Corporation), as specified in section 508(b)(2)(A)(ii).

`(2) The administrative fee for catastrophic risk protection may not exceed $60 per crop, as specified in section 508(b)(5).

`(3) The Corporation shall pay the premium established for catastrophic risk protection under section 508(d)(2)(A).

`(4) The 11 percent level of excess loss adjustment expense and the existing underwriting gain formula shall be maintained.

`(f) RETENTION OF MINIMUM SUBSIDY LEVELS FOR ADDITIONAL COVERAGE FOR SPECIALTY CROPS- Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, the percentage of the premium for additional coverage for a specialty crop paid by the Corporation under section 508(e) may not be reduced below the percentage in effect on the date of enactment of this section for that same level of additional coverage.

`(g) PREMIUM DISCOUNTS AND SURCHARGES-

`(1) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding sections 506(o) and 508(d)(1), the Corporation may provide a discount for, or impose a surcharge on, the amount of the premium payable by an individual producer for catastrophic risk protection or additional coverage for a specialty crop based on the producer's actual loss experience.

`(2) AMOUNT-

`(A) IN GENERAL- The Corporation shall base the amount of the discount or surcharge for a specialty crop of an individual producer on the actuarial experience of the producer with the specialty crop as compared to the actuarial experience of other producers in the region that produce the specialty crop.

`(B) LIMITATION ON SURCHARGES- The Corporation shall not apply a surcharge on the amount of the premium payable by an individual producer under paragraph (1) if the losses experienced by the producer are the result of damaging weather or related condition that is beyond the control of the producer.

`(h) TIME PERIODS FOR PURCHASE OF COVERAGE FOR SPECIALTY CROPS-

`(1) MINIMUM SALES CLOSING DATE- Subject to paragraph (2), the sales closing date for obtaining coverage for a specialty crop under this title may not expire before the end of the 120-day period beginning on the date of the final release of materials for policies from the Risk Management Agency and the specialty crop administrator.

`(2) RELEASE OF PRODUCT DELAYED TO FOLLOWING CROP YEAR- If the date of release of an insurance product for a specialty crop for a crop year does not allow sufficient time for the dissemination of policies and related materials or jeopardizes the integrity and actuarial soundness of the crop insurance program for specialty crops, the Board may delay the release and offering of the product until the following crop year.

`(3) PURCHASE DURING INSURANCE PERIOD- A producer of a specialty crop may purchase new coverage for the specialty crop, or increase coverage levels, at any time during the insurance period, subject to a 30-day waiting period for the coverage to take effect to permit an inspection to verify acceptability by the insurance provider.

`(i) AUTHORIZED PAYMENT OF FEES REQUIRED FOR CATASTROPHIC RISK PROTECTION ON BEHALF OF PRODUCERS-

`(1) PAYMENT BY COOPERATIVES OR TRADE ASSOCIATIONS- A cooperative association of agricultural producers or a nonprofit trade association may pay, on behalf of its members, the basic fee or additional fee required for catastrophic risk protection for a specialty crop under section 508(b)(5).

`(2) TREATMENT OF PAYMENT- A licensing fee or other payment made by an insurance provider to the cooperative association or trade association in connection with the issuance of catastrophic risk protection or additional coverage under this title to members of the cooperative association or trade association shall not be considered to be a rebate to the members under the standard reinsurance agreement between the Corporation and the insurance provider if the members are informed in advance of the fee or payment.

`(3) MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF ENDORSEMENT FEES OR OTHER PAYMENTS- Any endorsement fee or other payment paid by an insurance provider to a cooperative association or trade association that is allowed under State law shall not exceed the amount of fees or premiums paid by the insurance provider for the coverage involved.

`(4) AUTHORIZATION- In order to purchase catastrophic risk protection for an individual member, a cooperative association or trade association must have the written authorization of the individual member in advance of the group purchase.

`(j) ENFORCEMENT-

`(1) IN GENERAL- For the purpose of discouraging the submission of false claims or the intentional destruction of an insured crop, the functions of sales agent and adjuster may not be conducted by the same person.

`(2) PURCHASE OF CATASTROPHIC RISK PROTECTION BY COOPERATIVES AND TRADE ASSOCIATIONS-

`(A) COMPLIANCE- A cooperative association or trade association that purchases catastrophic risk protection for members under subsection (i) shall provide such information to the Risk Management Agency as is required to ensure the compliance of the members with this title.

`(B) UNFAIR PROFITS- The Risk Management Agency shall ensure that cooperative associations and trade associations do not profit unfairly from the sale of catastrophic risk protection, or offering of premium discounts, to members of the associations.

`(C) SIMILAR COVERAGE- A member may not individually purchase catastrophic risk protection for the same crop and time period that is covered by the cooperative association or trade association payment under subsection (i).

`(3) NONPREEMPTION- Except as otherwise specifically provided in this section, nothing in this section preempts any State insurance law.

`(k) PARTNERSHIPS FOR RISK MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION-

`(1) PURPOSE- The purpose of this subsection is authorize the Risk Management Agency to enter into partnerships with public and private entities for the purpose of increasing the availability of risk management tools for specialty crop producers.

`(2) AUTHORITY- The Risk Management Agency is authorized to use each fiscal year not more than $20,000,000 of funds made available under section 516(b)(2) to enter into partnerships with the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, the Agricultural Research Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other appropriate public and private entities with demonstrated capabilities in developing and implementing risk management and marketing options for specialty crops.

`(3) OBJECTIVES- The Risk Management Agency may enter into a partnership under paragraph (2) to--

`(A) enhance the notice and timeliness of notice of weather conditions that could negatively affect specialty crop yields, quality, and final product use in order to allow producers to take preventive actions to increase end-product profitability and marketability and to reduce the possibility of crop insurance claims;

`(B) develop a multifaceted approach to pest management to decrease inputs, decrease the development of pest resistance, and increase the effectiveness of pest prevention applications;

`(C) develop a multifaceted approach to fertilization to decrease inputs, decrease excessive nutrient loading to the environment, and increase application efficiency;

`(D) develop or improve techniques for planning, breeding, growing, maintaining, harvesting, storage, and shipping that will address quality and quantity challenges for specialty crops and livestock associated with year-to-year and regional variations;

`(E) clarify labor requirements and assist producers in complying with requirements that allow specialty crop producers to better meet the physically intense and time-compressed planting, tending, and harvesting requirements associated with specialty crop production;

`(F) provide assistance to State foresters or equivalent officials for the prescribed use of burning on private forest land for the prevention, control, and suppression of fire; and

`(G) develop other risk management tools that specialty crop producers can use to further increase their economic and production stability.

`(l) STUDY OF NEW SPECIALTY CROP INSURANCE PRODUCTS-

`(1) IN GENERAL- As part of the contract described in subsection (b), the Corporation and the specialty crop administrator shall jointly study the feasibility of developing new insurance products for specialty crops, including products based on the cost

`(2) SUBMISSION OF RESULTS- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary and the specialty crop administrator shall submit to Congress a report containing the results of the study required by this subsection.

`(m) ADMINISTRATION AND EXPANSION OF GROSS REVENUE PILOT PROGRAMS FOR SPECIALTY CROPS-

`(1) ADMINISTRATION- As part of the contract described in subsection (b), the Corporation shall use the specialty crop administrator to administer the gross revenue pilot programs that are in effect for specialty crops.

`(2) EXPANSION- For crop year 2000, the pilot programs shall be expanded to include any additional counties in the States of Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and other States that are determined appropriate by the specialty crop administrator.'.

SEC. 4. BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF CORPORATION.

Section 505 of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1505) is amended by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:

`(a) BOARD OF DIRECTORS-

`(1) IN GENERAL- The management of the Corporation shall be vested in a Board subject to the general supervision of the Secretary.

`(2) COMPOSITION- The Board shall consist of--

`(A) 4 members who are active agricultural producers with or without crop insurance, representing the various regions and agricultural commodities of the United States;

`(B) 1 member who is active in the crop insurance business;

`(C) 1 member who represents specialty crop production;

`(D) 1 member who represents cooperatives and trade associations;

`(E) the Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, who shall serve as chairperson;

`(F) 1 additional Under Secretary of Agriculture (as designated by the Secretary of Agriculture); and

`(G) the Chief Economist of the Department of Agriculture.

`(3) APPOINTMENT AND TERMS OF PRIVATE SECTOR MEMBERS- The members of the Board described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (2)--

`(A) shall be appointed by, and hold office at the pleasure of, the Secretary;

`(B) shall not be otherwise employed by the Federal Government;

`(C) shall be appointed to staggered 4-year terms, as determined by the Secretary; and

`(D) shall serve not more than 2 consecutive terms.

`(4) SPECIALTY CROPS- The Board shall have independent oversight authority over all program decisions with respect to specialty crops made by the Corporation, the Risk Management Agency, and the specialty crop administrator (under the contract described in section 522(b)).

`(5) MAINTENANCE OF BOARD INDEPENDENCE- No official or employee of the Corporation, the Risk Management Agency, or the specialty crop administrator may serve on the Board.'.

SEC. 5. FEES COLLECTED BY APPROVED INSURANCE PROVIDERS.

Section 508(b)(5)(D) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(b)(5)(D)) is amended--

(1) in clause (i), by striking `The amounts' and inserting `Except as provided in clause (ii), the amounts'; and

(2) by striking clause (ii) and inserting the following:

`(ii) FEES COLLECTED BY APPROVED INSURANCE PROVIDERS- Not more than $120 of the administrative fees paid by a producer for catastrophic risk coverage for specialty crops that are collected by an approved insurance provider shall be retained by the provider as a payment for operating and administrative expenses incurred for the delivery of catastrophic risk protection.'.

SEC. 6. PILOT PROGRAM AUTHORITY.

Section 508(m) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(m)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(4) PILOT PROGRAMS- Except as otherwise provided in this title, in carrying out a pilot program of insurance or reinsurance under this title, the 18 Corporation and the Secretary may--

`(A) offer the pilot program on a regional, State, or national basis, based on the interests of affected producers and the interests and risks of the Corporation;

`(B) operate the pilot program for a period of up to 3 years; and

`(C) extend the duration of the pilot program for additional periods, as determined by the Corporation and the Secretary, respectively.'.

SEC. 7. EXPANSION OF REVENUE INSURANCE.

Section 508 of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508) is amended by--

(1) in subsection (a)(1) by striking the second sentence and inserting `To qualify for coverage under a plan of insurance, the losses associated with the insured commodity must be due to a change in the price level or drought, flood, or other natural disaster (as determined by the Corporation).'; and

(2) striking subsection (h)(9).

SEC. 8. FUNDING FOR PARTNERSHIPS FOR RISK MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION.

Section 516(b)(2) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1516(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(C) PARTNERSHIPS FOR RISK MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION- For each of the 2000 and subsequent reinsurance years, the Corporation may pay from the insurance fund established under subsection (c) $20,000,000 to carry out section 522(k).'.

SEC. 9. NONINSURED CROP DISASTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

Section 196(c) of the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7333(c)) is amended--

(1) by striking paragraph (1);

(2) in paragraph (2)--

(A) by striking `Subject to paragraph (1), the' and inserting `The'; and

(B) by striking `because of drought, flood, or other natural disaster, as determined by the Secretary';

(3) in paragraph (3)--

(A) by striking `Subject to paragraph (1), the' and inserting `The'; and

(B) by striking `, because of drought, flood, or other natural disaster as determined by the Secretary,';

(4) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; and

(5) by adding at the end the following:

`(3) AREA TRIGGER- The Secretary shall provide assistance to individual producers without any requirement of an area loss.'.

SEC. 10. EFFECTIVE DATE AND APPLICATION.

This Act and the amendments made by this Act--

(1) take effect on the date of enactment of this Act; and

(2) shall apply beginning with the 2000 crop year for a specialty crop.