S 1523 IS

To provide a safety net for agricultural producers through improvement of the marketing assistance loan program, expansion of land enrollment opportunities under the conservation reserve program, and maintenance of opportunities for foreign trade in United States agricultural commodities.

To provide a safety net for agricultural producers through improvement of the marketing assistance loan program, expansion of land enrollment opportunities under the conservation reserve program, and maintenance of opportunities for foreign trade in United States agricultural commodities.

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 `Help Our Producers Equity Act of 1999'.

SEC. 2. LOAN RATES FOR MARKETING ASSISTANCE LOANS.

(a) IN GENERAL- Section 132 of the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7232) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(g) LIMITATIONS ON LOAN RATES-

`(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (2)--

`(A) the limitations imposed under this section on the loan rate for a marketing assistance loan for a loan commodity (referred to in this subsection as a `covered commodity') shall not apply with respect to the 1999 through 2002 crops of the covered commodity; and

`(B) the loan rate for a marketing assistance loan under section 131 for the 1999 through 2002 crops of the covered commodity shall be not less than the higher of--

`(i) 85 percent of the simple average price received by producers of the covered commodity, as determined by the Secretary, during the marketing years for the immediately preceding 5 crops of the covered commodity, excluding the year in which the average price was the highest and the year in which the average price was the lowest in the period;

`(ii) if the world market price for the crop of at least 3 loan commodities is less than the loan rate established for the crop of the respective loan commodities under subsections (a) through (f), 95 percent of the simple average price received by producers of the covered commodity, as determined by the Secretary, during the marketing years for the immediately preceding 5 crops of the covered commodity, excluding the year in which the average price was the highest and the year in which the average price was the lowest in the period; or

`(iii) the loan rate established for the 1999 crop of the covered commodity under this section.

`(2) RICE- With respect to the 1999 through 2002 crops of rice, the Secretary may establish a loan rate in excess of the rate specified in subsection (e).

`(3) RETROACTIVE APPLICATION- In the case of the 1999 crop of each loan commodity, the Secretary shall adjust marketing assistance loans and loan deficiency payments made before the date of enactment of this subsection to reflect the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2).'.

(b) LIMITATION ON MARKETING LOAN GAINS AND LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS- Section 1001(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(2)) is amended by striking `during any crop year may not exceed $75,000' and insert `during--

`(A) each of the 1996 through 1998 crop years may not exceed $75,000; and

`(B) each of the 1999 through 2002 crop years may not exceed $150,000.'.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF MARKETING LOAN TERM.

Section 133 of the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7233) is amended by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:

`(c) EXTENSIONS AUTHORIZED- The Secretary may extend the term of a marketing assistance loan for any loan commodity for a period not to exceed 6 months.'.

SEC. 4. MAXIMUM ENROLLMENT IN CONSIDERATION RESERVE PROGRAM.

Section 1231(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(d)) is amended--

(1) by striking `The' and inserting the following:

`(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (2), the'; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

`(2) APPLICABILITY- Subject to the availability of appropriations, paragraph (1) shall not apply to each of the 1999 through 2002 calendar years.'.

SEC. 5. WETLANDS RESERVE PROGRAM.

(a) ANNUAL ENROLLMENT AUTHORITY- Section 1237(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837(b)) is amended by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:

`(1) ANNUAL ENROLLMENT AUTHORITY- For calendar years 2000 through 2005, the Secretary may enroll up to 250,000 acres annually in the wetlands reserve program.'.

(b) EXTENSION OF PROGRAM- Section 1237(c) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837(c)) is amended by striking `2002' and inserting `2005'.

(c) ELIGIBLE LANDS- Section 1237(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837(d)) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (2), by striking `or' at the end;

(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting `; or'; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

`(4)(A) suitable for the establishment of wetland functions and values;

`(B) land that would contribute substantially to the habitat objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan signed by the Minister of the Environment for Canada and the Secretary of the Interior of the United States in May 1986;

`(C) land that has not historically been wetlands.'.

(d) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS- Section 1237F of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837f) is amended--

(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and

(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:

`(b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS- Notwithstanding chapter 63 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary may enter into a cooperative agreement for the acquisition of goods or services, including personal services, with a State, a political subdivision or agency of a State, a public or private agency, an organization, or any other person, without regard to any requirements for competition, if the Secretary determines that--

`(1) the objectives of the agreement will serve a mutual interest of the parties to the agreement in wetland conservation;

`(2) all parties will contribute resources to the accomplishment of the objectives; and

`(3) the agreement will further the purposes of this subchapter.'.

SEC. 6. REVIEW OF FEDERAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS THAT PROHIBIT THE SALE OR PROVISION OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

(a) FINDING- Congress finds that any Federal law (including a regulation) that prohibits or otherwise restricts the sale or provision of an agricultural commodity to a foreign country should be maintained only if the prohibition or other restriction under the law or regulation is essential to the national security interests of the United States.

(b) DEFINITIONS- In this section:

(1) AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY- The term `agricultural commodity' has the meaning given the term in section 102 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5602).

(2) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES- The term `appropriate congressional committees' means--

(A) the Committee on International Relations and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and

(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.

(3) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of Agriculture.

(c) STUDY-

(1) IN GENERAL- The President shall conduct an annual study of each Federal law (including a regulation) that prohibits or otherwise restricts the sale or provision of an agricultural commodity to a foreign country to determine--

(A) whether the prohibition or other restriction under the law is essential to the national security interests of the United States, including a description of the risk to the national security interests posed by the removal of the prohibition or other restriction; and

(B) the effects of the prohibition or other restriction under the law on United States agriculture, including an assessment of--

(i) the extent to all countries subject to the prohibition constitute a market that accounted for, in the calendar year preceding the imposition of the prohibition or other restriction, more than 3 percent of all export sales from the United States of an agricultural commodity;

(ii) the likely effect on incomes of producers of the commodity involved;

(iii) the extent to which the prohibition or other restriction would permit foreign suppliers to replace United States suppliers; and

(iv) the likely effect of the prohibition or other restriction on the reputation of United States agricultural producers as reliable suppliers of specific agricultural commodities and of agricultural commodities in general.

(2) SECRETARY- The President, acting through the Secretary, shall conduct the assessment described in paragraph (1)(B).

(d) REPORT- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall prepare and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report containing the results of the study under subsection (c).