| S 2183 IS
107th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2183
To provide emergency
agricultural assistance to producers of the 2002 crop.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED
STATES
April 17, 2002
Mr. HUTCHINSON introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry
A BILL
To provide emergency
agricultural assistance to producers of the 2002 crop.
Be it enacted by the
Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in
Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE
OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE- This Act
may be cited as the `Emergency Agricultural Assistance Act of 2002'.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS- The
table of contents of this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table
of contents.
TITLE I--MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE
Sec. 101. Market loss assistance.
Sec. 105. Wool and mohair.
Sec. 107. Specialty crops.
Sec. 108. Loan deficiency
payments.
Sec. 109. Payments in lieu
of loan deficiency payments for grazed acreage.
Sec. 113. Livestock feed
assistance program.
Sec. 114. Increase in payment
limitations regarding loan deficiency payments and marketing loan gains.
TITLE II--ADMINISTRATION
Sec. 201. Obligation period.
Sec. 202. Commodity Credit
Corporation.
TITLE I--MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE
SEC. 101. MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary
of Agriculture (referred to in this Act as the `Secretary') shall, to the
maximum extent practicable, use $5,603,000,000 of funds of the Commodity
Credit Corporation to make a market loss assistance payment to owners and
producers on a farm that are eligible for a final payment for fiscal year
2002 under a production flexibility contract for the farm under the Agricultural
Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.).
(b) AMOUNT- The amount of
assistance made available to owners and producers on a farm under this
section shall be proportionate to the amount of the total contract payments
received by the owners and producers for fiscal year 2002 under a production
flexibility contract for the farm under the Agricultural Market Transition
Act.
SEC. 102. OILSEEDS.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary
shall use $466,000,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to
make payments to producers that planted a 2002 crop of oilseeds (as defined
in section 102 of the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7202)).
(b) COMPUTATION- A payment
to producers on a farm under this section for an oilseed shall be equal
to the product obtained by multiplying--
(1) a payment rate determined
by the Secretary;
(2) the acreage determined
under subsection (c); and
(3) the yield determined
under subsection (d).
(1) IN GENERAL- Except as
provided in paragraph (2), the acreage of the producers on the farm for
an oilseed under subsection (b)(2) shall be equal to the number of acres
planted to the oilseed by the producers on the farm during the 1999, 2000,
or 2001 crop year, whichever is greatest, as determined by the Secretary.
(2) NEW PRODUCERS- In the
case of producers on a farm that planted acreage to a type of oilseed during
the 2002 crop year but not the 1999, 2000, or 2001 crop year, the acreage
of the producers for the type of oilseed under subsection (b)(2) shall
be equal to the number of acres planted to the type of oilseed by the producers
on the farm during the 2002 crop year, as determined by the Secretary.
(1) SOYBEANS- Except as
provided in paragraph (3), in the case of soybeans, the yield of the producers
on a farm under subsection (b)(3) shall be equal to the greater of--
(A) the average county yield
per harvested acre for each of the 1997 through 2001 crop years, excluding
the crop year with the greatest yield per harvested acre and the crop year
with the lowest yield per harvested acre; or
(B) the actual yield of
the producers on the farm for the 1999, 2000, or 2001 crop year, as determined
by the Secretary.
(2) OTHER OILSEEDS- Except
as provided in paragraph (3), in the case of oilseeds other than soybeans,
the yield of the producers on a farm under subsection (b)(3) shall be equal
to the greater of--
(A) the average national
yield per harvested acre for each of the 1997 through 2001 crop years,
excluding the crop year with the greatest yield per harvested acre and
the crop year with the lowest yield per harvested acre; or
(B) the actual yield of
the producers on the farm for the 1999, 2000, or 2001 crop year, as determined
by the Secretary.
(3) NEW PRODUCERS- In the
case of producers on a farm that planted acreage to a type of an oilseed
during the 2002 crop year but not the 1999, 2000, or 2001 crop year, the
yield of the producers on a farm under subsection (b)(3) shall be equal
to the greater of--
(A) the average county yield
per harvested acre for each of the 1997 through 2001 crop years, excluding
the crop year with the greatest yield per harvested acre and the crop year
with the lowest yield per harvested acre; or
(B) the actual yield of
the producers on the farm for the 2002 crop.
(4) DATA SOURCE- To the
maximum extent available, the Secretary shall use data provided by
the National Agricultural Statistics
Service to carry out this subsection.
SEC. 103. PEANUTS.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary
shall use not more than $55,000,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation
to provide payments to producers of quota peanuts or additional peanuts
to partially compensate the producers for continuing low commodity prices,
and increasing costs of production, for the 2002 crop year.
(b) AMOUNT- The amount of
a payment made to producers on a farm of quota peanuts or additional peanuts
under subsection (a) shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying--
(1) the quantity of quota
peanuts or additional peanuts produced or considered produced on the farm
during the 2002 crop year; and
(2) a payment rate equal
to--
(A) in the case of quota
peanuts, $30.50 per ton; and
(B) in the case of additional
peanuts, $16.00 per ton.
(c) LOSSES- The Secretary
shall use such sums of the Commodity Credit Corporation as are necessary
to offset losses for the 2002 crop of peanuts described in section 155(d)
of the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7271(d)).
SEC. 104. HONEY.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary
shall use $93,000,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to make
available recourse loans to producers of the 2002 crop of honey on fair
and reasonable terms and conditions, as determined by the Secretary.
(b) LOAN RATE- The loan
rate for a loan under subsection (a) shall be equal to 85 percent of the
average price of honey during the 5-crop year period preceding the 2002
crop year, excluding the crop year in which the average price of honey
was the highest and the crop year in which the average price of honey was
the lowest in the period.
(c) TERM OF LOAN- A loan
under this section shall have a term of 9 months beginning on the first
day of the first month after the month in which the loan is made.
SEC. 105. WOOL AND MOHAIR.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary
shall use $10,000,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide
a supplemental payment under section 814 of the Agriculture, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
2001 (114 Stat. 1549, 1549A-55), to producers of wool, and producers of
mohair, for the 2002 marketing year that received a payment under that
section.
(b) PAYMENT RATE- The Secretary
shall adjust the payment rate specified in that section to reflect the
amount made available for payments under this section.
SEC. 106. COTTONSEED.
The Secretary shall use
$100,000,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide assistance
to producers and first-handlers of the 2002 crop of cottonseed.
SEC. 107. SPECIALTY CROPS.
(a) DEFINITION OF SPECIALTY
CROP- In this section, the term `specialty crop' means any agricultural
commodity, other than wheat, feed grains, oilseeds, cotton, rice, peanuts,
or tobacco.
(b) GRANTS- The Secretary
shall use $150,000,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to
make a grant to each State in an amount that represents the proportion
that--
(1) the value of specialty
crop production in the State; bears to
(2) the value of specialty
crop production in all States.
(c) USE- As a condition
of the receipt of a grant under this section, a State shall agree to use
the grant to support specialty crops.
(d) PURCHASES FOR SCHOOL
NUTRITION PROGRAMS- The Secretary shall use not less than $55,000,000 of
the funds made available under subsection (a) to purchase agricultural
commodities of the type distributed under section 6(a) of the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1755(a)) for distribution
to schools and service institutions in accordance with section 6(a) of
that Act.
SEC. 108. LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS.
Section 135 of the Federal
Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7235) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(2),
by striking `the 2000 crop year' and inserting `each of the 2000 through
2002 crop years'; and
(2) by striking subsections
(e) and (f) and inserting the following:
`(e) BENEFICIAL INTEREST-
`(1) IN GENERAL- A producer
shall be eligible for a payment for a loan commodity under this section
only if the producer has a beneficial interest in the loan commodity, as
determined by the Secretary.
`(2) APPLICATION- The Secretary
shall make a payment under this section to the producers on a farm with
respect to a quantity of a loan commodity as of the earlier of--
`(A) the date on which the
producers on the farm marketed or otherwise lost beneficial interest in
the loan commodity, as determined by the Secretary; or
`(B) the date the producers
on the farm request the payment.'.
SEC. 109. PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF
LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS FOR GRAZED ACREAGE.
(a) IN GENERAL- Subtitle
C of title I of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996
(7 U.S.C. 7231 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
`SEC. 138. PAYMENTS IN LIEU
OF LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS FOR GRAZED ACREAGE.
`(a) IN GENERAL- For the
2002 crop of wheat, grain sorghum, barley, and oats, in the case of the
producers on a farm that would be eligible for a loan deficiency payment
under section 135 for wheat, grain sorghum, barley, or oats, but that elects
to use acreage planted to the wheat, grain sorghum, barley, or oats for
the grazing of livestock, the Secretary shall make a payment
to the producers on the farm
under this section if the producers on the farm enter into an agreement
with the Secretary to forgo any other harvesting of the wheat, grain sorghum,
barley, or oats on the acreage.
`(b) PAYMENT AMOUNT- The
amount of a payment made to the producers on a farm under this section
shall be equal to the amount obtained by multiplying--
`(1) the loan deficiency
payment rate determined under section 135(c) in effect, as of the date
of the agreement, for the county in which the farm is located; by
`(2) the payment quantity
obtained by multiplying--
`(A) the quantity of the
grazed acreage on the farm with respect to which the producers on the farm
elect to forgo harvesting of wheat, grain sorghum, barley, or oats; and
`(B) the payment yield for
that contract commodity on the farm.
`(c) TIME, MANNER, AND AVAILABILITY
OF PAYMENT-
`(1) TIME AND MANNER- A
payment under this section shall be made at the same time and in the same
manner as loan deficiency payments are made under section 135.
`(2) AVAILABILITY- The Secretary
shall establish an availability period for the payment authorized by this
section that is consistent with the availability period for wheat, grain
sorghum, barley, and oats established by the Secretary for marketing assistance
loans authorized by this subtitle.
`(d) PROHIBITION ON CROP
INSURANCE OR NONINSURED CROP ASSISTANCE- The producers on a farm shall
not be eligible for insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C.
1501 et seq.) or noninsured crop assistance under section 196 with respect
to a crop of wheat, grain sorghum, barley, or oats planted on acreage that
the producers on the farm elect, in the agreement required by subsection
(a), to use for the grazing of livestock in lieu of any other harvesting
of the crop.'.
SEC. 110. MILK.
Section 141 of the Agricultural
Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7251) is amended by striking `May 31, 2002'
each place it appears and inserting `December 31, 2002'.
SEC. 111. PULSE CROPS.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary
shall use $20,000,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide
assistance in the form of a market loss assistance payment to owners and
producers on a farm that grow a 2002 crop of dry peas, lentils, or chickpeas
(collectively referred to in this section as a `pulse crop').
(b) COMPUTATION- A payment
to owners and producers on a farm under this section for a pulse crop shall
be equal to the product obtained by multiplying--
(1) a payment rate determined
by the Secretary; by
(2) the acreage of the producers
on the farm for the pulse crop determined under subsection (c).
(1) IN GENERAL- The acreage
of the producers on the farm for a pulse crop under subsection (b)(2) shall
be equal to the number of acres planted to the pulse crop by the owners
and producers on the farm during the 1999, 2000, or 2001 crop year, whichever
is greatest.
(2) BASIS- For the purpose
of paragraph (1), the number of acres planted to a pulse crop by the owners
and producers on the farm for a crop year shall be based on (as determined
by the Secretary)--
(A) the number of acres
planted to the pulse crop for the crop year by the owners and producers
on the farm, including any acreage that is included in reports that are
filed late; or
(B) the number of acres
planted to the pulse crop for the crop year for the purpose of the Federal
crop insurance program established under the Federal Crop Insurance Act
(7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.).
SEC. 112. TOBACCO.
(a) PAYMENTS- The Secretary
shall use $100,000,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to
provide supplemental payments to owners, controllers, and growers of tobacco
for which a basic quota or allotment is established for the 2002 crop year
under part I of subtitle B of title III of the Agricultural Adjustment
Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1311 et seq.), as determined by the Secretary.
(b) LOAN FORFEITURES- Notwithstanding
sections 106 through 106B of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1445
through 1445-2)--
(1) a producer-owned cooperative
marketing association may fully settle (without further cost to the Association)
a loan made for each of the 2000 and 2001 crops of types 21, 22, 23, 35,
36, and 37 of an agricultural commodity under sections 106 through 106B
of that Act by forfeiting to the Commodity Credit Corporation the agricultural
commodity covered by the loan regardless of the condition of the commodity;
(2) any losses to the Commodity
Credit Corporation as a result of paragraph (1)--
(A) shall not be charged
to the Account (as defined in section 106B(a) of that Act); and
(B) shall not affect the
amount of any assessment imposed against the commodity under sections 106
through 106B of that Act; and
(3) the commodity forfeited
pursuant to this subsection--
(A) shall not be counted
for the purposes of any determination for any year pursuant to section
319 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1314e); and
(B) may be disposed of in
a manner determined by the Secretary of Agriculture, except that the commodity
may not be sold for use in the United States for human consumption.
SEC. 113. LIVESTOCK FEED ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM.
The Secretary shall use
$500,000,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide livestock
feed assistance to livestock producers affected by disasters during calendar
year 2001 or 2002.
SEC. 114. INCREASE IN PAYMENT
LIMITATIONS REGARDING LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS AND MARKETING LOAN GAINS.
Notwithstanding section
1001(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(1)), the total
amount of the payments specified in section 1001(3) of that Act (7 U.S.C.
1308(3)) that a person shall be entitled to receive for 1 or more contract
commodities and oilseeds under the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7
U.S.C. 7201 et seq.) during the 2002 crop year may not exceed $150,000.
TITLE II--ADMINISTRATION
SEC. 201. OBLIGATION PERIOD.
The Secretary and the Commodity
Credit Corporation shall obligate funds only during fiscal year 2002 to
carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act (other than sections
106, 107, and 110).
SEC. 202. COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION.
Except as otherwise provided
in this Act, the Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and authorities
of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out this Act.
SEC. 203. REGULATIONS.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary
may promulgate such regulations as are necessary to implement this Act
and the amendments made by this Act.
(b) PROCEDURE- The promulgation
of the regulations and administration of the amendments made by this Act
shall be made without regard to--
(1) the notice and comment
provisions of section 553 of title 5, United States Code;
(2) the Statement of Policy
of the Secretary of Agriculture effective July 24, 1971 (36 Fed. Reg. 13804),
relating to notices of proposed rulemaking and public participation in
rulemaking; and
(3) chapter 35 of title
44, United States Code (commonly known as the `Paperwork Reduction Act').
(c) CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW
OF AGENCY RULEMAKING- In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall
use the authority provided under section 808 of title 5, United States
Code.
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