Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Beginning Agriculturalist Lifetime Employment Act of 2017” or the “BALE Act of 2017”.
Beginning Agriculturalist Lifetime Employment Act of 2017
A BILL
To amend the Agricultural Act of 1961 to modify the limitations applicable to qualified conservation loan guarantees, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Limitations applicable to qualified conservation loan guarantees
Limitations applicable to loan guarantees— Subtitle A of title III of the Agricultural Act of 1961 (7 U.S.C. 1922 et seq.) is amended—
by amending section 304(e) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1924(e)) to read as follows:
“(e) Limitations applicable to loan guarantees
“(1) Percentage of loan guaranteed—The portion of a loan that the Secretary may guarantee under this section shall—
“(A) depend on the principal amount of the loan; and
“(B) except as provided in paragraph (2), may not exceed the percentage specified for that principal amount in the following table:
“(2) Exception for certain producers—In the case of a loan to a producer that is a qualified beginning farmer or rancher or a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher (as the term is defined in section 2501(e)), the portion of the loan the Secretary may guarantee under this paragraph may not exceed the percentage specified for the principal amount of the loan in the following table:
“(3) Maximum amount—The Secretary may not guarantee a loan under this section in an amount that exceeds $3,500,000.
“(4) Annual inflation adjustment—The Secretary shall annually adjust the dollar figures under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) to reflect the change in the Prices Paid By Farmers Index (as compiled by the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the Department of Agriculture).”
in section 305(a) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 1925(a))—
by striking “$300,000, or, in the case of a loan guaranteed by the Secretary, $700,000” and inserting “$600,000”; and
by striking “2000” and inserting “2023”.
Applicability— The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to qualified conservation loans entered into by the Secretary of Agriculture under section 304 of the Agricultural Act of 1961 (7 U.S.C. 1924) on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.