§1502. Purpose; definitions; protection of information; relation to other laws — Inbound Citations
7 U.S.C. § 1502
Cited by 784 provisions in release 119-102.
Citations to §1502(b)
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(B) any approved insurance provider, as defined in section 1502(b) of this title, with respect to producers insured by the approved insurance provider.
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(24) The term “transitional yield” has the meaning given the term in section 1502(b) of this title.
Citations to §1502(b)(1)
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(C) The administrative fee required by this paragraph shall be paid by the producer on the same date on which the premium for a policy of additional coverage would be paid by the producer.
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(8) Effective only for a 1995 crop planted or for which insurance attached prior to January 1, 1995, the Corporation shall allow producers of the crops until not later than the end of the 180-day period beginning on the date of enactment of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform Act of 1994 [Oct. 13, 1994] to obtain catastrophic risk protection for the crop. On enactment of such Act, a producer who made timely purchases of a crop insurance policy before the date of enactment of such Act, under the provisions of this subchapter then in effect, shall be eligible for the same benefits to which a producer would be entitled under comparable additional coverage under subsection (c).
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(A) The Corporation shall offer to producers of agricultural commodities grown in the United States plans of crop insurance that provide additional coverage.
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(B) To be eligible for additional coverage, a producer must apply to an approved insurance provider for purchase of additional coverage if the coverage is available from an approved insurance provider. If additional coverage is unavailable privately, the Corporation may offer additional coverage plans of insurance directly to producers.
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(2) If a producer has already applied for catastrophic risk protection at the local office of the Department and elects to purchase additional coverage, the relevant information for the crop of the producer shall be transferred to the approved insurance provider servicing the additional coverage crop policy.
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(3) A producer shall have the option of purchasing additional coverage based on—(i) an individual yield and loss basis; or(ii) an area yield and loss basis;(B) an individual yield and loss basis, supplemented with coverage based on an area yield and loss basis to cover a part of the deductible under the individual yield and loss policy, as described in paragraph (4)(C); or
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(B) The Corporation shall provide producers with information on catastrophic risk and additional coverage in terms of dollar coverage (within the allowable limits of coverage provided in this paragraph).
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(C) The Corporation shall, as the Corporation determines practicable, offer producers different price elections for classes of wheat and malting barley (including contract prices in the case of malting barley), in addition to the standard price election, that reflect different market prices, as determined by the Corporation. The Corporation shall, as the Corporation determines practicable, offer additional coverage for each class determined under this subparagraph and charge a premium for each class that is actuarially sound.
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(7) For levels of additional coverage equal to 65 percent or more of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at 100 percent of the expected market price, or an equivalent coverage, a producer may elect to delete from the additional coverage any coverage against damage caused by fire and hail if the producer obtains an equivalent or greater dollar amount of coverage for damage caused by fire and hail from an approved insurance provider. On written notice of the election to the company issuing the policy providing additional coverage and submission of evidence of substitute coverage on the commodity insured, the premium of the producer shall be reduced by an amount determined by the Corporation to be actuarially appropriate, taking into account the actuarial value of the remaining coverage provided by the Corporation. In no event shall the producer be given credit for an amount of premium determined to be greater than the actuarial value of the protection against losses caused by fire and hail that is included in the additional coverage for the crop.
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(9) The Board may limit the availability of additional coverage under this subsection in any county or area, or on any farm, on the basis of the insurance risk involved. The Board shall not offer additional coverage equal to less than 50 percent of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at 100 percent of the expected market price, or an equivalent coverage.
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(A) If a producer elects to purchase coverage for a crop at a level in excess of catastrophic risk protection, the producer shall pay an administrative fee for the additional coverage of $30 per crop per county.
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(2) The premium amounts for catastrophic risk protection under subsection (b) and additional coverage under subsection (c) shall be fixed as follows:(A) In the case of catastrophic risk protection, the amount of the premium established by the Corporation for each crop for which catastrophic risk protection is available shall be reduced by the percentage equal to the difference between the average loss ratio for the crop and 100 percent, plus a reasonable reserve, as determined by the Corporation.(B) In the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 50 percent of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount of the premium shall—(i) be sufficient to cover anticipated losses and a reasonable reserve; and(ii) include an amount for operating and administrative expenses, as determined by the Corporation, on an industry-wide basis as a percentage of the amount of the premium used to define loss ratio.
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(B) In the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 50 percent of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount of the premium shall—(i) be sufficient to cover anticipated losses and a reasonable reserve; and(ii) include an amount for operating and administrative expenses, as determined by the Corporation, on an industry-wide basis as a percentage of the amount of the premium used to define loss ratio.
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(1) For the purpose of encouraging the broadest possible participation of producers in the catastrophic risk protection provided under subsection (b) and the additional coverage provided under subsection (c), the Corporation shall pay a part of the premium in the amounts provided in accordance with this subsection.
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(B) In the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 50 percent, but less than 55 percent, of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 67 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.
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(C) In the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 55 percent, but less than 65 percent, of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 69 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.
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(D) In the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 65 percent, but less than 75 percent, of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 64 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.
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(E) In the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 75 percent, but less than 80 percent, of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 60 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.
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(F) In the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 80 percent, but less than 85 percent, of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 51 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.
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(G) Subject to subsection (c)(4), in the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 85 percent of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 41 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.
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(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (2), during each of the 2001 and subsequent reinsurance years, additional coverage under subsection (c) shall be available only in 5 percent increments beginning at 50 percent of the recorded or appraised average yield.
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(3) To obtain catastrophic risk protection under subsection (b) or additional coverage under subsection (c), a producer shall—(A) provide annually records acceptable to the Secretary regarding crop acreage, acreage yields, and production for each agricultural commodity insured under this subchapter or accept a yield determined by the Corporation; and(B) report acreage planted and prevented from planting by the designated acreage reporting date for the crop and location as established by the Corporation.
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(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Corporation shall establish crop insurance underwriting rules that ensure that yield coverage, as specified in this subsection, is provided to eligible producers obtaining catastrophic risk protection under subsection (b) or additional coverage under subsection (c).
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(B) A policy of additional coverage that received a rate of reimbursement for administrative and operating costs for the 1998 reinsurance year that is lower than the rate specified in subparagraph (A)(i) shall receive a reduction in the rate of reimbursement that is proportional to the reduction in the rate of reimbursement between clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A).
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(E) In the case of a policy of additional coverage that received a rate of reimbursement for administrative and operating costs for the 2008 reinsurance year, for each of the 2009 and subsequent reinsurance years, the reimbursement rate for administrative and operating costs shall be 2.3 percentage points below the rates in effect as of the date of enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 for all crop insurance policies used to define loss ratio, except that only ½ of the reduction shall apply in a reinsurance year to the total premium written in a State in which the State loss ratio is greater than 1.2.
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(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), if a producer who is eligible to receive benefits under catastrophic risk protection under subsection (b) is also eligible to receive assistance for the same loss under any other program administered by the Secretary, the producer shall be required to elect whether to receive benefits under this subchapter or under the other program, but not both. A producer who purchases additional coverage under subsection (c) may also receive assistance for the same loss under other programs administered by the Secretary, except that the amount received for the loss under the additional coverage together with the amount received under the other programs may not exceed the amount of the actual loss of the producer.
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(2) An additional coverage policy or plan of insurance is offered with respect to the agricultural commodities planted on the same acreage for harvest in the same crop year in the area.
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(B) Premium subsidies, including the administrative and operating expenses of an approved insurance provider for the delivery of policies with additional coverage.
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If the Secretary determines that a person has knowingly adopted a material scheme or device to obtain catastrophic risk, additional coverage, or noninsured assistance benefits under this subchapter to which the person is not entitled, has evaded this subchapter, or has acted with the purposes of evading this subchapter, the person shall be ineligible to receive all benefits applicable to the crop year for which the scheme or device was adopted.
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(C) The Corporation may provide diversification-based additional coverage payment rates, premium discounts, or other enhanced benefits in recognition of the risk management benefits of crop and livestock diversification strategies for producers that—(i) grow multiple crops; or(ii) may have income from the production of livestock that uses a crop grown on the farm.
Citations to §1502(b)(2)
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(B) at least one person must be designated by approved insurance providers pursuant to procedures determined by the Board.
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(ii) none may be employed by an approved insurance provider; and
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(3) Notwithstanding section 1502(c) of this title, records submitted in accordance with this subchapter and section 7333 of this title shall be available to agencies and local offices of the Department, appropriate State and Federal agencies and divisions, applicants who have received payment under section 1522(b)(2)(E) of this title, and approved insurance providers for use in carrying out this subchapter, such section 7333 of this title, and other agricultural programs.
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(i) The Corporation shall make the information described in subparagraph (A) available electronically to producers and approved insurance providers.
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(ii) To the maximum extent practicable, the Corporation shall allow producers and approved insurance providers to use electronic methods to submit information required by the Corporation.
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(B) Using resources and information available to the Board or the Secretary, the Board shall review the policies and plans of insurance that are offered by approved insurance providers under this subchapter, including policies and plans of insurance for underserved producers, to determine if each State is adequately served by the policies and plans of insurance.
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(i) Subject to clause (ii), the Corporation shall publish in a timely manner on the website of the Risk Management Agency information regarding each violation of this paragraph, including any sanctions imposed in response to the violation, in sufficient detail so that the information may serve as effective guidance to approved insurance providers, agents, and producers.
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(C) Not later than 90 days after the annual settlement date of the reinsurance year, any individual that received directly or indirectly any compensation for the service or sale of any policy or plan of insurance offered under this subchapter in the prior reinsurance year shall certify to applicable approved insurance providers that the compensation that the individual received was in compliance with this paragraph.
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(i) approved insurance providers, if available in an area; and
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(i) In full consultation with approved insurance providers, the Secretary may continue to offer catastrophic risk protection in a State (or a portion of a State) through local offices of the Department if the Secretary determines that there is an insufficient number of approved insurance providers operating in the State or portion of the State to adequately provide catastrophic risk protection coverage to producers.
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(ii) To the extent that catastrophic risk protection coverage by approved insurance providers is sufficiently available in a State (or a portion of a State) as determined by the Secretary, only approved insurance providers may provide the coverage in the State or portion of the State.
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(iv) This clause shall take effect beginning with the 1997 crop year. Subject to clause (ii) all catastrophic risk protection policies written by local offices of the Department shall be transferred to the approved insurance provider for performance of all sales, service, and loss adjustment functions. Any fees in connection with such policies that are not yet collected at the time of the transfer shall be payable to the approved insurance providers assuming the policies. The transfer process for policies for the 1997 crop year with sales closing dates before January 1, 1997, shall begin at the time of the Secretary’s announcement under clause (iii) and be completed by the sales closing date for the crop and county. The transfer process for all subsequent policies (including policies for the 1998 and subsequent crop years) shall begin at a date that permits the process to be completed not later than 45 days before the sales closing date.
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(ii) Nothing in this subparagraph limits the option of a producer to select the licensed insurance agent or other approved insurance provider from whom the producer will purchase a policy or plan of insurance or to refuse coverage for which a payment is offered to be made under clause (i).
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(iii) Catastrophic risk protection coverage for which a payment is made under clause (i) shall be delivered by a licensed insurance agent or other approved insurance provider.
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(iv) A cooperative association or trade association, and any approved insurance provider with whom a licensing fee is made, shall encourage producer members to purchase appropriate levels of coverage in order to meet the risk management needs of the member producers.
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(ii) No funds deposited in the crop insurance fund under this subparagraph may be used to compensate an approved insurance provider or agent for the delivery of services under this subsection.
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(10) The rate for reimbursing an approved insurance provider or agent for expenses incurred by the approved insurance provider or agent for loss adjustment in connection with a policy of catastrophic risk protection shall not exceed 6 percent of the premium for catastrophic risk protection that is used to define loss ratio.
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(B) To be eligible for additional coverage, a producer must apply to an approved insurance provider for purchase of additional coverage if the coverage is available from an approved insurance provider. If additional coverage is unavailable privately, the Corporation may offer additional coverage plans of insurance directly to producers.
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(2) If a producer has already applied for catastrophic risk protection at the local office of the Department and elects to purchase additional coverage, the relevant information for the crop of the producer shall be transferred to the approved insurance provider servicing the additional coverage crop policy.
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(7) For levels of additional coverage equal to 65 percent or more of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at 100 percent of the expected market price, or an equivalent coverage, a producer may elect to delete from the additional coverage any coverage against damage caused by fire and hail if the producer obtains an equivalent or greater dollar amount of coverage for damage caused by fire and hail from an approved insurance provider. On written notice of the election to the company issuing the policy providing additional coverage and submission of evidence of substitute coverage on the commodity insured, the premium of the producer shall be reduced by an amount determined by the Corporation to be actuarially appropriate, taking into account the actuarial value of the remaining coverage provided by the Corporation. In no event shall the producer be given credit for an amount of premium determined to be greater than the actuarial value of the protection against losses caused by fire and hail that is included in the additional coverage for the crop.
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(8) The Corporation may enter into an agreement with any State or agency of a State under which the State or agency may pay to the approved insurance provider an additional premium subsidy to further reduce the portion of the premium paid by producers in the State.
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(1) To participate in catastrophic risk protection coverage under this section, a producer shall submit an application at the local office of the Department or to an approved insurance provider.
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(A) In addition to any standard forms or policies that the Board may require be made available to producers under subsection (c), a person (including an approved insurance provider, a college or university, a cooperative or trade association, or any other person) may prepare for submission or propose to the Board—(i) other crop insurance policies and provisions of policies; and(ii) rates of premiums for multiple peril crop insurance pertaining to wheat, soybeans, field corn, and any other crops determined by the Secretary.
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(A) A policy, plan of insurance, or other material submitted to the Board under this subsection shall be reviewed by the Board and shall be approved by the Board for reinsurance and for sale by approved insurance providers to producers at actuarially appropriate rates and under appropriate terms and conditions if the Board determines that—(i) the interests of producers are adequately protected;(ii) the proposed policy or plan of insurance will—(I) provide a new kind of coverage that is likely to be viable and marketable;(II) provide crop insurance coverage in a manner that addresses a clear and identifiable flaw or problem in an existing policy; or(III) provide a new kind of coverage for a commodity that previously had no available crop insurance, or has demonstrated a low level of participation or coverage level under existing coverage; and(iii) the proposed policy or plan of insurance will not have a significant adverse impact on the crop insurance delivery system.
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(B) Additional prevented planting coverage shall be offered by the Corporation through approved insurance providers.
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(3) The Corporation shall provide approved insurance providers with indemnification, including costs and reasonable attorney fees incurred by the approved insurance provider, due to errors or omissions on the part of the Corporation.
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(A) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the rate established by the Board to reimburse approved insurance providers and agents for the administrative and operating costs of the providers and agents shall not exceed—(i) for the 1998 reinsurance year, 27 percent of the premium used to define loss ratio; and(ii) for each of the 1999 and subsequent reinsurance years, 24.5 percent of the premium used to define loss ratio.
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(D) Effective beginning with the 2012 reinsurance year, the Corporation shall reimburse approved insurance providers and agents for the allowable administrative and operating costs of the providers and agents as soon as practicable after October 1 (but not later than October 31) after the reinsurance year for which reimbursements are earned.
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(5) Consistent with section 118 of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform Act of 1994, and consistent with maintenance of program integrity, prevention of fraud and abuse, the need for program expansion, and improvement of quality of service to customers, the Board shall alter program procedures and administrative requirements in order to reduce the administrative and operating costs of approved insurance providers and agents in an amount that corresponds to any reduction in the reimbursement rate required under paragraph (4) during the 5-year period beginning on October 13, 1994.
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(i) Subject to clause (ii), subparagraph (A) shall not apply in any case in which the approved insurance providers, as a whole, experience unexpected adverse circumstances, as determined by the Secretary.
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(D) The approved insurance providers may confer with each other and collectively with the Corporation during any renegotiation under subparagraph (A).
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(II) comply with the applicable provisions of this subchapter establishing the rates of reimbursement for administrative and operating costs for approved insurance providers and agents, except that, to the maximum extent practicable, the estimated total amount of reimbursement for those costs shall not be less than the total amount of the payments to be made under the immediately preceding Standard Reinsurance Agreement if that Agreement were extended over the same period of time, as estimated on February 7, 2014; and
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(A) Beginning with the 2026 reinsurance year, and for each reinsurance year thereafter, in addition to the terms and conditions of the Standard Reinsurance Agreement, to cover additional expenses for loss adjustment procedures, the Corporation shall pay an additional administrative and operating expense subsidy to approved insurance providers for eligible contracts.
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(B) In the case of an eligible contract, the payment to an approved insurance provider required under subparagraph (A) shall be the amount equal to 6 percent of the net book premium.
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(I) means a crop insurance contract entered into by an approved insurance provider in an eligible State; and
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(cc) a policy under which an approved insurance provider does not incur loss adjustment expenses, as determined by the Corporation.
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(ii) The term “eligible State” means a State in which, with respect to an insurance year, the loss ratio for eligible contracts is greater than 120 percent of the total net book premium written by all approved insurance providers.
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(A) Beginning with the 2026 reinsurance year, and for each reinsurance year thereafter, the rate of reimbursement to approved insurance providers and agents for administrative and operating expenses with respect to crop insurance contracts covering agricultural commodities described in section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. 1621 note; Public Law 108–465) shall be equal to or greater than the percentage that is the greater of the following:(i) 17 percent of the premium used to define loss ratio.(ii) The percent of the premium used to define loss ratio that is otherwise applicable for the reinsurance year under the terms of the Standard Reinsurance Agreement in effect for the reinsurance year.
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(B) In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Corporation shall not reduce, with respect to any reinsurance year, the amount or the rate of reimbursement to approved insurance providers and agents under the Standard Reinsurance Agreement described in clause (ii) of such subparagraph for administrative and operating expenses with respect to contracts covering agricultural commodities that are not subject to such subparagraph.
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(2) The Corporation shall work actively with approved insurance providers to address program compliance and integrity issues as such issues develop.
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(1) The Corporation shall notify in writing an approved insurance provider of any error, omission, or failure to follow Corporation regulations or procedures for which the approved insurance provider may be responsible and which may result in a debt owed the Corporation.
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(3) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the failure to timely provide the notice required under this subsection shall relieve the approved insurance provider from the debt owed the Corporation.
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(A) In addition to the corrections permitted by the Corporation as of the day before February 7, 2014, the Corporation shall establish procedures that allow an agent or an approved insurance provider, subject to subparagraph (B)—(i) within a reasonable amount of time following the applicable sales closing date, to correct errors in information that is provided by a producer for the purpose of obtaining coverage under any policy or plan of insurance made available under this subchapter to ensure that the eligibility information is correct and consistent with information reported by the producer for other programs administered by the Secretary;(ii) within a reasonable amount of time following—(I) the acreage reporting date, to reconcile errors in the information reported by the producer with correct information determined from any other program administered by the Secretary; or(II) the date of any subsequent correction of data by the Farm Service Agency made as a result of the verification of information, to make conforming corrections; and(iii) at any time, to correct electronic transmission errors that were made by an agent or approved insurance provider, or such errors made by the Farm Service Agency or any other agency of the Department of Agriculture in transmitting the information provided by the producer for purposes of other programs of the Department to the extent an agent or approved insurance provider relied upon the erroneous information for crop insurance purposes.
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(iii) at any time, to correct electronic transmission errors that were made by an agent or approved insurance provider, or such errors made by the Farm Service Agency or any other agency of the Department of Agriculture in transmitting the information provided by the producer for purposes of other programs of the Department to the extent an agent or approved insurance provider relied upon the erroneous information for crop insurance purposes.
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(C) assisting the Corporation and approved insurance providers in auditing a statistically appropriate number of claims made under any policy or plan of insurance under this subchapter; and
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(3) The plan required by paragraph (1) shall provide for the use of the field infrastructure of the Farm Service Agency. The Secretary shall ensure that relevant Farm Service Agency personnel are appropriately trained for any responsibilities assigned to the personnel under the plan. At a minimum, the personnel shall receive the same level of training and pass the same basic competency tests as required of loss adjusters of approved insurance providers.
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(A) The activities of the Farm Service Agency under this subsection do not affect the responsibility of approved insurance providers to conduct any audits of claims or other program reviews required by the Corporation.
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(B) The Corporation shall notify the appropriate approved insurance provider of a report from the Farm Service Agency regarding alleged program fraud, waste, or abuse, unless the provider is suspected to be included in, or a party to, the alleged fraud, waste, or abuse.
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(C) An approved insurance provider that receives a notice under subparagraph (B) shall submit a report to the Corporation, within an appropriate time period determined by the Secretary, describing the actions taken by the provider to investigate the allegations of program fraud, waste, or abuse contained in the notice.
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(A) If an approved insurance provider reports to the Corporation that the approved insurance provider suspects intentional misrepresentation, fraud, waste, or abuse, the Corporation shall make a determination and provide, within 90 calendar days after receiving the report, a written response that describes the intended actions of the Corporation.
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(B) The approved insurance provider and the Corporation shall take coordinated action in any case where misrepresentation, fraud, waste, or abuse is alleged.
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(C) If the Corporation fails to respond as required by subparagraph (A), an approved insurance provider may request the Farm Service Agency to assist the provider in an inquiry into the alleged program fraud, waste, or abuse.
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(3) The Corporation shall develop procedures to require an annual review by an approved insurance provider of the performance of each agent and loss adjuster used by the approved insurance provider. The Corporation shall oversee the conduct of annual reviews and may consult with an approved insurance provider regarding any remedial action that is determined to be necessary as a result of the annual review of an agent or loss adjuster.
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(1) The Secretary shall establish procedures under which approved insurance providers shall submit to the Corporation the following information with respect to each policy or plan of insurance offered under this subchapter:(A) The name and identification number of the insured.(B) The agricultural commodity to be insured.(C) The elected coverage level, including the price election, of the insured.(D) The actual production history to be used to establish insurable yields.
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(ii) Nothing in clause (i) limits the ability of an approved insurance provider to correct any error in the information submitted under paragraph (1)(D) after receipt of the information by the Corporation in accordance with clause (i).
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(1) A producer, agent, loss adjuster, approved insurance provider, or other person that willfully and intentionally provides any false or inaccurate information to the Corporation or to an approved insurance provider with respect to a policy or plan of insurance under this subchapter may, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing on the record, be subject to one or more of the sanctions described in paragraph (3).
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(2) A person may, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing on the record, be subject to one or more of the sanctions described in paragraph (3) if the person is a producer, agent, loss adjuster, approved insurance provider, or other person that willfully and intentionally fails to comply with a requirement of the Corporation.
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(C) In the case of a violation committed by an agent, loss adjuster, approved insurance provider, or other person (other than a producer), the violator may be disqualified for a period of up to 5 years from participating in any program, or receiving any benefit, under this subchapter.
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(A) providing false or inaccurate information to the Corporation or to an approved insurance provider; or
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(1) The Corporation shall establish requirements for continuing education for loss adjusters and agents of approved insurance providers.
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(2) The requirements for continuing education described in paragraph (1) shall ensure that loss adjusters and agents of approved insurance providers are familiar with—(A) the policies and plans of insurance available under this subchapter, including the regulations promulgated to carry out this subchapter;(B) efforts to promote program integrity through the elimination of waste, fraud, and abuse; and(C) other aspects of adjusting, delivering, and servicing policies and plans of insurance by adjustors and agents, as determined by the Secretary, including conservation activities and agronomic practices (including organic and sustainable practices) that are common and appropriate to the area in which the insured crop being inspected is produced.
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(B) Premium subsidies, including the administrative and operating expenses of an approved insurance provider for the delivery of policies with additional coverage.
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(C) All administrative and operating expense reimbursements due under a reinsurance agreement with an approved insurance provider.
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(i) maintain the policy and charge a fee to approved insurance providers that elect to sell the policy under this subsection; or
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(i) Subject to approval by the Board, the amount of the fee that is payable by an approved insurance provider that elects to sell the policy shall be an amount that is determined by the applicant maintaining the policy.
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(3) A person with experience in crop insurance or farm or ranch risk management (including a college or university, an approved insurance provider, and a trade or research organization), as determined by the Corporation, shall be eligible to enter into a contract with the Corporation under this subsection.
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(1) The purpose of the pilot program established under this subsection is to determine whether approved insurance providers will compete to market policies or plans of insurance with reduced rates of premium, in a manner that maintains the financial soundness of approved insurance providers and is consistent with the integrity of the Federal crop insurance program.
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(A) Beginning with the 2002 crop year, the Corporation shall establish a pilot program under which approved insurance providers may propose for approval by the Board policies or plans of insurance with reduced rates of premium—(i) for one or more agricultural commodities; and(ii) within a limited geographic area, as proposed by the approved insurance provider and approved by the Board.
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(ii) within a limited geographic area, as proposed by the approved insurance provider and approved by the Board.
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(A) The Board shall approve 2 or more proposed policies or plans of insurance from approved insurance providers if the Board determines that the policies or plans provide coverage as specified in paragraph (2), and meet the conditions described in this paragraph.
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(B) To be eligible for approval under this subsection, the approved insurance provider shall have—(i) adequate experience underwriting and administering policies or plans of insurance that are comparable to the proposed policy or plan of insurance;(ii) sufficient assets or reinsurance to satisfy the underwriting obligations of the approved insurance provider, and possess a sufficient insurance credit rating from an appropriate credit rating bureau, in accordance with Board procedures; and(iii) applicable authority and approval from each State in which the approved insurance provider intends to sell the insurance product.
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(ii) sufficient assets or reinsurance to satisfy the underwriting obligations of the approved insurance provider, and possess a sufficient insurance credit rating from an appropriate credit rating bureau, in accordance with Board procedures; and
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(iii) applicable authority and approval from each State in which the approved insurance provider intends to sell the insurance product.
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(F) Any policy or plan of insurance approved under this subsection may be sold only by the approved insurance provider that submits the application and by any additional approved insurance provider that—(i) agrees to pay maintenance fees or other payments to the approved insurance provider that submitted the application in an amount agreed to by the applicant and the additional approved insurance provider, on the condition that the fees or payments shall be reasonable and appropriate to ensure that the policies or plans of insurance may be made available by additional approved insurance providers; and(ii) meets the eligibility criteria of paragraph (3)(B), as determined by the Board.
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(i) agrees to pay maintenance fees or other payments to the approved insurance provider that submitted the application in an amount agreed to by the applicant and the additional approved insurance provider, on the condition that the fees or payments shall be reasonable and appropriate to ensure that the policies or plans of insurance may be made available by additional approved insurance providers; and
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(A) require each approved insurance provider to report sales, acreage and claim data, and any other data that the Corporation determines to be appropriate, to allow the Corporation to evaluate sales and performance of the product; and
Citations to §1502(b)(3)
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(I) a beginning farmer or rancher;
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(8) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection regarding payment of a portion of premiums, a beginning farmer or rancher or veteran farmer or rancher shall receive premium assistance that is 10 percentage points greater than premium assistance that would otherwise be available under paragraphs (2) (except for subparagraph (A) of that paragraph), (5), (6), and (7) for the applicable policy, plan of insurance, and coverage level selected by the beginning farmer or rancher or veteran farmer or rancher.
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(A) In addition to any other provision of this subsection (except paragraph (2)(A)) regarding payment of a portion of premiums, a beginning farmer or rancher shall receive additional premium assistance that is the number of percentage points specified in subparagraph (B) greater than the premium assistance that would otherwise be available for the applicable policy, plan of insurance, and coverage level selected by the beginning farmer or rancher.
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(i) For each of the first and second reinsurance years that a beginning farmer or rancher participates as a beginning farmer or rancher in the applicable policy or plan of insurance, 5 percentage points.
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(ii) For the third reinsurance year that a beginning farmer or rancher participates as a beginning farmer or rancher in the applicable policy or plan of insurance, 3 percentage points.
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(iii) For the fourth reinsurance year that a beginning farmer or rancher participates as a beginning farmer or rancher in the applicable policy or plan of insurance, 1 percentage point.
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(iii) if the producer is a beginning farmer or rancher or veteran farmer or rancher who was previously involved in a farming or ranching operation, including involvement in the decisionmaking or physical involvement in the production of the crop or livestock on the farm, for any acreage obtained by the beginning farmer or rancher or veteran farmer or rancher, a yield that is the higher of—(I) the actual production history of the previous producer of the crop or livestock on the acreage determined under subparagraph (A); or(II) a yield of the producer, as determined in clause (i).
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(B) In the case of an eligible livestock producer that is a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher or limited resource or beginning farmer or rancher, as determined by the Secretary, the Secretary may—(i) waive subparagraph (A); and(ii) provide disaster assistance under this subsection at a level that the Secretary determines to be equitable and appropriate.
Citations to §1502(b)(4)
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To carry out the purposes of this subchapter, there is hereby created as an agency of and within the Department a body corporate with the name “Federal Crop Insurance Corporation”. The principal office of the Corporation shall be located in the District of Columbia, but there may be established agencies or branch offices elsewhere in the United States under rules and regulations prescribed by the Board.
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(a) The Corporation shall have a capital stock of $500,000,000 subscribed by the United States of America, payment for which shall, with the approval of the Secretary, be subject to call in whole or in part by the Board.
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(1) The management of the Corporation shall be vested in a Board of Directors subject to the general supervision of the Secretary.
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(2) The Board shall consist of only the following members:(A) The manager of the Corporation, who shall serve as a nonvoting ex officio member.(B) The Under Secretary of Agriculture responsible for the Federal crop insurance program.(D) The Chief Economist of the Department of Agriculture.(E) One person experienced in the crop insurance business.(F) One person experienced in reinsurance or the regulation of insurance.(G) Four active producers who are policy holders, are from different geographic areas of the United States, and represent a cross-section of agricultural commodities grown in the United States, including at least one specialty crop producer.
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(b) Vacancies in the Board so long as there shall be four members in office shall not impair the powers of the Board to execute the functions of the Corporation, and four of the members in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business of the Board.
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(d) The manager of the Corporation shall be its chief executive officer, with such power and authority as may be conferred by the Board. The manager shall be appointed by, and hold office at the pleasure of, the Secretary.
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(1) The Board shall establish procedures under which any policy or plan of insurance, as well as any related material or modification of such a policy or plan of insurance, to be offered under this subchapter shall be subject to independent reviews by persons experienced as actuaries and in underwriting, as determined by the Board.
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(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Board shall contract with at least five persons to each conduct a review of the policy or plan of insurance, of whom—(A) not more than one person may be employed by the Federal Government; and(B) at least one person must be designated by approved insurance providers pursuant to procedures determined by the Board.
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(B) at least one person must be designated by approved insurance providers pursuant to procedures determined by the Board.
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(A) the Board shall contract with at least five persons to each conduct a review of the policy or plan of insurance, of whom—(i) not more than one person may be employed by the Federal Government; and(ii) none may be employed by an approved insurance provider; and
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(B) each review must be completed and submitted to the Board not later than 30 days prior to the end of the 120-day period described in section 1508(h)(4)(D) of this title.
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(4) The Board shall include reviews conducted under this subsection as part of the consideration of any policy or plan or insurance, or any related material or modification of a policy or plan of insurance, proposed to be offered under this subchapter.
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(6) The contract authority provided in this subsection is in addition to any other contracting authority that may be exercised by the Board under section 1506(l) of this title.
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(g) The Corporation, with the consent of any board, commission, independent establishment, or executive department of the Government, including any field service thereof, may avail itself of the use of information, services, facilities, officials, and employees thereof in carrying out the provisions of this subchapter.
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(l) The Corporation may enter into and carry out contracts or agreements, and issue regulations, necessary in the conduct of its business, as determined by the Board. State and local laws or rules shall not apply to contracts, agreements, or regulations of the Corporation or the parties thereto to the extent that such contracts, agreements, or regulations provide that such laws or rules shall not apply, or to the extent that such laws or rules are inconsistent with such contracts, agreements, or regulations.
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(c) In the administration of this subchapter, the Board shall, to the maximum extent possible, (1) establish or use committees or associations of producers and make payments to them to cover the administrative and program expenses, as determined by the Board, incurred by them in cooperating in carrying out this subchapter, (2) contract with private insurance companies, private rating bureaus, and other organizations as appropriate for actuarial services, services relating to loss adjustment and rating plans of insurance, and other services to avoid duplication by the Federal Government of services that are or may readily be available in the private sector and to enable the Corporation to concentrate on regulating the provision of insurance under this subchapter and evaluating new products and materials submitted under section 1508(h) or 1523 of this title, and reimburse such companies for the administrative and program expenses, as determined by the Board, incurred by them, under terms and provisions and rates of compensation consistent with those generally prevailing in the insurance industry, and (3) encourage the sale of Federal crop insurance through licensed private insurance agents and brokers and give the insured the right to renew such insurance for successive terms through such agents and brokers, in which case the agent or broker shall be reasonably compensated from premiums paid by the insured for such sales and renewals recognizing the function of the agent or broker to provide continuing services while the insurance is in effect: Provided, That such compensation shall not be included in computations establishing premium rates. The Board shall provide such agents and brokers with indemnification, including costs and reasonable attorney fees, from the Corporation for errors or omissions on the part of the Corporation or its contractors for which the agent or broker is sued or held liable, except to the extent the agent or broker has caused the error or omission. Nothing in this subsection shall permit the Corporation to contract with other persons to carry out the responsibility of the Corporation to review and approve policies, rates, and other materials submitted under section 1508(h) of this title.
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(e) In carrying out the provisions of this subchapter the Board may, in its discretion, utilize producer-owned and producer-controlled cooperative associations.
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(f) If the Board determines it is necessary, the Board shall use, to the maximum extent practicable, the resources, data, boards, and the committees of—(1) the Natural Resources Conservation Service, in assisting the Board in—(A) the classification of land as to risk and production capability; and(B) the consideration of acceptable conservation practices, including good farming practices with respect to conservation (such as cover crop termination);(2) the Forest Service, in assisting the Board in the development of a timber insurance plan;(3) the Farm Service Agency, in assisting the Board in—(A) the determination of individual producer yields;(B) sharing information on beginning farmers and ranchers and veteran farmers and ranchers;(C) investigating potential waste, fraud, or abuse;(D) sharing information to support the transition of crops and counties from the noninsured crop disaster assistance program established by section 7333 of this title to insurance under this subchapter; and(E) serving as a local point of contact for the dissemination of information on risk management options available to farmers and ranchers; and
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(1) the Natural Resources Conservation Service, in assisting the Board in—(A) the classification of land as to risk and production capability; and(B) the consideration of acceptable conservation practices, including good farming practices with respect to conservation (such as cover crop termination);
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(2) the Forest Service, in assisting the Board in the development of a timber insurance plan;
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(3) the Farm Service Agency, in assisting the Board in—(A) the determination of individual producer yields;(B) sharing information on beginning farmers and ranchers and veteran farmers and ranchers;(C) investigating potential waste, fraud, or abuse;(D) sharing information to support the transition of crops and counties from the noninsured crop disaster assistance program established by section 7333 of this title to insurance under this subchapter; and(E) serving as a local point of contact for the dissemination of information on risk management options available to farmers and ranchers; and
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(C) No policy or plan of insurance provided under this subchapter (including a policy or plan of insurance approved by the Board under subsection (h)) shall cover losses due to a reduction in revenue for potatoes except as covered under a whole farm policy or plan of insurance, as determined by the Corporation.
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(A) Not later than 1 year after December 20, 2018, and annually thereafter, the manager of the Corporation shall prepare, to the maximum extent practicable, based on data shared from the noninsured crop disaster assistance program established by section 7333 of this title, written agreements, or other data, and present to the Board not less than 1 of each of the following:(i) Research and development for a policy or plan of insurance for a commodity for which there is no existing policy or plan of insurance.(ii) Expansion of an existing policy or plan of insurance to additional counties or States, including malting barley endorsements or contract options.(iii) Research and development for a new policy or plan of insurance, or endorsement, for commodities with existing policies or plans of insurance, such as dollar plans.
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(B) Using resources and information available to the Board or the Secretary, the Board shall review the policies and plans of insurance that are offered by approved insurance providers under this subchapter, including policies and plans of insurance for underserved producers, to determine if each State is adequately served by the policies and plans of insurance.
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(i) Not later than 30 days after completion of the review under subparagraph (B), and not less frequently than once every 3 years thereafter, the Board shall make publicly available and submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report describing the results of the review.
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(9) The Board may limit the availability of additional coverage under this subsection in any county or area, or on any farm, on the basis of the insurance risk involved. The Board shall not offer additional coverage equal to less than 50 percent of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at 100 percent of the expected market price, or an equivalent coverage.
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(1) The Corporation shall fix adequate premiums for all the plans of insurance of the Corporation at such rates as the Board determines are actuarially sufficient to attain an expected loss ratio of not greater than—(A) 1.1 through September 30, 1998;(B) 1.075 for the period beginning October 1, 1998, and ending on the day before the date of enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008; and(C) 1.0 on and after the date of enactment of that Act.
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(A) In addition to any standard forms or policies that the Board may require be made available to producers under subsection (c), a person (including an approved insurance provider, a college or university, a cooperative or trade association, or any other person) may prepare for submission or propose to the Board—(i) other crop insurance policies and provisions of policies; and(ii) rates of premiums for multiple peril crop insurance pertaining to wheat, soybeans, field corn, and any other crops determined by the Secretary.
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(i) The Corporation shall review any policy developed under section 1522(c) of this title or any pilot program developed under section 1523 of this title and submit the policy or program to the Board under this subsection if the Corporation, at the sole discretion of the Corporation, finds that the policy or program—(I) subject to clause (ii), will likely result in a viable and marketable policy consistent with this subsection;(II) would provide crop insurance coverage in a significantly improved form; and(III) adequately protects the interests of producers.
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(2) A policy or other material submitted to the Board under this subsection may be prepared without regard to the limitations contained in this subchapter, including the requirements concerning the levels of coverage and rates and the requirement that a price level for each commodity insured must equal the expected market price for the commodity as established by the Board.
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(A) A policy, plan of insurance, or other material submitted to the Board under this subsection shall be reviewed by the Board and shall be approved by the Board for reinsurance and for sale by approved insurance providers to producers at actuarially appropriate rates and under appropriate terms and conditions if the Board determines that—(i) the interests of producers are adequately protected;(ii) the proposed policy or plan of insurance will—(I) provide a new kind of coverage that is likely to be viable and marketable;(II) provide crop insurance coverage in a manner that addresses a clear and identifiable flaw or problem in an existing policy; or(III) provide a new kind of coverage for a commodity that previously had no available crop insurance, or has demonstrated a low level of participation or coverage level under existing coverage; and(iii) the proposed policy or plan of insurance will not have a significant adverse impact on the crop insurance delivery system.
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(B) In approving policies or plans of insurance, the Board shall in a timely manner—(i) first, consider policies or plans of insurance that address underserved commodities, including commodities for which there is no insurance;(ii) second, consider existing policies or plans of insurance for which there is inadequate coverage or there exists low levels of participation; and
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(C) In reviewing policies and other materials submitted to the Board under this subsection for approval, the Board—(i) shall make the development and approval of a revenue policy for peanut producers a priority so that a revenue policy is available to peanut producers in time for the 2015 crop year;(ii) shall make the development and approval of a margin coverage policy for rice producers a priority so that a margin coverage policy is available to rice producers in time for the 2015 crop year;(iii) may approve a submission that is made pursuant to this subsection that would, beginning with the 2015 crop year, allow producers that purchase policies in accordance with subsection (e)(5)(A) to separate enterprise units by risk rating for acreage of crops in counties; and(iv) in the case of reviewing policies and other materials relating to the production of hemp, may waive the viability and marketability requirement under subparagraph (A)(ii)(I).
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(4) The Corporation shall issue regulations to establish guidelines for the submission, and Board review, of policies or other material submitted to the Board under this subsection. At a minimum, the guidelines shall ensure the following:(i) A proposal submitted to the Board under this subsection (including any information generated from the proposal) shall be considered to be confidential commercial or financial information for the purposes of section 552(b)(4) of title 5.(ii) If information concerning a proposal could be withheld by the Secretary under the standard for privileged or confidential information pertaining to trade secrets and commercial or financial information under section 552(b)(4) of title 5, the information shall not be released to the public.(iii) This subparagraph shall apply with respect to a proposal only during the period preceding any approval of the proposal by the Board.(B) The Board shall provide an applicant with the opportunity to present the proposal to the Board in person if the applicant so desires.(i) The Board shall provide an applicant with notification of intent to disapprove a proposal not later than 30 days prior to making the disapproval.(I) An applicant that receives the notification may modify the application, and such application, as modified, shall be considered by the Board in the manner provided in subparagraph (D) within the 30-day period beginning on the date the modified application is submitted.(II) Clause (i) shall not apply to the Board’s consideration of the modified application.(iii) Any notification of intent to disapprove a policy or other material submitted under this subsection shall be accompanied by a complete explanation as to the reasons for the Board’s intention to deny approval.(i) Not later than 120 days after a policy or other material is submitted under this subsection, the Board shall make a determination to approve or disapprove the policy or material.(ii) Any determination by the Board to disapprove any policy or other material shall be accompanied by a complete explanation of the reasons for the Board’s decision to deny approval.(iii) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, if the Board fails to make a determination within the prescribed time period, the submitted policy or other material shall be deemed approved by the Board for the initial reinsurance year designated for the policy or material, unless the Board and the applicant agree to an extension.(i) As part of the feasibility and research associated with the development of a policy or other material for fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture), the submitter prior to making a submission under this subsection shall consult with groups representing producers of those agricultural commodities in all major producing areas for the commodities to be served or potentially impacted, either directly or indirectly.(ii) Any submission made to the Board under this subsection shall contain a summary and analysis of the feasibility and research findings from the impacted groups described in clause (i), including a summary assessment of the support for or against development of the policy and an assessment on the impact of the proposed policy to the general marketing and production of the crop from both a regional and national perspective.(iii) In evaluating whether the interests of producers are adequately protected pursuant to paragraph (3) with respect to a submission made under this subsection, the Board shall review the information provided pursuant to clause (ii) to determine if the submission will create adverse market distortions with respect to the production of commodities that are the subject of the submission.
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(i) A proposal submitted to the Board under this subsection (including any information generated from the proposal) shall be considered to be confidential commercial or financial information for the purposes of section 552(b)(4) of title 5.
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(iii) This subparagraph shall apply with respect to a proposal only during the period preceding any approval of the proposal by the Board.
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(i) The Board shall provide an applicant with notification of intent to disapprove a proposal not later than 30 days prior to making the disapproval.
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(I) An applicant that receives the notification may modify the application, and such application, as modified, shall be considered by the Board in the manner provided in subparagraph (D) within the 30-day period beginning on the date the modified application is submitted.
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(II) Clause (i) shall not apply to the Board’s consideration of the modified application.
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(iii) Any notification of intent to disapprove a policy or other material submitted under this subsection shall be accompanied by a complete explanation as to the reasons for the Board’s intention to deny approval.
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(i) Not later than 120 days after a policy or other material is submitted under this subsection, the Board shall make a determination to approve or disapprove the policy or material.
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(iii) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, if the Board fails to make a determination within the prescribed time period, the submitted policy or other material shall be deemed approved by the Board for the initial reinsurance year designated for the policy or material, unless the Board and the applicant agree to an extension.
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(ii) Any submission made to the Board under this subsection shall contain a summary and analysis of the feasibility and research findings from the impacted groups described in clause (i), including a summary assessment of the support for or against development of the policy and an assessment on the impact of the proposed policy to the general marketing and production of the crop from both a regional and national perspective.
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(iii) In evaluating whether the interests of producers are adequately protected pursuant to paragraph (3) with respect to a submission made under this subsection, the Board shall review the information provided pursuant to clause (ii) to determine if the submission will create adverse market distortions with respect to the production of commodities that are the subject of the submission.
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(B) Effective only during the 2001 reinsurance year, in the case of a policy or plan of insurance developed and approved under this subsection or section 1522 of this title, or conducted under section 1523 of this title (other than a policy or plan of insurance applicable to livestock), and first approved by the Board after June 20, 2000, the payment by the Corporation of a portion of the premium of the policy may not exceed the dollar amount that would otherwise be authorized under subsection (e) (consistent with subsection (c)(5), as in effect on the day before June 20, 2000).
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(A) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the rate established by the Board to reimburse approved insurance providers and agents for the administrative and operating costs of the providers and agents shall not exceed—(i) for the 1998 reinsurance year, 27 percent of the premium used to define loss ratio; and(ii) for each of the 1999 and subsequent reinsurance years, 24.5 percent of the premium used to define loss ratio.
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(C) Beginning with the 2002 reinsurance year, in the case of a policy or plan of insurance approved by the Board that was not reinsured during the 1998 reinsurance year but, had it been reinsured, would have received a reduced rate of reimbursement during the 1998 reinsurance year, the rate of reimbursement for administrative and operating costs established for the policy or plan of insurance shall take into account the factors used to determine the rate of reimbursement for administrative and operating costs during the 1998 reinsurance year, including the expected difference in premium and actual administrative and operating costs of the policy or plan of insurance relative to an individual yield policy or plan of insurance and other appropriate factors, as determined by the Corporation.
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(5) Consistent with section 118 of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform Act of 1994, and consistent with maintenance of program integrity, prevention of fraud and abuse, the need for program expansion, and improvement of quality of service to customers, the Board shall alter program procedures and administrative requirements in order to reduce the administrative and operating costs of approved insurance providers and agents in an amount that corresponds to any reduction in the reimbursement rate required under paragraph (4) during the 5-year period beginning on October 13, 1994.
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(i) The Board shall ensure that any Standard Reinsurance Agreement negotiated under subparagraph (A)(ii) shall—(I) to the maximum extent practicable, be estimated as budget neutral with respect to the total amount of payments described in paragraph (9) as compared to the total amount of such payments estimated to be made under the immediately preceding Standard Reinsurance Agreement if that Agreement were extended over the same period of time;(II) comply with the applicable provisions of this subchapter establishing the rates of reimbursement for administrative and operating costs for approved insurance providers and agents, except that, to the maximum extent practicable, the estimated total amount of reimbursement for those costs shall not be less than the total amount of the payments to be made under the immediately preceding Standard Reinsurance Agreement if that Agreement were extended over the same period of time, as estimated on February 7, 2014; and(III) in no event significantly depart from budget neutrality unless otherwise required by this subchapter.
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(l) The Corporation may offer specific risk protection programs, including protection against prevented planting, wildlife depredation, tree damage and disease, and insect infestation, under such terms and conditions as the Board may determine, except that no program may be undertaken if insurance for the specific risk involved is generally available from private companies.
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“Agricultural commodity”, as used in this subchapter, means wheat, cotton, flax, corn, dry beans, oats, barley, rye, tobacco, rice, peanuts, soybeans, sugar beets, sugar cane, tomatoes, grain sorghum, sunflowers, raisins, oranges, sweet corn, dry peas, freezing and canning peas, forage, apples, grapes, potatoes, timber and forests, nursery crops, citrus, and other fruits and vegetables, nuts, tame hay, native grass, hemp, aquacultural species (including, but not limited to, any species of finfish, mollusk, crustacean, or other aquatic invertebrate, amphibian, reptile, or aquatic plant propagated or reared in a controlled or selected environment), or any other agricultural commodity, excluding stored grain, determined by the Board, or any one or more of such commodities, as the context may indicate.
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(i) An applicant who submits a policy under section 1508(h) of this title shall be eligible for the reimbursement of reasonable research and development costs if the policy is approved by the Board for sale to producers.
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(A) Subject to the other provisions of this paragraph, the Board may approve the request of an applicant for advance payment of a portion of reasonable research and development costs prior to submission and approval of the policy by the Board under section 1508(h) of this title.
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(B) The Board shall establish procedures for approving advance payment of reasonable research and development costs to applicants.
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(C) As a condition of eligibility for advance payments, an applicant shall submit a concept proposal for the policy that the applicant plans to submit to the Board under section 1508(h) of this title, consistent with procedures established by the Board for submissions under subparagraph (B), including—(i) a summary of the qualifications of the applicant, including any prior concept proposals and submissions to the Board under section 1508(h) of this title and, if applicable, any work conducted under this section;(ii) a projection of total research and development costs that the applicant expects to incur;(iii) a description of the need for the policy, the marketability of and expected demand for the policy among affected producers, and the potential impact of the policy on producers and the crop insurance delivery system;(iv) a summary of data sources available to demonstrate that the policy can reasonably be developed and actuarially appropriate rates established; and(v) an identification of the risks the proposed policy will cover and an explanation of how the identified risks are insurable under this subchapter.
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(i) a summary of the qualifications of the applicant, including any prior concept proposals and submissions to the Board under section 1508(h) of this title and, if applicable, any work conducted under this section;
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(i) If the requirements of subparagraph (B) and (C) are met, the Board may submit a concept proposal described in subparagraph (C) to not less than 2 independent expert reviewers, whose services are appropriate for the type of concept proposal submitted, to assess the likelihood that the proposed policy being developed will result in a viable and marketable policy, as determined by the Board.
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(i) The Board may approve up to 50 percent of the projected total research and development costs to be paid in advance to an applicant, in accordance with the procedures developed by the Board for the making of the payments, if, after consideration of the reviewer reports described in subparagraph (D) and such other information as the Board determines appropriate, the Board determines that—(I) the concept, in good faith, will likely result in a viable and marketable policy consistent with section 1508(h) of this title;(II) at the sole discretion of the Board, the concept, if developed into a policy and approved by the Board, would provide crop insurance coverage—(aa) in a significantly improved form;(bb) to a crop or region not traditionally served by the Federal crop insurance program; or(cc) in a form that addresses a recognized flaw or problem in the program;(III) the applicant agrees to provide such reports as the Corporation determines are necessary to monitor the development effort;(IV) the proposed budget and timetable are reasonable, as determined by the Board; and(V) the concept proposal meets any other requirements that the Board determines appropriate.
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(II) at the sole discretion of the Board, the concept, if developed into a policy and approved by the Board, would provide crop insurance coverage—(aa) in a significantly improved form;(bb) to a crop or region not traditionally served by the Federal crop insurance program; or(cc) in a form that addresses a recognized flaw or problem in the program;
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(IV) the proposed budget and timetable are reasonable, as determined by the Board; and
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(V) the concept proposal meets any other requirements that the Board determines appropriate.
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(ii) The Board may waive the 50-percent limitation and, upon request of the submitter after the submitter has begun research and development activities, the Board may approve an additional 25 percent advance payment to the submitter for research and development costs, if, at the sole discretion of the Board, the Board determines that—(I) the intended policy or plan of insurance developed by the submitter will provide coverage for a region or crop that is underserved by the Federal crop insurance program, including specialty crops; and(II) the submitter is making satisfactory progress towards developing a viable and marketable policy or plan of insurance consistent with section 1508(h) of this title.
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(F) If the Board approves an advanced payment under subparagraph (E), the Board shall establish a date by which the applicant shall present a submission in compliance with section 1508(h) of this title (including the procedures implemented under that section) to the Board for approval.
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(i) If a policy is submitted under subparagraph (F) and approved by the Board under section 1508(h) of this title and the procedures established by the Board (including procedures established under subparagraph (B)), the applicant shall be eligible for a payment of reasonable research and development costs in the same manner as policies reimbursed under paragraph (1)(B), less any payments made pursuant to subparagraph (E).
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(ii) If a policy is submitted under subparagraph (F) and is not approved by the Board under section 1508(h) of this title, the Corporation shall—(I) not seek a refund of any payments made in accordance with this paragraph; and(II) not make any further research and development cost payments associated with the submission of the policy under this paragraph.
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(H) If an applicant receives an advance payment and fails to fulfill the obligation of the applicant to the Board by not submitting a completed submission without just cause and in accordance with the procedures established under subparagraph (B))1, including notice and reasonable opportunity to respond, as determined by the Board, the applicant shall return to the Board the amount of the advance plus interest.
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(I) The Board may prohibit advance payments to applicants who have submitted—(i) a concept proposal or submission that did not result in a marketable product; or(ii) a concept proposal or submission of poor quality.
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(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the Corporation shall approve a reimbursement under paragraph (1) only after determining that the policy is marketable based on a reasonable marketing plan, as determined by the Board.
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(B) Payments with respect to maintenance costs may be provided for a period of not more than four reinsurance years subsequent to Board approval for payment under this subsection.
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(i) Subject to approval by the Board, the amount of the fee that is payable by an approved insurance provider that elects to sell the policy shall be an amount that is determined by the applicant maintaining the policy.
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(ii) The Board shall approve the amount of a fee determined under clause (i) for maintenance of the policy unless the Board determines that the amount of the fee—(I) is unreasonable in relation to the maintenance costs associated with the policy; or(II) unnecessarily inhibits the use of the policy.
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(iii) After the Board approves the amount of a fee under clause (ii), the fee shall remain in effect and not be reviewed by the Board unless—(I) the applicant petitions the Board for reconsideration of the fee;(II) a substantial change is made to the policy, as determined by the Board; or(III) there is substantial evidence that the fee is inhibiting sales or use of the policy, as determined by the Board.
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(I) the applicant petitions the Board for reconsideration of the fee;
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(II) a substantial change is made to the policy, as determined by the Board; or
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(III) there is substantial evidence that the fee is inhibiting sales or use of the policy, as determined by the Board.
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(5) The Corporation may offer any policy developed under this subsection that is approved by the Board after expert review in accordance with section 1505(e) of this title.
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(II) the Board shall—(aa) review procedures and paperwork requirements on agents and producers; and(bb) modify procedures and requirements, as appropriate, to decrease burdens and increase flexibility and effectiveness.
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(ii) In carrying out items (aa) and (bb) of subclause (i)(II), the Board shall consider—(I) removing caps on nursery and livestock production;(II) allowing a waiver to expand operations, especially for small and beginning farmers;(III) minimizing paperwork for producers and agents;(IV) implementing an option for producers with less than $1,000,000 in gross revenue that requires significantly less paperwork and recordkeeping;(V) developing and using alternative records such as time-stamped photographs or technology applications to document planting and production history;(VI) treating the different growth stages of aquaculture species as separate crops to recognize the difference in perils at different phases of growth;(VII) moderating the impacts of disaster years on historic revenue, such as—(aa) using an average of the historic and projected revenue;(bb) counting indemnities as historic revenue for loss years;(cc) counting payments under section 7333 of this title as historic revenue for loss years; or(dd) using an assigned yield floor similar to the limitation described in section 1508(g)(6)(A)(i) of this title, as determined by the Secretary;(VIII) improving agent training and outreach to underserved regions and sectors such as small dairy farms; and(IX) providing coverage and indemnification of insurable losses—(aa) after the losses exceed the deductible; and(bb) up to the maximum amount of total coverage.
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(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Corporation may, at the sole discretion of the Corporation, conduct a pilot program submitted to and approved by the Board under section 1508(h) of this title, or that is developed under subsection (b) or section 1522 of this title, to evaluate whether a proposal or new risk management tool tested by the pilot program is suitable for the marketplace and addresses the needs of producers of agricultural commodities.
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(A) Beginning with the 2002 crop year, the Corporation shall establish a pilot program under which approved insurance providers may propose for approval by the Board policies or plans of insurance with reduced rates of premium—(i) for one or more agricultural commodities; and(ii) within a limited geographic area, as proposed by the approved insurance provider and approved by the Board.
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(ii) within a limited geographic area, as proposed by the approved insurance provider and approved by the Board.
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(B) The Board shall approve a policy or plan of insurance proposed under this subsection that involves a premium reduction if the Board determines that—(i) the interests of producers are adequately protected within the pilot area;(ii) rates of premium are actuarially appropriate, as determined by the Board;(iii) the size of the proposed pilot area is adequate;(iv) the proposed policy or plan of insurance would not unfairly discriminate among producers within the proposed pilot area;(v) if the proposed policy or plan of insurance were available in a geographic area larger than the proposed pilot area, the proposed policy or plan of insurance would—(I) not have a significant adverse impact on the crop insurance delivery system;(II) not result in a reduction of program integrity;(III) be actuarially appropriate; and(IV) not place an additional financial burden on the Federal Government; and(vi) the proposed policy or plan of insurance meets other requirements of this subchapter determined appropriate by the Board.
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(ii) rates of premium are actuarially appropriate, as determined by the Board;
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(vi) the proposed policy or plan of insurance meets other requirements of this subchapter determined appropriate by the Board.
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(C) The time limitations and procedures of the Board established under section 1508(h) of this title shall apply to a proposal submitted under this subsection.
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(1) The Corporation shall establish a pilot program under which producers or processors of camelina may propose for approval by the Board policies or plans of insurance for camelina, in accordance with section 1508(h) of this title.
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(2) The Board shall approve a policy or plan of insurance proposed under paragraph (1) if, as determined by the Board, the policy or plan of insurance—(A) protects the interests of producers;(B) is actuarially sound; and(C) meets the requirements of this subchapter.
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(A) The Board shall approve 2 or more proposed policies or plans of insurance from approved insurance providers if the Board determines that the policies or plans provide coverage as specified in paragraph (2), and meet the conditions described in this paragraph.
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(ii) sufficient assets or reinsurance to satisfy the underwriting obligations of the approved insurance provider, and possess a sufficient insurance credit rating from an appropriate credit rating bureau, in accordance with Board procedures; and
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(C) In reviewing applications under this subsection, the Board shall conduct the review in a manner consistent with the standards, rules, and procedures for policies or plans of insurance submitted under section 1508(h) of this title and the actuarial soundness requirements applied to other policies and plans of insurance made available under this subchapter.
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(D) The Board shall prioritize applications that provide a new kind of coverage for specialty crops and livestock commodities that previously had no available crop insurance, or has demonstrated a low level of participation under existing coverage.
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(ii) meets the eligibility criteria of paragraph (3)(B), as determined by the Board.
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(4) Notwithstanding section 1508(l) of this title, the Board shall approve a policy or plan of insurance based on the pilot program under paragraph (1)—(A) in accordance with section 1508(h) of this title; and(B) not later than 2 years after July 4, 2025.
Citations to §1502(b)(5)
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To carry out the purposes of this subchapter, there is hereby created as an agency of and within the Department a body corporate with the name “Federal Crop Insurance Corporation”. The principal office of the Corporation shall be located in the District of Columbia, but there may be established agencies or branch offices elsewhere in the United States under rules and regulations prescribed by the Board.
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(a) The Corporation shall have a capital stock of $500,000,000 subscribed by the United States of America, payment for which shall, with the approval of the Secretary, be subject to call in whole or in part by the Board.
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(b) There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary for the purpose of subscribing to the capital stock of the Corporation.
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(c) Receipts for payments by the United States of America for or on account of such stock shall be issued by the Corporation to the Secretary of the Treasury and shall be evidence of the stock ownership by the United States of America.
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(d) Within thirty days after September 26, 1980, the Secretary of the Treasury shall cancel, without consideration, receipts for payments for or on account of the stock of the Corporation outstanding on September 26, 1980, and such receipts shall cease to be liabilities of the Corporation.
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The payment for capital stock in the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation shall be effected by transfer of funds on the books of the Treasury Department to the credit of the Corporation.
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(1) The management of the Corporation shall be vested in a Board of Directors subject to the general supervision of the Secretary.
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(A) The manager of the Corporation, who shall serve as a nonvoting ex officio member.
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(b) Vacancies in the Board so long as there shall be four members in office shall not impair the powers of the Board to execute the functions of the Corporation, and four of the members in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business of the Board.
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(c) The Directors of the Corporation who are employed in the Department shall receive no additional compensation for their services as such Directors but may be allowed necessary traveling and subsistence expenses when engaged in business of the Corporation, outside of the District of Columbia. The Directors of the Corporation who are not employed by the Federal Government shall be paid such compensation for their services as Directors as the Secretary shall determine, but such compensation shall not exceed the daily equivalent of the rate prescribed for grade GS–18 under section 5332 of title 5 when actually employed, and actual necessary traveling and subsistence expenses, or a per diem allowance in lieu of subsistence expenses, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5 for persons in Government service employed intermittently, when on the business of the Corporation away from their homes or regular places of business.
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(d) The manager of the Corporation shall be its chief executive officer, with such power and authority as may be conferred by the Board. The manager shall be appointed by, and hold office at the pleasure of, the Secretary.
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(a) The Corporation shall have succession in its corporate name.
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(b) The Corporation may adopt, alter, and use a corporate seal, which shall be judicially noticed.
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(c) The Corporation may purchase or lease and hold such real and personal property as it deems necessary or convenient in the transaction of its business, and may dispose of such property held by it upon such terms as it deems appropriate.
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(d) Subject to section 1508(j)(2)(A) of this title, the Corporation, subject to the provisions of section 1508(j) of this title,1 may sue and be sued in its corporate name, but no attachment, injunction, garnishment, or other similar process, mesne or final, shall be issued against the Corporation or its property. The district courts of the United States, including the district courts of the District of Columbia and of any territory or possession, shall have exclusive original jurisdiction, without regard to the amount in controversy, of all suits brought by or against the Corporation. The Corporation may intervene in any court in any suit, action, or proceeding in which it has an interest. Any suit against the Corporation shall be brought in the District of Columbia, or in the district wherein the plaintiff resides or is engaged in business.
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(e) The Corporation may adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws, rules, and regulations governing the manner in which its business may be conducted and the powers granted to it by law may be exercised and enjoyed.
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(f) The Corporation shall be entitled to the use of the United States mails in the same manner as the other executive agencies of the Government.
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(g) The Corporation, with the consent of any board, commission, independent establishment, or executive department of the Government, including any field service thereof, may avail itself of the use of information, services, facilities, officials, and employees thereof in carrying out the provisions of this subchapter.
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(1) The Corporation may conduct surveys and investigations relating to crop insurance, agriculture-related risks and losses, and other issues related to carrying out this subchapter.
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(A) The Corporation shall assemble data for the purpose of establishing sound actuarial bases for insurance on agricultural commodities.
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(i) provided in an aggregate form to the Corporation for the purpose of providing insurance under this subchapter; and
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(ii) kept confidential by the Corporation in the same manner and to the same extent as is required under—(I) section 2276 of this title; and(II) the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (44 U.S.C. 3501 note; Public Law 107–347).2
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(ii) not less frequently than annually, the Farm Service Agency shares, and the Corporation considers, the data described in clause (i).
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(i) The Corporation shall determine the character and necessity for its expenditures under this subchapter and the manner in which they shall be incurred, allowed, and paid, without regard to the provisions of any other laws governing the expenditure of public funds and such determinations shall be final and conclusive upon all other officers of the Government.
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(j) The Corporation shall have the authority to make final and conclusive settlement and adjustment of any claim by or against the Corporation or a fiscal officer of the Corporation.
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(k) The Corporation shall have such powers as may be necessary or appropriate for the exercise of the powers herein specifically conferred upon the Corporation and all such incidental powers as are customary in corporations generally.
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(l) The Corporation may enter into and carry out contracts or agreements, and issue regulations, necessary in the conduct of its business, as determined by the Board. State and local laws or rules shall not apply to contracts, agreements, or regulations of the Corporation or the parties thereto to the extent that such contracts, agreements, or regulations provide that such laws or rules shall not apply, or to the extent that such laws or rules are inconsistent with such contracts, agreements, or regulations.
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(1) The Corporation shall require, as a condition of eligibility for participation in the multiple peril crop insurance program, submission of social security account numbers, subject to the requirements of section 405(c)(2)(C)(iii)2 of title 42, and employer identification numbers, subject to the requirements of section 6109(f) of title 26.
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(3) The Manager of the Corporation may require each policyholder to provide to the Manager, at such times and in such manner as prescribed by the Manager, the name of each individual that holds or acquires a substantial beneficial interest in the policyholder.
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(1) The Corporation shall take such actions as are necessary to improve the actuarial soundness of Federal multiperil crop insurance coverage made available under this subchapter to achieve, on and after October 1, 1995, an overall projected loss ratio of not greater than 1.1, including—(A) instituting appropriate requirements for documentation of the actual production history of insured producers to establish recorded or appraised yields for Federal crop insurance coverage that more accurately reflect the associated actuarial risk, except that the Corporation may not carry out this paragraph in a manner that would prevent beginning farmers (as defined by the Secretary) from obtaining Federal crop insurance;(B) establishing in counties, to the extent practicable, a crop insurance option based on area yields in a manner that allows an insured producer to qualify for an indemnity if a loss has occurred in a specified area in which the farm of the insured producer is located;(C) establishing a database that contains the social security account and employee identification numbers of participating producers, agents, and loss adjusters and using the numbers to identify insured producers, agents, and loss adjusters who are high risk for actuarial purposes and insured producers who have not documented at least 4 years of production history, to assess the performance of insurance providers, and for other purposes permitted by law; and(D) taking any other measures authorized by law to improve the actuarial soundness of the Federal crop insurance program while maintaining fairness and effective coverage for agricultural producers.
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(A) instituting appropriate requirements for documentation of the actual production history of insured producers to establish recorded or appraised yields for Federal crop insurance coverage that more accurately reflect the associated actuarial risk, except that the Corporation may not carry out this paragraph in a manner that would prevent beginning farmers (as defined by the Secretary) from obtaining Federal crop insurance;
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(2) The Corporation shall take such actions, including the establishment of adequate premiums, as are necessary to improve the actuarial soundness of Federal multiperil crop insurance made available under this subchapter to achieve an overall projected loss ratio of not greater than 1.0.
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(3) To the extent that the Corporation uses the nonstandard classification system, the Corporation shall apply the system to all insured producers in a fair and consistent manner.
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(o) The Secretary and the Corporation are each authorized to issue such regulations as are necessary to carry out this subchapter.
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(1) It is the sense of Congress that, to the greatest extent practicable, all equipment and products purchased by the Corporation using funds made available to the Corporation should be American-made.
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(2) In providing financial assistance to, or entering into any contract with, any entity for the purchase of equipment and products to carry out this subchapter, the Corporation, to the greatest extent practicable, shall provide to the entity a notice describing the statement made in paragraph (1).
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(1) The Corporation shall establish procedures under which the Corporation will provide a final agency determination in response to an inquiry regarding the interpretation by the Corporation of this subchapter or any regulation issued under this subchapter.
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(2) Not later than 180 days after June 23, 1998, the Corporation shall issue regulations to implement this subsection. At a minimum, the regulations shall establish—(A) the manner in which inquiries described in paragraph (1) are required to be submitted to the Corporation; and(B) a reasonable maximum number of days within which the Corporation will respond to all inquiries.
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(A) the manner in which inquiries described in paragraph (1) are required to be submitted to the Corporation; and
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(B) a reasonable maximum number of days within which the Corporation will respond to all inquiries.
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(3) If the Corporation fails to respond to an inquiry in accordance with the procedures established pursuant to this subsection, the person requesting the interpretation of this subchapter or regulation may assume the interpretation is correct for the applicable reinsurance year.
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(a) The Secretary shall appoint such officers and employees as may be necessary for the transaction of the business of the Corporation pursuant to civil-service laws and regulations, fix their compensation in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, define their authority and duties, and delegate to them such of the powers vested in the Corporation as the Secretary may determine appropriate. However, personnel paid by the hour, day, or month when actually employed may be appointed without regard to civil-service laws and regulations.
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(c) In the administration of this subchapter, the Board shall, to the maximum extent possible, (1) establish or use committees or associations of producers and make payments to them to cover the administrative and program expenses, as determined by the Board, incurred by them in cooperating in carrying out this subchapter, (2) contract with private insurance companies, private rating bureaus, and other organizations as appropriate for actuarial services, services relating to loss adjustment and rating plans of insurance, and other services to avoid duplication by the Federal Government of services that are or may readily be available in the private sector and to enable the Corporation to concentrate on regulating the provision of insurance under this subchapter and evaluating new products and materials submitted under section 1508(h) or 1523 of this title, and reimburse such companies for the administrative and program expenses, as determined by the Board, incurred by them, under terms and provisions and rates of compensation consistent with those generally prevailing in the insurance industry, and (3) encourage the sale of Federal crop insurance through licensed private insurance agents and brokers and give the insured the right to renew such insurance for successive terms through such agents and brokers, in which case the agent or broker shall be reasonably compensated from premiums paid by the insured for such sales and renewals recognizing the function of the agent or broker to provide continuing services while the insurance is in effect: Provided, That such compensation shall not be included in computations establishing premium rates. The Board shall provide such agents and brokers with indemnification, including costs and reasonable attorney fees, from the Corporation for errors or omissions on the part of the Corporation or its contractors for which the agent or broker is sued or held liable, except to the extent the agent or broker has caused the error or omission. Nothing in this subsection shall permit the Corporation to contract with other persons to carry out the responsibility of the Corporation to review and approve policies, rates, and other materials submitted under section 1508(h) of this title.
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(1) The Corporation shall establish a management-level position to be known as the Specialty Crops Coordinator.
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(2) The Specialty Crops Coordinator shall have primary responsibility for addressing the needs of specialty crop producers, and for providing information and advice, in connection with the activities of the Corporation to improve and expand the insurance program for specialty crops. In carrying out this paragraph, the Specialty Crops Coordinator shall act as the liaison of the Corporation with representatives of specialty crop producers and assist the Corporation with the knowledge, expertise, and familiarity of the producers with risk management and production issues pertaining to specialty crops.
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(3) The Specialty Crops Coordinator shall use information collected from Corporation field office directors in States in which specialty crops have a significant economic effect and from other sources, including the extension service and colleges and universities.
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(5) The Specialty Crops Coordinator shall establish a website focused on the efforts of the Corporation to provide and expand crop insurance for specialty crop producers.
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(1) If sufficient actuarial data are available (as determined by the Corporation), the Corporation may insure, or provide reinsurance for insurers of, producers of agricultural commodities grown in the United States under 1 or more plans of insurance determined by the Corporation to be adapted to the agricultural commodity concerned. To qualify for coverage under a plan of insurance, the losses of the insured commodity must be due to drought, flood, or other natural disaster (as determined by the Secretary).
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(i) A producer shall have the right to a review of a determination regarding good farming practices made under subparagraph (A)(iii) in accordance with an informal administrative process to be established by the Corporation.
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(C) No policy or plan of insurance provided under this subchapter (including a policy or plan of insurance approved by the Board under subsection (h)) shall cover losses due to a reduction in revenue for potatoes except as covered under a whole farm policy or plan of insurance, as determined by the Corporation.
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(A) The Corporation may offer plans of insurance or reinsurance for production of agricultural commodities in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau in the same manner as provided in this section for production of agricultural commodities in the United States.
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(B) In an area in the United States or specified in subparagraph (A) where crop insurance is not available for a particular agricultural commodity, the Corporation may offer to enter into a written agreement with an individual producer operating in the area for insurance coverage under this subchapter if the producer has actuarially sound data relating to the production by the producer of the commodity or similar commodities and the data is acceptable to the Corporation.
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(A) The Corporation shall make available to producers through local offices of the Department—(i) current and complete information on all aspects of Federal crop insurance; and(ii) a listing of insurance agents and companies offering to sell crop insurance in the area of the producers.
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(i) The Corporation shall make the information described in subparagraph (A) available electronically to producers and approved insurance providers.
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(ii) To the maximum extent practicable, the Corporation shall allow producers and approved insurance providers to use electronic methods to submit information required by the Corporation.
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(A) Not later than 1 year after December 20, 2018, and annually thereafter, the manager of the Corporation shall prepare, to the maximum extent practicable, based on data shared from the noninsured crop disaster assistance program established by section 7333 of this title, written agreements, or other data, and present to the Board not less than 1 of each of the following:(i) Research and development for a policy or plan of insurance for a commodity for which there is no existing policy or plan of insurance.(ii) Expansion of an existing policy or plan of insurance to additional counties or States, including malting barley endorsements or contract options.(iii) Research and development for a new policy or plan of insurance, or endorsement, for commodities with existing policies or plans of insurance, such as dollar plans.
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(B) Not later than 1 year after October 13, 1994, and annually thereafter, the Corporation shall report to Congress on the progress and expected timetable for expanding crop insurance coverage under this subchapter to new and specialty crops.
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(8) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, beginning with the 2001 crops of upland cotton, extra long staple cotton, and rice, the Corporation shall offer plans of insurance, including prevented planting coverage and replanting coverage, under this subchapter that cover losses of upland cotton, extra long staple cotton, and rice resulting from failure of irrigation water supplies due to drought and saltwater intrusion.
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(I) by an entity that was approved by the Corporation to make such payments for the 2005, 2006, or 2007 reinsurance year, in accordance with subsection (b)(5)(B) as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this paragraph; and
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(II) in a manner consistent with the payment plan approved in accordance with that subsection for the entity by the Corporation for the applicable reinsurance year.
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(i) Subject to clause (ii), the Corporation shall publish in a timely manner on the website of the Risk Management Agency information regarding each violation of this paragraph, including any sanctions imposed in response to the violation, in sufficient detail so that the information may serve as effective guidance to approved insurance providers, agents, and producers.
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(ii) In providing information under clause (i) regarding violations of this paragraph, the Corporation shall redact the identity of the persons and entities committing the violations in order to protect the privacy of those persons and entities.
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(ii) The Corporation shall approve an exception to the guidelines under clause (i)(I) if that exception is recommended by—(I) the Natural Resources Conservation Service; or(II) an agricultural expert, as determined by the Corporation, unless the exception is determined to be unreasonable by the Corporation.
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(II) an agricultural expert, as determined by the Corporation, unless the exception is determined to be unreasonable by the Corporation.
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(1) The Corporation shall offer a catastrophic risk protection plan to indemnify producers for crop loss due to loss of yield or prevented planting, if provided by the Corporation, when the producer is unable, because of drought, flood, or other natural disaster (as determined by the Secretary), to plant other crops for harvest on the acreage for the crop year.
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(i) in the case of each of the 1995 through 1998 crop years, 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 60 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage (as determined by the Corporation); and
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(ii) in the case of each of the 1999 and subsequent crop years, 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).
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(B) The amount paid to a producer on a claim under catastrophic risk protection may reflect a reduction that is proportional to the out-of-pocket expenses that are not incurred by the producer as a result of not planting, growing, or harvesting the crop for which the claim is made, as determined by the Corporation.
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(3) Beginning with the 2001 crop year, the Corporation shall offer producers of an agricultural commodity the option of selecting either of the following:(A) The catastrophic risk protection coverage available under paragraph (2)(A).(B) An alternative catastrophic risk protection coverage that—(i) indemnifies the producer on an area yield and loss basis if such a policy or plan of insurance is offered for the agricultural commodity in the county in which the farm is located;(ii) provides, on a uniform national basis, a higher combination of yield and price protection than the coverage available under paragraph (2)(A); and(iii) the Corporation determines is comparable to the coverage available under paragraph (2)(A) for purposes of subsection (e)(2)(A).
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(iii) the Corporation determines is comparable to the coverage available under paragraph (2)(A) for purposes of subsection (e)(2)(A).
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(i) The amounts paid under this paragraph shall be deposited in the crop insurance fund established under section 1516(c) of this title, to be available for the programs and activities of the Corporation.
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(i) The Corporation shall waive the amounts required under this paragraph for limited resource farmers and beginning farmers or ranchers, as defined by the Corporation, and veteran farmers or ranchers.
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(ii) The Corporation shall coordinate with other agencies of the Department that provide programs or services to farmers and ranchers described in clause (i) to make available coverage under the waiver under that clause and to share eligibility information to reduce paperwork and avoid duplication.
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(7) The Corporation may limit catastrophic risk coverage in any county or area, or on any farm, on the basis of the insurance risk concerned.
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(8) Effective only for a 1995 crop planted or for which insurance attached prior to January 1, 1995, the Corporation shall allow producers of the crops until not later than the end of the 180-day period beginning on the date of enactment of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform Act of 1994 [Oct. 13, 1994] to obtain catastrophic risk protection for the crop. On enactment of such Act, a producer who made timely purchases of a crop insurance policy before the date of enactment of such Act, under the provisions of this subchapter then in effect, shall be eligible for the same benefits to which a producer would be entitled under comparable additional coverage under subsection (c).
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(A) In developing and carrying out the policies and procedures for a catastrophic risk protection plan under this subchapter, the Corporation shall, to the maximum extent practicable, minimize the paperwork required and the complexity and costs of procedures governing applications for, processing, and servicing of the plan for all parties involved.
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(B) To the extent that the policies and procedures developed under subparagraph (A) may be applied to other plans of insurance offered under this subchapter without jeopardizing the actuarial soundness or integrity of the crop insurance program, the Corporation shall apply the policies and procedures to the other plans of insurance within a reasonable period of time (as determined by the Corporation) after the effective date of this paragraph.
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(A) The Corporation shall offer to producers of agricultural commodities grown in the United States plans of crop insurance that provide additional coverage.
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(B) To be eligible for additional coverage, a producer must apply to an approved insurance provider for purchase of additional coverage if the coverage is available from an approved insurance provider. If additional coverage is unavailable privately, the Corporation may offer additional coverage plans of insurance directly to producers.
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(III) in the case of area yield or revenue coverage (as determined by the Corporation), 95 percent.
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(B) The Corporation shall provide producers with information on catastrophic risk and additional coverage in terms of dollar coverage (within the allowable limits of coverage provided in this paragraph).
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(i) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), in the case of the supplemental coverage option described in paragraph (3)(B), the Corporation shall offer producers the opportunity to purchase coverage in combination with a policy or plan of insurance offered under this subchapter that would allow indemnities to be paid to a producer equal to a part of the deductible under the policy or plan of insurance—(I) at a county-wide level to the fullest extent practicable; or(II) in counties that lack sufficient data, on the basis of such larger geographical area as the Corporation determines to provide sufficient data for purposes of providing the coverage.
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(II) in counties that lack sufficient data, on the basis of such larger geographical area as the Corporation determines to provide sufficient data for purposes of providing the coverage.
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(ii) Coverage offered under paragraph (3)(B) and clause (i) shall be triggered only if the losses in the area exceed 10 percent of normal levels (as determined by the Corporation).
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(A) For the purposes of this subchapter, the Corporation shall establish or approve the price level (referred to in this subchapter as the “expected market price”) of each agricultural commodity for which insurance is offered.
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(B) Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (C), the expected market price of an agricultural commodity shall be not less than the projected market price of the agricultural commodity, as determined by the Corporation.
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(i) may be based on the actual market price of the agricultural commodity at the time of harvest, as determined by the Corporation;
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(ii) in the case of revenue and other similar plans of insurance, may be the actual market price of the agricultural commodity, as determined by the Corporation;
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(iii) in the case of cost of production or similar plans of insurance, shall be the projected cost of producing the agricultural commodity, as determined by the Corporation; or
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(iv) in the case of other plans of insurance, may be an appropriate amount, as determined by the Corporation.
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(i) The Corporation, in conjunction with the Secretary (referred to in this subparagraph as the “Corporation”), shall—(I) not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this subparagraph, make available all methods and data, including data from the Economic Research Service, used by the Corporation to develop the expected market prices for grain sorghum under the production and revenue-based plans of insurance of the Corporation; and(II) request applicable data from the grain sorghum industry.
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(I) not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this subparagraph, make available all methods and data, including data from the Economic Research Service, used by the Corporation to develop the expected market prices for grain sorghum under the production and revenue-based plans of insurance of the Corporation; and
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(I) Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this subparagraph, the Corporation shall contract individually with 5 expert reviewers described in subclause (II) to develop and recommend a methodology for determining an expected market price for sorghum for both the production and revenue-based plans of insurance to more accurately reflect the actual price at harvest.
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(I) Not later than 90 days after the date of contracting with the expert reviewers under clause (ii), the expert reviewers shall submit, and the Corporation shall make available to the public, the recommendations of the expert reviewers.
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(II) The Corporation shall consider the recommendations under subclause (I) when determining the appropriate pricing methodology to determine the expected market price for grain sorghum under both the production and revenue-based plans of insurance.
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(III) Not later than 60 days after the date on which the Corporation receives the recommendations of the expert reviewers, the Corporation shall publish the proposed pricing methodology for both the production and revenue-based plans of insurance for notice and comment and, during the comment period, conduct at least 1 public meeting to discuss the proposed pricing methodologies.
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(I) Not later than 180 days after the close of the comment period in clause (iii)(III), but effective not later than the 2010 crop year, the Corporation shall implement a pricing methodology for grain sorghum under the production and revenue-based plans of insurance that is transparent and replicable.
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(II) Until the date on which the new pricing methodology is implemented, the Corporation may continue to use the pricing methodology that the Corporation determines best establishes the expected market price.
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(III) On an annual basis, the Corporation shall make available the pricing methodology and data used to determine the expected market prices for grain sorghum under the production and revenue-based plans of insurance, including any changes to the methodology used to determine the expected market prices for grain sorghum from the previous year.
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(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), insurance coverage shall be made available to a producer on the basis of any price election that equals or is less than the price election established by the Corporation. The coverage shall be quoted in terms of dollars per acre.
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(B) The Corporation may establish minimum price elections below which levels of insurance shall not be offered.
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(C) The Corporation shall, as the Corporation determines practicable, offer producers different price elections for classes of wheat and malting barley (including contract prices in the case of malting barley), in addition to the standard price election, that reflect different market prices, as determined by the Corporation. The Corporation shall, as the Corporation determines practicable, offer additional coverage for each class determined under this subparagraph and charge a premium for each class that is actuarially sound.
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(i) As soon as possible, but not later than the 2015 reinsurance year, the Corporation shall offer producers of organic crops price elections for all organic crops produced in compliance with standards issued by the Department of Agriculture under the national organic program established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) that reflect the actual retail or wholesale prices, as appropriate, received by producers for organic crops, as determined by the Secretary using all relevant sources of information.
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(ii) The Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate an annual report on progress made in developing and improving Federal crop insurance for organic crops, including—(I) the numbers and varieties of organic crops insured;(II) the progress of implementing the price elections required under this subparagraph, including the rate at which additional price elections are adopted for organic crops;(III) the development of new insurance approaches relevant to organic producers; and(IV) any recommendations the Corporation considers appropriate to improve Federal crop insurance coverage for organic crops.
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(IV) any recommendations the Corporation considers appropriate to improve Federal crop insurance coverage for organic crops.
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(7) For levels of additional coverage equal to 65 percent or more of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at 100 percent of the expected market price, or an equivalent coverage, a producer may elect to delete from the additional coverage any coverage against damage caused by fire and hail if the producer obtains an equivalent or greater dollar amount of coverage for damage caused by fire and hail from an approved insurance provider. On written notice of the election to the company issuing the policy providing additional coverage and submission of evidence of substitute coverage on the commodity insured, the premium of the producer shall be reduced by an amount determined by the Corporation to be actuarially appropriate, taking into account the actuarial value of the remaining coverage provided by the Corporation. In no event shall the producer be given credit for an amount of premium determined to be greater than the actuarial value of the protection against losses caused by fire and hail that is included in the additional coverage for the crop.
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(8) The Corporation may enter into an agreement with any State or agency of a State under which the State or agency may pay to the approved insurance provider an additional premium subsidy to further reduce the portion of the premium paid by producers in the State.
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(1) The Corporation shall fix adequate premiums for all the plans of insurance of the Corporation at such rates as the Board determines are actuarially sufficient to attain an expected loss ratio of not greater than—(A) 1.1 through September 30, 1998;(B) 1.075 for the period beginning October 1, 1998, and ending on the day before the date of enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008; and(C) 1.0 on and after the date of enactment of that Act.
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(A) In the case of catastrophic risk protection, the amount of the premium established by the Corporation for each crop for which catastrophic risk protection is available shall be reduced by the percentage equal to the difference between the average loss ratio for the crop and 100 percent, plus a reasonable reserve, as determined by the Corporation.
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(ii) include an amount for operating and administrative expenses, as determined by the Corporation, on an industry-wide basis as a percentage of the amount of the premium used to define loss ratio.
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(3) The Corporation may provide a performance-based premium discount for a producer of an agricultural commodity who has good insurance or production experience relative to other producers of that agricultural commodity in the same area, as determined by the Corporation.
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(4) Effective beginning with the 2012 reinsurance year, the Corporation shall establish August 15 as the billing date for premiums.
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(1) For the purpose of encouraging the broadest possible participation of producers in the catastrophic risk protection provided under subsection (b) and the additional coverage provided under subsection (c), the Corporation shall pay a part of the premium in the amounts provided in accordance with this subsection.
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(2) Subject to paragraphs (3), (6), and (7), the amount of the premium to be paid by the Corporation shall be as follows:(A) In the case of catastrophic risk protection, the amount shall be equivalent to the premium established for catastrophic risk protection under subsection (d)(2)(A).(B) In the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 50 percent, but less than 55 percent, of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 67 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.(C) In the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 55 percent, but less than 65 percent, of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 69 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.(D) In the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 65 percent, but less than 75 percent, of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 64 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.(E) In the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 75 percent, but less than 80 percent, of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 60 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.(F) In the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 80 percent, but less than 85 percent, of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 51 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.(G) Subject to subsection (c)(4), in the case of additional coverage equal to or greater than 85 percent of the recorded or appraised average yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, or a comparable coverage for a policy or plan of insurance that is not based on individual yield, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 41 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.(H) In the case of the supplemental coverage option authorized in subsection (c)(4)(C), the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 80 percent of the additional premium associated with the coverage; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (c)(4)(C)(v)(II), subject to subsection (k)(4)(F), for the coverage to cover operating and administrative expenses.
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(4) Each policy or plan of insurance under this subchapter shall prominently indicate the dollar amount of the portion of the premium paid by the Corporation.
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(A) The Corporation may pay a portion of the premiums for plans or policies of insurance for which the insurable unit is defined on a whole farm or enterprise unit basis that is higher than would otherwise be paid in accordance with paragraph (2).
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(B) The percentage of the premium paid by the Corporation to a policyholder for a policy with an enterprise or whole farm unit under this paragraph shall, to the maximum extent practicable, provide the same dollar amount of premium subsidy per acre that would otherwise have been paid by the Corporation under paragraph (2) if the policyholder had purchased a basic or optional unit for the crop for the crop year.
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(C) The amount of the premium paid by the Corporation under this paragraph may not exceed 80 percent of the total premium for the enterprise or whole farm unit policy.
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(D) Beginning with the 2015 crop year, the Corporation shall make available separate enterprise units for irrigated and nonirrigated acreage of crops in counties.
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(E) The Corporation may allow a producer to establish a single enterprise unit by combining an enterprise unit with—(i) 1 or more other enterprise units in 1 or more other counties; or(ii) all basic units and all optional units in 1 or more other counties.
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(6) Subject to paragraph (4), in the case of a policy or plan of insurance that covers losses due to a reduction in revenue in an area, the amount of the premium paid by the Corporation shall be as follows:(A) In the case of additional area coverage equal to or greater than 70 percent, but less than 75 percent, of the recorded county yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 59 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.(B) In the case of additional area coverage equal to or greater than 75 percent, but less than 85 percent, of the recorded county yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 55 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.(C) In the case of additional area coverage equal to or greater than 85 percent, but less than 90 percent, of the recorded county yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 49 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.(D) In the case of additional area coverage equal to or greater than 90 percent of the recorded county yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 44 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.
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(7) Subject to paragraph (4), in the case of a policy or plan of insurance that covers losses due to a loss of yield or prevented planting in an area, the amount of the premium paid by the Corporation shall be as follows:(A) In the case of additional area coverage equal to or greater than 70 percent, but less than 80 percent, of the recorded county yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 59 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.(B) In the case of additional area coverage equal to or greater than 80 percent, but less than 90 percent, of the recorded county yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 55 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.(C) In the case of additional area coverage equal to or greater than 90 percent,1 of the recorded county yield indemnified at not greater than 100 percent of the expected market price, the amount shall be equal to the sum of—(i) 51 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (d)(2)(B)(i) for the coverage level selected; and(ii) the amount determined under subsection (d)(2)(B)(ii) for the coverage level selected to cover operating and administrative expenses.
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(A) For coverage under this subchapter, each producer shall purchase crop insurance on or before the sales closing date for the crop by providing the required information and executing the required documents. Subject to the goal of ensuring actuarial soundness for the crop insurance program, the sales closing date shall be established by the Corporation to maximize convenience to producers in obtaining benefits under price and production adjustment programs of the Department.
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(B) Except as provided in subparagraph (C), the Corporation shall establish, for an insurance policy for each insurable crop that is planted in the spring, a sales closing date that is 30 days earlier than the corresponding sales closing date that was established for the 1994 crop year.
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(A) provide annually records acceptable to the Secretary regarding crop acreage, acreage yields, and production for each agricultural commodity insured under this subchapter or accept a yield determined by the Corporation; and
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(B) report acreage planted and prevented from planting by the designated acreage reporting date for the crop and location as established by the Corporation.
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(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Corporation shall establish crop insurance underwriting rules that ensure that yield coverage, as specified in this subsection, is provided to eligible producers obtaining catastrophic risk protection under subsection (b) or additional coverage under subsection (c).
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(i) a yield that is not less than 65 percent of the transitional yield of the producer (adjusted to reflect actual production reflected in the records acceptable to the Corporation for continuous years), as specified in regulations issued by the Corporation based on production history requirements;
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(ii) a yield determined by the Corporation, in the case of—(I) a producer that has not had a share of the production of the insured crop for more than two crop years, as determined by the Secretary;(II) a producer that produces an agricultural commodity on land that has not been farmed by the producer; or(III) a producer that rotates a crop produced on a farm to a crop that has not been produced on the farm; or
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(C) The Corporation may offer a crop insurance plan based on an area yield that allows an insured producer to qualify for an indemnity if a loss has occurred in an area (as specified by the Corporation) in which the farm of the producer is located. Under an area yield plan, an insured producer shall be allowed to select the level of area production at which an indemnity will be paid consistent with such terms and conditions as are established by the Corporation.
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(E) To determine yields under this paragraph, the Corporation—(i) shall use county data collected by the Risk Management Agency, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, or both; or(ii) if sufficient county data is not available, may use other data considered appropriate by the Secretary.
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(A) If a producer does not provide satisfactory evidence of a yield under paragraph (2)(A), the producer shall be assigned a yield that is at least 80 percent of the transitional yield established by the Corporation (adjusted to reflect the actual production history of the producer) if the Secretary determines that—(i) the producer grows feed or forage primarily for on-farm use in a livestock, dairy, or poultry operation; and(ii) over 50 percent of the net farm income of the producer is derived from the operation.
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(B) The Corporation shall—(i) for the first year of participation of a producer, provide the assigned yield under this paragraph to the producer of feed or forage; and(ii) for the second year of participation of the producer, apply the actual production history or assigned yield requirement, as provided in this subsection.
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(A) This paragraph shall apply whenever the Corporation uses the actual production records of the producer to establish the producer’s actual production history for an agricultural commodity for any of the 2001 and subsequent crop years.
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(B) If, for one or more of the crop years used to establish the producer’s actual production history of an agricultural commodity, the producer’s recorded or appraised yield of the commodity was less than 60 percent of the applicable transitional yield, as determined by the Corporation, the Corporation shall, at the election of the producer—(i) exclude any of such recorded or appraised yield; and(I) replace each excluded yield with a yield equal to 60 percent of the applicable transitional yield; or(II) in the case of beginning farmers or ranchers and veteran farmers or ranchers, replace each excluded yield with a yield equal to 80 percent of the applicable transitional yield.
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(iii) For purposes of determining whether the per planted acre yield of the agricultural commodity in the county of the producer was at least 50 percent below the simple average of the per planted acre yield of the agricultural commodity in the county during the previous 10 consecutive crop years, the Corporation shall make a separate determination for irrigated and nonirrigated acreage.
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(D) In the case of a producer that makes an election under subparagraph (B) or (C), the Corporation shall adjust the premium to reflect the risk associated with the adjustment made in the actual production history of the producer.
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(A) The Corporation shall develop a methodology for adjusting the actual production history of a producer when each of the following apply:(i) The producer’s farm is located in an area where systematic, area-wide efforts have been undertaken using certain operations or measures, or the producer’s farm is a location at which certain operations or measures have been undertaken, to detect, eradicate, suppress, or control, or at least to prevent or retard the spread of, a plant disease or plant pest, including a plant pest (as defined in section 77592 of this title).(ii) The presence of the plant disease or plant pest has been found to adversely affect the yield of the agricultural commodity for which the producer is applying for insurance.(iii) The efforts described in clause (i) have been effective.
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(B) The amount by which the Corporation adjusts the actual production history of a producer of an agricultural commodity shall reflect the degree to which the success of the systematic, area-wide efforts described in subparagraph (A), on average, increases the yield of the commodity on the producer’s farm, as determined by the Corporation.
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(A) The Corporation shall establish—(i) underwriting rules that limit the decrease in the actual production history of a producer, at the election of the producer, to not more than 10 percent of the actual production history of the previous crop year provided that the production decline was the result of drought, flood, natural disaster, or other insurable loss (as determined by the Corporation); and(ii) actuarially sound premiums to cover additional risk.
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(i) underwriting rules that limit the decrease in the actual production history of a producer, at the election of the producer, to not more than 10 percent of the actual production history of the previous crop year provided that the production decline was the result of drought, flood, natural disaster, or other insurable loss (as determined by the Corporation); and
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(i) The Corporation shall review any policy developed under section 1522(c) of this title or any pilot program developed under section 1523 of this title and submit the policy or program to the Board under this subsection if the Corporation, at the sole discretion of the Corporation, finds that the policy or program—(I) subject to clause (ii), will likely result in a viable and marketable policy consistent with this subsection;(II) would provide crop insurance coverage in a significantly improved form; and(III) adequately protects the interests of producers.
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(ii) The Corporation may waive the viability and marketability requirement under clause (i)(I) in the case of a policy or pilot program relating to the production of hemp.
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(4) The Corporation shall issue regulations to establish guidelines for the submission, and Board review, of policies or other material submitted to the Board under this subsection. At a minimum, the guidelines shall ensure the following:(i) A proposal submitted to the Board under this subsection (including any information generated from the proposal) shall be considered to be confidential commercial or financial information for the purposes of section 552(b)(4) of title 5.(ii) If information concerning a proposal could be withheld by the Secretary under the standard for privileged or confidential information pertaining to trade secrets and commercial or financial information under section 552(b)(4) of title 5, the information shall not be released to the public.(iii) This subparagraph shall apply with respect to a proposal only during the period preceding any approval of the proposal by the Board.(B) The Board shall provide an applicant with the opportunity to present the proposal to the Board in person if the applicant so desires.(i) The Board shall provide an applicant with notification of intent to disapprove a proposal not later than 30 days prior to making the disapproval.(I) An applicant that receives the notification may modify the application, and such application, as modified, shall be considered by the Board in the manner provided in subparagraph (D) within the 30-day period beginning on the date the modified application is submitted.(II) Clause (i) shall not apply to the Board’s consideration of the modified application.(iii) Any notification of intent to disapprove a policy or other material submitted under this subsection shall be accompanied by a complete explanation as to the reasons for the Board’s intention to deny approval.(i) Not later than 120 days after a policy or other material is submitted under this subsection, the Board shall make a determination to approve or disapprove the policy or material.(ii) Any determination by the Board to disapprove any policy or other material shall be accompanied by a complete explanation of the reasons for the Board’s decision to deny approval.(iii) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, if the Board fails to make a determination within the prescribed time period, the submitted policy or other material shall be deemed approved by the Board for the initial reinsurance year designated for the policy or material, unless the Board and the applicant agree to an extension.(i) As part of the feasibility and research associated with the development of a policy or other material for fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture), the submitter prior to making a submission under this subsection shall consult with groups representing producers of those agricultural commodities in all major producing areas for the commodities to be served or potentially impacted, either directly or indirectly.(ii) Any submission made to the Board under this subsection shall contain a summary and analysis of the feasibility and research findings from the impacted groups described in clause (i), including a summary assessment of the support for or against development of the policy and an assessment on the impact of the proposed policy to the general marketing and production of the crop from both a regional and national perspective.(iii) In evaluating whether the interests of producers are adequately protected pursuant to paragraph (3) with respect to a submission made under this subsection, the Board shall review the information provided pursuant to clause (ii) to determine if the submission will create adverse market distortions with respect to the production of commodities that are the subject of the submission.
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(A) In the case of a policy or plan of insurance developed and approved under this subsection or section 1522 of this title, or conducted under section 1523 of this title (other than a policy or plan of insurance applicable to livestock), the Corporation shall pay a portion of the premium of the policy or plan of insurance that is equal to—(i) the percentage, specified in subsection (e) for a similar level of coverage, of the total amount of the premium used to define loss ratio; and(ii) an amount for administrative and operating expenses determined in accordance with subsection (k)(4).
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(B) Effective only during the 2001 reinsurance year, in the case of a policy or plan of insurance developed and approved under this subsection or section 1522 of this title, or conducted under section 1523 of this title (other than a policy or plan of insurance applicable to livestock), and first approved by the Board after June 20, 2000, the payment by the Corporation of a portion of the premium of the policy may not exceed the dollar amount that would otherwise be authorized under subsection (e) (consistent with subsection (c)(5), as in effect on the day before June 20, 2000).
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(A) Beginning with the 1995 crop year, the Corporation shall offer to producers additional prevented planting coverage that insures producers against losses in accordance with this paragraph.
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(B) Additional prevented planting coverage shall be offered by the Corporation through approved insurance providers.
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(1) The Corporation shall adopt, as soon as practicable, rates and coverages that will improve the actuarial soundness of the insurance operations of the Corporation for those crops that are determined to be insured at rates that are not actuarially sound, except that no rate may be increased by an amount of more than 20 percent over the comparable rate of the preceding crop year.
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(2) To maximize participation in the Federal crop insurance program and to ensure equity for producers, the Corporation shall periodically review the methodologies employed for rating plans of insurance under this subchapter consistent with section 1507(c)(2) of this title.
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(3) The Corporation shall analyze the rating and loss history of approved policies and plans of insurance for agricultural commodities by area.
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(4) If the Corporation makes a determination that premium rates are excessive for an agricultural commodity in an area relative to the requirements of subsection (d)(2) for that area, then, for the 2002 crop year (and as necessary thereafter), the Corporation shall make appropriate adjustments in the premium rates for that area for that agricultural commodity.
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(1) Under rules prescribed by the Corporation, the Corporation may provide for adjustment and payment of claims for losses. The rules prescribed by the Corporation shall establish standards to ensure that all claims for losses are adjusted, to the extent practicable, in a uniform and timely manner.
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(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), if a claim for indemnity is denied by the Corporation or an approved provider on behalf of the Corporation, an action on the claim may be brought against the Corporation or Secretary only in the United States district court for the district in which the insured farm is located.
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(3) The Corporation shall provide approved insurance providers with indemnification, including costs and reasonable attorney fees incurred by the approved insurance provider, due to errors or omissions on the part of the Corporation.
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(4) The Corporation shall consider marketing windows in determining whether it is feasible to require planting during a crop year.
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(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, the Corporation shall, to the maximum extent practicable, provide reinsurance to insurers approved by the Corporation that insure producers of any agricultural commodity under 1 or more plans acceptable to the Corporation.
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(3) The reinsurance agreements of the Corporation with the reinsured companies shall require the reinsured companies to bear a sufficient share of any potential loss under the agreement so as to ensure that the reinsured company will sell and service policies of insurance in a sound and prudent manner, taking into consideration the financial condition of the reinsured companies and the availability of private reinsurance.
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(C) Beginning with the 2002 reinsurance year, in the case of a policy or plan of insurance approved by the Board that was not reinsured during the 1998 reinsurance year but, had it been reinsured, would have received a reduced rate of reimbursement during the 1998 reinsurance year, the rate of reimbursement for administrative and operating costs established for the policy or plan of insurance shall take into account the factors used to determine the rate of reimbursement for administrative and operating costs during the 1998 reinsurance year, including the expected difference in premium and actual administrative and operating costs of the policy or plan of insurance relative to an individual yield policy or plan of insurance and other appropriate factors, as determined by the Corporation.
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(D) Effective beginning with the 2012 reinsurance year, the Corporation shall reimburse approved insurance providers and agents for the allowable administrative and operating costs of the providers and agents as soon as practicable after October 1 (but not later than October 31) after the reinsurance year for which reimbursements are earned.
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(6) The determination of whether the Corporation is achieving, or has achieved, corresponding administrative cost savings shall not be subject to administrative review, and is wholly committed to agency discretion within the meaning of section 701(a)(2) of title 5.
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(7) The Corporation shall submit to Congress a plan outlining the measures that will be used to achieve the reduction required under paragraph (5). If the Corporation can identify additional cost reduction measures, the Corporation shall describe the measures in the plan.
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(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), notwithstanding section 536 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 1506 note; Public Law 105–185) and section 148 of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 1506 note; Public Law 106–224), the Corporation may renegotiate the financial terms and conditions of each Standard Reinsurance Agreement—(i) to be effective for the 2011 reinsurance year beginning July 1, 2010; and(ii) once during each period of 5 reinsurance years thereafter.
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(ii) If Federal law is enacted after the date of enactment of this paragraph that requires revisions in the financial terms of the Standard Reinsurance Agreement, and changes in the Agreement are made on a mandatory basis by the Corporation, the changes shall not be considered to be a renegotiation of the Agreement for purposes of subparagraph (A).
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(C) If the Corporation renegotiates a Standard Reinsurance Agreement under subparagraph (A)(ii), the Corporation shall notify the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate of the renegotiation.
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(D) The approved insurance providers may confer with each other and collectively with the Corporation during any renegotiation under subparagraph (A).
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(i) As part of the Standard Reinsurance Agreement renegotiation authorized under subparagraph (A)(i), the Corporation shall consider alternative methods to determine reimbursement rates for administrative and operating costs.
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(9) Effective beginning with the 2011 reinsurance year, the Corporation shall make payments for underwriting gains under this subchapter on—(A) for the 2011 reinsurance year, October 1, 2012; and(B) for each reinsurance year thereafter, October 1 of the following calendar year.
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(A) Beginning with the 2026 reinsurance year, and for each reinsurance year thereafter, in addition to the terms and conditions of the Standard Reinsurance Agreement, to cover additional expenses for loss adjustment procedures, the Corporation shall pay an additional administrative and operating expense subsidy to approved insurance providers for eligible contracts.
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(bb) an area-based plan of insurance or similar plan of insurance, as determined by the Corporation; or
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(cc) a policy under which an approved insurance provider does not incur loss adjustment expenses, as determined by the Corporation.
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(B) In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Corporation shall not reduce, with respect to any reinsurance year, the amount or the rate of reimbursement to approved insurance providers and agents under the Standard Reinsurance Agreement described in clause (ii) of such subparagraph for administrative and operating expenses with respect to contracts covering agricultural commodities that are not subject to such subparagraph.
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(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), beginning with the 2026 reinsurance year, and for each reinsurance year thereafter, the Corporation shall increase the total administrative and operating expense reimbursements otherwise required under the Standard Reinsurance Agreement in effect for the reinsurance year in order to account for inflation, in a manner consistent with the increases provided with respect to the 2011 through 2015 reinsurance years under the enclosure included in Risk Management Agency Bulletin numbered MGR–10–007 and dated June 30, 2010.
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(l) The Corporation may offer specific risk protection programs, including protection against prevented planting, wildlife depredation, tree damage and disease, and insect infestation, under such terms and conditions as the Board may determine, except that no program may be undertaken if insurance for the specific risk involved is generally available from private companies.
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(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in addition to the quality loss adjustment coverage available under paragraph (1), the Corporation shall offer producers the option of purchasing quality loss adjustment coverage on a basis that is smaller than a unit with respect to an agricultural commodity that satisfies each of the following:(i) The agricultural commodity is sold on an identity-preserved basis.(ii) All quality determinations are made solely by the Federal agency designated to grade or classify the agricultural commodity.(iii) All quality determinations are made in accordance with standards published by the Federal agency in the Federal Register.(iv) The discount schedules that reflect the reduction in quality of the agricultural commodity are established by the Secretary.
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(B) Under this paragraph, the Corporation shall set the quality standards below which quality losses will be paid based on the variability of the grade of the agricultural commodity from the base quality for the agricultural commodity.
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(A) The Corporation shall contract with a qualified person to review the quality loss adjustment procedures of the Corporation so that the procedures more accurately reflect local quality discounts that are applied to agricultural commodities insured under this subchapter.
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(B) Effective beginning not later than the 2004 reinsurance year, based on the review, the Corporation shall make adjustments in the procedures, taking into consideration the actuarial soundness of the adjustment and the prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse.
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(ii) have entered into a storage agreement with the Commodity Credit Corporation; and
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(ii) have entered into a commodity storage agreement with the Commodity Credit Corporation.
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(5) The Corporation shall promulgate special provisions under this subsection specific to malting barley, taking into consideration any changes in quality factors, as required by applicable market conditions.
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(A) The Corporation shall establish procedures to allow insured producers not more than 120 days to settle claims, in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary, involving corn that is determined to have low test weight.
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(B) As soon as practicable after February 7, 2014, the Corporation shall implement subparagraph (A) on a regional basis based on market conditions and the interests of producers.
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(ii) collect an indemnity payment established by the Corporation for the first crop, but not to exceed 35 percent of the insurable loss for the first crop.
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(A) If a producer makes an election under paragraph (1)(B), the producer shall be responsible for a premium for the first crop that is commensurate with the indemnity paid under paragraph (1)(B)(ii). The Corporation shall adjust the total premium for the first crop to reflect the reduced indemnity.
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(ii) subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), collect an indemnity payment established by the Corporation for the first crop, but not to exceed 35 percent of the prevented planting guarantee for the acreage for the first crop.
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(2) If the producer makes an election under paragraph (1)(B), the producer shall pay a premium for the first crop that is commensurate with the indemnity paid under paragraph (1)(B)(ii). The Corporation shall adjust the total premium for the first crop to reflect the reduced indemnity.
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(3) Except in the case of double cropping described in subsection (d), if a producer make an election under paragraph (1)(B) for a crop year, the Corporation shall assign the producer a recorded yield for that crop year for the first crop equal to 60 percent of the producer’s actual production history for the agricultural commodity involved, for purposes of determining the producer’s actual production history for subsequent crop years.
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(4) The Corporation shall limit prevented planting payments for producers to those situations in which other producers, in the area where a first crop is prevented from being planted is located, are also generally affected by the conditions that prevented the first crop from being planted.
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(5) If a producer plants the second crop before the latest planting date established by the Corporation for the first crop, the Corporation shall not make a prevented planting payment with regard to the first crop.
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(1) There is an established practice of planting two or more crops for harvest in the same crop year in the area, as determined by the Corporation.
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(a) Beginning not later than the 2015 crop of upland cotton, the Corporation shall make available to producers of upland cotton an additional policy (to be known as the “Stacked Income Protection Plan”), which shall provide coverage consistent with the Group Risk Income Protection Plan (and the associated Harvest Revenue Option Endorsement) offered by the Corporation for the 2011 crop year.
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(b) The Corporation may modify the Stacked Income Protection Plan on a program-wide basis, except that the Stacked Income Protection Plan shall comply with the following requirements:(1) Provide coverage for revenue loss of not less than 10 percent and not more than 30 percent of expected county revenue, specified in increments of 5 percent. The deductible shall be the minimum percent of revenue loss at which indemnities are triggered under the plan, not to be less than 10 percent of the expected county revenue.(2) Be offered to producers of upland cotton in all counties with upland cotton production—(A) at a county-wide level to the fullest extent practicable; or(B) in counties that lack sufficient data, on the basis of such larger geographical area as the Corporation determines to provide sufficient data for purposes of providing the coverage.(3) Be purchased in addition to any other individual or area coverage in effect on the producer’s acreage or as a stand-alone policy, except that if a producer has an individual or area coverage for the same acreage, the maximum coverage available under the Stacked Income Protection Plan shall not exceed the deductible for the individual or area coverage.(4) Establish coverage based on—(A) the expected price established under existing Group Risk Income Protection or area wide policy offered by the Corporation for the applicable county (or area) and crop year; and(B) an expected county yield that is the higher of—(i) the expected county yield established for the existing area-wide plans offered by the Corporation for the applicable county (or area) and crop year (or, in geographic areas where area-wide plans are not offered, an expected yield determined in a manner consistent with those of area-wide plans); or(ii) the average of the applicable yield data for the county (or area) for the most recent 5 years, excluding the highest and lowest observations, from the Risk Management Agency or the National Agricultural Statistics Service (or both) or, if sufficient county data is not available, such other data considered appropriate by the Secretary.(5) Use a multiplier factor to establish maximum protection per acre (referred to as a “protection factor”) of not less than the higher of the level established on a program wide basis or 120 percent.(6) Pay an indemnity based on the amount that the expected county revenue exceeds the actual county revenue, as applied to the individual coverage of the producer. Indemnities under the Stacked Income Protection Plan shall not include or overlap the amount of the deductible selected under paragraph (1).(7) In all counties for which data are available, establish separate coverage levels for irrigated and nonirrigated practices.
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(B) in counties that lack sufficient data, on the basis of such larger geographical area as the Corporation determines to provide sufficient data for purposes of providing the coverage.
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(A) the expected price established under existing Group Risk Income Protection or area wide policy offered by the Corporation for the applicable county (or area) and crop year; and
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(i) the expected county yield established for the existing area-wide plans offered by the Corporation for the applicable county (or area) and crop year (or, in geographic areas where area-wide plans are not offered, an expected yield determined in a manner consistent with those of area-wide plans); or
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(d) Subject to section 1508(e)(4) of this title, the amount of premium paid by the Corporation for all qualifying coverage levels of the Stacked Income Protection Plan shall be—(1) 80 percent of the amount of the premium established under subsection (c) for the coverage level selected; and(2) the amount determined under subsection (c)(2), subject to section 1508(k)(4)(F) of this title, for the coverage to cover administrative and operating expenses.
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(a) Effective beginning with the 2015 crop year, the Risk Management Agency and the Corporation shall make available to producers of peanuts a revenue crop insurance program for peanuts.
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(1) The effective price for peanuts established under subsection (b) may be adjusted by the Risk Management Agency and the Corporation to correct distortions.
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(2) If an adjustment is made under paragraph (1), the Risk Management Agency and the Corporation shall—(A) make the adjustment in an open and transparent manner; and(B) submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes the reasons for the adjustment.
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Notwithstanding section 1508a of this title, and in addition to any other available coverage, for crops that can be both grazed and mechanically harvested on the same acres during the same growing season, producers shall be allowed to purchase separate policies for each intended use, as determined by the Corporation, and any indemnity paid under those policies for each intended use shall not be considered to be for the same loss for the purposes of section 1508(n) of this title.
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Claims for indemnities under this subchapter shall not be liable to attachment, levy, garnishment, or any other legal process before payment to the insured or to deduction on account of the indebtedness of the insured or the estate of the insured to the United States except claims of the United States or the Corporation arising under this subchapter.
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All money of the Corporation not otherwise employed may be deposited with the Treasurer of the United States or in any bank approved by the Secretary of the Treasury, subject to withdrawal by the Corporation at any time, or with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury may be invested in obligations of the United States or in obligations guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States. Subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve banks are hereby authorized and directed to act as depositories, custodians, and fiscal agents for the Corporation in the performance of its powers conferred by this subchapter.
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The Corporation, including its franchise, its capital, reserves, and surplus, and its income and property, shall be exempt from all taxation on or after February 16, 1938, imposed by the United States or by any Territory, dependency, or possession thereof, or by any State, county, municipality, or local taxing authority. A contract of insurance of the Corporation, and a contract of insurance reinsured by the Corporation, shall be exempt from taxation imposed by any State, municipality, or local taxing authority.
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When designated for that purpose by the Secretary of the Treasury, the Corporation shall be a depository of public money, except receipts from customs, under such regulations as may be prescribed by said Secretary; and it may also be employed as a financial agent of the Government; and it shall perform all such reasonable duties, as a depository of public money and financial agent of the Government, as may be required of it.
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The Corporation shall at all times maintain complete and accurate books of accounts and shall file annually with the Secretary a complete report as to the business of the Corporation.
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(2) The Corporation shall work actively with approved insurance providers to address program compliance and integrity issues as such issues develop.
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(1) The Corporation shall notify in writing an approved insurance provider of any error, omission, or failure to follow Corporation regulations or procedures for which the approved insurance provider may be responsible and which may result in a debt owed the Corporation.
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(3) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the failure to timely provide the notice required under this subsection shall relieve the approved insurance provider from the debt owed the Corporation.
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(1) The Secretary shall develop and implement a coordinated plan for the Corporation and the Farm Service Agency to reconcile all relevant information received by the Corporation or the Farm Service Agency from a producer who obtains crop insurance coverage under this subchapter.
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(2) Beginning with the 2001 crop year, the Secretary shall require that the Corporation and the Farm Service Agency reconcile such producer-derived information on at least an annual basis in order to identify and address any discrepancies.
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(A) In addition to the corrections permitted by the Corporation as of the day before February 7, 2014, the Corporation shall establish procedures that allow an agent or an approved insurance provider, subject to subparagraph (B)—(i) within a reasonable amount of time following the applicable sales closing date, to correct errors in information that is provided by a producer for the purpose of obtaining coverage under any policy or plan of insurance made available under this subchapter to ensure that the eligibility information is correct and consistent with information reported by the producer for other programs administered by the Secretary;(ii) within a reasonable amount of time following—(I) the acreage reporting date, to reconcile errors in the information reported by the producer with correct information determined from any other program administered by the Secretary; or(II) the date of any subsequent correction of data by the Farm Service Agency made as a result of the verification of information, to make conforming corrections; and(iii) at any time, to correct electronic transmission errors that were made by an agent or approved insurance provider, or such errors made by the Farm Service Agency or any other agency of the Department of Agriculture in transmitting the information provided by the producer for purposes of other programs of the Department to the extent an agent or approved insurance provider relied upon the erroneous information for crop insurance purposes.
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(B) In accordance with the procedures of the Corporation, correction to the information described in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A) may only be made if the corrections do not allow the producer—(i) to avoid ineligibility requirements for insurance or obtain a disproportionate benefit under the crop insurance program or any related program administered by the Secretary;(ii) to obtain, enhance, or increase an insurance guarantee or indemnity if a cause of loss exists or has occurred before any correction has been made, or avoid premium owed if no loss is likely to occur; or(iii) to avoid an obligation or requirement under any Federal or State law.
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(C) Any corrections made within a reasonable amount of time, in accordance with established procedures, pursuant to this paragraph shall not be subject to any late filing sanctions authorized in the reinsurance agreement with the Corporation.
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(D) In the case of a producer that has inadvertently failed to pay a debt due as specified by regulations of the Corporation and has been determined to be ineligible for crop insurance pursuant to the terms of the policy as a result of that failure, the Corporation may determine to allow the producer to pay the debt and purchase the crop insurance after the sales closing date, in accordance with procedures and limitations established by the Corporation.
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(1) The Secretary shall develop and implement a coordinated plan for the Farm Service Agency to assist the Corporation in the ongoing monitoring of programs carried out under this subchapter, including—(A) at the request of the Corporation or, subject to paragraph (2), on its own initiative if the Farm Service Agency has reason to suspect the existence of program fraud, waste, or abuse, conducting fact finding relative to allegations of program fraud, waste, or abuse;(B) reporting to the Corporation, in writing in a timely manner, the results of any fact finding conducted pursuant to subparagraph (A), any allegation of fraud, waste, or abuse, and any identified program vulnerabilities;(C) assisting the Corporation and approved insurance providers in auditing a statistically appropriate number of claims made under any policy or plan of insurance under this subchapter; and(D) using published aggregate data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service or any other data source to—(i) detect yield disparities or other data anomalies that indicate potential fraud; and(ii) target the relevant counties, crops, regions, companies, or agents associated with that potential fraud for audits and other enforcement actions.
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(A) at the request of the Corporation or, subject to paragraph (2), on its own initiative if the Farm Service Agency has reason to suspect the existence of program fraud, waste, or abuse, conducting fact finding relative to allegations of program fraud, waste, or abuse;
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(B) reporting to the Corporation, in writing in a timely manner, the results of any fact finding conducted pursuant to subparagraph (A), any allegation of fraud, waste, or abuse, and any identified program vulnerabilities;
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(C) assisting the Corporation and approved insurance providers in auditing a statistically appropriate number of claims made under any policy or plan of insurance under this subchapter; and
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(2) If, within five calendar days after receiving a report submitted under paragraph (1)(B), the Corporation does not provide a written response that describes the intended actions of the Corporation, the Farm Service Agency may conduct its own inquiry into the alleged program fraud, waste, or abuse on approval from the State director of the Farm Service Agency of the State in which the alleged fraud, waste, or abuse occurred. If as a result of the inquiry, the Farm Service Agency concludes further investigation is warranted, but the Corporation declines to proceed with the investigation, the Farm Service Agency may refer the matter to the Inspector General of the Department of Agriculture.
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(A) The activities of the Farm Service Agency under this subsection do not affect the responsibility of approved insurance providers to conduct any audits of claims or other program reviews required by the Corporation.
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(B) The Corporation shall notify the appropriate approved insurance provider of a report from the Farm Service Agency regarding alleged program fraud, waste, or abuse, unless the provider is suspected to be included in, or a party to, the alleged fraud, waste, or abuse.
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(C) An approved insurance provider that receives a notice under subparagraph (B) shall submit a report to the Corporation, within an appropriate time period determined by the Secretary, describing the actions taken by the provider to investigate the allegations of program fraud, waste, or abuse contained in the notice.
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(A) If an approved insurance provider reports to the Corporation that the approved insurance provider suspects intentional misrepresentation, fraud, waste, or abuse, the Corporation shall make a determination and provide, within 90 calendar days after receiving the report, a written response that describes the intended actions of the Corporation.
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(B) The approved insurance provider and the Corporation shall take coordinated action in any case where misrepresentation, fraud, waste, or abuse is alleged.
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(C) If the Corporation fails to respond as required by subparagraph (A), an approved insurance provider may request the Farm Service Agency to assist the provider in an inquiry into the alleged program fraud, waste, or abuse.
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(e) The Secretary shall establish procedures under which the Corporation shall consult with the State committee of the Farm Service Agency for a State with respect to policies, plans of insurance, and material related to such policies or plans of insurance (including applicable sales closing dates, assigned yields, and transitional yields) offered in that State under this subchapter.
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(1) The Secretary shall establish procedures under which the Corporation will be able to identify the following:(A) Any agent engaged in the sale of coverage offered under this subchapter where the loss claims associated with such sales by the agent are equal to or greater than 150 percent (or an appropriate percentage specified by the Corporation) of the mean for all loss claims associated with such sales by all other agents operating in the same area, as determined by the Corporation.(B) Any person performing loss adjustment services relative to coverage offered under this subchapter where such loss adjustments performed by the person result in accepted or denied claims equal to or greater than 150 percent (or an appropriate percentage specified by the Corporation) of the mean for accepted or denied claims (as applicable) for all other persons performing loss adjustment services in the same area, as determined by the Corporation.
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(A) Any agent engaged in the sale of coverage offered under this subchapter where the loss claims associated with such sales by the agent are equal to or greater than 150 percent (or an appropriate percentage specified by the Corporation) of the mean for all loss claims associated with such sales by all other agents operating in the same area, as determined by the Corporation.
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(B) Any person performing loss adjustment services relative to coverage offered under this subchapter where such loss adjustments performed by the person result in accepted or denied claims equal to or greater than 150 percent (or an appropriate percentage specified by the Corporation) of the mean for accepted or denied claims (as applicable) for all other persons performing loss adjustment services in the same area, as determined by the Corporation.
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(A) The Corporation shall conduct a review of any agent identified under paragraph (1)(A), and any person identified under paragraph (1)(B), to determine whether the higher loss claims associated with the agent or the higher number of accepted or denied claims (as applicable) associated with the person are the result of fraud, waste, or abuse.
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(B) The Corporation shall take appropriate remedial action with respect to any occurrence of fraud, waste, or abuse identified in a review conducted under this paragraph.
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(3) The Corporation shall develop procedures to require an annual review by an approved insurance provider of the performance of each agent and loss adjuster used by the approved insurance provider. The Corporation shall oversee the conduct of annual reviews and may consult with an approved insurance provider regarding any remedial action that is determined to be necessary as a result of the annual review of an agent or loss adjuster.
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(1) The Secretary shall establish procedures under which approved insurance providers shall submit to the Corporation the following information with respect to each policy or plan of insurance offered under this subchapter:(A) The name and identification number of the insured.(B) The agricultural commodity to be insured.(C) The elected coverage level, including the price election, of the insured.(D) The actual production history to be used to establish insurable yields.
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(A) The information required to be submitted under subparagraphs (A) through (C) of paragraph (1) with respect to a policy or plan of insurance shall be submitted so as to ensure receipt by the Corporation not later than the Saturday of the week containing the calendar day that is 30 days after the applicable sales closing date for the crop to be insured.
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(i) The information required to be submitted under paragraph (1)(D) with respect to an applicable policy or plan of insurance for a covered commodity (as defined in section 9011 of this title) shall be submitted so as to ensure receipt by the Corporation not later than the Saturday of the week containing the calendar day that is 30 days after the applicable production reporting date for the crop to be insured.
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(ii) Nothing in clause (i) limits the ability of an approved insurance provider to correct any error in the information submitted under paragraph (1)(D) after receipt of the information by the Corporation in accordance with clause (i).
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(1) A producer, agent, loss adjuster, approved insurance provider, or other person that willfully and intentionally provides any false or inaccurate information to the Corporation or to an approved insurance provider with respect to a policy or plan of insurance under this subchapter may, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing on the record, be subject to one or more of the sanctions described in paragraph (3).
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(2) A person may, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing on the record, be subject to one or more of the sanctions described in paragraph (3) if the person is a producer, agent, loss adjuster, approved insurance provider, or other person that willfully and intentionally fails to comply with a requirement of the Corporation.
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(iv) The Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714 et seq.).
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(A) providing false or inaccurate information to the Corporation or to an approved insurance provider; or
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(B) failing to comply with a requirement of the Corporation.
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(1) The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate an annual report describing the operation of this section during the preceding year and efforts undertaken by the Secretary and the Corporation to carry out this section.
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(A) The Secretary shall maintain and upgrade the information management systems of the Corporation used in the administration and enforcement of this subchapter.
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(1) The Corporation shall establish requirements for continuing education for loss adjusters and agents of approved insurance providers.
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(A) For purposes of subsection (j)(1), the Corporation may use, from amounts made available from the insurance fund established under section 1516(c) of this title, not more than—(I) for fiscal year 2014, $14,000,000; and(II) for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2018, $9,000,000; or(ii) if the Acreage Crop Reporting Streamlining Initiative (ACRSI) project is substantially completed by September 30, 2015, not more than $14,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2015 through 2018.
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(2) To carry out subsection (j)(2), the Corporation may use, from amounts made available from the insurance fund established under section 1516(c) of this title, not more than—(A) $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2025; and(B) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each subsequent fiscal year.
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(1) There are authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 1999 and each subsequent fiscal year such sums as are necessary to cover the salaries and expenses of the Corporation.
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(A) The administrative and operating expenses of the Corporation for the sales commissions of agents.
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(1) For each of the 1999 and subsequent reinsurance years, the Corporation may pay from the insurance fund established under subsection (c) all expenses of the Corporation (other than expenses covered by subsection (a)(1) and expenses covered by paragraph (2)(A)), including the following:(A) Premium subsidies and indemnities.(B) Administrative and operating expenses of the Corporation necessary to pay the sales commissions of agents.(C) All administrative and operating expense reimbursements due under a reinsurance agreement with an approved insurance provider.(D) Costs associated with the conduct of livestock and wild salmon pilot programs carried out under section 1523 of this title, subject to the limitations in subsection (a)(3)(E)(ii) of that section.(E) Costs associated with the reimbursement, contracting, and partnerships for research and development under section 1522 of this title.
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(B) Administrative and operating expenses of the Corporation necessary to pay the sales commissions of agents.
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(A) For each of the 1999 and subsequent reinsurance years, the Corporation may use the insurance fund established under subsection (c), but not to exceed $3,500,000 for each fiscal year, to pay the following:(i) Costs associated with the consideration and implementation of policies, plans of insurance, and related materials submitted under section 1508(h) of this title or developed under section 1522 or 1523 of this title.(ii) Costs to contract for the review of policies, plans of insurance, and related materials under section 1505(e) of this title and to contract for other assistance in considering policies, plans of insurance, and related materials.
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(i) For each of the 2014 and subsequent reinsurance years, the Corporation may use the insurance fund established under subsection (c), but not to exceed $7,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2025 and $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 and each fiscal year thereafter, to pay costs—(I) to reimburse expenses incurred for the operations and review of policies, plans of insurance, and related materials (including actuarial and related information); and(II) to assist the Corporation in maintaining program actuarial soundness and financial integrity.
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(II) to assist the Corporation in maintaining program actuarial soundness and financial integrity.
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(iii) Funds made available under this subparagraph shall be in addition to other funds made available for costs incurred by the Corporation or the Risk Management Agency.
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(2) If at any time the amounts in the insurance fund are insufficient to enable the Corporation to carry out subsection (b), to the extent the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation are available—(A) the Corporation may request the Secretary to use the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out subsection (b); and(B) the Secretary may use the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out subsection (b).
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(A) the Corporation may request the Secretary to use the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out subsection (b); and
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(B) the Secretary may use the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out subsection (b).
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(A) The Corporation shall provide a payment to an applicant for research and development costs in accordance with this subsection.
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(I) for any employees or contracted personnel, wage rates equal to not more than 2 times the hourly wage rate plus benefits, as provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the year in which such costs are incurred, calculated using the formula applied to an applicant by the Corporation in reviewing proposed project budgets under this section on October 1, 2016; and
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(III) the applicant agrees to provide such reports as the Corporation determines are necessary to monitor the development effort;
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(ii) If a policy is submitted under subparagraph (F) and is not approved by the Board under section 1508(h) of this title, the Corporation shall—(I) not seek a refund of any payments made in accordance with this paragraph; and(II) not make any further research and development cost payments associated with the submission of the policy under this paragraph.
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(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the Corporation shall approve a reimbursement under paragraph (1) only after determining that the policy is marketable based on a reasonable marketing plan, as determined by the Board.
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(B) The Corporation may waive the marketability requirement under subparagraph (A) in the case of research and development relating to a policy to insure the production of hemp.
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(A) The Corporation shall reimburse maintenance costs associated with the annual cost of underwriting for a policy described in paragraph (1).
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(ii) transfer responsibility for maintenance of the policy to the Corporation.
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(5) Payments made under this subsection for a policy shall be considered as payment in full by the Corporation for the research and development conducted with regard to the policy and any property rights to the policy.
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(6) The Corporation shall determine the amount of the payment under this subsection for an approved policy based on the complexity of the policy and the size of the area in which the policy or material is expected to be sold.
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(1) The Corporation may conduct activities or enter into contracts to carry out research and development to maintain or improve existing policies or develop new policies to—(A) increase participation in States in which the Corporation determines that—(i) there is traditionally, and continues to be, a low level of Federal crop insurance participation and availability; and(ii) the State is underserved by the Federal crop insurance program;(B) increase participation in areas that are underserved by the Federal crop insurance program; and(C) increase participation by producers of underserved agricultural commodities, including specialty crops.
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(A) increase participation in States in which the Corporation determines that—(i) there is traditionally, and continues to be, a low level of Federal crop insurance participation and availability; and(ii) the State is underserved by the Federal crop insurance program;
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(A) The Corporation may conduct research and development or enter into contracts under procedures prescribed by the Corporation with qualified persons to carry out research and development for policies that promote the purposes of paragraph (1).
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(B) Before conducting research and development or entering into a contract under subparagraph (A), the Corporation shall consult with groups representing producers of agricultural commodities that would be served by the policies that are the subject of the research and development.
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(3) A person with experience in crop insurance or farm or ranch risk management (including a college or university, an approved insurance provider, and a trade or research organization), as determined by the Corporation, shall be eligible to enter into a contract with the Corporation under this subsection.
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(5) The Corporation may offer any policy developed under this subsection that is approved by the Board after expert review in accordance with section 1505(e) of this title.
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(6) The Corporation shall establish as one of the highest research and development priorities of the Corporation the development of policies that increase participation by producers of underserved agricultural commodities, including sweet sorghum, biomass sorghum, rice, peanuts, sugarcane, alfalfa, pennycress, dedicated energy crops, and specialty crops.
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(A) Unless the Corporation approves a whole farm insurance plan, similar to the plan described in this paragraph, to be available to producers for the 2016 reinsurance year, the Corporation shall conduct activities or enter into contracts to carry out research and development to develop a whole farm risk management insurance plan, with a liability limitation of $1,500,000, that allows a diversified crop or livestock producer the option to qualify for an indemnity if actual gross farm revenue is below 85 percent of the average gross farm revenue or the expected gross farm revenue that can reasonably be expected of the producer, as determined by the Corporation.
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(B) The Corporation shall permit producers (including direct-to-consumer marketers and producers servicing local and regional and farm identity-preserved markets) who produce multiple agricultural commodities, including specialty crops, industrial crops, livestock, and aquaculture products, to participate in the plan developed under subparagraph (A) in lieu of any other plan under this subchapter.
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(C) The Corporation may provide diversification-based additional coverage payment rates, premium discounts, or other enhanced benefits in recognition of the risk management benefits of crop and livestock diversification strategies for producers that—(i) grow multiple crops; or(ii) may have income from the production of livestock that uses a crop grown on the farm.
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(D) The Corporation may include coverage for the value of any packing, packaging, or any other similar on-farm activity the Corporation determines to be the minimum required in order to remove the commodity from the field.
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(I) the Corporation shall hold stakeholder meetings to solicit producer and agent feedback; and
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(A) The Corporation shall carry out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and development, regarding a policy to insure crops (including tomatoes, peppers, and citrus) against losses due to a tropical storm or hurricane.
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(C) Not later than 1 year after December 20, 2018, the Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes—(i) the results of the research and development carried out under this paragraph; and(ii) any recommendations with respect to those results.
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(A) The Corporation shall carry out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and development, regarding the establishment of each of the following alternative methods of adjusting for quality losses:(i) A method that does not impact the actual production history of a producer.(ii) A method that provides that, in circumstances in which a producer has suffered a quality loss to the insured crop of the producer that is insufficient to trigger an indemnity payment, the producer may elect to exclude that quality loss from the actual production history of the producer.
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(B) Notwithstanding subsections (g) and (m) of section 1508 of this title, any method developed under subparagraph (A) that is used by the Corporation shall be—(i) optional for a producer to use; and(ii) offered at an actuarially sound premium rate.
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(C) Not later than 1 year after December 20, 2018, the Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes—(i) the results of the research and development carried out under subparagraph (A); and(ii) any recommendations with respect to those results.
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(A) The Corporation shall carry out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and development, regarding the insurance of citrus fruit commodities and commodity types, including research and development of—(i) improvements to 1 or more existing policies, including the whole-farm revenue protection pilot policy;(ii) alternative methods of insuring revenue for citrus fruit commodities and commodity types; and(iii) the development of new, or expansion of existing, revenue policies for citrus fruit commodities and commodity types.
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(B) Not later than 1 year after December 20, 2018, the Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes—(i) the results of the research and development carried out under subparagraph (A); and(ii) any recommendations with respect to those results.
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(A) The Corporation shall carry out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and development, regarding a policy to insure the production of hops or revenue derived from the production of hops.
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(B) Not later than 1 year after December 20, 2018, the Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes—(i) the results of the research and development carried out under subparagraph (A); and(ii) any recommendations with respect to those results.
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(A) The Corporation shall carry out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and development, regarding the creation of a separate practice for subsurface irrigation, including the establishment of a separate transitional yield within a county that is reflective of the average gain in productivity and yield associated with the installation of a subsurface irrigation system.
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(B) Not later than 18 months after December 20, 2018, the Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes—(i) the results of the research and development carried out under subparagraph (A); and(ii) any recommendations with respect to those results.
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(A) The Corporation shall carry out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and development—(i) regarding improvements to 1 or more policies to insure irrigated grain sorghum;(ii) regarding alternative methods for producers with not more than 4 years of production history to insure irrigated grain sorghum; and(iii) to assess, by county, the difference in the rate, average yield, and coverage level of grain sorghum policies compared to policies for other feed grains in that county.
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(B) Not later than 18 months after December 20, 2018, the Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes—(i) the results of the research and development carried out under subparagraph (A); and(ii) any recommendations with respect to those results.
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(A) The Corporation shall—(i) consider expanding the availability of the limited irrigation insurance program to neighboring and similarly situated States (such as the States of Colorado and Nebraska), as determined by the Secretary;(ii) carry out research, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research, on the marketability of the existing limited irrigation insurance program; and(iii) make recommendations on how to improve participation in that program.
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(C) Not later than 18 months after December 20, 2018, the Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes—(ii) any recommendations to encourage producers to carry out limited irrigation practices or reduced irrigation and water conservation practices; and(iii) the actions taken by the Corporation to carry out the recommendations described in clause (ii).
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(iii) the actions taken by the Corporation to carry out the recommendations described in clause (ii).
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(A) The Corporation shall carry out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and development, to include new and innovative irrigation practices under the current rice policy or the development of a distinct policy endorsement rated for rice produced using—(i) alternate wetting and drying practices (also referred to as “intermittent flooding”); and(ii) furrow irrigation practices.
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(B) Not later than 18 months after December 20, 2018, the Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes—(i) the results of the research and development carried out under paragraph (1); and(ii) any recommendations with respect to those results.
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(i) The Corporation shall carry out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and development, regarding a policy to insure in a controlled environment such as a greenhouse—(I) the production of floriculture, nursery, and bedding plants;(II) the establishment of cuttings or tissue culture in a growing medium; or(III) other similar production, as determined by the Secretary.
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(ii) Notwithstanding the last sentence of section 1508(a)(1) of this title, and section 1508(a)(2) of this title, the Corporation shall make a policy described in clause (i) available if the requirements of section 1508(h) of this title are met.
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(C) Not later than 2 years after December 20, 2018, the Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that describes—(ii) any recommendations with respect to those results.
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(i) The Corporation shall carry out a study to determine the feasibility of, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out a study to determine the feasibility of, a policy to insure production—(I) of floriculture, fruits, vegetables, poultry, livestock, or the products of floriculture, fruits, vegetables, poultry, or livestock; and(II) that is targeted toward local consumers and markets.
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(ii) Notwithstanding the last sentence of section 1508(a)(1) of this title, and section 1508(a)(2) of this title, the Corporation shall make available a policy described in clause (i) if—(I) the results of the feasibility study under clause (i) are viable; and(II) the requirements of section 1508(h) of this title are met.
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(C) Not later than 2 years after December 20, 2018, the Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that—(i) examines whether a version of existing policies such as the whole-farm revenue protection insurance plan may be tailored to provide improved coverage for producers of local foods;(ii) describes the results of the feasibility study carried out under subparagraph (A)(i); and(iii) includes any recommendations with respect to those results.
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(i) The Corporation shall carry out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and development, regarding a policy to insure producers of corn, cotton, and soybeans—(I) with operations on highly productive batture land within the Lower Mississippi River Valley;(II) that have a history of production of not less than 5 years; and(III) that have been impacted by more frequent flooding over the past 10 years due to sedimentation or federally constructed engineering improvements.
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(ii) Notwithstanding the last sentence of section 1508(a)(1) of this title, and section 1508(a)(2) of this title, the Corporation shall make a policy described in clause (i) available if the requirements of section 1508(h) of this title are met.
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(C) Not later than 2 years after December 20, 2018, the Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that—(i) examines whether a version of existing policies may be tailored to provide improved coverage for batture-land producers;(ii) describes the results of the research and development carried out under subparagraphs (A) and (B); and(iii) includes any recommendations with respect to those results.
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(1) The purpose of this subsection is to authorize the Corporation to enter into partnerships with public and private entities for the purpose of either—(A) increasing the availability of loss mitigation, financial, and other risk management tools for producers, with a priority given to risk management tools for producers of agricultural commodities covered by section 7333 of this title, specialty crops, and underserved agricultural commodities; or(B) improving analysis tools and technology regarding compliance or identifying and using innovative compliance strategies.
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(2) The Corporation may enter into partnerships with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the Agricultural Research Service, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, and other appropriate public and private entities with demonstrated capabilities in developing and implementing risk management and marketing options for producers of specialty crops and underserved agricultural commodities.
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(3) The Corporation may enter into a partnership under paragraph (2)—(A) to enhance the notice and timeliness of notice of weather conditions that could negatively affect 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) to develop a multifaceted approach to pest management and fertilization to decrease inputs, decrease environmental exposure, and increase application efficiency;(C) to develop or improve techniques for planning, breeding, planting, growing, maintaining, harvesting, storing, shipping, and marketing that will address quality and quantity challenges associated with year-to-year and regional variations;(D) to clarify labor requirements and assist producers in complying with requirements to better meet the physically intense and time-compressed planting, tending, and harvesting requirements associated with the production of specialty crops and underserved agricultural commodities;(E) to 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;(F) to provide producers with training and informational opportunities so that the producers will be better able to use financial management, farm financial benchmarking, crop insurance, marketing contracts, and other existing and emerging risk management tools;(G) to improve analysis tools and technology regarding compliance or identifying and using innovative compliance strategies; and(H) to develop other risk management tools to further increase economic and production stability.
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(1) Of the amounts made available from the insurance fund established under section 1516(c) of this title, the Corporation may use to provide reimbursements under subsection (b) not more than $7,500,000 for fiscal year 2008 and each subsequent fiscal year.
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(A) Of the amounts made available from the insurance fund established under section 1516(c) of this title, the Corporation may use to conduct research and development and carry out contracting and partnerships under subsections (c) and (d) not more than—(i) $12,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2018; and(ii) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2019 and each fiscal year thereafter.
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(B) Of the amount made available under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, the Corporation shall use not more than $5,000,000 for the fiscal year to conduct research and development and carry out contracting for research and development to carry out the purpose described in subsection (c)(1)(A).
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(3) If the Corporation determines that the amount available under this section for a fiscal year is not needed for such purposes, the Corporation may use—(A) not more than $5,000,000 for each fiscal year to improve program integrity, including by—(i) increasing compliance-related training;(ii) improving analysis tools and technology regarding compliance;(iii) use of information technology, as determined by the Corporation; and(iv) identifying and using innovative compliance strategies; and(B) any excess amounts to carry out other activities authorized under this section.
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(iii) use of information technology, as determined by the Corporation; and
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(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Corporation may, at the sole discretion of the Corporation, conduct a pilot program submitted to and approved by the Board under section 1508(h) of this title, or that is developed under subsection (b) or section 1522 of this title, to evaluate whether a proposal or new risk management tool tested by the pilot program is suitable for the marketplace and addresses the needs of producers of agricultural commodities.
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(2) Under this section, the Corporation shall not conduct any pilot program that provides insurance protection against a risk if insurance protection against the risk is generally available from private companies.
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(ii) the Corporation shall conduct all wild salmon programs under this subchapter so that, to the maximum extent practicable, all costs associated with conducting the programs are not expected to exceed $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and each subsequent fiscal year.
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(4) The Corporation may—(A) approve a pilot program under this section to be conducted on a regional, State, or national basis after considering the interests of affected producers and the interests of, and risks to, the Corporation;(B) operate the pilot program, including any modifications of the pilot program, for a period of up to 4 years;(C) extend the time period for the pilot program for additional periods, as determined appropriate by the Corporation; and(D) provide pilot programs that would allow producers—(i) to receive a reduced premium for using whole farm units or single crop units of insurance; and(ii) to cross State and county boundaries to form insurable units.
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(A) approve a pilot program under this section to be conducted on a regional, State, or national basis after considering the interests of affected producers and the interests of, and risks to, the Corporation;
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(C) extend the time period for the pilot program for additional periods, as determined appropriate by the Corporation; and
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(2) Subject to paragraph (7), the Corporation shall conduct two or more pilot programs to evaluate the effectiveness of risk management tools for livestock producers, including the use of futures and options contracts and policies and plans of insurance that protect the interests of livestock producers and that provide—(A) livestock producers with reasonable protection from the financial risks of price or income fluctuations inherent in the production and marketing of livestock; or(B) protection for production losses.
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(3) To the maximum extent practicable, the Corporation shall evaluate the greatest number and variety of pilot programs described in paragraph (2) to determine which of the offered risk management tools are best suited to protect livestock producers from the financial risks associated with the production and marketing of livestock.
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(4) The Corporation shall begin conducting livestock pilot programs under this subsection during fiscal year 2001.
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(6) As part of a pilot program under this subsection, the Corporation may provide reinsurance for policies or plans of insurance and subsidize the purchase of futures and options contracts or policies and plans of insurance offered under the pilot program.
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(7) No action may be undertaken with respect to a risk under this subsection if the Corporation determines that insurance protection for livestock producers against the risk is generally available from private companies.
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(8) The Corporation shall conduct the livestock pilot programs under this subsection in a number of counties that is determined by the Corporation to be adequate to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the feasibility, effectiveness, and demand among producers for the risk management tools evaluated in the pilot programs.
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(A) Beginning with the 2002 crop year, the Corporation shall establish a pilot program under which approved insurance providers may propose for approval by the Board policies or plans of insurance with reduced rates of premium—(i) for one or more agricultural commodities; and(ii) within a limited geographic area, as proposed by the approved insurance provider and approved by the Board.
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(1) The Corporation shall carry out, through at least the 2004 reinsurance year, the adjusted gross revenue insurance pilot program in effect for the 2002 reinsurance year.
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(A) In addition to counties otherwise included in the pilot program, the Corporation shall include in the pilot program for the 2003 reinsurance year at least 8 counties in the State of California and at least 8 counties in the State of Pennsylvania.
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(B) In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Corporation shall work with the respective State Departments of Agriculture to establish criteria to determine which counties to include in the pilot program.
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(1) The Corporation shall establish a pilot program under which producers or processors of camelina may propose for approval by the Board policies or plans of insurance for camelina, in accordance with section 1508(h) of this title.
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(3) The Corporation shall commence the camelina insurance pilot program as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this subsection.
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(1) In addition to any other authority of the Corporation, the Corporation shall establish and carry out a pilot program under which a producer of nondehiscent sesame under contract may elect to obtain multiperil crop insurance, as determined by the Corporation.
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(4) The Corporation shall commence the sesame insurance pilot program as soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this subsection.
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(1) In addition to any other authority of the Corporation, the Corporation shall establish and carry out a grass seed pilot program under which a producer of Kentucky bluegrass or perennial rye grass under contract may elect to obtain multiperil crop insurance, as determined by the Corporation.
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(4) The Corporation shall commence the grass seed insurance pilot program as soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this subsection.
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(2) Notwithstanding subsection (a)(2), the Corporation may conduct 2 or more pilot programs to provide producers of underserved specialty crops and livestock commodities with index-based weather insurance, subject to the requirements of this section.
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(A) The Corporation shall pay a portion of the premium for producers that purchase a policy or plan of insurance approved pursuant to this subsection.
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(B) The premium subsidy shall provide a similar dollar amount of premium subsidy per acre that the Corporation pays for comparable policies or plans of insurance reinsured under this subchapter, except that in no case shall the premium subsidy exceed 60 percent of total premium, as determined by the Corporation.
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(C) The premium subsidy, as determined by the Corporation, shall be calculated as—(i) a percentage of premium;(ii) a percentage of expected loss determined pursuant to a reasonable actuarial methodology; or(iii) a fixed dollar amount per acre.
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(D) Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), the premium subsidy under this subsection shall be paid by the Corporation in the same manner and under the same terms and conditions as premium subsidy for other policies and plans of insurance.
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(5) The Corporation shall develop and publish procedures to administer policies or plans of insurance approved under this subsection that—(A) require each approved insurance provider to report sales, acreage and claim data, and any other data that the Corporation determines to be appropriate, to allow the Corporation to evaluate sales and performance of the product; and(B) contain such other requirements as the Corporation determines necessary to ensure that the products—(i) do not have a significant adverse impact on the crop insurance delivery system;(ii) are in the best interests of producers; and(iii) do not result in a reduction of program integrity.
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(A) require each approved insurance provider to report sales, acreage and claim data, and any other data that the Corporation determines to be appropriate, to allow the Corporation to evaluate sales and performance of the product; and
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(B) contain such other requirements as the Corporation determines necessary to ensure that the products—(i) do not have a significant adverse impact on the crop insurance delivery system;(ii) are in the best interests of producers; and(iii) do not result in a reduction of program integrity.
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(A) Notwithstanding any other provision in this subsection, of the funds of the Corporation, the Corporation shall use to carry out this section not more than $12,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2018, to remain available until expended.
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(1) Notwithstanding subsection (a)(2), the Corporation shall establish a pilot program under which contract poultry growers, including growers of broilers and laying hens, may elect to receive index-based insurance from extreme weather-related risk resulting in increased utility costs (including costs of natural gas, propane, electricity, water, and other appropriate costs, as determined by the Corporation) associated with poultry production.
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(2) The Corporation shall engage with poultry industry stakeholders in establishing the pilot program under paragraph (1).
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(3) The pilot program established under paragraph (1) shall be conducted in a sufficient number of counties to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the feasibility, effectiveness, and demand among producers in the top poultry producing States, as determined by the Corporation.
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(E) producers that are underserved by the Federal crop insurance program established under this subchapter, as determined by the Corporation; and
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(A) The Secretary shall carry out this subsection through the Commodity Credit Corporation.
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(i) Except as provided in clause (ii), the Commodity Credit Corporation shall make available to carry out this subsection not less than $10,000,000 for each fiscal year.
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(ii) For each of fiscal years 2008 through 2014, the Commodity Credit Corporation shall make available to carry out this subsection $15,000,000.
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(C) Of the amounts made available to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year, the Commodity Credit Corporation shall use not less than—(i) 50 percent to carry out subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (2) through the Natural Resources Conservation Service;(ii) 10 percent to provide organic certification cost share assistance through the Agricultural Marketing Service; and(iii) 40 percent to conduct activities to carry out subparagraph (F) of paragraph (2) through the Risk Management Agency.
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(iv) a corporation, limited liability corporation, or other farm organizational structure organized under State law.
Citations to §1502(b)(6)
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(B) the consideration of acceptable conservation practices, including good farming practices with respect to conservation (such as cover crop termination);
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(C) Cover crop termination shall not affect the insurability of a subsequently planted insurable crop if the cover crop is terminated in accordance with subparagraph (B).
Citations to §1502(b)(7)
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To carry out the purposes of this subchapter, there is hereby created as an agency of and within the Department a body corporate with the name “Federal Crop Insurance Corporation”. The principal office of the Corporation shall be located in the District of Columbia, but there may be established agencies or branch offices elsewhere in the United States under rules and regulations prescribed by the Board.
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The payment for capital stock in the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation shall be effected by transfer of funds on the books of the Treasury Department to the credit of the Corporation.
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(D) The Chief Economist of the Department of Agriculture.
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(c) The Directors of the Corporation who are employed in the Department shall receive no additional compensation for their services as such Directors but may be allowed necessary traveling and subsistence expenses when engaged in business of the Corporation, outside of the District of Columbia. The Directors of the Corporation who are not employed by the Federal Government shall be paid such compensation for their services as Directors as the Secretary shall determine, but such compensation shall not exceed the daily equivalent of the rate prescribed for grade GS–18 under section 5332 of title 5 when actually employed, and actual necessary traveling and subsistence expenses, or a per diem allowance in lieu of subsistence expenses, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5 for persons in Government service employed intermittently, when on the business of the Corporation away from their homes or regular places of business.
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(g) The Corporation, with the consent of any board, commission, independent establishment, or executive department of the Government, including any field service thereof, may avail itself of the use of information, services, facilities, officials, and employees thereof in carrying out the provisions of this subchapter.
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(3) Notwithstanding section 1502(c) of this title, records submitted in accordance with this subchapter and section 7333 of this title shall be available to agencies and local offices of the Department, appropriate State and Federal agencies and divisions, applicants who have received payment under section 1522(b)(2)(E) of this title, and approved insurance providers for use in carrying out this subchapter, such section 7333 of this title, and other agricultural programs.
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(d) The Secretary may allot to bureaus and offices of the Department or transfer to such other agencies of the State and Federal Governments that the Secretary requests to assist in carrying out this subchapter any funds made available pursuant to the provisions of section 1516 of this title.
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(I) The determination shall not be considered an adverse decision for purposes of subtitle H of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6991 et seq.).
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(A) The Corporation shall make available to producers through local offices of the Department—(i) current and complete information on all aspects of Federal crop insurance; and(ii) a listing of insurance agents and companies offering to sell crop insurance in the area of the producers.
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(ii) at the option of the Secretary that is based on considerations of need, local offices of the Department.
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(i) In full consultation with approved insurance providers, the Secretary may continue to offer catastrophic risk protection in a State (or a portion of a State) through local offices of the Department if the Secretary determines that there is an insufficient number of approved insurance providers operating in the State or portion of the State to adequately provide catastrophic risk protection coverage to producers.
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(iii) Not later than 90 days after April 4, 1996, the Secretary shall announce the results of the determinations under clause (i) for policies for the 1997 crop year. For subsequent crop years, the Secretary shall make the announcement not later than April 30 of the year preceding the year in which the crop will be produced, or at such other times during the year as the Secretary finds practicable in consultation with affected crop insurance providers for those States (or portions of States) in which catastrophic coverage remains available through local offices of the Department.
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(iv) This clause shall take effect beginning with the 1997 crop year. Subject to clause (ii) all catastrophic risk protection policies written by local offices of the Department shall be transferred to the approved insurance provider for performance of all sales, service, and loss adjustment functions. Any fees in connection with such policies that are not yet collected at the time of the transfer shall be payable to the approved insurance providers assuming the policies. The transfer process for policies for the 1997 crop year with sales closing dates before January 1, 1997, shall begin at the time of the Secretary’s announcement under clause (iii) and be completed by the sales closing date for the crop and county. The transfer process for all subsequent policies (including policies for the 1998 and subsequent crop years) shall begin at a date that permits the process to be completed not later than 45 days before the sales closing date.
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(ii) The Corporation shall coordinate with other agencies of the Department that provide programs or services to farmers and ranchers described in clause (i) to make available coverage under the waiver under that clause and to share eligibility information to reduce paperwork and avoid duplication.
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(2) If a producer has already applied for catastrophic risk protection at the local office of the Department and elects to purchase additional coverage, the relevant information for the crop of the producer shall be transferred to the approved insurance provider servicing the additional coverage crop policy.
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(bb) 2 shall be economists from within the Department; and
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(i) As soon as possible, but not later than the 2015 reinsurance year, the Corporation shall offer producers of organic crops price elections for all organic crops produced in compliance with standards issued by the Department of Agriculture under the national organic program established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) that reflect the actual retail or wholesale prices, as appropriate, received by producers for organic crops, as determined by the Secretary using all relevant sources of information.
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(1) To participate in catastrophic risk protection coverage under this section, a producer shall submit an application at the local office of the Department or to an approved insurance provider.
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(A) For coverage under this subchapter, each producer shall purchase crop insurance on or before the sales closing date for the crop by providing the required information and executing the required documents. Subject to the goal of ensuring actuarial soundness for the crop insurance program, the sales closing date shall be established by the Corporation to maximize convenience to producers in obtaining benefits under price and production adjustment programs of the Department.
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(B) The increase under subparagraph (A) for the 2026 reinsurance year shall not exceed the percentage change for the preceding reinsurance year included in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor.
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(iii) at any time, to correct electronic transmission errors that were made by an agent or approved insurance provider, or such errors made by the Farm Service Agency or any other agency of the Department of Agriculture in transmitting the information provided by the producer for purposes of other programs of the Department to the extent an agent or approved insurance provider relied upon the erroneous information for crop insurance purposes.
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(2) If, within five calendar days after receiving a report submitted under paragraph (1)(B), the Corporation does not provide a written response that describes the intended actions of the Corporation, the Farm Service Agency may conduct its own inquiry into the alleged program fraud, waste, or abuse on approval from the State director of the Farm Service Agency of the State in which the alleged fraud, waste, or abuse occurred. If as a result of the inquiry, the Farm Service Agency concludes further investigation is warranted, but the Corporation declines to proceed with the investigation, the Farm Service Agency may refer the matter to the Inspector General of the Department of Agriculture.
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(i) In maintaining and upgrading the systems, the Secretary shall ensure that new hardware and software are compatible with the hardware and software used by other agencies of the Department to maximize data sharing and promote the purposes of this section.
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(ii) As soon as practicable, the Secretary shall develop and implement an acreage report streamlining initiative project to allow producers to report acreage and other information directly to the Department.
Citations to §1502(b)(8)
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(F) to provide producers with training and informational opportunities so that the producers will be better able to use financial management, farm financial benchmarking, crop insurance, marketing contracts, and other existing and emerging risk management tools;
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(A) The Secretary, acting through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, shall establish a program under which competitive grants are made to qualified public and private entities (including land grant colleges, cooperative extension services, and colleges or universities), as determined by the Secretary, for the purpose of educating agricultural producers and providing technical assistance to agricultural producers on a full range of farm viability and risk management activities, including futures, options, agricultural trade options, crop insurance, business planning, enterprise analysis, transfer and succession planning, management coaching, market assessment, cash flow analysis, cash forward contracting, debt reduction, production diversification, farm resources risk reduction, farm financial benchmarking, conservation activities, and other risk management strategies.
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(3) In carrying out the program established under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall place special emphasis on farm viability and risk management strategies (including farm financial benchmarking, business planning and technical assistance, market assessment, transfer and succession planning, and crop insurance participation), education, and outreach specifically targeted at—(A) beginning farmers or ranchers;(B) legal immigrant farmers or ranchers that are attempting to become established producers in the United States;(C) socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers;(D) farmers or ranchers that—(i) are preparing to retire;(ii) are using transition strategies to help new farmers or ranchers get started;1(iii) are converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets; and2(E) producers that are underserved by the Federal crop insurance program established under this subchapter, as determined by the Corporation; and(F) veteran farmers or ranchers.
Citations to §1502(b)(9)
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(2) Except in the cases of tobacco, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and hemp, insurance shall not extend beyond the period during which the insured commodity is in the field. As used in the preceding sentence, in the case of an aquacultural species, the term “field” means the environment in which the commodity is produced.
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(ii) The Corporation may waive the viability and marketability requirement under clause (i)(I) in the case of a policy or pilot program relating to the production of hemp.
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(iv) in the case of reviewing policies and other materials relating to the production of hemp, may waive the viability and marketability requirement under subparagraph (A)(ii)(I).
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“Agricultural commodity”, as used in this subchapter, means wheat, cotton, flax, corn, dry beans, oats, barley, rye, tobacco, rice, peanuts, soybeans, sugar beets, sugar cane, tomatoes, grain sorghum, sunflowers, raisins, oranges, sweet corn, dry peas, freezing and canning peas, forage, apples, grapes, potatoes, timber and forests, nursery crops, citrus, and other fruits and vegetables, nuts, tame hay, native grass, hemp, aquacultural species (including, but not limited to, any species of finfish, mollusk, crustacean, or other aquatic invertebrate, amphibian, reptile, or aquatic plant propagated or reared in a controlled or selected environment), or any other agricultural commodity, excluding stored grain, determined by the Board, or any one or more of such commodities, as the context may indicate.
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(B) The Corporation may waive the marketability requirement under subparagraph (A) in the case of research and development relating to a policy to insure the production of hemp.
Citations to §1502(b)(10)
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(1) The Corporation shall take such actions as are necessary to improve the actuarial soundness of Federal multiperil crop insurance coverage made available under this subchapter to achieve, on and after October 1, 1995, an overall projected loss ratio of not greater than 1.1, including—(A) instituting appropriate requirements for documentation of the actual production history of insured producers to establish recorded or appraised yields for Federal crop insurance coverage that more accurately reflect the associated actuarial risk, except that the Corporation may not carry out this paragraph in a manner that would prevent beginning farmers (as defined by the Secretary) from obtaining Federal crop insurance;(B) establishing in counties, to the extent practicable, a crop insurance option based on area yields in a manner that allows an insured producer to qualify for an indemnity if a loss has occurred in a specified area in which the farm of the insured producer is located;(C) establishing a database that contains the social security account and employee identification numbers of participating producers, agents, and loss adjusters and using the numbers to identify insured producers, agents, and loss adjusters who are high risk for actuarial purposes and insured producers who have not documented at least 4 years of production history, to assess the performance of insurance providers, and for other purposes permitted by law; and(D) taking any other measures authorized by law to improve the actuarial soundness of the Federal crop insurance program while maintaining fairness and effective coverage for agricultural producers.
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(2) The Corporation shall take such actions, including the establishment of adequate premiums, as are necessary to improve the actuarial soundness of Federal multiperil crop insurance made available under this subchapter to achieve an overall projected loss ratio of not greater than 1.0.
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(10) The rate for reimbursing an approved insurance provider or agent for expenses incurred by the approved insurance provider or agent for loss adjustment in connection with a policy of catastrophic risk protection shall not exceed 6 percent of the premium for catastrophic risk protection that is used to define loss ratio.
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(1) The Corporation shall fix adequate premiums for all the plans of insurance of the Corporation at such rates as the Board determines are actuarially sufficient to attain an expected loss ratio of not greater than—(A) 1.1 through September 30, 1998;(B) 1.075 for the period beginning October 1, 1998, and ending on the day before the date of enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008; and(C) 1.0 on and after the date of enactment of that Act.
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(A) In the case of catastrophic risk protection, the amount of the premium established by the Corporation for each crop for which catastrophic risk protection is available shall be reduced by the percentage equal to the difference between the average loss ratio for the crop and 100 percent, plus a reasonable reserve, as determined by the Corporation.
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(ii) include an amount for operating and administrative expenses, as determined by the Corporation, on an industry-wide basis as a percentage of the amount of the premium used to define loss ratio.
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(i) the percentage, specified in subsection (e) for a similar level of coverage, of the total amount of the premium used to define loss ratio; and
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(i) for the 1998 reinsurance year, 27 percent of the premium used to define loss ratio; and
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(ii) for each of the 1999 and subsequent reinsurance years, 24.5 percent of the premium used to define loss ratio.
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(E) In the case of a policy of additional coverage that received a rate of reimbursement for administrative and operating costs for the 2008 reinsurance year, for each of the 2009 and subsequent reinsurance years, the reimbursement rate for administrative and operating costs shall be 2.3 percentage points below the rates in effect as of the date of enactment of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 for all crop insurance policies used to define loss ratio, except that only ½ of the reduction shall apply in a reinsurance year to the total premium written in a State in which the State loss ratio is greater than 1.2.
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(F) Notwithstanding subparagraphs (A) through (E), for each of the 2009 and subsequent reinsurance years, the reimbursement rate for area policies and plans of insurance widely available as of the date of enactment of this subparagraph or authorized under subsection (c)(4)(C) or section 1508b of this title shall be 12 percent of the premium used to define loss ratio for that reinsurance year.
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(bb) are graduated and base reimbursement rates in a State on the loss ratio for crop insurance for that State; and
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(ii) The term “eligible State” means a State in which, with respect to an insurance year, the loss ratio for eligible contracts is greater than 120 percent of the total net book premium written by all approved insurance providers.
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(i) 17 percent of the premium used to define loss ratio.
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(ii) The percent of the premium used to define loss ratio that is otherwise applicable for the reinsurance year under the terms of the Standard Reinsurance Agreement in effect for the reinsurance year.
Citations to §1502(b)(11)
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(i) As soon as possible, but not later than the 2015 reinsurance year, the Corporation shall offer producers of organic crops price elections for all organic crops produced in compliance with standards issued by the Department of Agriculture under the national organic program established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) that reflect the actual retail or wholesale prices, as appropriate, received by producers for organic crops, as determined by the Secretary using all relevant sources of information.
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(ii) The Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate an annual report on progress made in developing and improving Federal crop insurance for organic crops, including—(I) the numbers and varieties of organic crops insured;(II) the progress of implementing the price elections required under this subparagraph, including the rate at which additional price elections are adopted for organic crops;(III) the development of new insurance approaches relevant to organic producers; and(IV) any recommendations the Corporation considers appropriate to improve Federal crop insurance coverage for organic crops.
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(I) the numbers and varieties of organic crops insured;
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(II) the progress of implementing the price elections required under this subparagraph, including the rate at which additional price elections are adopted for organic crops;
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(IV) any recommendations the Corporation considers appropriate to improve Federal crop insurance coverage for organic crops.
Citations to §1502(b)(12)
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(a) The Corporation shall have a capital stock of $500,000,000 subscribed by the United States of America, payment for which shall, with the approval of the Secretary, be subject to call in whole or in part by the Board.
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(c) Receipts for payments by the United States of America for or on account of such stock shall be issued by the Corporation to the Secretary of the Treasury and shall be evidence of the stock ownership by the United States of America.
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(d) Within thirty days after September 26, 1980, the Secretary of the Treasury shall cancel, without consideration, receipts for payments for or on account of the stock of the Corporation outstanding on September 26, 1980, and such receipts shall cease to be liabilities of the Corporation.
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(1) The management of the Corporation shall be vested in a Board of Directors subject to the general supervision of the Secretary.
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(B) The Under Secretary of Agriculture responsible for the Federal crop insurance program.
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(A) shall be appointed by, and hold office at the pleasure of, the Secretary;
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(C) shall be appointed to staggered 4-year terms, as determined by the Secretary; and
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(c) The Directors of the Corporation who are employed in the Department shall receive no additional compensation for their services as such Directors but may be allowed necessary traveling and subsistence expenses when engaged in business of the Corporation, outside of the District of Columbia. The Directors of the Corporation who are not employed by the Federal Government shall be paid such compensation for their services as Directors as the Secretary shall determine, but such compensation shall not exceed the daily equivalent of the rate prescribed for grade GS–18 under section 5332 of title 5 when actually employed, and actual necessary traveling and subsistence expenses, or a per diem allowance in lieu of subsistence expenses, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5 for persons in Government service employed intermittently, when on the business of the Corporation away from their homes or regular places of business.
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(d) The manager of the Corporation shall be its chief executive officer, with such power and authority as may be conferred by the Board. The manager shall be appointed by, and hold office at the pleasure of, the Secretary.
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(C) In collecting data under this subsection, the Secretary shall ensure that—(i) appropriate data are collected through the noninsured crop disaster assistance program established by section 7333 of this title; and(ii) not less frequently than annually, the Farm Service Agency shares, and the Corporation considers, the data described in clause (i).
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(A) instituting appropriate requirements for documentation of the actual production history of insured producers to establish recorded or appraised yields for Federal crop insurance coverage that more accurately reflect the associated actuarial risk, except that the Corporation may not carry out this paragraph in a manner that would prevent beginning farmers (as defined by the Secretary) from obtaining Federal crop insurance;
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(o) The Secretary and the Corporation are each authorized to issue such regulations as are necessary to carry out this subchapter.
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(a) The Secretary shall appoint such officers and employees as may be necessary for the transaction of the business of the Corporation pursuant to civil-service laws and regulations, fix their compensation in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, define their authority and duties, and delegate to them such of the powers vested in the Corporation as the Secretary may determine appropriate. However, personnel paid by the hour, day, or month when actually employed may be appointed without regard to civil-service laws and regulations.
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(d) The Secretary may allot to bureaus and offices of the Department or transfer to such other agencies of the State and Federal Governments that the Secretary requests to assist in carrying out this subchapter any funds made available pursuant to the provisions of section 1516 of this title.
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(1) If sufficient actuarial data are available (as determined by the Corporation), the Corporation may insure, or provide reinsurance for insurers of, producers of agricultural commodities grown in the United States under 1 or more plans of insurance determined by the Corporation to be adapted to the agricultural commodity concerned. To qualify for coverage under a plan of insurance, the losses of the insured commodity must be due to drought, flood, or other natural disaster (as determined by the Secretary).
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(B) Using resources and information available to the Board or the Secretary, the Board shall review the policies and plans of insurance that are offered by approved insurance providers under this subchapter, including policies and plans of insurance for underserved producers, to determine if each State is adequately served by the policies and plans of insurance.
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(I) guidelines established by the Secretary; or
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(1) The Corporation shall offer a catastrophic risk protection plan to indemnify producers for crop loss due to loss of yield or prevented planting, if provided by the Corporation, when the producer is unable, because of drought, flood, or other natural disaster (as determined by the Secretary), to plant other crops for harvest on the acreage for the crop year.
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(ii) at the option of the Secretary that is based on considerations of need, local offices of the Department.
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(B) For purposes of considering need under subparagraph (A)(ii), the Secretary may take into account the most efficient and cost-effective use of resources, the availability of personnel, fairness to local producers, the needs and convenience of local producers, and the availability of private insurance carriers.
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(i) In full consultation with approved insurance providers, the Secretary may continue to offer catastrophic risk protection in a State (or a portion of a State) through local offices of the Department if the Secretary determines that there is an insufficient number of approved insurance providers operating in the State or portion of the State to adequately provide catastrophic risk protection coverage to producers.
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(ii) To the extent that catastrophic risk protection coverage by approved insurance providers is sufficiently available in a State (or a portion of a State) as determined by the Secretary, only approved insurance providers may provide the coverage in the State or portion of the State.
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(iii) Not later than 90 days after April 4, 1996, the Secretary shall announce the results of the determinations under clause (i) for policies for the 1997 crop year. For subsequent crop years, the Secretary shall make the announcement not later than April 30 of the year preceding the year in which the crop will be produced, or at such other times during the year as the Secretary finds practicable in consultation with affected crop insurance providers for those States (or portions of States) in which catastrophic coverage remains available through local offices of the Department.
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(iv) This clause shall take effect beginning with the 1997 crop year. Subject to clause (ii) all catastrophic risk protection policies written by local offices of the Department shall be transferred to the approved insurance provider for performance of all sales, service, and loss adjustment functions. Any fees in connection with such policies that are not yet collected at the time of the transfer shall be payable to the approved insurance providers assuming the policies. The transfer process for policies for the 1997 crop year with sales closing dates before January 1, 1997, shall begin at the time of the Secretary’s announcement under clause (iii) and be completed by the sales closing date for the crop and county. The transfer process for all subsequent policies (including policies for the 1998 and subsequent crop years) shall begin at a date that permits the process to be completed not later than 45 days before the sales closing date.
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(i) The Corporation, in conjunction with the Secretary (referred to in this subparagraph as the “Corporation”), shall—(I) not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this subparagraph, make available all methods and data, including data from the Economic Research Service, used by the Corporation to develop the expected market prices for grain sorghum under the production and revenue-based plans of insurance of the Corporation; and(II) request applicable data from the grain sorghum industry.
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(i) As soon as possible, but not later than the 2015 reinsurance year, the Corporation shall offer producers of organic crops price elections for all organic crops produced in compliance with standards issued by the Department of Agriculture under the national organic program established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) that reflect the actual retail or wholesale prices, as appropriate, received by producers for organic crops, as determined by the Secretary using all relevant sources of information.
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(A) provide annually records acceptable to the Secretary regarding crop acreage, acreage yields, and production for each agricultural commodity insured under this subchapter or accept a yield determined by the Corporation; and
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(I) a producer that has not had a share of the production of the insured crop for more than two crop years, as determined by the Secretary;
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(ii) if sufficient county data is not available, may use other data considered appropriate by the Secretary.
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(A) If a producer does not provide satisfactory evidence of a yield under paragraph (2)(A), the producer shall be assigned a yield that is at least 80 percent of the transitional yield established by the Corporation (adjusted to reflect the actual production history of the producer) if the Secretary determines that—(i) the producer grows feed or forage primarily for on-farm use in a livestock, dairy, or poultry operation; and(ii) over 50 percent of the net farm income of the producer is derived from the operation.
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(ii) rates of premiums for multiple peril crop insurance pertaining to wheat, soybeans, field corn, and any other crops determined by the Secretary.
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(ii) If information concerning a proposal could be withheld by the Secretary under the standard for privileged or confidential information pertaining to trade secrets and commercial or financial information under section 552(b)(4) of title 5, the information shall not be released to the public.
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(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), if a claim for indemnity is denied by the Corporation or an approved provider on behalf of the Corporation, an action on the claim may be brought against the Corporation or Secretary only in the United States district court for the district in which the insured farm is located.
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(i) Subject to clause (ii), subparagraph (A) shall not apply in any case in which the approved insurance providers, as a whole, experience unexpected adverse circumstances, as determined by the Secretary.
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(iv) The discount schedules that reflect the reduction in quality of the agricultural commodity are established by the Secretary.
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(4) In administering this subchapter, the Secretary shall accept, in the same manner and under the same terms and conditions, evidence of the quality of agricultural commodities delivered to—(A) warehouse operators that are licensed under the United States Warehouse Act (7 U.S.C. 241 et seq.);(B) warehouse operators that—(i) are licensed under State law; and(ii) have entered into a storage agreement with the Commodity Credit Corporation; and(C) warehouse operators that—(ii) have entered into a commodity storage agreement with the Commodity Credit Corporation.
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(A) The Corporation shall establish procedures to allow insured producers not more than 120 days to settle claims, in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary, involving corn that is determined to have low test weight.
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(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), if a producer who is eligible to receive benefits under catastrophic risk protection under subsection (b) is also eligible to receive assistance for the same loss under any other program administered by the Secretary, the producer shall be required to elect whether to receive benefits under this subchapter or under the other program, but not both. A producer who purchases additional coverage under subsection (c) may also receive assistance for the same loss under other programs administered by the Secretary, except that the amount received for the loss under the additional coverage together with the amount received under the other programs may not exceed the amount of the actual loss of the producer.
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(i) During the first 4 crop years of planting, as determined by the Secretary, native sod acreage that has been tilled for the production of an annual crop beginning on February 8, 2014, and ending on December 20, 2018, shall be subject to a reduction in benefits under this subchapter as described in this paragraph.
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(B) The Secretary shall exempt areas of 5 acres or less from subparagraph (A).
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(ii) the average of the applicable yield data for the county (or area) for the most recent 5 years, excluding the highest and lowest observations, from the Risk Management Agency or the National Agricultural Statistics Service (or both) or, if sufficient county data is not available, such other data considered appropriate by the Secretary.
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(b) Subject to subsection (c), for purposes of the revenue crop insurance program and the multiperil crop insurance program under this subchapter, the effective price for peanuts shall be equal to the Rotterdam price index for peanuts or other appropriate price as determined by the Secretary, as adjusted to reflect the farmer stock price of peanuts in the United States.
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All money of the Corporation not otherwise employed may be deposited with the Treasurer of the United States or in any bank approved by the Secretary of the Treasury, subject to withdrawal by the Corporation at any time, or with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury may be invested in obligations of the United States or in obligations guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States. Subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve banks are hereby authorized and directed to act as depositories, custodians, and fiscal agents for the Corporation in the performance of its powers conferred by this subchapter.
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When designated for that purpose by the Secretary of the Treasury, the Corporation shall be a depository of public money, except receipts from customs, under such regulations as may be prescribed by said Secretary; and it may also be employed as a financial agent of the Government; and it shall perform all such reasonable duties, as a depository of public money and financial agent of the Government, as may be required of it.
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The Corporation shall at all times maintain complete and accurate books of accounts and shall file annually with the Secretary a complete report as to the business of the Corporation.
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(1) The Secretary shall develop and implement a coordinated plan for the Corporation and the Farm Service Agency to reconcile all relevant information received by the Corporation or the Farm Service Agency from a producer who obtains crop insurance coverage under this subchapter.
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(2) Beginning with the 2001 crop year, the Secretary shall require that the Corporation and the Farm Service Agency reconcile such producer-derived information on at least an annual basis in order to identify and address any discrepancies.
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(i) within a reasonable amount of time following the applicable sales closing date, to correct errors in information that is provided by a producer for the purpose of obtaining coverage under any policy or plan of insurance made available under this subchapter to ensure that the eligibility information is correct and consistent with information reported by the producer for other programs administered by the Secretary;
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(I) the acreage reporting date, to reconcile errors in the information reported by the producer with correct information determined from any other program administered by the Secretary; or
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(i) to avoid ineligibility requirements for insurance or obtain a disproportionate benefit under the crop insurance program or any related program administered by the Secretary;
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(1) The Secretary shall develop and implement a coordinated plan for the Farm Service Agency to assist the Corporation in the ongoing monitoring of programs carried out under this subchapter, including—(A) at the request of the Corporation or, subject to paragraph (2), on its own initiative if the Farm Service Agency has reason to suspect the existence of program fraud, waste, or abuse, conducting fact finding relative to allegations of program fraud, waste, or abuse;(B) reporting to the Corporation, in writing in a timely manner, the results of any fact finding conducted pursuant to subparagraph (A), any allegation of fraud, waste, or abuse, and any identified program vulnerabilities;(C) assisting the Corporation and approved insurance providers in auditing a statistically appropriate number of claims made under any policy or plan of insurance under this subchapter; and(D) using published aggregate data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service or any other data source to—(i) detect yield disparities or other data anomalies that indicate potential fraud; and(ii) target the relevant counties, crops, regions, companies, or agents associated with that potential fraud for audits and other enforcement actions.
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(3) The plan required by paragraph (1) shall provide for the use of the field infrastructure of the Farm Service Agency. The Secretary shall ensure that relevant Farm Service Agency personnel are appropriately trained for any responsibilities assigned to the personnel under the plan. At a minimum, the personnel shall receive the same level of training and pass the same basic competency tests as required of loss adjusters of approved insurance providers.
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(C) An approved insurance provider that receives a notice under subparagraph (B) shall submit a report to the Corporation, within an appropriate time period determined by the Secretary, describing the actions taken by the provider to investigate the allegations of program fraud, waste, or abuse contained in the notice.
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(e) The Secretary shall establish procedures under which the Corporation shall consult with the State committee of the Farm Service Agency for a State with respect to policies, plans of insurance, and material related to such policies or plans of insurance (including applicable sales closing dates, assigned yields, and transitional yields) offered in that State under this subchapter.
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(1) The Secretary shall establish procedures under which the Corporation will be able to identify the following:(A) Any agent engaged in the sale of coverage offered under this subchapter where the loss claims associated with such sales by the agent are equal to or greater than 150 percent (or an appropriate percentage specified by the Corporation) of the mean for all loss claims associated with such sales by all other agents operating in the same area, as determined by the Corporation.(B) Any person performing loss adjustment services relative to coverage offered under this subchapter where such loss adjustments performed by the person result in accepted or denied claims equal to or greater than 150 percent (or an appropriate percentage specified by the Corporation) of the mean for accepted or denied claims (as applicable) for all other persons performing loss adjustment services in the same area, as determined by the Corporation.
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(1) The Secretary shall establish procedures under which approved insurance providers shall submit to the Corporation the following information with respect to each policy or plan of insurance offered under this subchapter:(A) The name and identification number of the insured.(B) The agricultural commodity to be insured.(C) The elected coverage level, including the price election, of the insured.(D) The actual production history to be used to establish insurable yields.
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(3) If the Secretary determines that a person covered by this subsection has committed a material violation under paragraph (1) or (2), the following sanctions may be imposed:(A) A civil fine may be imposed for each violation in an amount not to exceed the greater of—(i) the amount of the pecuniary gain obtained as a result of the false or inaccurate information provided or the noncompliance with a requirement of this subchapter; or(ii) $10,000.(B) In the case of a violation committed by a producer, the producer may be disqualified for a period of up to 5 years from receiving any monetary or nonmonetary benefit provided under each of the following:(i) This subchapter.(ii) The Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.), including the noninsured crop disaster assistance program under section 196 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 7333).(iii) The Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1421 et seq.).(iv) The Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714 et seq.).(v) The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1281 et seq.).(vi) Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.).(vii) The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1921 et seq.).(viii) Any law that provides assistance to a producer of an agricultural commodity affected by a crop loss or a decline in the prices of agricultural commodities.(C) In the case of a violation committed by an agent, loss adjuster, approved insurance provider, or other person (other than a producer), the violator may be disqualified for a period of up to 5 years from participating in any program, or receiving any benefit, under this subchapter.
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(1) The Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate an annual report describing the operation of this section during the preceding year and efforts undertaken by the Secretary and the Corporation to carry out this section.
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(A) The Secretary shall maintain and upgrade the information management systems of the Corporation used in the administration and enforcement of this subchapter.
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(i) In maintaining and upgrading the systems, the Secretary shall ensure that new hardware and software are compatible with the hardware and software used by other agencies of the Department to maximize data sharing and promote the purposes of this section.
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(ii) As soon as practicable, the Secretary shall develop and implement an acreage report streamlining initiative project to allow producers to report acreage and other information directly to the Department.
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(2) The Secretary shall use the information technologies known as data mining and data warehousing and other available information technologies to administer and enforce this subchapter.
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(C) other aspects of adjusting, delivering, and servicing policies and plans of insurance by adjustors and agents, as determined by the Secretary, including conservation activities and agronomic practices (including organic and sustainable practices) that are common and appropriate to the area in which the insured crop being inspected is produced.
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(B) The Secretary shall notify the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate of the substantial completion of the Acreage Crop Reporting Streamlining Initiative (ACRSI) project not later than July 1, 2015.
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(ii) For the purposes described in clause (i), the Secretary may, without further appropriation—(I) merge some or all of the funds made available under this subparagraph into the accounts of the Risk Management Agency; and(II) obligate those funds.
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(A) the Corporation may request the Secretary to use the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out subsection (b); and
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(B) the Secretary may use the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out subsection (b).
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If the Secretary determines that a person has knowingly adopted a material scheme or device to obtain catastrophic risk, additional coverage, or noninsured assistance benefits under this subchapter to which the person is not entitled, has evaded this subchapter, or has acted with the purposes of evading this subchapter, the person shall be ineligible to receive all benefits applicable to the crop year for which the scheme or device was adopted.
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(dd) using an assigned yield floor similar to the limitation described in section 1508(g)(6)(A)(i) of this title, as determined by the Secretary;
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(III) other similar production, as determined by the Secretary.
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(1) Subject to section 1522(e)(4) of this title,1 the Secretary shall carry out a pilot program in a limited number of counties, as determined by the Secretary, for crop years 1997 through 2001, under which a producer of wheat, feed grains, soybeans, or such other commodity as the Secretary considers appropriate may elect to receive insurance against loss of revenue, as determined by the Secretary.
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(B) If information concerning a proposal could be withheld by the Secretary under the standard for privileged or confidential information pertaining to trade secrets and commercial or financial information under section 552(b)(4) of title 5, the information shall not be released to the public.
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(1) Subject to the amounts made available under paragraph (4), the Secretary, acting through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, shall carry out the program established under paragraph (2).
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(A) The Secretary, acting through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, shall establish a program under which competitive grants are made to qualified public and private entities (including land grant colleges, cooperative extension services, and colleges or universities), as determined by the Secretary, for the purpose of educating agricultural producers and providing technical assistance to agricultural producers on a full range of farm viability and risk management activities, including futures, options, agricultural trade options, crop insurance, business planning, enterprise analysis, transfer and succession planning, management coaching, market assessment, cash flow analysis, cash forward contracting, debt reduction, production diversification, farm resources risk reduction, farm financial benchmarking, conservation activities, and other risk management strategies.
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(C) Funds for a grant under this paragraph shall be available to the Secretary for obligation for a 2-year period.
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(3) In carrying out the program established under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall place special emphasis on farm viability and risk management strategies (including farm financial benchmarking, business planning and technical assistance, market assessment, transfer and succession planning, and crop insurance participation), education, and outreach specifically targeted at—(A) beginning farmers or ranchers;(B) legal immigrant farmers or ranchers that are attempting to become established producers in the United States;(C) socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers;(D) farmers or ranchers that—(i) are preparing to retire;(ii) are using transition strategies to help new farmers or ranchers get started;1(iii) are converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets; and2(E) producers that are underserved by the Federal crop insurance program established under this subchapter, as determined by the Corporation; and(F) veteran farmers or ranchers.
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(A) The Secretary shall carry out this subsection through the Commodity Credit Corporation.
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(A) The term “eligible producer on a farm” means an individual or entity described in subparagraph (B) that, as determined by the Secretary, assumes the production and market risks associated with the agricultural production of crops or livestock.
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(G) other livestock, as determined by the Secretary.
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(16) The term “qualifying natural disaster declaration” means a natural disaster declared by the Secretary for production losses under section 1961(a) of this title.
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(A) The Secretary shall use such sums as are necessary from the Trust Fund to make crop disaster assistance payments to eligible producers on farms in disaster counties that have incurred crop production losses or crop quality losses, or both, during the crop year.
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(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall provide crop disaster assistance payments under this section to an eligible producer on a farm in an amount equal to 60 percent of the difference between—(i) the disaster assistance program guarantee, as described in paragraph (3); and(ii) the total farm revenue for a farm, as described in paragraph (4).
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(B) The disaster assistance program guarantee for a crop used to calculate the payments for a farm under subparagraph (A)(i) may not be greater than 90 percent of the sum of the expected revenue, as described in paragraph (5) for each of the crops on a farm, as determined by the Secretary.
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(C) In calculating the disaster assistance program guarantee under paragraph (3) and the total farm revenue under paragraph (4), the Secretary shall not consider the value of any crop that—(i) is produced on land that is not eligible for a policy or plan of insurance under subchapter I or assistance under the noninsured crop assistance program; or(ii) is subsequently planted on the same land during the same crop year as the crop for which disaster assistance is provided under this subsection, except in areas in which double-cropping is a normal practice, as determined by the Secretary.
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(ii) is subsequently planted on the same land during the same crop year as the crop for which disaster assistance is provided under this subsection, except in areas in which double-cropping is a normal practice, as determined by the Secretary.
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(D) The Secretary shall establish equitable treatment for non-yield based policies and plans of insurance, such as the Adjusted Gross Revenue Lite insurance program.
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(B) The Secretary shall adjust the average market price received by the eligible producer on a farm—(i) to reflect the average quality discounts applied to the local or regional market price of a crop or mechanically harvested forage due to a reduction in the intrinsic characteristics of the production resulting from adverse weather, as determined annually by the State office of the Farm Service Agency;(ii) to account for a crop the value of which is reduced due to excess moisture resulting from a disaster-related condition; and(iii) as the Secretary determines appropriate, to reflect regional variations in a manner consistent with the operation of the crop insurance program under subchapter I and the noninsured crop assistance program.
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(iii) as the Secretary determines appropriate, to reflect regional variations in a manner consistent with the operation of the crop insurance program under subchapter I and the noninsured crop assistance program.
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(1) The Secretary shall make livestock indemnity payments to eligible producers on farms that have incurred livestock death losses in excess of the normal mortality due to adverse weather, as determined by the Secretary, during the calendar year, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, blizzards, disease, wildfires, extreme heat, and extreme cold.
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(2) Indemnity payments to an eligible producer on a farm under paragraph (1) shall be made at a rate of 75 percent of the market value of the applicable livestock on the day before the date of death of the livestock, as determined by the Secretary.
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(i) Except as provided in clause (ii), the term “covered livestock” means livestock of an eligible livestock producer that, during the 60 days prior to the beginning date of a qualifying drought or fire condition, as determined by the Secretary, the eligible livestock producer—(I) owned;(II) leased;(III) purchased;(IV) entered into a contract to purchase;(V) is a contract grower; or(VI) sold or otherwise disposed of due to qualifying drought conditions during—(aa) the current production year; or(bb) subject to paragraph (3)(B)(ii), 1 or both of the 2 production years immediately preceding the current production year.
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(ii) The term “covered livestock” does not include livestock that were or would have been in a feedlot, on the beginning date of the qualifying drought or fire condition, as a part of the normal business operation of the eligible livestock producer, as determined by the Secretary.
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(B) The term “drought monitor” means a system for classifying drought severity according to a range of abnormally dry to exceptional drought, as defined by the Secretary.
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(2) The Secretary shall provide compensation for losses to eligible livestock producers due to grazing losses for covered livestock due to—(A) a drought condition, as described in paragraph (3); or(B) fire, as described in paragraph (4).
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(ii) In the case of an eligible livestock producer that sold or otherwise disposed of covered livestock due to drought conditions in 1 or both of the 2 production years immediately preceding the current production year, as determined by the Secretary, the payment rate shall be 80 percent of the payment rate otherwise calculated in accordance with clause (i).
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(II) in the case of any other type of weight of livestock, an amount determined by the Secretary that represents the average number of pounds of corn per day necessary to feed the livestock.
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(I) The Secretary shall determine the normal carrying capacity and normal grazing period for each type of grazing land or pastureland in the county served by the applicable committee.
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(I) An eligible livestock producer that owns or leases grazing land or pastureland that is physically located in a county that is rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having a D2 (severe drought) intensity in any area of the county for at least 8 consecutive weeks during the normal grazing period for the county, as determined by the Secretary, shall be eligible to receive assistance under this paragraph in an amount equal to 1 monthly payment using the monthly payment rate determined under subparagraph (B).
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(II) An eligible livestock producer that owns or leases grazing land or pastureland that is physically located in a county that is rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having at least a D3 (extreme drought) intensity in any area of the county at any time during the normal grazing period for the county, as determined by the Secretary, shall be eligible to receive assistance under this paragraph—(aa) in an amount equal to 2 monthly payments using the monthly payment rate determined under subparagraph (B); or(bb) if the county is rated as having a D3 (extreme drought) intensity in any area of the county for at least 4 weeks during the normal grazing period for the county, or is rated as having a D4 (exceptional drought) intensity in any area of the county at any time during the normal grazing period, in an amount equal to 3 monthly payments using the monthly payment rate determined under subparagraph (B).
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(B) In the case of an eligible livestock producer that is a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher or limited resource or beginning farmer or rancher, as determined by the Secretary, the Secretary may—(i) waive subparagraph (A); and(ii) provide disaster assistance under this subsection at a level that the Secretary determines to be equitable and appropriate.
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(ii) provide disaster assistance under this subsection at a level that the Secretary determines to be equitable and appropriate.
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(C) In the case of an eligible livestock producer that suffered losses on grazing land during the 2008 calendar year but does not meet the requirements of subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall waive subparagraph (A) if the eligible livestock producer pays a fee in an amount equal to the applicable noninsured crop assistance program fee or catastrophic risk protection plan fee required under subparagraph (A) to the Secretary not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this subchapter.
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(i) The Secretary may provide equitable relief to an eligible livestock producer that is otherwise ineligible or unintentionally fails to meet the requirements of subparagraph (A) for the grazing land incurring the loss on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the Secretary.
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(ii) In the case of an eligible livestock producer that suffered losses on grazing land during the 2008 calendar year, the Secretary shall take special consideration to provide equitable relief in cases in which the eligible livestock producer failed to meet the requirements of subparagraph (A) due to the enactment of this subchapter after the closing date of sales periods for crop insurance under subchapter I and the noninsured crop assistance program.
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(A) An eligible livestock producer may elect to receive assistance for grazing or pasture feed losses due to drought conditions under paragraph (3) or fire under paragraph (4), but not both for the same loss, as determined by the Secretary.
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(1) The Secretary shall provide emergency relief to eligible producers of livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish to aid in the reduction of losses due to disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires, as determined by the Secretary, that are not covered under subsection (b), (c), or (d).
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(2) Funds made available under this subsection shall be used to reduce losses caused by feed or water shortages, disease, or other factors as determined by the Secretary.
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(B) The term “natural disaster” means plant disease, insect infestation, drought, fire, freeze, flood, earthquake, lightning, or other occurrence, as determined by the Secretary.
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(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall provide assistance—(i) under paragraph (3) to eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers that planted trees for commercial purposes but lost the trees as a result of a natural disaster, as determined by the Secretary; and(ii) under paragraph (3)(B) to eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers that have a production history for commercial purposes on planted or existing trees but lost the trees as a result of a natural disaster, as determined by the Secretary.
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(i) under paragraph (3) to eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers that planted trees for commercial purposes but lost the trees as a result of a natural disaster, as determined by the Secretary; and
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(ii) under paragraph (3)(B) to eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers that have a production history for commercial purposes on planted or existing trees but lost the trees as a result of a natural disaster, as determined by the Secretary.
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(3) Subject to paragraph (4), the assistance provided by the Secretary to eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers for losses described in paragraph (2) shall consist of—(i) reimbursement of 70 percent of the cost of replanting trees lost due to a natural disaster, as determined by the Secretary, in excess of 15 percent mortality (adjusted for normal mortality); or(ii) at the option of the Secretary, sufficient seedlings to reestablish a stand; and(B) reimbursement of 50 percent of the cost of pruning, removal, and other costs incurred by an eligible orchardist or nursery tree grower to salvage existing trees or, in the case of tree mortality, to prepare the land to replant trees as a result of damage or tree mortality due to a natural disaster, as determined by the Secretary, in excess of 15 percent damage or mortality (adjusted for normal tree damage and mortality).
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(i) reimbursement of 70 percent of the cost of replanting trees lost due to a natural disaster, as determined by the Secretary, in excess of 15 percent mortality (adjusted for normal mortality); or
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(ii) at the option of the Secretary, sufficient seedlings to reestablish a stand; and
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(B) reimbursement of 50 percent of the cost of pruning, removal, and other costs incurred by an eligible orchardist or nursery tree grower to salvage existing trees or, in the case of tree mortality, to prepare the land to replant trees as a result of damage or tree mortality due to a natural disaster, as determined by the Secretary, in excess of 15 percent damage or mortality (adjusted for normal tree damage and mortality).
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(3) With respect to eligible producers that are socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers or limited resource or beginning farmers or ranchers, as determined by the Secretary, the Secretary may—(A) waive paragraph (1); and(B) provide disaster assistance under this section at a level that the Secretary determines to be equitable and appropriate.
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(B) provide disaster assistance under this section at a level that the Secretary determines to be equitable and appropriate.
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(A) In the case of an eligible producer that suffered losses in an insurable commodity or noninsurable commodity during the 2008 crop year but does not meet the requirements of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall waive paragraph (1) if the eligible producer pays a fee in an amount equal to the applicable noninsured crop assistance program fee or catastrophic risk protection plan fee required under paragraph (1) to the Secretary not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this subchapter.
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(B) In the case of an insurable commodity or noninsurable commodity for the 2009 crop year that does not meet the requirements of paragraph (1) and the relevant crop insurance program sales closing date or noninsured crop assistance program fee payment date was prior to August 14, 2008, the Secretary shall waive paragraph (1) if the eligible producer of the insurable commodity or noninsurable commodity pays a fee in an amount equal to the applicable noninsured crop assistance program fee or catastrophic risk protection plan fee required under paragraph (1) to the Secretary not later than 90 days after October 13, 2008.
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(A) The Secretary may provide equitable relief to eligible producers on a farm that are otherwise ineligible or unintentionally fail to meet the requirements of paragraph (1) for 1 or more crops on a farm on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the Secretary.
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(B) In the case of eligible producers on a farm that suffered losses in an insurable commodity or noninsurable commodity during the 2008 crop year, the Secretary shall take special consideration to provide equitable relief in cases in which the eligible producers failed to meet the requirements of paragraph (1) due to the enactment of this subchapter after the closing date of sales periods for crop insurance under subchapter I and the noninsured crop assistance program.
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(A) For purposes of assistance under subsection (b), at the option of an eligible producer on a farm, the Secretary shall waive paragraph (1)—(i) in the case of a portion of the total acreage of a farm of the eligible producer that is not of economic significance on the farm, as established by the Secretary; or(ii) in the case of a crop for which the administrative fee required for the purchase of noninsured crop disaster assistance coverage exceeds 10 percent of the value of that coverage.
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(i) in the case of a portion of the total acreage of a farm of the eligible producer that is not of economic significance on the farm, as established by the Secretary; or
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(B) The Secretary shall not consider the value of any crop exempted under subparagraph (A) in calculating the supplemental revenue assistance program guarantee under subsection (b)(3) and the total farm revenue under subsection (b)(4).
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(ii) in the case of each noninsurable commodity of the eligible producers on the farm, had filed the required paperwork, and paid the administrative fee by the applicable State filing deadline, for the noninsured crop assistance program for the 2008 crop year, except that in determining the level of coverage, the Secretary shall use 70 percent of the applicable yield.
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(D) For amounts made available under this paragraph, the Secretary may make such adjustments as are necessary to ensure that no producer receives a payment under this paragraph for an amount in excess of the assistance received by a similarly situated producer that had purchased the same or higher level of crop insurance prior to February 17, 2009.
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(F) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Secretary may provide assistance (including multiyear assistance) under this section to eligible producers on a farm that—(i) suffered a production loss or multiyear production losses due to a natural cause during the 2008 crop year; and(ii) as determined by the Secretary—(aa) except as provided in item (bb), lack access to a policy or plan of insurance under subchapter I; or(bb) do not qualify for a written agreement because 1 or more farming practices, which the Secretary has determined are good farming practices, of the eligible producers on the farm differ significantly from the farming practices used by producers of the same crop in other regions of the United States; and(II) are not eligible for the noninsured crop disaster assistance program established by section 7333 of this title.
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(ii) as determined by the Secretary—(aa) except as provided in item (bb), lack access to a policy or plan of insurance under subchapter I; or(bb) do not qualify for a written agreement because 1 or more farming practices, which the Secretary has determined are good farming practices, of the eligible producers on the farm differ significantly from the farming practices used by producers of the same crop in other regions of the United States; and(II) are not eligible for the noninsured crop disaster assistance program established by section 7333 of this title.
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(bb) do not qualify for a written agreement because 1 or more farming practices, which the Secretary has determined are good farming practices, of the eligible producers on the farm differ significantly from the farming practices used by producers of the same crop in other regions of the United States; and
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(j) In implementing any other program which makes disaster assistance payments (except for indemnities made under subchapter I and section 7333 of this title), the Secretary shall prevent duplicative payments with respect to the same loss for which a person receives a payment under subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), or (f).
Citations to §1502(b)(13)
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(i) a yield that is not less than 65 percent of the transitional yield of the producer (adjusted to reflect actual production reflected in the records acceptable to the Corporation for continuous years), as specified in regulations issued by the Corporation based on production history requirements;
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(A) If a producer does not provide satisfactory evidence of a yield under paragraph (2)(A), the producer shall be assigned a yield that is at least 80 percent of the transitional yield established by the Corporation (adjusted to reflect the actual production history of the producer) if the Secretary determines that—(i) the producer grows feed or forage primarily for on-farm use in a livestock, dairy, or poultry operation; and(ii) over 50 percent of the net farm income of the producer is derived from the operation.
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(B) If, for one or more of the crop years used to establish the producer’s actual production history of an agricultural commodity, the producer’s recorded or appraised yield of the commodity was less than 60 percent of the applicable transitional yield, as determined by the Corporation, the Corporation shall, at the election of the producer—(i) exclude any of such recorded or appraised yield; and(I) replace each excluded yield with a yield equal to 60 percent of the applicable transitional yield; or(II) in the case of beginning farmers or ranchers and veteran farmers or ranchers, replace each excluded yield with a yield equal to 80 percent of the applicable transitional yield.
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(I) replace each excluded yield with a yield equal to 60 percent of the applicable transitional yield; or
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(II) in the case of beginning farmers or ranchers and veteran farmers or ranchers, replace each excluded yield with a yield equal to 80 percent of the applicable transitional yield.
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(I) the crop insurance guarantee shall be determined by using a yield equal to 65 percent of the transitional yield of the producer; and
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(e) The Secretary shall establish procedures under which the Corporation shall consult with the State committee of the Farm Service Agency for a State with respect to policies, plans of insurance, and material related to such policies or plans of insurance (including applicable sales closing dates, assigned yields, and transitional yields) offered in that State under this subchapter.
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(A) The Corporation shall carry out research and development, or offer to enter into 1 or more contracts with 1 or more qualified persons to carry out research and development, regarding the creation of a separate practice for subsurface irrigation, including the establishment of a separate transitional yield within a county that is reflective of the average gain in productivity and yield associated with the installation of a subsurface irrigation system.
Citations to §1502(b)(14)
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(II) a veteran farmer or rancher; or
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(8) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection regarding payment of a portion of premiums, a beginning farmer or rancher or veteran farmer or rancher shall receive premium assistance that is 10 percentage points greater than premium assistance that would otherwise be available under paragraphs (2) (except for subparagraph (A) of that paragraph), (5), (6), and (7) for the applicable policy, plan of insurance, and coverage level selected by the beginning farmer or rancher or veteran farmer or rancher.
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(iii) if the producer is a beginning farmer or rancher or veteran farmer or rancher who was previously involved in a farming or ranching operation, including involvement in the decisionmaking or physical involvement in the production of the crop or livestock on the farm, for any acreage obtained by the beginning farmer or rancher or veteran farmer or rancher, a yield that is the higher of—(I) the actual production history of the previous producer of the crop or livestock on the acreage determined under subparagraph (A); or(II) a yield of the producer, as determined in clause (i).
Citations to §1502(c)
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(3) Notwithstanding section 1502(c) of this title, records submitted in accordance with this subchapter and section 7333 of this title shall be available to agencies and local offices of the Department, appropriate State and Federal agencies and divisions, applicants who have received payment under section 1522(b)(2)(E) of this title, and approved insurance providers for use in carrying out this subchapter, such section 7333 of this title, and other agricultural programs.