---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 518c"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "518c"
heading: "Administration"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/518c"
units:
  - "Chapter 21C — Tobacco Reform"
  - "Subchapter I — Transitional Payments to Tobacco Quota Holders and Producers of Tobacco"
---

# §518c. Administration

- (a) **Time for payment of contract payments—** [Contract payments](/usc/7/518.md?p=5) required to be made for a fiscal year shall be made by the [Secretary](/usc/7/518.md?p=11) as soon as practicable.
- (b) **Use of county committees to resolve disputes—** Any dispute regarding the eligibility of a [person](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-1) to enter into a [contract](/usc/7/518.md?p=4) or to receive [contract payments](/usc/7/518.md?p=5), and any dispute regarding the amount of a [contract payment](/usc/7/518.md?p=5), may be appealed to the county committee established under [section 590h of title 16](/usc/16/590h.md) for the county or other area in which the farming operation of the [person](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-1) is located.
- (c) **Role of National Appeals Division—** Any adverse determination of a county committee under [subsection (b)](#b) may be appealed to the National Appeals Division established under subtitle H of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 ([7 U.S.C. 6991](/usc/7/6991.md) et seq.).
- (d) **Use of financial institutions—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/518.md?p=11) may use a financial institution to manage assets, make [contract payments](/usc/7/518.md?p=5), and otherwise carry out this title.[^1]
- (e) **Payment to financial institutions—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/518.md?p=11) shall permit a [tobacco quota holder](/usc/7/518.md?p=9) or [producer of quota tobacco](/usc/7/518.md?p=6) entitled to [contract payments](/usc/7/518.md?p=5) to assign to a financial institution the right to receive the [contract payments](/usc/7/518.md?p=5). Upon receiving notification of the assignment, the [Secretary](/usc/7/518.md?p=11) shall make subsequent [contract payments](/usc/7/518.md?p=5) for the [tobacco quota holder](/usc/7/518.md?p=9) or [producer of quota tobacco](/usc/7/518.md?p=6) directly to the financial institution designated by the [tobacco quota holder](/usc/7/518.md?p=9) or [producer of quota tobacco](/usc/7/518.md?p=6). The [Secretary](/usc/7/518.md?p=11) shall make information available to [tobacco quota holders](/usc/7/518.md?p=9) and producers of [quota tobacco](/usc/7/518.md?p=7) regarding their ability to elect to have the [Secretary](/usc/7/518.md?p=11) make payments directly to a financial institution under this subsection so that they may obtain a lump sum or other payment.

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 108–357, title VI, § 624, Oct. 22, 2004, 118 Stat. 1528.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994, referred to in subsec. (c), is title II of Pub. L. 103–354, Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3209. Subtitle H of the Act is classified principally to subchapter VIII (§ 6991 et seq.) of chapter 98 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

This title, referred to in subsec. (d), means title VI of Pub. L. 108–357, which enacted this chapter, amended sections 609, 1282, 1301, 1303, 1314h, 1361, 1371, 1373, 1375, 1378, 1379, 1428, 1433c–1, and 1441 of this title and section 714c of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, repealed sections 511r, 515 to 515k, 625, 1311 to 1314, 1314–1, 1314b, 1314b–1, 1314b–2, 1314c to 1314j, 1315, 1316, 1445, 1445–1, and 1445–2 of this title, enacted provisions set out as notes under sections 515 and 518 of this title, and repealed provisions set out as a note under section 1314c of this title. For complete classification of title VI to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 518 of this title and Tables.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section applicable to the 2005 and subsequent crops of tobacco, see section 643 of Pub. L. 108–357, set out as a note under section 518 of this title.