---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 9015"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "9015"
heading: "Producer election"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/9015"
units:
  - "Chapter 115 — Agricultural Commodity Policy and Programs"
  - "Subchapter I — Commodity Policy"
---

# §9015. Producer election

- (a) **Election required—** For the 2014 through 2018 crop years (except as provided in [subsection (g)](#g)) and for the 2019 through 2031 crop years (subject to [subsection (h)](#h)), all of the [producers](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on a farm shall make a 1-time, irrevocable election to obtain—
  - (1) [price loss coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=16) under [section 9016 of this title](/usc/7/9016.md) on a [covered commodity](/usc/7/9011.md?p=6-A)-by-covered-commodity basis; or
  - (2) [agriculture risk coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=2) under [section 9017 of this title](/usc/7/9017.md).
- (b) **Coverage options—** In the election under subsection [(a)](#a) or [(h)](#h), as applicable, the [producers](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on a farm that elect to obtain [agriculture risk coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=2) shall unanimously select whether to receive [agriculture risk coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=2) payments based on—
  - (1) [county coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=5) applicable on a [covered commodity](/usc/7/9011.md?p=6-A)-by-covered-commodity basis; or
  - (2) [individual coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=11) applicable to all of the [covered commodities](/usc/7/9011.md?p=6-A) on the farm.
- (c) **Effect of failure to make unanimous election—** If all the [producers](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on a farm fail to make a unanimous election under [subsection (a)](#a) for the 2014 crop year, the 2019 crop year, or the 2026 crop year, as applicable—
  - (1) the [Secretary](/usc/7/9011.md?p=20) shall not make any payments with respect to the farm for the 2014 crop year, the 2019 crop year, or the 2026 crop year, as applicable, under section [9016](/usc/7/9016.md) or [9017](/usc/7/9017.md) of this title; and
  - (2) subject to [subsection (h)](#h), the [producers](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on the farm shall be deemed to have elected, as applicable—
    - (A) [price loss coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=16) for all [covered commodities](/usc/7/9011.md?p=6-A) on the farm for the 2015 through 2018 crop years;
    - (B) the same coverage for each [covered commodity](/usc/7/9011.md?p=6-A) on the farm for the 2020 through 2023 crop years as was applicable for the 2015 through 2018 crop years; and
    - (C) the same coverage for each [covered commodity](/usc/7/9011.md?p=6-A) on the farm for the 2027 through 2031 crop years as was applicable for the 2025 crop year.
- (d) **Effect of selection of county coverage—** If all the [producers](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on a farm select [county coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=5) for a [covered commodity](/usc/7/9011.md?p=6-A) under [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1), the [Secretary](/usc/7/9011.md?p=20) may not make [price loss coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=16) payments under [section 9016 of this title](/usc/7/9016.md) to the [producers](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on the farm with respect to that [covered commodity](/usc/7/9011.md?p=6-A).
- (e) **Effect of selection of individual coverage—** If all the [producers](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on a farm select [individual coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=11) under [subsection (b)(2)](#b-2), in addition to the selection and election under this section applying to each [producer](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on the farm, the [Secretary](/usc/7/9011.md?p=20) shall consider, for purposes of making the calculations required by subsections (b)(2) and (c)(3) of [section 9017 of this title](/usc/7/9017.md), the [producer](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A)’s share of all farms in the same [State](/usc/7/9011.md?p=22)—
  - (1) in which the [producer](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) has an interest; and
  - (2) for which [individual coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=11) has been selected.
- (f) **Prohibition on reconstitution—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/9011.md?p=20) shall ensure that [producers](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on a farm do not reconstitute the farm to void or change an election or selection made under this section.
- (g) **Special election—**
  - (1) **In general—** In the case of acres allocated to [seed cotton](/usc/7/9011.md?p=21) on a farm, for the 2018 crop year, all of the [producers](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on the farm shall be given the opportunity to make a new 1-time election under [subsection (a)](#a) to reflect the designation of [seed cotton](/usc/7/9011.md?p=21) as a [covered commodity](/usc/7/9011.md?p=6-A) for that crop year under [section 9011(6)(B) of this title](/usc/7/9011.md?p=6-B).
  - (2) **Effect of failure to make unanimous election—** If all the [producers](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on a farm fail to make a unanimous election under [paragraph (1)](#g-1), the [producers](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on the farm shall be deemed to have elected [price loss coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=16) under [section 9016 of this title](/usc/7/9016.md) for acres allocated on the farm to [seed cotton](/usc/7/9011.md?p=21).
- (h) **Option to change election—**
  - (1) **In general—** For the 2021 crop year and each crop year thereafter, all of the [producers](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on a farm may change the election under [subsection (a)](#a), [subsection (c)](#c), or this subsection, as applicable, to [price loss coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=16) or [agriculture risk coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=2), as applicable.
  - (2) **Applicability—** An election change under [paragraph (1)](#h-1) shall apply to—
    - (A) the crop year for which the election change is made; and
    - (B) each crop year thereafter until another election change is made under that paragraph.
- (i) **Higher of price loss coverage payments and agriculture risk coverage payments—** For the 2025 crop year, the [Secretary](/usc/7/9011.md?p=20) shall, on a [covered commodity](/usc/7/9011.md?p=6-A)-by-[covered commodity](/usc/7/9011.md?p=6-A) basis, make the higher of [price loss coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=16) payments under [section 9016 of this title](/usc/7/9016.md) and [agriculture risk coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=2) [county coverage](/usc/7/9011.md?p=5) payments under [section 9017 of this title](/usc/7/9017.md) to the [producers](/usc/7/9011.md?p=17-A) on a farm for the [payment acres](/usc/7/9011.md?p=14) for each [covered commodity](/usc/7/9011.md?p=6-A) on the farm.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 113–79, title I, § 1115, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 667; Pub. L. 115–123, div. F, § 60101(a)(7), Feb. 9, 2018, 132 Stat. 309; Pub. L. 115–334, title I, § 1105, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4503; Pub. L. 119–21, title I, § 10303(a), July 4, 2025, 139 Stat. 89.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Provisions of law applicable to a covered commodity for the 2023 crop year pursuant to title I of Pub. L. 113–79 applicable to the 2024 crop year for that covered commodity, see section 102(c)(1) of Pub. L. 118–22, set out in an Extension of Agricultural Programs note under section 9001 of this title.

### Amendments

2025—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 119–21, § 10303(a)(1), substituted “2031” for “2023” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 119–21, § 10303(a)(2)(A), in introductory provisions, substituted “crop year,” for “crop year or” and inserted “or the 2026 crop year,” after “2019 crop year,”.

Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 119–21, § 10303(a)(2)(B), substituted “crop year,” for “crop year or” and inserted “or the 2026 crop year,” after “2019 crop year,”.

Subsec. (c)(2)(C). Pub. L. 119–21, § 10303(a)(2)(C), added subpar. (C).

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 119–21, § 10303(a)(3), added subsec. (i).

2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(1), substituted “For the 2014 through 2018 crop years (except as provided in subsection (g)) and for the 2019 through 2023 crop years (subject to subsection (h))” for “Except as provided in subsection (g), for the 2014 through 2018 crop years” in introductory provisions.

Pub. L. 115–123, § 60101(a)(7)(A), substituted “Except as provided in subsection (g), for” for “For” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(2), substituted “In the election under subsection (a) or (h), as applicable, the producers on a farm that elect to obtain agriculture risk coverage” for “In the election under subsection (a), the producers on a farm that elect under paragraph (2) of such subsection to obtain agriculture risk coverage under section 9017 of this title” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(3)(A), inserted “or the 2019 crop year, as applicable” after “the 2014 crop year” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(3)(B), inserted “or the 2019 crop year, as applicable,” after “the 2014 crop year”.

Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(3)(C), added par. (2) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “the producers on the farm shall be deemed to have elected price loss coverage under section 9016 of this title for all covered commodities on the farm for the 2015 through 2018 crop years.”

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 115–123, § 60101(a)(7)(B), added subsec. (g).

Subsec. (g)(1). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(4), inserted “for the 2018 crop year,” after “allocated to seed cotton on a farm,”.

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(5), added subsec. (h).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 115–123 applicable beginning with the 2018 crop year, see section 60101(a)(13) of Pub. L. 115–123, set out as a note under section 9011 of this title.