II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4170 

To amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to modify provisions relating to 

base acres, loan rates, and textile mills, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 18, 2024 

Mr. WARNOCK introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to modify provisions 

relating to base acres, loan rates, and textile mills, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Southern Commodities, 

5 Rates, Opportunities, Production, and Support Act’’ or 

6 the ‘‘Southern CROPS Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. BASE ACRES. 

8 Section 1112 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 

9 U.S.C. 9012) is amended— 


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1 (1) by redesignating subsections (b) through (d) 

2 as subsections (c) through (e), respectively; 

3 (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘(b) BASE ACRE INCREASE FOR UNDERSERVED

6 FARMERS OF COVERED COMMODITIES.— 

7 ‘‘(1) DEFINITION OF UNDERSERVED FARMER

8 OF COVERED COMMODITIES.—In this subsection, the 

9 term ‘underserved farmer of covered commodities’ 

10 means an underserved producer (as defined in sec11 tion 508(a)(7)(A) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act 

12 (7 U.S.C. 1508(a)(7)(A))) or a limited resource or 

13 economically distressed farmer (as determined by the 

14 Secretary) of 1 or more covered commodities. 

15 ‘‘(2) OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE BASE

16 ACRES.—As soon as practicable after the date of en17 actment of the Southern CROPS Act, the Secretary 

18 shall provide a 1-time opportunity for an under19 served farmer of covered commodities to increase 

20 base acres on a farm if— 

21 ‘‘(A) the underserved farmer of covered 

22 commodities— 

23 ‘‘(i) is an operator on the farm and 

24 provides a significant contribution of active 

25 personal labor on the farm; or 


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1 ‘‘(ii) has, or has an option to obtain, 

2 a significant ownership share of the farm 

3 or a business producing covered commod4 ities on the farm, as determined by the 

5 Secretary; and 

6 ‘‘(B) the average number of acres on the 

7 farm planted or prevented from planting as de8 scribed in subclauses (I) and (II), respectively, 

9 of paragraph (3)(A)(i) to covered commodities 

10 during the 2018 through 2022 crop years is 

11 greater than the number of base acres on the 

12 farm. 

13 ‘‘(3) BASE ACRE INCREASE.— 

14 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara15 graph (B), the number of base acres added to 

16 a farm under paragraph (2) shall be equal to 

17 the difference between— 

18 ‘‘(i) the sum obtained by adding— 

19 ‘‘(I) the 5-year average of the 

20 acreage planted on the farm to all 

21 covered commodities for harvest, graz22 ing, haying, sileage, or other similar 

23 purposes for the 2018 through 2022 

24 crop years, according to records subVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:28 May 03, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4170.IS S4170

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1 mitted to the Farm Service Agency or 

2 the Risk Management Agency; and 

3 ‘‘(II) the 5-year average of any 

4 acreage on the farm that was pre5 vented from planting to 1 or more 

6 covered commodities during the 2018 

7 through 2022 crop years because of 

8 drought, flood, or other natural dis9 aster, or other condition beyond the 

10 control of the producers, according to 

11 records submitted to the Farm Serv12 ice Agency or the Risk Management 

13 Agency; and 

14 ‘‘(ii) the number of base acres for cov15 ered commodities on the farm. 

16 ‘‘(B) LIMITATIONS.— 

17 ‘‘(i) MAXIMUM.—Not more than 160 

18 base acres shall be added to any farm 

19 under paragraph (2). 

20 ‘‘(ii) PROHIBITION ON RECONSTITU21 TION OF FARM.—The Secretary shall en22 sure that producers on a farm do not re23 constitute the farm for the purpose of in24 creasing the number of cumulative acres 

25 added to the farm under paragraph (2). 


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1 ‘‘(C) DISTRIBUTION.—Base acres added to 

2 a farm under paragraph (2) shall be added to 

3 the base acreage of each covered commodity on 

4 the farm in the proportion that— 

5 ‘‘(i) the acreage planted or prevented 

6 from planting to the covered commodity on 

7 the farm; bears to 

8 ‘‘(ii) the acreage planted or prevented 

9 from planting to all covered commodities 

10 on the farm. 

11 ‘‘(4) REDUCTION OF BASE ACRES.—If an un12 derserved farmer of covered commodities on a farm 

13 for which base acres have been increased under 

14 paragraph (2) does not own or operate the farm for 

15 any of the 2025 through 2029 crop years, the Sec16 retary shall reduce the number of base acres on the 

17 farm by the number of base acres added to the farm 

18 under paragraph (2) for that crop year, in the same 

19 proportion among covered commodities on the farm 

20 described in paragraph (3)(C).’’; and 

21 (3) in subsection (d) (as so redesignated), in 

22 paragraph (2)(C), by striking ‘‘(b)(1)(C)’’ and in23 serting ‘‘(c)(1)(C)’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. LOAN RATES. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1202 of the Agricultural 

3 Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9032) is amended— 

4 (1) in subsection (b)— 

5 (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 

6 ‘‘2023’’ and inserting ‘‘2024’’; and 

7 (B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 

8 by striking ‘‘2023’’ and inserting ‘‘2024’’; 

9 (2) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as 

10 subsections (d) and (e), respectively; and 

11 (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol12 lowing: 

13 ‘‘(c) 2025 AND SUBSEQUENT CROP YEARS.—Begin14 ning with the 2025 crop year, the Secretary shall establish 

15 a loan rate for a marketing assistance loan under section 

16 1201 for a loan commodity equal to the lesser of— 

17 ‘‘(1) an amount equal to 110 percent of the 

18 loan rate for the loan commodity described in sub19 section (b); and 

20 ‘‘(2) an amount equal to the greater of— 

21 ‘‘(A) the loan rate for the loan commodity 

22 described in subsection (b); and 

23 ‘‘(B) the sum obtained by adding— 

24 ‘‘(i) the loan rate for the loan com25 modity described in subsection (b); and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) the product obtained by multi2 plying— 

3 ‘‘(I) the loan rate for the loan 

4 commodity described in subsection 

5 (b); and 

6 ‘‘(II) using data calculated and 

7 published by the Economic Research 

8 Service, the quotient obtained by di9 viding— 

10 ‘‘(aa) the difference be11 tween— 

12 ‘‘(AA) the forecasted 

13 crop input expenses (includ14 ing interest, labor, property 

15 taxes, seed, fertilizer and 

16 lime, fuel, oil, electricity, 

17 pesticides, and net rent to 

18 landowners) for the applica19 ble crop year; and 

20 ‘‘(BB) the average of 

21 the crop input expenses for 

22 the 5-year period imme23 diately preceding the appli24 cable crop year; by 


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1 ‘‘(bb) the average of the 

2 crop input expenses described in 

3 item (aa)(AA) for the 5-year pe4 riod immediately preceding the 

5 applicable crop year.’’. 

6 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1204(h)(1) 

7 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9034(h)(1)) is 

8 amended by striking ‘‘(a)(20) or (b)(20),’’ and inserting 

9 ‘‘(a)(20), (b)(20), or (c),’’. 

10 SEC. 4. TEXTILE MILLS. 

11 Section 1207(c)(2) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 

12 (7 U.S.C. 9037(c)(2)) is amended— 

13 (1) by striking ‘‘Effective beginning on August 

14 1, 2013,’’ and inserting the following: 

15 ‘‘(A) AUGUST 2013 THROUGH JULY 2025.— 

16 Effective during the period beginning on Au17 gust 1, 2013, and ending on July 31, 2025,’’; 

18 and 

19 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

20 ‘‘(B) BEGINNING AUGUST 2025.—Effective 

21 beginning on August 1, 2025, the value of the 

22 assistance provided under paragraph (1) shall 

23 be 4 cents per pound.’’. 

Æ 


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