II

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1523

To extend agricultural programs through 1996, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JANUARY 23, 1996

Mr. DORGAN (for himself, Mr. CONRAD, Mr. DASCHLE, and Mr. EXON) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

A BILL

To extend agricultural programs through 1996, 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 ‘‘Agricultural Act of

5 1995’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 Congress finds that failure to enact timely legislation

8 extending farm and related programs will—
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1 (1) cause economic uncertainty for family farm2 ers across the country who represent the backbone

3 of United States agriculture;

4 (2) create instability in commodity markets;

5 (3) result in lost export markets for United

6 States agricultural commodities; and

7 (4) prevent the Secretary of Agriculture from

8 administering the programs in an orderly and effi9 cient manner.

10 SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS.

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi12 sion of law, except as provided in this Act and the amend13 ments made by this Act, the provisions of the Agricultural

14 Adjustment of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1281 et seq.), the Agricul15 tural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1421 et seq.), the Food Secu16 rity Act of 1985 (Public Law 99–198), and the Food, Ag17 riculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (Public

18 Law 101–624) and each program that was authorized or

19 reauthorized by any of the Acts, that were applicable on

20 September 30, 1995, shall be applicable for 1996.

21 (b) FLEXIBILITY.—Section 504 of the Agricultural

22 Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1464) is amended by striking sub23 sections (c), (d), and (e) and inserting the following:

24 ‘‘(c) NON-PAYMENT ACRES.—In the case of the 1996

25 crops, any crop or conserving crop specified in subsection
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1 (b)(1) may be planted on the acres of a crop acreage base

2 that is not eligible for payment under this Act.

3 ‘‘(d) LOAN ELIGIBILITY.—In the case of the 1996

4 crops, producers on a farm with a crop acreage base may

5 plant any program crop on the crop acreage base and shall

6 be eligible to receive purchases, loans, and loan deficiency

7 payments for the program crop.’’.

8 SEC. 4. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.

9 (a) PAYMENTS.—Section 114(a)(2) of the Agricul10 tural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1445j(a)(2)) is amended by

11 adding at the end the following:

12 ‘‘(K) 1995 DISASTERS.—In the case of

13 producers on a farm who were prevented from

14 planting, or incurred a reduced yield of 35 per15 cent or more of, the 1995 crop due to weather

16 or related condition, the Secretary may settle

17 claims for the repayment by the producers re18 quired under subparagraph (G) or (H) on terms

19 determined by the Secretary to be fair and eq20 uitable, except that no claim shall be reduced

21 by more than $3,500.’’.

22 (b) CONSERVATION.—Section 1231(b)(4) of the Food

23 Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(b)(4)) is amend24 ed—
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1 (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘or’’ at

2 the end;

3 (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period

4 at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and

5 (3) by adding at the end the following:

6 ‘‘(E) if the Secretary determines that the

7 lands will be used to store water for flood con8 trol in a closed basin.’’.

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