SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF AGRICULTURAL ISSUES COVERED
BY STATE MEDIATION PROGRAMS.
(a) EXPANSION OF MEDIATION PROGRAMS.—Section
501 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 (7 U.S.C.
5101) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘an agricul-
tural loan mediation program’’ and inserting ‘‘a me-
diation program’’; and
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘agricultural
loan’’; and
(3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the
following new subsection:
‘‘(c) REQUIREMENTS OF STATE MEDIATION PRO-
GRAMS.—
‘‘(1) AGRICULTURAL ISSUES COVERED.—To be
certified as a qualifying State, the mediation pro-
gram of the State must provide mediation services to
producers, their creditors (if applicable), other per-
sons directly affected by actions of the Department
of Agriculture, and the Department of Agriculture,
involved in one or more of the following agricultural
issues:
‘‘(A) Agricultural loans.
‘‘(B) Wetlands determinations under the
jurisdiction of the Department.
‘‘(C) Compliance with farm programs, in-
cluding conservation programs of the Depart-
ment.
‘‘(D) Agricultural credit.
‘‘(E) Rural water loan programs.
‘‘(F) Grazing on National Forest System
lands.
‘‘(G) Pesticides.
‘‘(H) Such other agricultural issues under
the jurisdiction of the Department as the Sec-
retary considers appropriate.
‘‘(2) CERTIFICATION
CONDITIONS.—The Sec-
retary shall certify a State as a qualifying State with
respect to the agricultural issues proposed to be cov-
ered by the mediation program of the State if the
mediation program—
‘‘(A) provides for mediation services that,
if decisions are reached, result in mediated, mu-
tually agreeable decisions between the parties to
the mediation;
‘‘(B) is authorized or administered by an
agency of the State government or by the Gov-
ernor of the State;
‘‘(C) provides for the training of medi-
ators;
‘‘(D) provides that the mediation sessions
shall be confidential;
‘‘(E) ensures, in the case of agricultural
loans, that all lenders and borrowers of agricul-
tural loans receive adequate notification of the
mediation program; and
‘‘(F) ensures, in the case of other agricul-
tural issues covered by the mediation program,
that persons directly affected by actions of the
Department of Agriculture receive adequate no-
tification of the mediation program.
‘‘(3) TIME FOR CERTIFICATION.—The Secretary
shall make a determination whether to certify a
State as a qualifying State not later than 15 days
after the Secretary receives a description of the pro-
posed mediation program of the State.’’.
(b) PARTICIPATION OF DEPARTMENT.—Section 503
of such Act (7 U.S.C. 5103) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘agricultural loan’’ each place it
appears;
(2) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)
of subsection (a)(1)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘or agency’’ after ‘‘pro-
gram’’; and
(B) by striking ‘‘that makes, guarantees,
or insures agricultural loans’’;
(3) in subsection (a)(1)(A)—
(A) by inserting ‘‘or agency’’ after ‘‘such
program’’; and
(B) by inserting ‘‘certified under section
501’’ after ‘‘mediation program’’;
(4) in subsection (a)(1)(B)—
(A) by striking ‘‘, effective beginning on
the date of the enactment of this Act,’’; and
(B) by inserting ‘‘certified under section
501’’ after ‘‘mediation programs’’; and
(5) in subsection (a)(1)(C)—
(A) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘described in’’
and inserting ‘‘certified under’’; and
(B) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘if applica-
ble,’’ before ‘‘present’’.
(c) REGULATIONS.—Section 504 of such Act (7
U.S.C. 5104) is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘Within 150 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the ’’ and inserting
‘‘The’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new sen-
tence: ‘‘The regulations prescribed by the Secretary
shall require qualifying States to adequately train
mediators to address all of the agricultural issues
covered by the mediation program of the State.’’.
(d) REPORT.—Section 505 of such Act (7 U.S.C.
5105) is amended by striking ‘‘1990’’ and inserting
‘‘1998’’.
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section
506 of such Act (7 U.S.C. 5106) is amended by striking
‘‘1995’’ and inserting ‘‘2000’’.
(f) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
(1) REFERENCES TO AGRICULTURAL LOANS.—
Subtitle A of title V of such Act is amended—
(A) in sections 502 and 505(1) (7 U.S.C.
5102, 5105(1)), by striking ‘‘agricultural loan’’
each place it appears; and
(B) in section 505(3) (7 U.S.C. 5105(3)),
by striking ‘‘an agricultural loan mediation’’
and inserting ‘‘a mediation’’.
(2) WAIVER
OF
FARM
CREDIT
MEDIATION
RIGHTS
BY
BORROWERS.—Section 4.14E of the
Farm Credit Act of 1971 (12 U.S.C. 2202e) is
amended by striking ‘‘agricultural loan’’.
(3) WAIVER OF FMHA MEDIATION RIGHTS BY
BORROWERS.—Section 358 of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2006)
is amended by striking ‘‘agricultural loan’’.