I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1342
To provide for a one-year enrollment in the conservation reserve of land
covered by expiring conservation reserve program contracts.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 16, 1997
Mr. SMITH of Oregon introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To provide for a one-year enrollment in the conservation
reserve of land covered by expiring conservation reserve
program contracts.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ONE-YEAR ENROLLMENT OF LAND COVERED
BY EXPIRING CONSERVATION RESERVE CON-
TRACTS.
(a) ELIGIBLE LANDS.—This section applies with re-
spect to land on a farm covered by a conservation reserve
program contract expiring during fiscal year 1997 if—
(1) the farm had a crop acreage base for wheat,
oats, or barley at the time the conservation reserve
program contract was executed or had a fall-seeded
crop during the 1996 crop year;
(2) the land covered by the expiring conserva-
tion reserve program contract is the subject of a bid
to reenroll the land in the conservation reserve; and
(3) the land satisfies eligibility criteria in effect
during fiscal year 1997 for the enrollment of the
land in the conservation reserve.
(b) ONE-YEAR ENROLLMENT AUTHORIZED.—The
owner of land described in subsection (a) (or the operator
of a farm containing such land, with the consent of the
owner) may enroll the land covered by the expiring con-
servation reserve program contract in the conservation re-
serve for a one-year period beginning on October 1, 1997,
if—
(1) the Secretary of Agriculture does not notify
the owner or operator, not later than May 2, 1997,
that the Secretary accepts or rejects the bid for re-
enrollment of the land in the conservation reserve;
and
(2) the owner or operator notifies the Secretary,
not later than May 16, 1997, that the owner or op-
erator desires to enroll the land in the conservation
reserve for one year under this subsection.
(c) RENTAL RATE.—The rental rate for a one-year
conservation reserve program contract under subsection
(b) shall be equal to the lesser of—
(1) the maximum county rental rate established
for the county in which the land covered by the con-
tract is located; or
(2) the amount of the bid referred to in sub-
section (a)(2) that was submitted by the owner or
operator to reenroll the land in the conservation re-
serve.
(d) EFFECT OF SUBSEQUENT LONG-TERM ENROLL-
MENT.—If, before a one-year conservation reserve pro-
gram contract entered into under subsection (b) takes ef-
fect on October 1, 1997, the Secretary accepts the bid of
the owner or operator of the land covered by the contract
to enroll the land in the conservation reserve under section
1231 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831),
the one-year contract shall be void. The existence of the
one-year contract shall not affect the duration or terms
of the new conservation reserve program contract executed
by the owner or operator and the Secretary under such
section.
(e) LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES.—Notwithstand-
ing the authorization of one-year conservation reserve pro-
gram contracts under subsection (b), the total amount of
funds expended during fiscal year 1998 for all conserva-
tion reserve program contracts, including such one-year
contracts, may not exceed the amount of funds that would
have been expended during that fiscal year for conserva-
tion reserve program contracts in the absence of this sec-
tion.
(f) CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM CONTRACT
DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘conservation re-
serve program contract’’ means a contract authorized
under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII
of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq.)
for the enrollment of farm acreage in the conservation re-
serve established under such subchapter.
Æ